Festival season is coming up and that means festivals and concerts and other opportunities for live painting. One thing I have noticed that causes issues at shows is lighting. Here are a few tips to make every ones experince better.
- Bring battery powered LED cliplights. This allows you to set up anywhere even if there is not power nearby. This is really a good idea if you are "renegade painting" meaning you are not one of the sponsored painters at an event. outdoor festivals often run on generators and have limited electricity. If a bunch of extra live painters show up it can stress the system causing power failures.
-Bring low watt true white bulbs. Do not use yellow bulbs. They don't flatter the colors of your painting. I once had a photographer tell me that he only really wanted to post the photos of my art because everyone else was using yellowish bulbs that made the photos of the art look dull.
-Don't bring high powered lighting to indoor gigs. Mask the light with a white sheet of paper if you have to. Most event producers, bands, dj's and dancers don't want a whole lot of extra light in the room.
CFL Bulbs are toxic if they break! Compact flourescent lights contain mercury gas inside. If they break indoors you are supposed to leave the area and ventilate the room. Probably not possible in a crowded nightclub so it's best not to use these.