An ideal art studio?
4 08 2008So all of this moving stuff has gotten me working on new studio plans, and I have certain things that I know I want for my next space. Namely these are: lots of storage, lots of light, good ventilation, and enough room to step back and forth while I’m painting. In the book Organizing From The Inside Out
The Setup
- A painting station, comprised of:
- Easel, palette, monitor, large mirror (set up across from the easel to check my work).
- Additional items: Optional secondary easel for a larger wet painting or WIP, bins or shelves for my paints and supplies, a drying station - preferably a “drying wall” for larger works in progress, and/or some shelving to prop up wet panels after plein air painting.
- Picture framing, matting, and mounting artwork
- Surface, panel and canvas preparations
- Packaging/shipping
- Work surface for watercolors, sketching, printmaking, etc.
Optional but desired:
- A sitting/viewing area- for reading and assessing my work
- High ceilings (in a smaller space it can provide a more “open” feeling”)
I don’t ask for much, do I? 
Into the light
Of all of the concerns, good natural lighting is among the biggest wants for me, because for one, working with inadequate light is hard on the eyes, and in my current workspace it has been less than adequate. But you have to be careful because if there’s too much of it shining directly on your canvas; it causes glare problems with oils.
Artists always talk about north light as being the best for the most consistent, even and balanced natural light in the studio. But a north-facing studio isn’t always possible (my northern light is indirect at best because it’s blocked by the building across the alley from us.) And any natural lighting will still need to be supplemented by artificial light, for overcast days and evenings when I may need to work, and for this I’ve found a few options.
Full spectrum lighting mimicks daylight, and it’s what I currently use in my studio work area. I have this long flourescent bulb by Ott-Lite installed in a regular shop light that hangs just above and slightly behind me in my painting area. It does a pretty good job on my workspace, but I still feel the need to supplement with additional lamps.
The reason full-spectrum is recommended is that it is more “neutral” than the yellow cast that is often put off by incandescent bulbs. Artist Nita Leland has a good article explaining this further, so if you’re an artist you may wish to check it out.
In addition to the above-mentioned option, we’re looking into some kind of solar tube lighting. Friends of ours have these installed in their home, and it’s amazing how much light it can put out. I light this option better than a skylight for my painting area, as a skylight can cause a more spotlight effect and the solar tube is less directional and more all-over and diffused.
One other option I hope to incorporate is clerestory windows. If I can get ones that open, they can serve number of purposes; indirect natural light, additional ventilation, and the preservation of precious wall space in the painting area.
What’s your ideal studio?
If you’re still awake and reading all of this, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Anything I’ve missed? What’s your ideal studio? And while you’re mulling that over, check out talented artist Casey Child’s blog - in particular his chronicles of the fabulous new (huge) garage/studio in progress- northern lit and all. His early posts on the topic have some great inspiration pictures too. I bookmarked his site some time ago, and in fact, his research is so exhaustive that I might not have bothered with a post of my own. But I’m nearly finished, so I might as well hit the publish button now!
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I would love to help you. Lots of windows on the north side. Rather than the sky lights or complicated roof framing, there is a product called “solartube” brandname. It is considered a remodeling item. brings lots and lots of natural light in and still allows you attic storage. Use 2X6 walls for better insulation. A sheetrock guy should be able to hang an area like this in a morning. Don’t waste money on finishing the wallboard. An area like this will be harder to cool than to heat. So minimize windows on the south sides install lots of ceiling fans. Make your roof pitch as steep as possible for storage. Are you going to put garage doors on this thing?
Thanks Rick-
Good thoughts. A lot of this building stuff is foriegn to me, so I’m really learning some things. I’m asking for a 12/12 roof pitch, but we’ll see. All of this will depend on many factors, the least of which is the zoning permits. Dave is concerned about being able to heat and cool efficiently with such a steep roof.
I know I’ll need both, but heating is my biggest concern. I shiver at temps. below 70, and yet I’ve been known to work happily without a/c in the Virginia summers. But certainly I don’t want it feeling like an attic. To your other points:
Ceiling fans- I forgot to mention this but yes, this is definitely on my list!
Garage door- At this point, I don’t know. Probably just have it “roughed out” if I can, but no actual door?
Jennifer,
Dave is right. Use the same pitch as on your house. Forget the vaulted ceiling. Less square feet to heat and cool. Remember your carbon footprint. Tall walls with a flat ceiling. Use the attic for storage. By the way, I really like the painting.
Weeelllll.. The pitch on our house roof is pretty steep. Maybe 12/12 or at least 10/12. So this lower pitch wouldn’t match the house. The structure is not going to match the house any way, though, (house is brick- studio will not be) so it’s something to think about. I do need wall space, after all. However, I do want it to “blend”. Can do a lot of that with landscaping too.
