Thank you for this, Alex. The shop jargon around lighting is so confusing to a non-photo/video oriented person that it's hard to know what's vital and what's not.
At first, I was like, "Oh, it's just another sponsored review of the new Redgrass light... I'm not too interested in that" But then I thought "Wait, Alex isn't like that. There is probably something more to it" and that was indeed correct. Very nice, informative and chilled video!
Out of the mouths of expert, proven professionals... Always one for carefully considered thoughtful hobby insights, delivered as effortlessly soaring production value vids. This being such an expert subject didn't need a script and has a hybrid quality with the laid back livestreams. I love it and look forward to a series of expert photography vids 👍
Thank you Phil, I’m glad you think it worked. Scripting this would have been to big an effort, a bit to much knowledge to consider. So I thought I’d just try unscripted and hope the important bits came out.
@52 Miniatures It worked beautifully Alex, the professional understanding was convincingly exact and the conversational approach made it entirely accessible for hobbyists. Job Done and credentials established for subsequent vid quality vids and next level mini photography help!
how amazing this hobbie and the people in it are... As of now i had the chance to listen to a lot of amazing artist talk about colors and techniques, but i have also listen to a Doctorate in Chemistry explain resins and paints... And today I finally had the chance to listen to a professional talk about lighting... im humble and amazed at the same time. Thank you for all you're doing not only for making us paint minis, but to do it in the best way possible. I am 39 years old and i can feel how my sight its not what it used to be, yet i wan to paint and keep painting for years to come. Thanks to you and other people doing this kind of videos now i can feel more secure about my purchases and experiences at painting. Please keep at it!
You can get great led lightbulbs as well at a cheaper cost. Google for “best spectrum / cri led bulbs or something”. The Aputure ones are expensive because of a lot of other finesse. Like Bluetooth controll and whatnot.
Taking your current piece up to the window, respectively into natural light regularly is a very helpful procedure to avoid "lamp blindness". Good advice. thx
I just bought the Licent by Game Envy and its wonderful. It has the dame type of things the RGG one does, for example the cold to warm K settings, and it has adaptive settings and a bunch nore features and it was only $85 for a very wide set of 5 led bars that fold up. Oh and the CRI is 95+
I always smile when I hear someone explain light temperatures. ”The higher the temperature, the colder the light” But hey, at least it’s not in freedom units.
From what i can see there are bulbs with 95+ cri 6400 temp and over 1k lumen that we can buy for 5$ to put in that ikea setup. On paper, specs wise that setup would be compareble with Redgrass lamp and for a fraction of price. Yes would not be top tier, but is that 3+ cri worth it? Is there any reason that you didnt mention or test them? Is there something wrong with them or something to be aware? As someone who is starting his journey in this hobby i would like to know for what im paying for. Im fine if its just for looks, but still... knowledge is priceless
I tried in this video to explain the tech and things to consider. I don't think I in fact recommended any specific lamp, instead I used what I have at hand to try and explain things we can consider. I have no idea if the bulbs you are thinking of are good or not, but maybe you can use the tools I put in this video to figure out if they work for you.
In general, pretty nice, informative video. I've been running 80 CRI, 5600~K lamp for a while now and I guess RGG lamp would be of some improvement. Probably not getting it from KS though, we will see how much it costs once local shops get a hold of it. Thank you for the professional insights!
Someone should pin this vid to the internet. Most concise explanation without having to troll through pages and pages to get a clear definition of Kelvin/Lumens/Lux etc. Thank you!
@@52Miniatures Artists eyes everywhere are counting on you. Just so you know... I also might suggest something more heavy duty like bolts. Just to keep the local wildlife from pilfering it, it's pretty wild out there these days 🤔
Here's me, a regular joe blow working guy with no real understanding of the technicalities of light as you've just described, suddenly not feeling so bad about jumping on the RGG lamp as soon as i saw it just because its RGG 🤣😅
Damn, this was more informative than a documentary. Thank you! .... - goes back to painting before PC screen with white desk and big black mousepad... crying -
Some great info, well presented as always. I think you hit on one of the most salient points - that for most of us, no matter what light we use to paint under, we will likely take them somewhere to play with that is illuminated by awful florescent bulbs. That being said I do try to use a diffused daylight set up with a grey cutting mat. Little did I know I was ahead of the curve for a change! #totallyaccidental Cheers!
I appriecaite your indepth tutorial on light and CRI and everything! One thing that I really didn't take into account was eye strain. In my attempt to get the best light in my painting space, I would forgo all other light but my hobby lamp, which of course leads to much eye strain. Such a simple concept, but totally forgotten in the pursuit of mini painitng excellence. Thanks again!
Nice video as always. While I'm certain that the RGG lamp is an excellent product, just as their other products, the pricepoint, for a home user, is just to high. I mean, ~€300 for a lamp? (including shipping and vat) Also, at that price point, there really should be a separate + and - switch for the light, not 1 button that does it all. When this hits retail, their competitors most likely will have similar/other products available. So I'll just wait until then.
This is a great video with far more information than I've ever known about lighting and lamps. It gives an added appreciation for the lighting in cinemas and photography and I'm sure this barely even scratches the surface there. I think it also helps me make a more informed decision on hobby lighting like Redgrasses new lamp and gives me some insight into the amount of work that goes into the development and production of things like that, instead of immediately dismissing it based on the cost. I also like that you note that it's most about what's important to you. Will I pick up the Redgrass lamp? I don't know, but now I have enough knowledge to make a more informed decision on it, and that's pretty great.
Well, if it ain't brutally pointless overkill, the Red Grass R9. I suppose they found their niche in those who obsess over their painting light. Lights 10 times cheaper provide more than decent results. And the ultimate truth of the matter is that even if you had a miniature sun to light your painting table, when you actually game or display your creations, you'll seldom have perfect lighting. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hey man , I was a tad hesitant to watch your long video at first, but I'm glad I did. Terrific elaboration on the pitfalls of artificial lighting which has helped me to decide on what I need for my painting set up. 👍 👌
Sorry for my bad english. Hard to understand what exactly means. Someone can tell what is the point of this video? I don't understand what point of this video. Is Redgrass Lamp is good or not, or there are better substitue lamp ?
