How to Light Oil Paintings

Lighting

• 1

  Choose non-reflective glass to cover your artwork, or plan to place the lighting at a 30-degree angle to the painting.

• 2

  Pick a broad-based light source; these are best for oil paintings.

• 3

  Use a halogen light, which produces the purest white light, necessary for showcasing a painting properly.

• 4

  Place the light far enough away from the painting so as to not damage the painting with the light's heat. Halogen lights produce large amounts of heat.

• 5

  Put your hand over the painting to test whether the light is too close. If your hand can feel heat from the light, it is too close.

• 6

  Light the painting three times brighter than the room it is in. This is a general rule of thumb for lighting any piece of art.