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Learn Picture Lights

1. Battery Operated Picture Light Guide/Tips
2. The Right Art Lamp
3. Recessed Outlet Setup
4. History of Picture Lighting
5. The Most Expensive Paintings On Record
6. How an Art Light is Made
7. The Necessity of Art Lighting
8. CRI and Color Temperature: What are they?
9. Track Lighting and Recessed Lighting
10. Museum Lighting: A Guide
11. Pairing The Battery Picture Light Remote
12. Picture Light Detailed Specifications

 

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1. Battery Operated Picture Light Guide/Tips

The versatility of battery operated picture lights has made them widely popular among art fanatics. Without the need to rewire the wall or find an outlet, these lights can follow your artwork wherever it goes.

KEY FEATURES

• Battery Operated -- Runs solely on battery power to remove spatial limitations
• Variety in Styles -- Can choose from Classic or Tru-Slim styles depending on your taste
• Picture Perfect LEDs -- With a 90+ CRI, displays are presented in their true colors
• Remote Function -- Set timers up to 6 hours and control brightness within 30 feet
• Dimmable -- Adjust brightness settings from 10% to 100% with the touch of a button
• Energy Efficient -- Last up to 50,000 hours with our eco-friendly LEDs

	Classic 14"	Tru-Slim 12"	Tru-Slim 21"
Finished Available	Oil Rubbed Bronze, Satin Nickel, Antique Brass	Oiled Rubbed Bronze, Satin Nickel, Antique Brass	Oiled Rubbed Bronze, Satin Nickel, Antique Brass
Power Sources	4 “C” Batteries	8 “C” Batteries	8 “C” Batteries
Material	Aluminum	Aluminum	Aluminum
Listing	UL Listed	UL Listed	UL Listed
Bulb	Pre-installed LED array with 12 nodes	Pre-installed LED array with 6 nodes	Pre-installed LED array with 12 nodes
Power Usage (Watts)	6	3	6
Color Temperature (K)	2700	2700	2700
Light Output (lumens)	410	210	410
Dimmable	Yes, Remote Control Included	Yes, Remote Control Included	Yes, Remote Control Included
Switch	Controllable by remote control (included)	Controllable by remote control (included)	Controllable by remote control (included)
Lighting	adjustable directional	adjustable directional	adjustable directional
Lifespan (hrs)	50,000	50,000	50,000
CRI	90	90	90
Shade	10" x 1-5/8" x 1-5/15" diameter	12" x 7/8" diameter	21" x 7/8" diameter
Arms	extends 5-8"; 1/2" diameter	7—11/16 (longer arm 9") x 8.5"x1/4"	7-11/16 (longer arm 9") x 8.5"x1/4"
Base	5.4" x 3.15" x 1.42"	5.4" x 3.15" x 1.42"	5.4" x 3.15" x 1.42"

 

* look in the Glossary at the end of the guide for definitions of spec terms.

 

CHOOSING FRAMES

Choose the light that would best blend in with the finish of the frame. Black, gold, brass, silver, and bronze tend to be popular choices. Also, remember to pick a color that compliments the scheme of the room the artwork is going to be placed in.

 

CHOOSING STYLES

While the Classic dons a more vintage style with its sophisticated rounded shade, the Tru-Slim is sleeker in design and gives off a more modern vibe. Again, choosing a style depends on the impression you want your room to give off.

 

