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Many people come into the store looking for a way to light a new piece of prized artwork. If you’re investing in a beautiful piece of art, then you should show it off! Before you start your search, make sure you understand the qualities of your artwork. For example, is your painting oil or acrylic? Oils are a little harder to light because of the spectral highlights when harsh light hits the paint, so being armed with this information would allow you to make a more informed lighting decision.

Below are a few types of lights to consider for your art:

– Picture light – These hang over a painting or can be affixed to a frame. These are generally about 3’’ in diameter, and should be about 1/2 of the width of the artwork excluding the frame.
– Slimline picture light – This is a mini version of the above – about 1’’ in diameter, and can fit smaller pieces or draw attention to a distinctive part of the artwork.
– Mantel lights – These can be put in front of the artwork sitting on a mantel, and light the artwork from bottom to top.
– Track lighting – This is a very modern approach to lighting your artwork, and allows a lot of flexibility. Track lighting can light an entire wall and accent many pieces.

The other thing to keep in mind is the color of light. Incandescent produce a warm color that amplifies yellows and reds. LED lights are becoming much more popular in the world of picture lights and are available in a wide range of colors. The additional advantage of the LED lights is that they produce only minimal heat.

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