A gooseneck lamp clamps onto the shelf of my easel, but a wrestling match ensues every time I need to redirect its frustrating little beam of light on another tiny patch of picture. Best use: casting bright, color corrected light over the palette. I needed a moveable lamp on a stand and was pleased to find this one, a strong daylight bulb in a metal reflector with a cool wooden handle at the back end. There’s even a clever ball joint to make rotating easier. I know I’m cheap, but I can’t believe I waited this long to buy a good lamp: I can finally see what I’m painting. You can’t have enough good light.
I can never tell by eyeballing a picture where the values really are; all I know is the whole thing’s too damn dark. This little card will verify that, yes, it’s too damn dark. Since I constantly misplace these things and get painty thumbprints all over them, I keep a bunch handy.
A hand mirror shocks if used properly and I don’t mean if you catch sight of yourself graying prematurely. Reverse the painting and see your mistakes instantly. Such fun!
I made the matched set of low-tech canvas-varnishing props in the photo above by eating six pints of gelato, not all at once and not by myself, God help me.
By the way, does anyone know where I can buy a reduction lens- the opposite of a magnifying glass? They’re outstanding if you work in a little room and can’t back up very far. I wish I still had one, but it seems they’ve gone out of production, or fashion. It’s just another useful tool, nothing fancy; my kind of implement.
Happy Friday.
Drawing The Motmot 
I just live the way your brain works! Hugs.
Have you tried Triangle A & E for the reduction glass? Your work is incredible, as usual. And I’m glad to see your studio is ALMOST as messy as mine 😉
Awesome, Becky- I bet they have one there. Not too far to drive, unless it’s snowing out. Thanks for the tip!
Very interesting Post. Wasn’t aware of grayscale value finders – I will keep an eye out for them. I often use a mirror to check my soft sculptures but hadn’t thought about it for my sketches – makes sense. Cheers and thanks.
Hi!
As for a reduction lens, couldn’t you flip a set of binoculars around an look through that way. Just a low-tech thought. Now, if you want it for your camera, well that is a different kettle of fish.
Amanda- thanks for the great solution, which I had at hand all along and never thought of. Brilliant!
Your work is beautiful. And thank you so much for mentioning the trick about a reduction lens. I’d never thought of it before