BENIFITS OF USING LEDS

• Longer Lifespan -- In general, LED light bulbs can last up to 100,000 hours, meaning 11 years of continuous operation, or 22 years of 50% operation. Instead of burning out and not working like regular lights do, LEDs only become less bright over a very long period of time. With a longer lifespan, it also means that you do not have to spend any extra money on maintenance and replacement.
• Energy efficiency -- Currently, LEDs are the most efficient way of illumination and lighting with about 80% of electrical energy converted to light while 20% is used for heat. On the other hand, 80% of the electricity in traditional light bulbs is lost to heat while only 20% is converted to light. This means that out of your monthly electricity bill, 80% of what you pay is wasted. Over time, this loss accumulates.
• Ecologically friendly -- LED lights are mercury-free and are 100% recyclable. With the longer lifespan, one LED light bulb can save material and productive of 25 incandescent ones!
• Durability -- LED lights are resistant to shock, vibrations and external impacts. They can be used indoors or outdoors.
• No UV Emissions -- Because LED lights produce little to no UV emission, they are great for lighting goods and materials that are sensitive such as paintings.
• Design Flexibility - Individual LEDs are dimmable, which allows users to manipulate the mood and impression of the rooms.
• Operational Under Extreme Temperatures - LED lights can operate fine under extremely low or high temperatures.
• Light Dispersement - LEDs are designed to achieve great precision in where illumination is needed.
• Instant Lighting & Frequent Switch - LEDs will immediately reach full brightness upon switching the light on and frequent on/off switch will not reduce its lifespan unlike traditional lights.
• Low-voltage -- LED lights require a low-voltage power supply, which means it can be used with an external solar-energy source if users are in a remote or rural area.

 

2. Picture Lights – How to Properly Choose the Perfect Picture Lights

There are several standards and principles when choosing a picture light for your artwork. Every artwork is different and thus requires different types of lights. To find the best fit for your artwork, please follow these few simple tips:

Picture Lights for Different Mediums

Finding art lights for oil paintings can be difficult due to the spectral highlights that can be shown when light is directly on the painting. In this case, a broad-based light source such as LED is most ideal.

For acrylic paintings, since it does not have the glossy finish and glare problems that an oil painting may have, any type of art light featured here will suffice.

Importance of Size

When choosing art lights, the size and dimensions of your artwork/paintings as well as the picture lights itself are very important. Typically, pick an art light that is between 65% to 85% the size of the image (including the frame).

When choosing an optimal size of picture light, please also consider if you would like the art work to be bright, medium bright, or mildly illuminated. There are also options for an electronic art dimmer that gives you the flexibility of adjusting the art brightness. All Cocoweb Picture Lights provides this option.

Significance of Framing

Depending on the frame of the artwork, there can be various options on the styling of the picture lights. If an artwork does not have a frame or has a small frame, it can be illuminated with a light that is not directly fixed on the artwork. Lights such as spotlights, mantels, track lights are examples that can be used.
On the contrary, a large frame can hold the weight of an attached picture light. Art Lights from Cocoweb are designed with light weight and can either be attached to the frame or the wall.

Types of Lights

Incandescent lights create a warm tone as it highlights the yellows and reds while complimenting the blues and greens.
Halogen lights cast a very pure white light and is ideal for majority of art. However, heat is generated with this type of light so it has to be placed at a distance from the artwork to prevent any possible damage.
Fluorescent lights alter the color of the artwork and emits a high level of ultraviolet rays that can cause damage and acceleration of fading.

LED lights are the optimal choice to use for your artwork. This new LED technology light creates a natural sunlight color and does not produce harmful ultraviolet rays nor excessive heat. LED lights use 80% less energy than the typical lighting and can last over 50,000 hours with the average use. Companies such as Cocoweb have incorporated this latest technology into their picture lights to guarantee highest quality and satisfaction.

Color of Art Light

There are two approaches to picking the color for your picture lights. The first, pick a color that matches the frame. Colors such as gold, brass, silver, bronze, and black are very popular. The second way to choose your picture lights is to pick a color that would complement or accentuate the color scheme of the room that the artwork would be placed in.

 

3. Recessed Outlet Setup

Below is one solution we recommend for avoiding distracting power cords that can hinder you from having a clean display.

 

4. The History of Picture Lights

Light has served as an important element in art through the ages, starting from as far back as the medieval times, when electric lamps were centuries away from invention. Illuminated manuscripts from the 1500’s shows abundant use of gold and silver, which would capture sunlight and create a sense of sacredness each time the manuscript page turned. Centuries later, the famous impressionist Claude Monet experimented with colors to create light and shade, thus portraying different seasons in his paintings. Though early artists did not have access to artificial light to produce certain effects for display, the incorporation of light into their works suggests the tremendous effect it would have on art.

