In case anyone wonders about long term durability - nearly a year later, after an average of 2-4 hours of daily use, this lamp is still working perfectly! I appreciate it being such a bright quick tap-on light for late night painting :D
I'd also love to hear about your favorite must-have supplies, tools or lighting - let me know! Website list of all my most used papers, waterproof pens, mixing palettes, paint storage boxes/containers, lamps, lighting and even top down video making basics can be found here: www.kimcrick.com/pages/watercolor-supplies-guide-pens-paper-paint-brushes-waterproof-ink
I don't have this model, but they sent me one of their monitor lights that sit on top of your computer monitor a few years ago. I use it every single time I sit at my desk and it's been an invaluable tool to reduce eye strain both while working and being on the computer for other things - especially during the pandemic, like running two D&D campaigns online. A gamer friend saw mine and bought one for themselves and also said its amazing. I just bought new lighting for my filming area, but I'll keep this in mind in the future!
I don't film. However I do paint exclusively at night (I have a sleeping disorder and do not live on a traditional schedule). I gave up on the "fancy" lights many years ago (as soon as full spectrum bulbs became available at retail). I found they were a waste of money, expensive to maintain with special bulbs etc, and just unnecessary. I use a full spectrum or daylight bulb in the room fixture which projects up vs down (I don't use it most of the time, I like a soft warm light it helps with my disorder.. unless I'm painting. So I have a little table light on my nightstand (my painting area is in my bedroom). I also use blue blocker software on my electronics)... and have the same bulbs in multiple lights surrounding my actual work. My current set up is a clamp lamp on one side (attached to my drafting table top, I paint at an angle) and a desk lamp on the other (on the flat working surface for my paint/palette). Light sources on both sides but not directly above or behind, directed at my work, removes glare and shadows. Pointing ambient light up vs down also helps reduce shadows. I use 100 watt equivalent LED in all my fixtures so I can get the most bang for my buck without being in danger of overheating a fixture. My current set up is about $30 and I can change bulbs anytime I wish for a few bucks. My previous set up in my old house was two floor lamps.. a single that projected up.. a three bulb with adjustable fixtures, and a clamp lamp on the other side. That set up was cheap too because I sourced the floor lamps at local thrift stores. Cone light fixtures help tremendously with direction and reducing eye strain as they put the light where you want it without a lot of "leakage". My current desk lamp also has a USB port which I find very useful so it's something you might look for if buying a newer fixture. I find it extremely important to have all my setup ready to go at any moment to encourage actual use. I use covered water containers that are cleaned when I'm finished, as well as clean palettes and brushes so all I have to do is turn on the lights, sit down, and paint. I use Masters solid brush cleaner/conditioner so I can wash my brushes at my desk.. all I have to do is rinse out my water, run my palette under the tap and wipe it down (unless I'm saving paint for a WIP).. and I'm done.
Sounds like a great set up! It is super important to be ready to go, i too recently got covered water dishes so its all set when I actually sit down. Thanks for sharing!
A certainly useful lamp! I agree with your point about how investing in this might be better in the long run, when you factor in having to replace cheaper / lower quality lights more often. I'm impressed at how much it did seem to help your desk. Will definitely be checking this out! Thanks for sharing!
I’m getting one of these bad boys in a couple of months from now, the lighting of this looks so much easier on the eyes. I have a LED panel on the ceiling above, and 2 ott lights and I’m beyond done with them as they have been slowly dying for the last few months, not to mention the space taken up.
The lamp looks good. I have two old style office lamps with daylight bulbs over my work and filming area that do a pretty decent job. I wish I had softer lights sometimes for the sake of the video but I like the strong lights to work under.
I appreciate the in-depth review of its settings! At the moment I have a small lamp with daylight bulb, which I'm happy enough to keep until it breaks. I do miss having the adjustable LED lightbulb for my main light though.