27:33 This is interesting, because I would say that a CRI of 84.8 is pretty decent, but if you look at the spectrum, than it sucks. I asked for the CRI rating of the 2 lamps I have. Both supposedly decent hobby lamps, that definitely where not the cheapest. One was rated at 82 and the other 85+. That means that the CRI-rating doesn't tell the whole story. What I should have asked for is the CRI graph (like you recommended). EDIT: send a follow up email right away. EDIT2: follow up on this is in your Instagram PM's, because I couldn't post a picture here
The surface temperature of the Sun is about 5700K so around that would be daylight temperature... tho of course the atmosphere and all that makes the calculations a bit more complicated. To anyone thinking "I thought the Sun is yellow, not white?" well... turns out it's actually basically white, if you could see it directly. Maybe slightly yellow, depending on who you ask...
I'm not sure the lamp filament can really be said to be burning. It is jolly hot though. Hey, do you have any idea why painters use ‘warm’ to mean ‘cool’ and ‘cool’ to mean ‘blazing hot’? Because 5000 is, you know, technically _bigger_ than 4000. Just saying. Many thanks for two things-the attention to the shape of the spectrum (which I've thought about a lot since getting into painting, but always seems to take a lot of explaining to people), and the importance of the background (which I used to be really attuned to when I was more into photography but which had somehow slipped from my mind…).
8:04 I think the people with the computers on in the background are young with good eyes. I'm 43 and if my mini is slightly backlit, or there is glare on my palette, I feel like I cannot see anything and it drives me nuts. This makes painting at the FLGS, a thing I'm trying to make a thing, very difficult.
My Light Arch has a shield on my side of the arch so I can't directly see the LED's. They have a CRI of 96. Can't wait for my Redgrass Lamp to arrive though.
Thanks Alex. Just revisiting this episode as I'm now looking for a better lamp. Just a side thought. I have recently had eye operations because of cataract. With the new artificial lenses fitted I have realised that my favorite brown shirt is in fact a nice deep blue.
I was looking for something completely different, but im glad i fell over this video.. I'm not in doubt that i will buy the Redgrass lamp, but i am more aware of getting better light in my living room too.. I have been very annoyed with my partner because we have lived here 6 years with a very bad light setup, now that i have migraines and headaches often it super important that my gaming space AND painting space is correctly lit up as i DO experience getting headaches sitting in the dark gaming or painting. We need better light in our rooms not just a cool and good desk lamp! Ill go tell him we need a way better lit living room before i even consider getting a better painting lamp then the one i already have, thanks :)
This more than explains why I have trouble photographing red mini's under my LED lamps. Not sure how I'm going to fix the issue, but at least I know why now.
I literally paint in a room with warm ceiling lights, a hobby lamp and a PC screen in front of me. I can turn off the PC but it's either warm room lights or painting in the dark with just the lamp. Not sure which is worse!
5:43 the slight misspeaking is charming. I know it's not an affectation, but if you were wondering if you should edit it out: Only if you want. I don't mind it at all, and the very chopped editing style that is common is a bit distracting, definitely more distracting than the occasional mistake.
People have thier computer screen on whelst painting (and building) because they're using it at the same time... Should be obvious? turning the brightness down should be a no-brainer tho
I am sitting in front of my computer, painting minis and watching this video. What works good for me is, to change the colour of youtube and the browser into black.
This is the video that I was hoping Alex to tackle ever since CRI was "introduced" to the hobby. I have been curious to see a comparision across multiple light sources the use of the spectrometer is just the icing on the cake. The mention on the ambient light is very relevant, it explain why I feel tired very quicly whilst paiting during the night versus day, I guess I need to keep more lights on. Thank you ver much.
Thanks Alex.That was super informative. Also gives me moral support in my hobby lighting choices. Great point about circumstances the finished item is likely to be viewed.
I cant work out if you work for Red Grass games or not, but I can tell you that if you don't you should pass this video onto them with a possible sponsorship, because you are a genius marketer! Their sales would drastically increase, which you could piggy back off. 🤷🏻♂️ The only bit that makes me feel uncomfortable, is how you come off as subtly arrogant, because you know how experienced you are. Either way, I've watched a few of your videos now and it's the exact knowledge im looking for. Thanks.
We're not all born as perfect presenters Jerr, and I just wanted to share my knowledge to others. If you feel uncomfortable with how I come across then I don't really know how to deal with that as I'm just the way I am.
A perfect marriage of scientific and pragmatic approaches, very informative, literally eye opening (pun intended), love it! The sad part is that it seems I'm buying that stupid expensive lamp after all since my problem is that I need to be able to paint without my regular light sources (i.e. when kids are asleep in the next room).
The dreaded color calibration. In the 90s I work for a studio as a photographer but I was also a lab rat. In the late nineties we converted to all-digital. We went from photographing proofing, then retouching, and printing our own finals. To proffing retouching and sending out for the finals. It was a real chalange in the beginning to get what you sent out for. Ah....@#$#;@#. 18% grey walls and clothing and dont smile your teeth would mess it up. Hahahha ok it was not that bad. but for a bit it seemed like a 300k mistake. Any one need an old Hasselblad and some 70mm backs.❤
10:25 "overly branded" based on your intro comments about new light technologies I'm guessing you may be having the same fatigue towards a certain company. I get that they're a company selling things and I use their palette shell (sponges and paper replaced with paper towel and parchment), but I have a disquiet feeling about them.
They are very nice and I like them. The grey cutting mat was a strange design decision that does not rime with the rest of the range (personal opinion)
I ve spent quiet some time trying to understand lights as a hobby, and your video is by far the best and most objective i ve watched reviewing lamps and RedGrass. Gg, you re a Master ❤️ (and i wanted to tell you that i live the visual atmosphere of your videos, i wish i could do that!!)