While artists were able to experiment with colors and illuminate their works with natural light, it was not until the discovery of electricity and commercial light bulbs that picture lights have become common in galleries. Unlike natural light, artificial lights would allow galleries and museum professionals to control intensity and placement.

The first and oldest type of bulbs that were used to light galleries were incandescents. These lights were invented in the early 19th century and when brought upon paintings, they produced a warm glow and accentuated the red and yellow spots on the canvas. Though it did produce a flattering and warm feeling, it flattened the blue and green areas and gave off an unbalanced view. Fluorescent lights were commercialized some decades later and began to be used as picture lights as well. However, they are now rarely used for this purpose, as their extreme color temperature and high emission of UV rays are likely to distort original colors of an artwork. Another type of lighting that exposes paintings to potential damage is halogen lights, which produces pure white light. Halogen lights could be an acceptable choice for display if installed correctly, but it is not a favorite among many museums due to its generation of heat.

Light-emitting diodes, commonly referred to as LED lights, emerged in more recent years, as professionals sought out substitutes for incandescent and neon lamps. LED generates cool light, and when used as a picture light, it would both accentuate the prominent colors of an artwork and sharpen the overall image. Many world-class galleries have switched to, or are at least beginning to test this new development as they realize the advantage of installing LED lights, such as low maintenance cost and energy efficiency. Among these museums and galleries are the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Smithsonian Institution and the National Gallery in London. Prior to this improvement, the National Gallery had tungsten incandescent lights installed for its exhibits. The new LED lighting system resulted in a significant reduction of maintenance costs, as LED lamps have a lifetime about 25 times greater than the previously used tungsten filaments. Further, the Gallery has been able to reduce its carbon dioxide emission by a significant measure, as well as eliminate any harmful ultraviolet rays. LEDs, therefore, have become the top choice for art lighting.

In many aspects, picture lighting has become easier and more environmentally-friendly over the decades. The commercialization and advancement of artificial light have provided increasing flexibility to artists and gallery curators, as they can now control the intensity and style of lighting to produce their desired effects on every piece of art displayed. In the end, efficient and well-adjusted lighting would not only reveal the true aesthetic beauty of a painting, but also improve the quality and atmosphere of the exhibit. Perhaps this is the reason the world of art continues to seek improvements in display and find the harmony between the artwork and viewer.

 

5. The Most Expensive Paintings On Record

What comes to most people’s minds as they ponder about expensive art are probably the works of old masters from the Renaissance and Baroque times. But many of these works from before the 1800s are held by museums and because they are rarely put up for sale, it is quite difficult to put a monetary value on them. For example, the Mona Lisa was assessed to have over a $700 million insurance value, the highest given to a painting in history. But it does not appear on the list of Forbes “Most Expensive Paintings Ever” as Louvre is very unlikely to put it up for auction. These aged paintings are certainly one of the most precious remains of history, but interestingly, paintings sold at record-setting prices are often works of more modern, abstract artists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

According to the information disclosed by experts, collectors who bid for such paintings at multi-million dollars tend to be high-profile individuals and well acknowledged industrialists. For example, in 2006, the Estee Lauder chairman Ronald Lauder purchased Gustav Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer” for a record breaking $135 million. A few years before, Kenneth Thomson, a Canadian businessman whom Forbes named as the world’s ninth richest person, had bought Peter Rubens’ “Massacre of the Innocents” at $76 million. This Rubens is in fact the only work done by an old master among the ten most expensive paintings auctioned. Many buyers, however, request anonymity in their bids. The buyers of Jackson Pollock’s $140 million drip painting, Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust,” and a number of other classic works have not yet been revealed.