Architecturally the neighborhood is “arts and crafts” or “craftsman”, though ours is listed as “cottage style”, whatever that means. It was built in the early 30’s. We have to make this look decent and as “in place” as we can make it, as it’s an older urban ‘hood though not designated as “historic”.
One other question. What do you mean by not finishing wallboard? What’s wallboard? Sheetrock?
Jennifer~
I’m glad I came across this post, I really hope my posts have been helpful for you in planning your new studio. I would recommend finishing the sheetrock so you can put a nice neutral color of paint on the walls. I will post the exact color I’m talking about on my blog which I’ve found has been used in many artist’s studios. I look forward to seeing pictures of your new studio as it progresses. And if I can help with any questions you might have along the way feel free to email me. Good luck and happy painting!
Casey,
Your posts have absolutely been helpful and I appreciate your offer of advice. Zoning and space restrictions would require my design to be quite different from yours, but I see many similarities between your project and my (hopefully) soon-to-be project. So I may take you up on that offer of advice down the road! It’s very interesting to see your early design stages too, and how things changed along the way. We’ve already gone through so many design (and mind) changes and I feel we’ve barely started!
I do want the walls finished. There are some other “aesthetic” issues and “wants” that I will be blogging about shortly too. I have read different things about what is best for the wall color. A lot of portrait artists seem to go for a neutral gray or a greenish gray. I don’t know if the same requirements hold true for landscape painters? But then again, who knows? I may end up getting back into the figure! Either way, I will be interested to see what color you choose.
Hi Jennifer,
I met Robin Hurst a few weeks ago and she thought we should meet. I guess this is as good for the time being.
I have enjoyed your last posts, since I too am thinking of converting garage space to studio. I have a great space at Fulton Hill but it faces west and is very hot. And frankly, I like getting up with a thought and wandering out to paint middle of the night sometimes in my pj’s. So here is my two cents worth.
I was thinking that you must consider a/c to control the environment for your suppplies as well as your comfort. You must have water and a slop sink. I like the idea of a wall for drying w.i.p. rather than a rack. Racks, I found are wonderful if placed up high, preferably over a work area like packing. I am thinking about the solar tubes but haven’t seen their effectiveness yet in a real home.
The last few postings have been helpful for me too. (Thank you for the Casey Childs link)Thanks to the others for the helpful hints too. Good luck with it all!
p.s. Oh,I am interested in your 09 trip to France. Hope to meet you soon.
Cathyann,
So nice to cyber- meet you! Robin is quite the “connector”, isn’t she? I recall her briefly mentioning the conversation she had with you a little bit ago. So thanks for your introduction, and thanks for your good thoughts on the studio. Fulton Hill seems like a popular space. I looked into it once, and some of the other studio spaces in Manchester a while back too. But I agree, the zero commute has great appeal, and I didn’t realize how much I’d miss it until I didn’t have it any more.
To your points, a/c is defintely a part of our plans. The mini-split we’re looking at (I mentioned it in a previous comment) would cover that. It’s a small h-vac system that does both heating and cooling.
Shelving vs. walls is always a dilemma. Most artists want both, and I will try to have a little of each. I’d like to keep as much stuff as possible off of the floors, and shelves are nice for small paintings on panel that need to dry but can’t immediately be hung on a wall. We’ll see. Wall real estate is going to be very limited though. Decisions, decisions.
Glad you are getting something out of these posts. In many ways you are fortunate in that you have an existing structure to work with. It may mean retrofitting some things to make it work, but probably also less issues with zoning.
p.s. Thanks for your interest in the France trip! Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions about it. Meanwhile, hopefully we will meet “in the real world” some time before then.
Hi Jennifer
I love your paintings and was intrigued with one in Bellevue where is exactly where I live but in New Zealand- but on the other side of the world!!!
It is a beautiful suburb overlooking an inlet/estuary looking across a peninsula called Matua and out to sea with many little islands like Matakana, Karewa and Tarua dotted around- a truly magic and inspirational spot.
My studio is very small and I have the complete opposite lighting requirements to you living “down under”.
As I like to paint on large canvasses, my studio is bursting at the seams………something I am working on!!.I need s-p-a-c-e.
I find the concrete floor rather cold in Winter but with a carpet square and a dropsheet, I have survived thus.
Hi Lynn- Sorry for the belated response, but thanks so much for your comments. Really interesting about the polar opposite lighting needs for you artists on your part of the globe. I had never thought about that! I’m afraid storage requirements is a problem that plagues almost every artist I’ve met (eventually) no matter how large the studio!
Any way, thanks for reading-
Jennifer
p.s. “Your” Bellevue sounds spectacular. One day I hope to visit New Zealand myself. I have friends who recently returned from a nice long visit and they are madly in love with the natural beauty and the people.