I might be wrong but the CRI and spectrum of a light shouldnt change if you filter it. Doing so gets rid of wavelenghts blocked by the specific filter, so if you filter a warm led light with something like a full CTB, you are still getting the same little blue wavelenghts as before, but also removing lots of red and orange ones. Im not 100% sure if this is the actual way it works tho
The issue is often that whatever you put in front of the light it might affect the spectrum and also the cri. The measurement of daylight for example would have been minutely affected by the glass in the windows. Same goes for diffusion. The science is above my pay grade. But I think it's something about certain photons get stuck and others don't or something. But yes, depending on what it is that filters light, it can change the cri.
Dude, I realize I am late to the party here but your videos are Awesome!! Its like your channeling your inner Werner Herzog when you do these vidz!! I love this one even more as you seem to be channeling your inner Fred from Scooby doo with the orange ascot. Keep up the great work!!
That is a good question. I can really only honestly recommend the lamps I've been using... But a good thing is to check if the supplier can show a cri "chart"
illuminating, thank you! Daylight painting seems like a great idea, loft spaces with dormer windows and white walls maybe a great place to set up a painting / photography studio?
Indeed! Daylight is great, as long as there is enough. I would very much enjoy having some kind of day lit studio but that's not going to happen in this city I'm afraid. Not unless there is lottery wins involved. But yeah, a daylight sett with a lamp that one can take advantage on for details and fiddly bits.
How can I know if the bulbs I already have have the right CRI? Do I have to buy a spectrometer or I can read it somewhere on the box or the bulb itself?
I don’t recommend buying a spectrometer. It would be cheaper to buy 5 or 6 Redgrass games lamps… the only way you can know the cri is if the manufacturer publishes the information on the package or on a website.
Thanks! This gave me what I needed to make an educated decision on what’s right for me and my space. Now if you could create a guide on how to sneak a lamp into the house without the wife noticing…
First time stopping by. Nice video! I paint in my kitchen... In daylight it's great. At night it's too dark, but I still have fun. Sometimes I redo a bit of the paint after I see it in sunlight. I really do think I would enjoy a decent lamp for night painting. After watching your video, I am going to stop searching for the perfect lamp and just get something affordable and try it. Thanks!
Having just started painting Warhammer miniature’s i was at a point of thinking i really need glasses!!! But a few hours after i stop painting my eyes are fine, your video just explained why i was struggling!! I was sat at my kitchen table with three different types of light bulb!! 🤦♂️ Out of interest i am partially colour blind so would that fancy special built lamp help limit the handicap when it comes to shading with colours ??
@@52Miniatures i might try the specialised miniature light as I’m only partially so i struggle some times being able to see the difference in colours if there quite similar, so shading i struggle with!!
@52Miniatures After taking a good bit of time to digest this video. I also came to a few thoughts and I hope I could get your opinion. I personally don't have a Spectrometer and like you kindly pointed out. They really are not cheap. But I got to thinking. While we can't actually produce a CRI with out a spectrometer. My personal idea was to take a picture of a painter's color wheel with my phone's camera (Samsung S23) under sunlight and then compare that picture against the color wheel for accuracy as a base line, and then take a picture under the lighting I do have for painting to do the same. I imagine that in the best of lighting they should be vibrant and clear. Where as in the worst muted and off. Especially when compared against the color wheel. Would you have any suggestions or thoughts about this?
This is definitely something you could do if you can set the colour temperature, saturation and contrast the same on all pictures. The sensor in the camera is probably not great (no offense, but compared to pro measuring devices) but it’s a great way to get some kind of understanding of what’s going on.
@@52Miniatures No offense taken at all. The phone was not built for this situation. This just seemed to be the easiest way I could be a bit more informed. Thank you for the reply!
Bought high CRI bulbs after watching this, and I can really see the difference when I put a painted mini under the new ones, compared to the old light! Especially the reds, they look pinkish under the old one...
"the reds" meant Redgrass R9 Lamp ? So your meaning is your New High CRI bulb one is better light than old one? Sorry for my bad english. Hard to understand what exactly means. And also I don't understand what point of this video. Is Redgrass Lamp is good or not, there are better substitue lamp ?
And your last point re: painting with a light that's too bright means that the miniatures are too dark in real word conditions is a very important one!
Thank Ryan! Yeah, you play and visit a lot of tournaments, you would definitely have witnessed the effect there right? Also why I've started to try and go for Grim Light instead of Grim Dark :)
Not as much as I'd like, but I do distinctly remember painting some infinity in a black colour scheme that looked great well lit, but looked dull and invisible on the tabletop :( Good idea with grim light!@@52Miniatures
Can you please tell me where I can buy one of these lights? I assume the product is available if people actually own them but then all I see is Kickstarter ads. Isn't Kickstarter to see if there's interest/funding? I'm a bit confused.
Not all flourescent tubes are bad. The Philips TL90 has a cri of 98, and is cheap and (at least here) readily available, and fits into standard flourescent fixtures. I've used them for decades in my paint studio. I've found them to be much better than far more expensive options.
@@52Miniatures I am doing great, thank you. I hope you are too 😊 Great to see your videos still coming. I do try to check in each time you publish a new one 🙂 All the very best 👍🏼
You really enlightened us with this video! (badum-tss) Im actually painting using 2 desk lamps i found lying araound in my house, i liked them at first coz the light was in the cold spectrum but i found my eyes got tired from time to time, those lamps are using kind of a fluorescent type lightsource and also i found the light "blinks" a bit, i paint in a completely dark room, black table, i was starting to think i was losing close vision. Will try just using a different (yet cheap 😅) light setup. Thanks Alex, love u. Also, i finally found out why u always use those awesome "cozy warm" professional expensive lightbulbs in most of your videos.
As someone in the field of lighting, this is a great watch you nailed everything. Fantastic touch on eye strain, I have seen some painting setups with LED strip shining at the user that make me cringe. I paint under a 4000k cool white lamp as I find I under highlight under a 6000k lamp and over highlight under a 2700k lamp. As artists it is good to investigate the topic of lighting especially in colour temperature. There is a painter in NZ named Len Lye, who was famous for only painting under a naked GLS bulb and much of his paintings have a lovely warm tone that also makes his work unique. Unfortunately I cant comment much on CRI and its effect, I managed to get my hands on some CRI90 LED bulbs to test and use them at home, I dont know if you would notice a big difference with CRI if you were not a competition level painter.