Seeing these incredible, even ridiculously high numbers, one might wonder why anybody would want to spend such large sums of money on a single piece of painting. The obvious answer would be that collectors simply enjoy the prestige from owning a Picasso or a Monet, and as most of them happen to be among the world’s richest, they would be unaffected by spending such a fortune on one object. After all, it does make sense that they would want a world-class painting to go along with the rest of their luxurious lifestyle – expensive houses, fancy clothes and quality cars. Though purchasing a painting for oneself is not necessarily selfish, some collectors choose to display their collections publicly and share the experience with other art lovers; Ken Thomson, for instance, donated his Rubens painting to an Ontario gallery before his death. Last but not least, buying art has become an alternative to investing in stocks for some major collectors. Because paintings are tangible assets they will increase in value over time, and unlike stocks whose price could decline quite rapidly, the value of an artwork would fluctuate much less.

Another inevitable question would be, what critical factors of an artwork determines its numerical value and how does a painting, basically without any practical purposes, become so expensive? Of course, the quality and reputation of the painter is highly correlated to the work’s price. For instance, the attribution of “Massacre of the Innocents” to Rubens suddenly changed the way people viewed the same canvas, driving its price up to more than $70 million. Such price surely reflects the glory of owning a 400 year-old work by a super star artist. In addition to the actual artist, provenance, or the previous ownership of a work, seems to be just as important. Rothko’s “White Center,” which many might view as a meaningless, abstract picture, derives much of its value from the fact that it used to be part of Rockefeller’s collection. Informally called the Rockefeller Rothko, this work has shown that ownership matters as much as the painter.

To those unfamiliar with the art world, this new rising market may seem a bit superficial; they may think that placing monetary value on a painting does not do justice to a timeless artwork but only shows off the riches of collectors who bid against each other. But the fact that people continue to want these paintings despite their rapidly increasing values is another reminder that great art remains cherished and appreciated throughout ages.

 

6. How an Art Light is Made

Because an art light is not only a functional but aesthetic complement to a picture, thus available in various designs, each of them undergo slightly different manufacturing stages as well. An art light casted on a picture could have a significant impact on the viewer’s perception and must be chosen carefully to make sure the artist’s intentions are clearly communicated. Consequently, those who truly appreciate art, including famous galleries are almost obligated to be sensitive to the materials and colors of art lights.

Cocoweb Picture Lights, one of world's most well known manufacturers of picture lights, knows what it takes to build not only a quality product, but one that would satisfy individual customer needs. Because each customer’s need may be different depending on the size of his artwork or the overall interior of its hanging location, picture lights come in various forms – the slim-line and classic being the most common. The picture lights are also offered in various types of finishes, giving off different colors and opacity on the surface. Metallic finishes like brass and bronze, for example, are polished and buffed for a slick, reflective surface before being coated in protective layers of lacquer. Different types of lacquer are applied for distinct shades. Antique brass and oil-rubbed bronze go through a slightly different process, in which they are oxidized and rubbed away to leave dark highlights throughout, creating an aged appearance. Other finishes are painted in simple gray or gold. From there, some are plated to give off a highly polished and contemporary feel while the rest are coated for a textured look.

Though the careful process of hand-cutting and coating metals ensures much quality and reliability, the type of bulb used inside these frames also matters significantly. And because LEDs both provide an eco-friendly solution and allow more control over color temperature than other bulbs, many experts consider it as the optimal choice for lighting. LEDs serve as an economic solutions to electricity consumption for a number of reasons. First of all, directional emission makes it easier to get light to specifically wanted spots, whereas other types of light would only be able to do so at a cost of losing much energy. Further, because producing colored lights involves generating white light and then filtering out the unwanted spectrum of colors, it is usually a high energy-consuming process. LEDs, however, are far more efficient as they could produce just one color without any filtering. This comes hand-in-hand with a feature called color temperature, which refers to the measurement in degrees Kelvin that indicates the hue of a light source. Simply put, low color temperature at around 2,000 Kelvin includes warm colors while high color temperature, which could go up to 20,000 Kelvin, indicates a cooler blue-shade hues. LEDs allow for precise control over color temperature since they are capable of retaining a certain color even as the lamps dim.

