The Nitpicky Artist
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Studio
    • Lights >
      • Types of Lights
      • Color Balanced Light?
      • Standard Bulb vs. PAR Flood Light
      • Soft White vs. Clear
      • Lighting a Painting
      • Lighting Subjects
    • Table and Work Surface >
      • Palette and Cover
      • Brush Holder
      • Thinner/ Spirit Cup
      • Paper Towel Holder
    • Easel
  • Painting Techniques
    • Varnishing A Painting
    • Dust
    • Using Mediums
    • Reducing Glare In The Paint
    • Clove Oil To Slow Drying
    • Painting Small
    • Yellowing of Mediums
    • Constructing Panels
    • Color Matching
    • Wax As A Varnish
  • Career
    • Entering Juried Exhibitions
    • Shipping a Painting
  • Photographing Art
  • Product Reviews
    • Anti-Reflective Glass
    • Gamblin Cold Wax as a Varnish
    • Tube Wringer

Soft White vs. Clear

Picture
This will be a fairly short and simple comparison but worth to mention.  In the above image, the bulb on the left has a white coating inside the glass.  Sometimes the glass is "frosted".  The bulb on the right has clear glass.  If you choose to use standard light bulbs like these for your studio, its best to choose the frosted or soft white version.  
The above photographs were taken with a soft white bulb (left) and a clear bulb (right) from 4 feet away on a white wall.   You should be able to see the slightly uneven distribution of light on the right image.  If you don't see the difference right away, back off from your computer screen about 4 feet.   The reason the soft white bulb has a even illumination is because the coating inside the glass bulb diffuses the light and eliminates any brighter areas.  This unifies the emitted light by the lamp.  The appearance of a glowing filament in a clear glass incandescent bulb works well in home fixtures in bathrooms or dining room chandeliers, but if you need to evenly illuminate a flat surface, go for the soft white or frosted bulb.   
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.