No doubt RGG lamp is good but as someone who paints almost daily and semi-professional i think 200€ is too much and not needed at all. You can get good lighting for less than half the price. Also it been a Kickstarter, just makes it worst in my opinion. Btw, great video! Learned a lot!!
I didn't realize the fundamental issue of Led and fluorescent lighting in reduced color spectrum. I knew, intuitively that fluorescent appears green, for instance, but the lack of red in a LED tuned for warmth was quite surprising.
Hi Alex - Nice video. I've got one of those "Rainbow" light arches. But I also use an Optivisor. And the Optivisor has plastic sides which block any glare from those LEDs at the side. And my work surface isn't anything as tidy as yours, so I don't get any bounce light either. So I'm feeling quite smug !! But, yes, you have explained things that I had not been thinking about. Cheers
I have two LED panels adjustable from 3200K to 6000K and CRI 97+. I keep the lights set to 5500K. I am partially blind in one eye, and having these lights have made tons of difference between me not painting due to eye strain and painting with these lights. Having two panels means I don't have shadows and the colors aren't color tinted by the lights. I also use a large black cutting mat that covers most of the table. For me, it makes the background easily ignorable when staring at a mini or a model car part.
I really enjoyed the this! Very informative and well explained for the layman. I love the focus on comfort. i think this shouldn't be underrated. Thank you. :D
I learned the "view your mini in different light" the hard way. Was super proud of a mini I had spent a decent amount of time on (under my one lamp) Grabbed it, straight to the local game store, immediately realize something I'd never noticed before. The local store has terrible lighting. I looked down, and almost like a horror movie, my mini looked like shit ! I was like omg... immediately put it away before showing anyone. Boy did that change my perspective. A superb video btw, truly superb.
I love my magnifying lamp. Not one of those bulky ones, just a ring light with a magnifying glass in the middle. It gives a somewhat even, smooth light, it doesn’t get in the way, I can adjust the temp, it was inexpensive, and, best of all, tiny things look bigger! I have no idea what its CRI is, but the medium (white) temp setting feels quite true.
Great video! Wish more people would publish the spectrum. Even the CRI doesn't tell the full story, but you can't fool anyone with the spectrum. Now I wish I had a spectrometer to go test all my lights with.
Just ordered a Native Onyx lamp, Siege Studios seem to have them at a good price, unfortunately I cannot afford to be murdered for ordering the RGG one 😅
Damn those Aputure light bulbs are a nice piece of kit. A pair of those might be a good alternative to the 260€+ RGG lamp. And available at least a half year earlier.
Illuminating. I find it always helps to take the mini you’re painting outside at various intervals, to see it in natural daylight. I just have to fight the urge in throwing it far over the neighbours fence as I’m usually disappointed with the result, regardless of the light source 😅
Hi Alex. That was very interesting and informative, and as usual, entertaining. It's nice to get a photographer's educated opinion regarding lighting. I really appreciate the effort you put into your videos. I've noticed that some of the things I paint look a little off when I take them outside, but that's ok with me. 🙂 They look fine in typical indoor lighting and that is where they are normally seen. As I recall, you painted an army under lightening conditions that you felt would match where the game was going to be played. I thought that was brilliant💡 keep on keepin on, and enjoying your hobbies. 🌈🎨🖌️🎶
Very interesting content ! Glad that you were able to explain why CRI is more important than color temperature. A must-watch for the community:)
Glad you enjoyed the video guys :)
Thank you for this, Alex. The shop jargon around lighting is so confusing to a non-photo/video oriented person that it's hard to know what's vital and what's not.
Thanks B, I realize there’s a lot of info about and not many people know what it’s all about.
Great video mate thank you 👍
At first, I was like, "Oh, it's just another sponsored review of the new Redgrass light... I'm not too interested in that"
But then I thought "Wait, Alex isn't like that. There is probably something more to it" and that was indeed correct.
Very nice, informative and chilled video!
Out of the mouths of expert, proven professionals...
Always one for carefully considered thoughtful hobby insights, delivered as effortlessly soaring production value vids.
This being such an expert subject didn't need a script and has a hybrid quality with the laid back livestreams.
I love it and look forward to a series of expert photography vids 👍
Thank you Phil, I’m glad you think it worked. Scripting this would have been to big an effort, a bit to much knowledge to consider. So I thought I’d just try unscripted and hope the important bits came out.
@52 Miniatures It worked beautifully Alex, the professional understanding was convincingly exact and the conversational approach made it entirely accessible for hobbyists. Job Done and credentials established for subsequent vid quality vids and next level mini photography help!
I totally agree here. I think it was not necessary for you to tire yourself out with scripting , thank you again sooo much for this long take!
how amazing this hobbie and the people in it are... As of now i had the chance to listen to a lot of amazing artist talk about colors and techniques, but i have also listen to a Doctorate in Chemistry explain resins and paints... And today I finally had the chance to listen to a professional talk about lighting... im humble and amazed at the same time. Thank you for all you're doing not only for making us paint minis, but to do it in the best way possible. I am 39 years old and i can feel how my sight its not what it used to be, yet i wan to paint and keep painting for years to come. Thanks to you and other people doing this kind of videos now i can feel more secure about my purchases and experiences at painting.
Please keep at it!
You can get great led lightbulbs as well at a cheaper cost. Google for “best spectrum / cri led bulbs or something”. The Aputure ones are expensive because of a lot of other finesse. Like Bluetooth controll and whatnot.
Taking your current piece up to the window, respectively into natural light regularly is a very helpful procedure to avoid "lamp blindness". Good advice. thx
I just bought the Licent by Game Envy and its wonderful. It has the dame type of things the RGG one does, for example the cold to warm K settings, and it has adaptive settings and a bunch nore features and it was only $85 for a very wide set of 5 led bars that fold up. Oh and the CRI is 95+
Great stuff friend 👏 👍
Thanks for sharing your journey
I always smile when I hear someone explain light temperatures. ”The higher the temperature, the colder the light”
But hey, at least it’s not in freedom units.