Of course, efficiency and flexibility in colors do not mean much unless every LED is produced under tight quality control. During their manufacturing process, LEDs are checked so that they could produce specific levels of brightness, withstand stress and last for many years. Furthermore, recent advancements in optoelectronics have been introducing ways to improve processing techniques that will affect how bright LEDs can be made and how long they will last.

Artworks, whether they are hung in galleries or homes, come from a variety of origins. Consequently, it is almost impossible to reproduce the original setting and capture the exact mood the artist had intended. But proper lighting produces correct emphasis on the work, thus optimizing the viewer’s ability to see nuances of the artist’s original intent, and at the same time serves as an environment-friendly solution. Overall, LEDs, combined with different styles of lamps allow for sophisticated and flexible ways to recreate an artistic atmosphere.

 

7. The Necessity of Art Lighting

A picture without sufficient lighting will leave the artwork in the dark and unnoticed. Meanwhile, too much lighting will cause permanent damage to the picture itself. Why then, do we need good lighting for our displays? A good picture light will showcase artwork at an extraordinary level of detail. Art lighting brings precision to each color of the picture and enhances the viewer’s visual experience. It supports the perspective within the scene regardless of the angle the viewer is standing from. Light quality can affect a person’s emotional state, which in turn can affect his or her perception of the picture. Most picture lights have an adjustable neck and a dimmable feature. This lets the user control the amount of light he or she wants on the artwork. Good picture lights will not produce heat that can leave burn marks on the displays. Finally, art lights are very versatile; they can be used in restaurants, homes, and hotels, with or without a picture. All our lighting fixtures are built with elegance, durability, and subtleness. They add fullness to pictures without drawing in all the attention.

 

8. CRI and Color Temperature: What are they?

When crafting an art exhibition, a lighting designer should take into account the two key factors of artistic illumination: color-rendering index (CRI) and color temperature.

CRI, also called the color rendition index, measures how accurately an artificial light source displays colors on the artwork. In general, a CRI of above 80 is required to accurately light art in its true color, that is, its form in natural sunlight. Most museums, however, only work with bulbs of 90+ CRI, which are either incandescent bulbs or LEDs.

Color temperature, measured using the Kevin scale, indicates a specific type of light source, whether it is of a cooler light (a high color temperature) or a warmer light (a relatively low color temperature). For reference, white daylight is measured at around 6500K; incandescents and LEDs generally have a color temperature of around 2700-3300K, closer to the sun just after sunrise, while fluorescent lights lie around the 5000K range, which is equivalent to daylight at the horizon.

 

9. Can I Use Track Lighting and Recessed Lighting for My Artwork?

Track lighting is a type of lighting in which the lighting units are evenly spaced along a continuous track device which contains electrical conductors. It can be mounted onto ceilings and walls. If you’re going for a look other than contemporary, you might want to skip track lighting. Track lighting is also not ideal for rooms with low ceilings. While it is best used as a task light or an accent light, it does not provide enough precision to serve as an art light. The lights attached to the track cannot function independently so that means you can’t turn some on and leave some off. You also can’t use them at different levels of dimness or brightness.

Recessed light (also known as “canlight”or “downlight”) is lighting unit that is installed into a hollow opening in a ceiling. It is usually seen in stores, warehouses, and homes. One of the biggest advantages of recessed lights is that they are unobtrusive and can save you a ton of space. However, this type of lighting is also a hassle to install and remove. It is not optimal for art lighting because you can’t change the orientation of the light bulbs. The kinds of recessed lights that do have this flexibility tend to be costly, so you are much better off with purchasing a picture light in the first place.

 

10. Museum Lighting: A Guide

For anyone who’s ever seen artwork exhibited in a museum, one must surely have noticed how much of an influence lighting has on artistic presentation. Museum lighting should be done in such a way to enable art lovers to truly experience masterpieces in their real form. Art lighting faces several challenges relating to the technical application and design aspects of illumination. Therefore, it is imperative to use the correct light fixture and lighting technique for each individual art piece. Here is a simple museum lighting guide.