Ive gotten from shopee a cheap but practical LED lamp that's USB powered - and since I have a "floating" bookshelf at the top of my desk, I have a cast shadow I need to solve with a lamp at night. This lamp looks like one of those old fluorescent tubular lamps from industrial settings. The advantage is that I can remove it from under the bookshelf because it's magnetic. Has only three light settings (cool, daylight, warm) but it really satisfy my needs, I don't see many cast shadows while painting, and I definitely can use it for recording too (maybe with the additional lamp for more brightness my camera can't catch on its own.
I have one suuuuper bright daylight bulb, it's honestly kind of magical. I've not looked into BenQ, I just bought a lightbulb a handful of years ago and it's still going strong. Mine doesn't have all the adjustability of the BenQ, though!
Ooooh I like the sound of that bulb. If I have my room door shut anyone outside my door says it looks like an alien abduction scene in a movie when I turn the lamp on lol. I love it - s u p e r - bright :D
Wow! I use BenQ gaming monitors but I didn't even know they made lamps. This might be one to invest in, eventually. I get frustrated with "disposable" options and would rather save up for something that should last or be easily fixed.
If your painting is flat there will likely be light reflection the most if the light is right above your art, to minimize this you might be better off putting two normal daylight bulbs on each side of you instead of overhead. If you get two small clamp lights or desk top fixtures to shine from the right and left side of your desk it'll probably help the most. I use the BenQ lamp when I need strong overhead light and sometimes I want to show off water or metallic shine in demonstrations, so it may not be the best choice for shine reduction in your case. Hope that helps!
i don't really get a choice regarding when i film. it's very much up to my family members. hmm...i prefer natural light for being able to see colours clearly but for filming i guess i prefer a lamp set up because the direction/intensity of light can be fixed.
Understandable, it's definitely up there! After trying it, I can see why it's expensive. I've seen some really creative cheaper set ups that work well too, especially with a few fixtures that can take those super high lumens daylight bulbs. Considering my struggles with Ottlite lamps I was really happy to try this one, but it's a luxury item for sure. Thanks for watching :)
I've seen these lights on IG but it's too big for my super small area that I paint on. And sadly, I can only paint during the day as my vision after a certain time is so darn blurry.... It does look like a high quality lamp though. I wanted to ask if you've ever used Renesans Polska paints? I've picked a few of their 15ml tubes for $7 each on Etsy but they're so vibrant that I don't know to use them lol ... I'd love to hear your thoughts on them please. Thank You and enjoy your new lamp!
I would definitely either dilute them with more water in a mixing palette to tone them down or mix a small amount of a complimentary color to neutralize them. For instance red + a tiny touch of green, or using a neutral tint, if you're not liking the vibrancy of the pigments you got. I am not a big fan of Renesans due to having some issues with their shiny binder. They recently went through some chaos redoing their pigment ingredients, which made cross referencing what you can get from them directly vs their USA etsy shop very difficult. I noticed that some swatches weren't accurate, so overall I wrote up a fairly negative review if you'd like to see it at www.kimcrick.com/pages/renesans-watercolor-review-intense-tubes-and-extra-fine-pan-professional-paints
I would only use lamp with proper day light brightness. But it would be useless. If I can not buy spare bulbs. So I would only those lamps with spare bulbs option. Because you never know. When I need to replace bulb again. I got no idea. What is the best lamp with daylight brightness and spare bulbs. That I can always purchase. When ever it is required.
If you're still looking for a good desk lamp, I've had the Daylight Techne LED Artist & Drafting Lamp for almost 2 years and recommend it. It's cheaper and has fewer features than BenQ, but the most important feature is that it clamps to a desk, a drawing board, or an easel so it doesn't use any desk space at all. It has one temperature setting (6000K) and 3 intensity settings.
In case anyone wonders about long term durability - nearly a year later, after an average of 2-4 hours of daily use, this lamp is still working perfectly! I appreciate it being such a bright quick tap-on light for late night painting :D
Clamp lights will remain my favorite solution to studio lighting. I really appreciate your reviews!