From what i can see there are bulbs with 95+ cri 6400 temp and over 1k lumen that we can buy for 5$ to put in that ikea setup. On paper, specs wise that setup would be compareble with Redgrass lamp and for a fraction of price. Yes would not be top tier, but is that 3+ cri worth it? Is there any reason that you didnt mention or test them? Is there something wrong with them or something to be aware? As someone who is starting his journey in this hobby i would like to know for what im paying for. Im fine if its just for looks, but still... knowledge is priceless
I tried in this video to explain the tech and things to consider. I don't think I in fact recommended any specific lamp, instead I used what I have at hand to try and explain things we can consider. I have no idea if the bulbs you are thinking of are good or not, but maybe you can use the tools I put in this video to figure out if they work for you.
In general, pretty nice, informative video. I've been running 80 CRI, 5600~K lamp for a while now and I guess RGG lamp would be of some improvement. Probably not getting it from KS though, we will see how much it costs once local shops get a hold of it. Thank you for the professional insights!
Someone should pin this vid to the internet. Most concise explanation without having to troll through pages and pages to get a clear definition of Kelvin/Lumens/Lux etc. Thank you!
Thanks T! I’ll try pin it 😆
@@52Miniatures Artists eyes everywhere are counting on you. Just so you know... I also might suggest something more heavy duty like bolts. Just to keep the local wildlife from pilfering it, it's pretty wild out there these days 🤔
Here's me, a regular joe blow working guy with no real understanding of the technicalities of light as you've just described, suddenly not feeling so bad about jumping on the RGG lamp as soon as i saw it just because its RGG 🤣😅
Damn, this was more informative than a documentary. Thank you! .... - goes back to painting before PC screen with white desk and big black mousepad... crying -
💜💜💜 remember the “you should work in an environment that is comfortable for you” bit
@@52Miniatures 🤭
Some great info, well presented as always. I think you hit on one of the most salient points - that for most of us, no matter what light we use to paint under, we will likely take them somewhere to play with that is illuminated by awful florescent bulbs. That being said I do try to use a diffused daylight set up with a grey cutting mat. Little did I know I was ahead of the curve for a change! #totallyaccidental Cheers!
I appriecaite your indepth tutorial on light and CRI and everything! One thing that I really didn't take into account was eye strain. In my attempt to get the best light in my painting space, I would forgo all other light but my hobby lamp, which of course leads to much eye strain. Such a simple concept, but totally forgotten in the pursuit of mini painitng excellence. Thanks again!
Nice video as always.
While I'm certain that the RGG lamp is an excellent product, just as their other products, the pricepoint, for a home user, is just to high. I mean, ~€300 for a lamp? (including shipping and vat) Also, at that price point, there really should be a separate + and - switch for the light, not 1 button that does it all.
When this hits retail, their competitors most likely will have similar/other products available. So I'll just wait until then.
Honestly I think the quality of lamp is reflected in the price. But I also definitely can see that this is not something for all.
This is a great video with far more information than I've ever known about lighting and lamps. It gives an added appreciation for the lighting in cinemas and photography and I'm sure this barely even scratches the surface there. I think it also helps me make a more informed decision on hobby lighting like Redgrasses new lamp and gives me some insight into the amount of work that goes into the development and production of things like that, instead of immediately dismissing it based on the cost. I also like that you note that it's most about what's important to you. Will I pick up the Redgrass lamp? I don't know, but now I have enough knowledge to make a more informed decision on it, and that's pretty great.
Thanks Bill, I appreciate the comment. And it’s what I hoped, to pass on some tools, not decide what is best for others.
Well, if it ain't brutally pointless overkill, the Red Grass R9. I suppose they found their niche in those who obsess over their painting light.
Lights 10 times cheaper provide more than decent results. And the ultimate truth of the matter is that even if you had a miniature sun to light your painting table, when you actually game or display your creations, you'll seldom have perfect lighting. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hey man , I was a tad hesitant to watch your long video at first, but I'm glad I did. Terrific elaboration on the pitfalls of artificial lighting which has helped me to decide on what I need for my painting set up. 👍 👌
Glad to hear it. All my videos are long it seems… can’t stop talking :)
Sorry for my bad english. Hard to understand what exactly means.
Someone can tell what is the point of this video?
I don't understand what point of this video.
Is Redgrass Lamp is good or not, or there are better substitue lamp ?
27:33 This is interesting, because I would say that a CRI of 84.8 is pretty decent, but if you look at the spectrum, than it sucks. I asked for the CRI rating of the 2 lamps I have. Both supposedly decent hobby lamps, that definitely where not the cheapest. One was rated at 82 and the other 85+. That means that the CRI-rating doesn't tell the whole story. What I should have asked for is the CRI graph (like you recommended).
EDIT: send a follow up email right away.
EDIT2: follow up on this is in your Instagram PM's, because I couldn't post a picture here
The surface temperature of the Sun is about 5700K so around that would be daylight temperature... tho of course the atmosphere and all that makes the calculations a bit more complicated.
To anyone thinking "I thought the Sun is yellow, not white?" well... turns out it's actually basically white, if you could see it directly. Maybe slightly yellow, depending on who you ask...
I was 23@45 in before I realised he was saying "LED" not "lead" and ... I feel like I should have been watching more closely now.
I'm not sure the lamp filament can really be said to be burning. It is jolly hot though.
Hey, do you have any idea why painters use ‘warm’ to mean ‘cool’ and ‘cool’ to mean ‘blazing hot’? Because 5000 is, you know, technically _bigger_ than 4000. Just saying.
Many thanks for two things-the attention to the shape of the spectrum (which I've thought about a lot since getting into painting, but always seems to take a lot of explaining to people), and the importance of the background (which I used to be really attuned to when I was more into photography but which had somehow slipped from my mind…).