This guide addresses lighting issues specific to a museum. One such consideration is that responsibility for lighting design may be spread among a diverse group, which can include curators, lighting designers, engineers, conservators, maintenance staff, private collectors, architects and facilities managers. Therefore, clarifying who is responsible for museum lighting is an important precursor to formulating design decisions. To avoid repetition in this publication, the term ‘lighting designer’ will be used to describe the individual or group with this responsibility.

The Lighting Plan

When developing the art lighting plan, the lighting designer should use a light source for a piece that is at least three times the intensity of the room’s lighting. This plan helps to accentuate the art piece without the light appearing neither overly dim nor too bright. When creating a lighting design, integrate lighting fixtures, such as picture lights, to diminish the overall lighting level in the space where the artwork is being exhibited. In art lighting, the emphasis of the illumination is on the respective piece of art and not the surrounding wall.

Another vital consideration to take into account is how to position the physical lights in relation to the artwork. To help reduce the glare, set the light fixture at a 30-degree angle from the art piece. In addition, one may add 5 degrees to the angle to achieve a larger frame. This plan will help avoid casting shadows on the artwork, and bring out fuller presentation of the piece as a whole. When the lighting designer wants to accent the texture of a painting, they can reduce the 30-degree angle by 5 degrees.

Some artwork is highly sensitive to heat, the ultraviolet rays of the sun, or infrared radiation. Therefore, display light techniques, such as LED track luminaires, are ideal for such art pieces because they produce beams free of anticipated heat and ultraviolet radiation.

Picture Light

A picture light is tailored specifically to cast beautiful light onto a piece of art. It can be mounted or arranged to avoid unwanted shadows on artworks. The lighting designer can choose from a wide range of styles and shapes of a picture light. In addition, they should also consider the brightness of an art lighting fixture, which is a measure of how much light is emitted from the museum light (usually measured in lumens).

Lamping Options

With lamping, the lighting designer can choose between incandescent, fluorescent or LED bulbs. Incandescent bulbs produce a yellow light that works by incandescence, which is the emission of light caused by heating the filament inside the bulb. They are compatible with control devices such as timers, photo sensors, and dimmers. Fluorescent lamps, on the other hand, use less energy and generate light by sending an electrical discharge through an ionized gas, but are generally produce a cooler light, which is generally ill-suited to illuminating artwork. This is where LED bulbs come into play: they are electrically efficient, lasting longer than most fluorescent lamps and using several times less energy than incandescent bulbs, but preserve the warm lighting that’s favored in most museum lighting plans. While most museums do continue to favor traditional incandescent picture lights, there has been a general shift in more recent years to the technological advances LED lighting represents.

 

11. Pairing The Battery Picture Light Remote

Note: Each Remote has a unique combination ID to prevent potential interferences from other devices.

Step 1: Remove the cover on the back of the remote and install the provided 12V battery.

Step 2: Within 30 seconds of installing the batteries in the light fixture, press and hold the learning button located in the covered area on the back of the remote for approximately 10 seconds.
Once the picture light has learned the ID code, the LED light will flash three times. This will indicate the remote has been successfully paired.

*If Step 2 is not finished within 30 seconds, the learning process is not successful and must be restarted by removing the batteries in the lamp.

 

12. Picture Light Detailed Specifications

At Cocoweb we take pride in our products making sure that the items aren't only of the highest quality, but also efficient and long lasting. We have taken the opportunity to get our Plug-in Classic and Tru-Slim lines of Picture Lights tested at a Nationally Recognized Testing Lab. The test are conducted to test the brightness or each lamp, the angle of the light, power rating, and more. We take pride in saying that all of our lighting products utilize LED technology, which not only has an average life span of 50,000 hours of light, but also provides a brighter light, are energy efficient, do not need to be replaced, and are eco-friendly.