The Importance of High CRI and Best Color Temperature for Painting and Drawing

After conducting research and interviews, we found that some artists are unaware of the benefits of good art studio lights. Not only do good work lights provide color accuracy, but they also reduce eye fatigue during long periods of work. It can greatly affect the work, study and creation of artists, graphic designers, sculptors, art students, and craftsmen who do not have the right work lighting for their studios.
 
So, how do you choose an affordable artwork light with excellent color quality for your studio? Or what is the best lighting for an artist?
 
With these questions, YUJILEDS will cover everything you need to know about studio lighting in the below articles.

Let's start with the basics.

First, when considering what type of light to paint in, we need to understand that CRI and color temperature how play an important role in the artwork lighting.

1. What is CRI and what does the CRI mean?

A color rendering index (CRI) is a quantitative measure of the ability of a light source to reveal the colors of various objects faithfully in comparison with a natural or standard light source.

Color rendering, as defined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), is the effect of an illuminant on the color appearance of objects by conscious or subconscious comparison with their color appearance under a reference or standard illuminant.

Light sources with a high CRI are used widely in color-critical applications such as printing and paint shops, film & photography areas, art studios, jewelry appraisal center detects and art restoration.

For an art studio, we can think of the CRI value of an indoor light source can be seen as a measure of how closely an object's color appears to natural daylight outside. CRI has a maximum score of 100. The more a light source gets closer to 100, the more it shows the realistic and true colors of an object.

As an artist, you need to ensure that the colors in your canvas are consistent with how they appear under natural or standard light sources. The higher the CRI, the closer the color of the item is to the true color under natural light or standard light sources.

2.What is correlated color temperature (CCT)?

From Wikipedia, the correlated color temperature (CCT) is defined as "the temperature of the Planckian radiator whose perceived color most closely resembles that of a given stimulus at the same brightness and under specified viewing conditions.
 
To put it simply, CCT stands for Correlated Color Temperature, which is a way to describe the color appearance of a white LED light. It is measured in degrees of Kelvin (K) on a scale that ranges from 1000K to 10000K.

Different temperatures on the Kelvin scale represent different colors. For example, light at 1800K-3200K looks more orange/yellow and is called warm white, and as temperature increases in Kelvins, color changes to more of a “paper white” known as natural or neutral white (between 4000K and 5000K) and finally becomes a bluish white known as cool white (5600K-6500K).
 
Warm white (1800K-3200K) creates a warm and comfortable area. It is generally used in rooms where everyone gathers to visit or relax (living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, etc.).
 
Neutral or natural White (4000K-5000K) creates a natural daylight effect. This is the best-selling strip as it mimics natural light and can be used comfortably anywhere in the home, especially in your workplace.
 
Cool white (5600K-6500K) casts a bright and fresh glow. Cool white is great for task lighting as it is a brighter and more focused light. The cool bright colors are used the most in bathrooms, kitchens, and workspaces.

3.Which CCT is suitable for an art studio?

The choice of color temperature (CCT) for the lighting in an art studio is a matter of personal preference for the artist. This is because every artist perceives color and light differently.

Also, they typically use natural light to create art. Natural sunlight is the best source of lighting for art and provides the most accurate color rendition. But for some studios without access to natural light, a color temperature of 5000K is usually the best option for most people.

In terms of feeling, this provides a slightly cool and clean light source, allowing for warm painting tones while maintaining true colors.

In terms of technically, the D50/5000K is also the best option for an art studio.

1. 5000K is the most balanced color spectrum, so it is arguably the purest white color point.
2. YUJILED 5000K (ISO D50) meets the ISO standard (ISO3664:2000) for "color viewing", so if your work is viewed by other designers or brands in the industry, they are likely to use similar lighting conditions. (See the color viewing lighting page for details)

4.What's the best lighting for artists?

In conclusion, color temperature (CCT) and CRI are two different indicators for LED lights. For art studios that require high-quality color reproduction, YUJILEDS recommends that you choose art studio lighting that have the following two characteristics:

1.Correct color temperature (daylight - 5000K/D50 or 6500K/D65)

2.CRI rating is 95 or higher, R9 should also be 90+ (Click it to see more about why R9 is important)

If you want to upgrade or renovate your art studio after reading this blog, then you can consider using YUJI products to give your space a refreshing feel.

1. One of the easiest things you can do to improve your lighting quality is to modify the floor lamp, desk lamp or clip-on desk lamp that you are currently using. All you need to do is replace the bulb with a NormLite™ CRI 98 A60 E27 5000K bulb. This will significantly enhance your color performance in your art creation with minimal effort and time.

Standard Illuminant CRI 98 D50 5000K T8 LED Tube which offers the high color rendering index (Ra 97+) and low metamerism indices in both visible and ultraviolet range. These tubes could create an ideal viewing condition in compliant with ISO3664: 2000 standard. Energy use will be reduced by over 30%.

Last, whether you are a beginner, amateur, or professional artist, natural light is undoubtedly the best source of light to create works of art. For art studios without windows, YUJI recommends using LED products that can accurately reproduce colors (high CRI) under a more neutral white light color (5000k). This will enable you to perform at your best when creating your art.