8:04 I think the people with the computers on in the background are young with good eyes. I'm 43 and if my mini is slightly backlit, or there is glare on my palette, I feel like I cannot see anything and it drives me nuts. This makes painting at the FLGS, a thing I'm trying to make a thing, very difficult.
My Light Arch has a shield on my side of the arch so I can't directly see the LED's. They have a CRI of 96. Can't wait for my Redgrass Lamp to arrive though.
Great video! As an illustrator (in analogue mediums) this was really.. enlightening. Sorry for the pun, it was intentional.
Thanks Alex. Just revisiting this episode as I'm now looking for a better lamp. Just a side thought. I have recently had eye operations because of cataract. With the new artificial lenses fitted I have realised that my favorite brown shirt is in fact a nice deep blue.
Thank you for this extremely informative and humorous video. I wish the R9 would just go retail already and stop all of this Kickstart nonsense!
I was looking for something completely different, but im glad i fell over this video..
I'm not in doubt that i will buy the Redgrass lamp, but i am more aware of getting better light in my living room too.. I have been very annoyed with my partner because we have lived here 6 years with a very bad light setup, now that i have migraines and headaches often it super important that my gaming space AND painting space is correctly lit up as i DO experience getting headaches sitting in the dark gaming or painting. We need better light in our rooms not just a cool and good desk lamp!
Ill go tell him we need a way better lit living room before i even consider getting a better painting lamp then the one i already have, thanks :)
This more than explains why I have trouble photographing red mini's under my LED lamps. Not sure how I'm going to fix the issue, but at least I know why now.
I literally paint in a room with warm ceiling lights, a hobby lamp and a PC screen in front of me. I can turn off the PC but it's either warm room lights or painting in the dark with just the lamp. Not sure which is worse!
5:43 the slight misspeaking is charming. I know it's not an affectation, but if you were wondering if you should edit it out: Only if you want. I don't mind it at all, and the very chopped editing style that is common is a bit distracting, definitely more distracting than the occasional mistake.
Too late, Alex, I've already painted my entire room and clothes and skin in a medium grey!
Very good video by the way.
Medium gray goes well with everything. You’ll now match all your potential outfit choices.
People have thier computer screen on whelst painting (and building) because they're using it at the same time...
Should be obvious?
turning the brightness down should be a no-brainer tho
I am sitting in front of my computer, painting minis and watching this video.
What works good for me is, to change the colour of youtube and the browser into black.
I'm in thr group that paints with an always present Evil light. It makes my evil-looking miniatures a grade or two better quality. :p
Thank u, the video is a great help... explained a few things that I wasn't sure about ...
This is the video that I was hoping Alex to tackle ever since CRI was "introduced" to the hobby. I have been curious to see a comparision across multiple light sources the use of the spectrometer is just the icing on the cake. The mention on the ambient light is very relevant, it explain why I feel tired very quicly whilst paiting during the night versus day, I guess I need to keep more lights on. Thank you ver much.
Thanks Alex.That was super informative. Also gives me moral support in my hobby lighting choices. Great point about circumstances the finished item is likely to be viewed.
Thanks for the sequel! I appreciate the far more educated take. Now… time to dig out the Tesla bulbs!
Thanks for the prequel! It was a lot better than the George Lucas ones.
Basically...we just need incandescence lamp, instead of led crap 😂
I cant work out if you work for Red Grass games or not, but I can tell you that if you don't you should pass this video onto them with a possible sponsorship, because you are a genius marketer! Their sales would drastically increase, which you could piggy back off. 🤷🏻♂️
The only bit that makes me feel uncomfortable, is how you come off as subtly arrogant, because you know how experienced you are.
Either way, I've watched a few of your videos now and it's the exact knowledge im looking for. Thanks.
We're not all born as perfect presenters Jerr, and I just wanted to share my knowledge to others. If you feel uncomfortable with how I come across then I don't really know how to deal with that as I'm just the way I am.
You sir, are a great source of information, love it
I appreciate that!
i know this is random, but we have the same drinking glasses as you do. :)
5:45 Always paint your Evil Knights with Even Lights.
"There's a lamp, that means we can see." That is one unscripted gem, loved it!
That was very infomative. Thanks you. I want one of those meters now. lol
A perfect marriage of scientific and pragmatic approaches, very informative, literally eye opening (pun intended), love it! The sad part is that it seems I'm buying that stupid expensive lamp after all since my problem is that I need to be able to paint without my regular light sources (i.e. when kids are asleep in the next room).
It is a darn expensive light but it's good. I've also travelled with it a fair bit and it's sturdy and holds up well.
I'm looking at upgrading my hobby room lights; any recommendations on ceiling LED recessed lighting?
Not as such, keep an eye on good cri and I’d definitely go for a daylight realm
The dreaded color calibration. In the 90s I work for a studio as a photographer but I was also a lab rat. In the late nineties we converted to all-digital. We went from photographing proofing, then retouching, and printing our own finals. To proffing retouching and sending out for the finals. It was a real chalange in the beginning to get what you sent out for. Ah....@#$#;@#. 18% grey walls and clothing and dont smile your teeth would mess it up. Hahahha ok it was not that bad. but for a bit it seemed like a 300k mistake. Any one need an old Hasselblad and some 70mm backs.❤
“For the love of god take that red T-shirt off!” Ah the memories :)
10:25 "overly branded" based on your intro comments about new light technologies I'm guessing you may be having the same fatigue towards a certain company. I get that they're a company selling things and I use their palette shell (sponges and paper replaced with paper towel and parchment), but I have a disquiet feeling about them.
They are very nice and I like them. The grey cutting mat was a strange design decision that does not rime with the rest of the range (personal opinion)
I ve spent quiet some time trying to understand lights as a hobby, and your video is by far the best and most objective i ve watched reviewing lamps and RedGrass. Gg, you re a Master ❤️ (and i wanted to tell you that i live the visual atmosphere of your videos, i wish i could do that!!)