I'd also love to hear about your favorite must-have supplies, tools or lighting - let me know! Website list of all my most used papers, waterproof pens, mixing palettes, paint storage boxes/containers, lamps, lighting and even top down video making basics can be found here: www.kimcrick.com/pages/watercolor-supplies-guide-pens-paper-paint-brushes-waterproof-ink
Wow, that lamp looks futuristic. Thank you Kimberly, your reviews are always the most thorough and pleasant to watch!
your bird drawing is really satisfying. impressive skills
I don't have this model, but they sent me one of their monitor lights that sit on top of your computer monitor a few years ago. I use it every single time I sit at my desk and it's been an invaluable tool to reduce eye strain both while working and being on the computer for other things - especially during the pandemic, like running two D&D campaigns online. A gamer friend saw mine and bought one for themselves and also said its amazing. I just bought new lighting for my filming area, but I'll keep this in mind in the future!
I don't film. However I do paint exclusively at night (I have a sleeping disorder and do not live on a traditional schedule). I gave up on the "fancy" lights many years ago (as soon as full spectrum bulbs became available at retail). I found they were a waste of money, expensive to maintain with special bulbs etc, and just unnecessary. I use a full spectrum or daylight bulb in the room fixture which projects up vs down (I don't use it most of the time, I like a soft warm light it helps with my disorder.. unless I'm painting. So I have a little table light on my nightstand (my painting area is in my bedroom). I also use blue blocker software on my electronics)... and have the same bulbs in multiple lights surrounding my actual work. My current set up is a clamp lamp on one side (attached to my drafting table top, I paint at an angle) and a desk lamp on the other (on the flat working surface for my paint/palette). Light sources on both sides but not directly above or behind, directed at my work, removes glare and shadows. Pointing ambient light up vs down also helps reduce shadows. I use 100 watt equivalent LED in all my fixtures so I can get the most bang for my buck without being in danger of overheating a fixture. My current set up is about $30 and I can change bulbs anytime I wish for a few bucks. My previous set up in my old house was two floor lamps.. a single that projected up.. a three bulb with adjustable fixtures, and a clamp lamp on the other side. That set up was cheap too because I sourced the floor lamps at local thrift stores. Cone light fixtures help tremendously with direction and reducing eye strain as they put the light where you want it without a lot of "leakage". My current desk lamp also has a USB port which I find very useful so it's something you might look for if buying a newer fixture. I find it extremely important to have all my setup ready to go at any moment to encourage actual use. I use covered water containers that are cleaned when I'm finished, as well as clean palettes and brushes so all I have to do is turn on the lights, sit down, and paint. I use Masters solid brush cleaner/conditioner so I can wash my brushes at my desk.. all I have to do is rinse out my water, run my palette under the tap and wipe it down (unless I'm saving paint for a WIP).. and I'm done.
Sounds like a great set up! It is super important to be ready to go, i too recently got covered water dishes so its all set when I actually sit down. Thanks for sharing!
A certainly useful lamp! I agree with your point about how investing in this might be better in the long run, when you factor in having to replace cheaper / lower quality lights more often. I'm impressed at how much it did seem to help your desk. Will definitely be checking this out! Thanks for sharing!
I’m getting one of these bad boys in a couple of months from now, the lighting of this looks so much easier on the eyes. I have a LED panel on the ceiling above, and 2 ott lights and I’m beyond done with them as they have been slowly dying for the last few months, not to mention the space taken up.
The lamp looks good. I have two old style office lamps with daylight bulbs over my work and filming area that do a pretty decent job. I wish I had softer lights sometimes for the sake of the video but I like the strong lights to work under.
I appreciate the in-depth review of its settings! At the moment I have a small lamp with daylight bulb, which I'm happy enough to keep until it breaks. I do miss having the adjustable LED lightbulb for my main light though.
