If you’re looking to add a touch of artistry to your home or enhance your collection, consider lighting your art!
First, you need to decide where you want the lights to go. We can visit your site to explain the best positions for your art light fittings or tracks. The Art Fixation team and our suppliers are lighting designers, and our designs ensure the you get the best possible outcome.
A few things to consider when you decide to get lighting for your art include;
Do you want them to highlight specific piece of art or multiple pieces?
Or do you want them to provide general lighting for the room as well?
Lighting art can be done in a variety of ways.
Which lighting solution will work best for you? Or do you need a combination of two or all three lighting systems?
There are many different types of art lights available, from recess lights to wall mounted fixtures, picture lights and of course track lights. We’ll take a look at some of the best ways to light art in your home, and how you can achieve the perfect look for your space.
Once you have an idea of where you want the lights to go, you can start looking at the different types of light fittings. We work through the best location based on your ceiling heights as part of the design.
The three main types of lighting solution are recessed lights (mounted in the ceiling), track lighting systems (the most flexible) or picture lights (if you are looking for a more traditional look).
Track lights are available in a variety of fixtures and lamps to suit a wide range of applications. Track lighting systems are also highly flexible: the lights can easily be moved, added or removed as rotate your collection, add or buy new pieces of art.
If you have artwork that is hung on a wall that is not going to change, you may want to consider installing recessed lighting. This type of lighting is installed into the ceiling, and the light shines down onto the artwork. Recessed lighting is a great option if you want to create a more subtle look and work well as accent lights. Picture light are used for similar purposes and come in a wide range of finishes. Black, white, brass, silver, copper are just a few of the options.
You can choose from a variety of fixtures, depending on your needs and the type of art you want to highlight. For example, if you have a piece of art that you want to showcase, you may want to use a recessed light or track lighting. This will allow you to direct the light exactly where you want it, and create a dramatic effect.
If you’re looking for more general lighting, then wall-mounted lights (wall sconces or picture lights) are a great option. They provide ambient light and can be adjusted to suit your needs. Wall mounted lights are more expensive to install and may require your walls to be chased if they are brick or concrete. If that’s the case you will also need plasterers to patch up the chasing, they will need to come back several times. You’ll also need to repaint the entire wall.
“The most successful and brilliant work a lighting designer
can do is usually the least noticeable”.
Jean Rosenthal
Designing an art lighting for your home, gallery or studio
When it comes to art lighting, there are many different factors to consider. The type of art, the size of the piece, and the surrounding area all play a role in how you would like to light it.
The Art Fixation team and our suppliers will consider all options (after a site visit) for the best ways to light art in your home. We’ll also review the pieces you would like to light whether are oil paintings, water colours, prints, fine art, glicee prints, sporting memorabilia, statues and other items within your home.
We can advise you on how you can achieve the perfect look and lighting for your space. Our lighting design will also compliment your interior design and finishes within your home.
No matter what type of art lighting you choose, there are some basic principles that apply. Please read on.
The angle of your lights is critical
When using art lighting in your home or gallery they should throw light at a 30 – 35 degree angle (30 degrees is ideal). This will ensure that the light is evenly distributed and doesn’t create any hot spots.
If you light artworks at ten degrees, the fittings are really close to the wall and pointing almost straight down. This will cast really long shadows below the frame.
If your tracks or recessed lights are too far back, say at 45 degrees angle, then you’re pointing too directly pieces of art, prints or other wall art hangings, and you’ll get reflective glare.
When adjusting the angle of the light, you make sure that you don’t cast any shadows on the art. This will detract from the overall effect and make it difficult to see the art properly. Once your art lighting is in place we will adjust the angle of each light for you!
Framing Your Art with Lights
The ideal light fitting should have filters that allow you to create narrow spots or wide beams. They can also provide vertical and horizontal adjustments, use honeycomb filters and create a wall washing effect.
Gallery style light fitting also allow you to shape and soften the amount of light on your art. Beam shapers also make the art appear to be backlit and can frame a piece of art as small as 10cm x 10cm up to 300cm x 175cm, from one light fitting!
It also important to adjust the fitting throughout your home or gallery as the seasons changed due to the different levels of sunlight coming through your windows.
“An effective lighting design is like a beautiful painting. Your medium is bringing
someone to an emotional state he or she would not achieve at that
moment without your art. This does not and can not happen by accident“.
Glenn Cunningham
The Different Type of Light Globes
The type of globes you use are also very important and the right type of globes can reduce potential damage to your pieces of art. There’s the are three main types of globes: incandescent, halogen and LED.
Incandescent globes have a higher wattage and produce a brighter light, but they are not energy-efficient. Incandescent globes use around 10% of their energy to make visible light, the rest is wasted creating heat!
Halogen globes are very similar to incandescent globes however they tungsten filament that makes them run extremely hot. They also produce a considerable amount of infrared and ultraviolet radiation that can damage fabrics and artworks over a time.
LED (light emitting diodes) globes have a lower wattage but produce a brighter light and are more energy-efficient. Most globes used to light artworks these days are LED and last much longer than incandescent globes. If your collection includes value pieces (all of our art is valuable to us) we also suggest using U/V filters to minimise any potential damage to your artworks.
LED globes can last up to 50,000 hours and last around 42 times than an incandescent bulb. The type is light used in the design is a very important part of the light design, the right type of light can greatly enhance the viewing experience.
It’s always a good idea to go for a higher wattage than you think you’ll need. This will give you more flexibility when it comes to lighting artworks. You can always include a dimmer in your lighting systems to reduce the light levels.
Art lighting can be done in a variety of ways, by using different fittings and installing lights or track in the right place for the perfect look. Being able to adjust the angle of light for optimum effect and choosing the right type of globe and colour will also create a perfect art lighting solution.
Be sure to use bulbs that are specifically designed for art lighting. These bulbs emit a softer, even light that is ideal for highlighting artwork.
Lighting Installation & Project Management
Once your lights are installed, take a step back and make sure that they’re all pointing in the right direction and giving off enough light. You may need to adjust the bulbs or add additional lighting if needed (this is much more easily done with track lighting systems).
With these tips, you’ll be able to create art gallery style lighting in your home that will showcase your artwork perfectly.
The Art Fixation team will design a track lighting systems, ceiling mounted recessed lights or wall mounted picture lights and sconces to enhance your viewing experience. We can also design a systems using all three of these lighting systems if required.
Lighting art in your home doesn’t have to be difficult if you work with professional designers and installers. The Art Fixation team can help you select a home art lighting solutions that works for your artworks, explain the different types of light fitting, organise the installation for you and project manage larger projects.
By following these simple tips, you can easily install track art lighting and create a stunning display that will showcase your favourite pieces. So what are you waiting for? Call us today on (02) 9519 0099 to organise an appointment with our team.
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— Banksy
We’re happy to answer any questions on hanging, lighting or moving your art.
we put art in its place