Thank you very much PM 🙏 I appreciate it greatly
I might be wrong but the CRI and spectrum of a light shouldnt change if you filter it. Doing so gets rid of wavelenghts blocked by the specific filter, so if you filter a warm led light with something like a full CTB, you are still getting the same little blue wavelenghts as before, but also removing lots of red and orange ones. Im not 100% sure if this is the actual way it works tho
The issue is often that whatever you put in front of the light it might affect the spectrum and also the cri. The measurement of daylight for example would have been minutely affected by the glass in the windows. Same goes for diffusion. The science is above my pay grade. But I think it's something about certain photons get stuck and others don't or something. But yes, depending on what it is that filters light, it can change the cri.
Thank you so much for this great informative video. Moreover, the way u teaching and recording video are so professional and cinematic.
Glad it was helpful!
Dude, I realize I am late to the party here but your videos are Awesome!! Its like your channeling your inner Werner Herzog when you do these vidz!! I love this one even more as you seem to be channeling your inner Fred from Scooby doo with the orange ascot. Keep up the great work!!
Thanks RBG, Welcome to the channel!
I just watched ninjon's, and now I'm here
wow! an awesome video. I learned a lot of things. It was very illuminating :) would you recommend any lamps that wont break the budget?
That is a good question. I can really only honestly recommend the lamps I've been using... But a good thing is to check if the supplier can show a cri "chart"
illuminating, thank you! Daylight painting seems like a great idea, loft spaces with dormer windows and white walls maybe a great place to set up a painting / photography studio?
Indeed! Daylight is great, as long as there is enough. I would very much enjoy having some kind of day lit studio but that's not going to happen in this city I'm afraid. Not unless there is lottery wins involved. But yeah, a daylight sett with a lamp that one can take advantage on for details and fiddly bits.
How can I know if the bulbs I already have have the right CRI? Do I have to buy a spectrometer or I can read it somewhere on the box or the bulb itself?
I don’t recommend buying a spectrometer. It would be cheaper to buy 5 or 6 Redgrass games lamps… the only way you can know the cri is if the manufacturer publishes the information on the package or on a website.
Thanks Alex, this helps a lot to make a good decision :)
Thanks! This gave me what I needed to make an educated decision on what’s right for me and my space. Now if you could create a guide on how to sneak a lamp into the house without the wife noticing…
Found a lamp lying outside in a dumpster? 😵💫
People look at things other than the mini and the paint rack?! 😮
I loved this video, have been stressing ove what lamp to "upgrade" too, now I just think my lamp is good enough as I can see with it.
Great to hear, thanks Lawrence
OK - spray room and furniture wirh gray primer and dig up a couple old incandescent bulbs - good to go for my Golden Demon entry
do we dip the bulbs in gray too..? That's the big question...
Another great video comprehensively covering the topic :D
God damn what an amazing video about this subject
I really like your style and delivery, it's really sound like if you are talking to me :)
Subbed!
Great to hear, welcome to the channel R
Clear 100w incandecent bulbs ftw
First time stopping by. Nice video!
I paint in my kitchen... In daylight it's great. At night it's too dark, but I still have fun. Sometimes I redo a bit of the paint after I see it in sunlight.
I really do think I would enjoy a decent lamp for night painting. After watching your video, I am going to stop searching for the perfect lamp and just get something affordable and try it.
Thanks!
I like the attitude. I painted by candlelight the other night. It didn’t work out awesome but I had a fun night and can fix any issues in daylight :)
@@52Miniatures That does sound like fun. Keep those creative juices flowing.
This was the most informative video on this topic I have ever seen. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Having just started painting Warhammer miniature’s i was at a point of thinking i really need glasses!!!
But a few hours after i stop painting my eyes are fine, your video just explained why i was struggling!!
I was sat at my kitchen table with three different types of light bulb!! 🤦♂️
Out of interest i am partially colour blind so would that fancy special built lamp help limit the handicap when it comes to shading with colours ??
I have very little knowledge on how colorblindness works.
@@52Miniatures i might try the specialised miniature light as I’m only partially so i struggle some times being able to see the difference in colours if there quite similar, so shading i struggle with!!
@52Miniatures After taking a good bit of time to digest this video. I also came to a few thoughts and I hope I could get your opinion. I personally don't have a Spectrometer and like you kindly pointed out. They really are not cheap. But I got to thinking. While we can't actually produce a CRI with out a spectrometer. My personal idea was to take a picture of a painter's color wheel with my phone's camera (Samsung S23) under sunlight and then compare that picture against the color wheel for accuracy as a base line, and then take a picture under the lighting I do have for painting to do the same. I imagine that in the best of lighting they should be vibrant and clear. Where as in the worst muted and off. Especially when compared against the color wheel. Would you have any suggestions or thoughts about this?
This is definitely something you could do if you can set the colour temperature, saturation and contrast the same on all pictures. The sensor in the camera is probably not great (no offense, but compared to pro measuring devices) but it’s a great way to get some kind of understanding of what’s going on.
@@52Miniatures No offense taken at all. The phone was not built for this situation. This just seemed to be the easiest way I could be a bit more informed. Thank you for the reply!
Bought high CRI bulbs after watching this, and I can really see the difference when I put a painted mini under the new ones, compared to the old light! Especially the reds, they look pinkish under the old one...
"the reds" meant Redgrass R9 Lamp ?
So your meaning is your New High CRI bulb one is better light than old one?
Sorry for my bad english. Hard to understand what exactly means.
And also I don't understand what point of this video. Is Redgrass Lamp is good or not, there are better substitue lamp ?
@@playbunny99 I meant that the red colors look red with good lightbulbs, but with regular LED lights they look pink instead of red! ^^
Thanks Alex, I'm just looking to upgrade my lighting for content and this is handy for that too!
And your last point re: painting with a light that's too bright means that the miniatures are too dark in real word conditions is a very important one!
Thank Ryan! Yeah, you play and visit a lot of tournaments, you would definitely have witnessed the effect there right? Also why I've started to try and go for Grim Light instead of Grim Dark :)
Not as much as I'd like, but I do distinctly remember painting some infinity in a black colour scheme that looked great well lit, but looked dull and invisible on the tabletop :( Good idea with grim light!@@52Miniatures
Can you please tell me where I can buy one of these lights? I assume the product is available if people actually own them but then all I see is Kickstarter ads. Isn't Kickstarter to see if there's interest/funding? I'm a bit confused.