Ive gotten from shopee a cheap but practical LED lamp that's USB powered - and since I have a "floating" bookshelf at the top of my desk, I have a cast shadow I need to solve with a lamp at night. This lamp looks like one of those old fluorescent tubular lamps from industrial settings. The advantage is that I can remove it from under the bookshelf because it's magnetic. Has only three light settings (cool, daylight, warm) but it really satisfy my needs, I don't see many cast shadows while painting, and I definitely can use it for recording too (maybe with the additional lamp for more brightness my camera can't catch on its own.
I have one suuuuper bright daylight bulb, it's honestly kind of magical. I've not looked into BenQ, I just bought a lightbulb a handful of years ago and it's still going strong. Mine doesn't have all the adjustability of the BenQ, though!
Ooooh I like the sound of that bulb. If I have my room door shut anyone outside my door says it looks like an alien abduction scene in a movie when I turn the lamp on lol. I love it - s u p e r - bright :D
The first lamp refusing to turn on is me on a monday morning 😆
Wow! I use BenQ gaming monitors but I didn't even know they made lamps. This might be one to invest in, eventually. I get frustrated with "disposable" options and would rather save up for something that should last or be easily fixed.
Thanks for this review. I have a problem with light reflection on my painting while I paint at night. Will this lamp help with that issue?
If your painting is flat there will likely be light reflection the most if the light is right above your art, to minimize this you might be better off putting two normal daylight bulbs on each side of you instead of overhead. If you get two small clamp lights or desk top fixtures to shine from the right and left side of your desk it'll probably help the most. I use the BenQ lamp when I need strong overhead light and sometimes I want to show off water or metallic shine in demonstrations, so it may not be the best choice for shine reduction in your case. Hope that helps!
@@KimberlyCrick Thanks so much. I'll give your suggestion a try.
i don't really get a choice regarding when i film. it's very much up to my family members. hmm...i prefer natural light for being able to see colours clearly but for filming i guess i prefer a lamp set up because the direction/intensity of light can be fixed.
Wow! That lamp is super pricey. I can't see myself getting one anytime soon unfortunately
Understandable, it's definitely up there! After trying it, I can see why it's expensive. I've seen some really creative cheaper set ups that work well too, especially with a few fixtures that can take those super high lumens daylight bulbs. Considering my struggles with Ottlite lamps I was really happy to try this one, but it's a luxury item for sure. Thanks for watching :)
I've seen these lights on IG but it's too big for my super small area that I paint on. And sadly, I can only paint during the day as my vision after a certain time is so darn blurry.... It does look like a high quality lamp though. I wanted to ask if you've ever used Renesans Polska paints? I've picked a few of their 15ml tubes for $7 each on Etsy but they're so vibrant that I don't know to use them lol ... I'd love to hear your thoughts on them please. Thank You and enjoy your new lamp!
I would definitely either dilute them with more water in a mixing palette to tone them down or mix a small amount of a complimentary color to neutralize them. For instance red + a tiny touch of green, or using a neutral tint, if you're not liking the vibrancy of the pigments you got. I am not a big fan of Renesans due to having some issues with their shiny binder. They recently went through some chaos redoing their pigment ingredients, which made cross referencing what you can get from them directly vs their USA etsy shop very difficult. I noticed that some swatches weren't accurate, so overall I wrote up a fairly negative review if you'd like to see it at www.kimcrick.com/pages/renesans-watercolor-review-intense-tubes-and-extra-fine-pan-professional-paints
I would only use lamp with proper day light brightness. But it would be useless. If I can not buy spare bulbs. So I would only those lamps with spare bulbs option. Because you never know. When I need to replace bulb again. I got no idea. What is the best lamp with daylight brightness and spare bulbs. That I can always purchase. When ever it is required.
To big of a base for my desk. Ugh
If you're still looking for a good desk lamp, I've had the Daylight Techne LED Artist & Drafting Lamp for almost 2 years and recommend it. It's cheaper and has fewer features than BenQ, but the most important feature is that it clamps to a desk, a drawing board, or an easel so it doesn't use any desk space at all. It has one temperature setting (6000K) and 3 intensity settings.
Jesus that is an expensive light