I’m ready to install lighting for my studio and unsure of the best options. I’ll have down lights but was hoping for a system that will reduce shadows and create a natural/neutral light.
Anybody got any ideas.
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I would think for a Studio where you are solely relying on artificail light that you would be best with lighting that provides a natural daylight colour temperature. They are available and would commonly be used in environments where accurate colour rendering is necessary.
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Lighting track, either grooved or open wire style, will allow plenty of flexibility perhaps.
Provided the track allows adequate additional lighting units, try a couple of spots or fooods and add as you see fit, installing maybe three or four tracks, each switched. Flexible but aware there is a cost.
I have never lit an indoor studio, my experience in lighting design is based on large outdoor sites, think ports, airports and stadia.
Daylight colour temp lamps will be in the range 5000K to 6500K, this might be a touch too blue in colour and 4000K may work better. You will also need to consider the amount of illumination required.
I would try and keep all the lamps at the same colour temperature as this will prevent any colour fringing.
As for the fittings, a selection of task and ambient will be needed. Positioning will be dependant on the position of the work.
If budget allows, a lighting design would be preferably to ensure correct levels of light are achieved.
Full Spectrum Light Bulbs.
I’ve never lit an art studio, but I imagine it will not be easy. I can give you certain advice;
Colour temp would be about 5000k. 4000 is too warm and 6500 is too blue.
When it comes to full-spectrum lighting, it gets complicated. What is classed as full-spectrum is any old crap and everyone seems to be selling it. Stick a few rgb leds together and we apparently have red going through to blue, which is full spectrum, but it’s not. It’s missing out vital colours in between, as the red, green & blues could have very narrow bandwidths. The result is a white light, but weird lighting that makes colours look wrong. I have 3 different proper rgbw full-spectrum lighting that I use for aquariums and they all look different. One of them is particularly expensive and still wrong.
If you want shadowless lighting, you either need to bounce the light off white or add multiple lights.
I would research properly on professional art lighting supply sites and avoid forums. I imagine doing it properly won’t be cheap.
It’s not that complicated. Lighting with a CRI above 80 is recommended, 100 is the max.
According to the AI on my phone. 
Looking at adverts for full spectrum lighting for artist, they are specified as CRI 95+.
The LED or Lamp, depending on the fitting(s) you choose need to be
Cold white – from 5300 Kelvin upwards. The colour of light that lamps emit is measured in Kelvin.
Cold white is also known as daylight white or North Light.
Roger.
Pete lives in Australia, so he’ll be wanting South Light.
What is behide the glass blocks, is there room to put either Tube lights
Or LEDs ?
Thanks for the suggestions.
I’m picking up 2 x 5m cool temp at around 5k tomorrow. They’re not that expensive and I’ll trial these and see how they work.
have you considered installing rails? You can then attach and position almost any type and number of lights you light and if you have white walls have the lights firing out at the walls to reflect light back and give a softer less harsh effect.
I use rails in almost every room and their versatility is amazing.
Heavy use of narrow spotlights in the living room and diffuse wall facing lights in the bedroom. Heck you can even hang plants from them.
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