The company is called Redgrass Games, check with them. I know no details.
I looked at their website, it says the kickstarter is over. So wait until they start selling it online I guess.
Not all flourescent tubes are bad. The Philips TL90 has a cri of 98, and is cheap and (at least here) readily available, and fits into standard flourescent fixtures. I've used them for decades in my paint studio. I've found them to be much better than far more expensive options.
verry illuminating video...pun intendet ^^
7:21 Wander how many people where pointing at the switch on the wire. I did... 😄
I know! It doesn’t work unfortunately because the lamp also has a battery in it :)
Fantastic video, 52! I found all the lamps in front of your face particularly amusing 🙂
Thanks HB! Hope you are well. There was a lot of lamps!
@@52Miniatures I am doing great, thank you. I hope you are too 😊
Great to see your videos still coming. I do try to check in each time you publish a new one 🙂 All the very best 👍🏼
You really enlightened us with this video! (badum-tss)
Im actually painting using 2 desk lamps i found lying araound in my house, i liked them at first coz the light was in the cold spectrum but i found my eyes got tired from time to time, those lamps are using kind of a fluorescent type lightsource and also i found the light "blinks" a bit, i paint in a completely dark room, black table, i was starting to think i was losing close vision.
Will try just using a different (yet cheap 😅) light setup.
Thanks Alex, love u.
Also, i finally found out why u always use those awesome "cozy warm" professional expensive lightbulbs in most of your videos.
Best explanation of what to look for that I have seen so far. Man tackar!
Glad it was helpful!
18:15 Pretty sure RGG says on Kickstarter lamp is 5000K
It sure is! 5000K
As someone in the field of lighting, this is a great watch you nailed everything. Fantastic touch on eye strain, I have seen some painting setups with LED strip shining at the user that make me cringe.
I paint under a 4000k cool white lamp as I find I under highlight under a 6000k lamp and over highlight under a 2700k lamp. As artists it is good to investigate the topic of lighting especially in colour temperature. There is a painter in NZ named Len Lye, who was famous for only painting under a naked GLS bulb and much of his paintings have a lovely warm tone that also makes his work unique.
Unfortunately I cant comment much on CRI and its effect, I managed to get my hands on some CRI90 LED bulbs to test and use them at home, I dont know if you would notice a big difference with CRI if you were not a competition level painter.
An excellent video as always! Every time you touched those metal lights though… arrrgh that sound goes through me 😂
No doubt RGG lamp is good but as someone who paints almost daily and semi-professional i think 200€ is too much and not needed at all. You can get good lighting for less than half the price. Also it been a Kickstarter, just makes it worst in my opinion.
Btw, great video! Learned a lot!!
I didn't realize the fundamental issue of Led and fluorescent lighting in reduced color spectrum. I knew, intuitively that fluorescent appears green, for instance, but the lack of red in a LED tuned for warmth was quite surprising.
Hi Alex - Nice video. I've got one of those "Rainbow" light arches. But I also use an Optivisor. And the Optivisor has plastic sides which block any glare from those LEDs at the side. And my work surface isn't anything as tidy as yours, so I don't get any bounce light either. So I'm feeling quite smug !! But, yes, you have explained things that I had not been thinking about. Cheers
I have two LED panels adjustable from 3200K to 6000K and CRI 97+. I keep the lights set to 5500K. I am partially blind in one eye, and having these lights have made tons of difference between me not painting due to eye strain and painting with these lights.
Having two panels means I don't have shadows and the colors aren't color tinted by the lights. I also use a large black cutting mat that covers most of the table. For me, it makes the background easily ignorable when staring at a mini or a model car part.
I really enjoyed the this! Very informative and well explained for the layman. I love the focus on comfort. i think this shouldn't be underrated. Thank you. :D
I learned the "view your mini in different light" the hard way. Was super proud of a mini I had spent a decent amount of time on (under my one lamp)
Grabbed it, straight to the local game store, immediately realize something I'd never noticed before. The local store has terrible lighting. I looked down, and almost like a horror movie, my mini looked like shit !
I was like omg... immediately put it away before showing anyone. Boy did that change my perspective.
A superb video btw, truly superb.
I love my magnifying lamp. Not one of those bulky ones, just a ring light with a magnifying glass in the middle. It gives a somewhat even, smooth light, it doesn’t get in the way, I can adjust the temp, it was inexpensive, and, best of all, tiny things look bigger! I have no idea what its CRI is, but the medium (white) temp setting feels quite true.
Great video! Wish more people would publish the spectrum. Even the CRI doesn't tell the full story, but you can't fool anyone with the spectrum. Now I wish I had a spectrometer to go test all my lights with.
Lovely! So many terms I've stumbled across before, but put in reference and explained. Thank you very much!
Just ordered a Native Onyx lamp, Siege Studios seem to have them at a good price, unfortunately I cannot afford to be murdered for ordering the RGG one 😅
Damn those Aputure light bulbs are a nice piece of kit. A pair of those might be a good alternative to the 260€+ RGG lamp. And available at least a half year earlier.
Love the video! At 300$ CAD + shipping, it is a lot to pay for a desk lamp. This video gave me some things to think about. Thanks so much!
Illuminating. I find it always helps to take the mini you’re painting outside at various intervals, to see it in natural daylight. I just have to fight the urge in throwing it far over the neighbours fence as I’m usually disappointed with the result, regardless of the light source 😅
Hi Alex.
That was very interesting and informative, and as usual, entertaining. It's nice to get a photographer's educated opinion regarding lighting. I really appreciate the effort you put into your videos. I've noticed that some of the things I paint look a little off when I take them outside, but that's ok with me. 🙂 They look fine in typical indoor lighting and that is where they are normally seen. As I recall, you painted an army under lightening conditions that you felt would match where the game was going to be played. I thought that was brilliant💡 keep on keepin on, and enjoying your hobbies. 🌈🎨🖌️🎶