STUDIO SET UP
Setting Up Your Easel
You need an easel for working upright in the studio. I recommend that you invest in a solid H-Frame easel with wheels if you have the space and the budget. You can roll it around and position it where needed in your studio, and it will last you a lifetime.
Be sure that you can raise and lower the easel to a comfortable working height.
For smaller studio environments, a simple A-Frame easel can be setup and put away, and still works quite well. Make sure you can raise and lower the easel to a height that works for you.
H-Frame Easels:
Studio Lighting Fixtures
Consider purchasing one light for your easel, and one to light your materials for great results. These lights serve as excellent continuous light sources for portrait models.
If you are outside of the United States, you’ll need to find an equivalent item that meets your voltage requirements.
Impact Octa 2-Light LED Kit - Already comes with LED 60W equivalent bulbs installed. Comes with:
- Two 8’ Light stands
- Two 4 socket Edison bulb fixtures.
- Octa box diffusion on each fixture
- Comes with 8 60-watt equivalent Daylight (5400K) bulbs
- Multi-Voltage Fixture: 100-240 VAC
Impact Octa Fluorescent 1 Light Kit - GREAT VALUE
*I recommend throwing away the fluorescent bulbs (toxic and greenish cast) and order Daylight LED fixtures. I purchase these 100w Equivalent bulbs and they have worked great.
Here is another cost-effective LED light for studio portrait work. The light kit comes with a stand and a soft box, and the Bowens mount on the front will accept all kinds of light modifiers, so you can get other kinds of modifiers for it later to adjust the quality of the light.
Portrait Light Kit with Softbox - Cost-effective LED light for studio portrait work.
The light kit comes with a stand and a soft box, and the Bowens mount on the front will accept all kinds of light modifiers, so you can get other kinds of modifiers for it later to adjust the quality of the light.
Philips LED Non-dimmable - (100 Watt Equivalent) E26 Daylight (5000K) 4-Pack
I have used these bulbs in my Impact Octa kit for a few years, and they are very pleasing on the eye. These LED bulbs are not dimmable. Using four 1500-Lumen 5000K LED bulbs per fixture provides 6000 Lumens of effective brightness per fixture.
Creative Lighting Alternative
When you need a creative option for lighting your subject, a bi-colored LED panel light is a great option. They are much smaller in profile, which will affect the size and strength of your light source, but also give you control over the light and shadow patterns. These lights can be powered with NP-F batteries for use out of the studio, and the light temperature can be controlled with a dial to select the appropriate temperature for your creative needs from 3200-5600K. Bi-color lights are not as bright as single temperature lights, but they give you a lot of creative options.
This is a very inexpensive two light kit. It can also be purchased as a single light. There is a digital dial with Kelvin rating on the unit, so you can dial it in to 5000K when needed. It comes with a diffusion screen and barn doors, and 6’ light stands.
Note, the light stands are only 6’ tall, you may want to buy 8’ stands to create the best lighting angles. Here’s a link to the 8’ light stands that I use: Impact 8’ air cushioned light stands
Photo Reference Set Up
Make sure that your image is flat and comfortable to view without turning your head away from your painting surface. Print out a good quality 5x7” to 8x10” photo print of your reference with a nice color gamut in the image.
Photo Reference Stand
Be sure to mount your reference photograph where itโs clearly visible. I like to use clamps to attach my reference to a freestanding light stand so it can be moved to the ideal viewing angle. You can simply clamp it to the easel as well.
There are some great inexpensive flexible clamps available that will attach your photo to your easel.
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iPad Stand
Of course, using an Ipad for your images is another excellent option. There are many great iPad stands available as well, so you can work freely.
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