Good lighting is one of those things that can truly make or break your coloring experience — and honestly, it took helping my mom set up her new arts and crafts space for me to really drive that point home! She recently moved, and getting her creative corner just right became such a fun little project for us. One of the first things on my list was finding her a great desk lamp — something that would reduce eye strain and give her the truest, most accurate light for making those all-important color decisions. So I picked up an OttLite for her, and friends, the difference is remarkable. In this video, I’m sharing why good lighting matters so much for coloring and art, and showing you exactly what this lamp can do!
Video Description
My mom recently moved and I have been helping her setup her arts & crafts station. One of the most important things she needed was good lighting–not only does it help to prevent eye strain but getting the right color of light also helps her make better color and artistic decisions. So I got her an OttLite desk lamp. See the difference good light can make!
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===CHAPTER MARKERS===
00:00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
00:02:15 – Unboxing the OttLite
00:04:19 – What Are Kelvins?
00:09:01 – About Daylight Bulbs
00:10:18 – Best Light Position
00:12:04 – Pricing Considerations
00:13:42 – Final Thoughts
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Transcript
OttLite Task Lamp Review: Why Good Lighting Matters for Your Art Space
Recently, my mom downsized from a multi-bedroom house to a one-bedroom apartment. One of her top priorities during the move was creating an art and craft station where she could continue doing all the projects she loves. She went from an entire bedroom filled with art, craft, and sewing supplies down to one cupboard — specifically, a beautiful armoire that we found secondhand for only $35. I’ll put a picture of it on the screen now. The hardest part was transporting it to her apartment (that was quite a beast!), but once it was in place, it was so inspiring and exciting to fill with her supplies.
Part of the fun for me, as we sorted through everything and downsized it to what could fit in the armoire, was figuring out what she still needed — because that meant I got to go shopping. One thing she definitely needed for her new setup was a really good task light. So today, we’re going to talk about this OttLite right here: why I chose it, what makes it special, and why good lighting matters so much for your art space.
My name is Jennifer State, and this is Coloring Bliss. We’ve talked about lighting before on this channel, so I’ll have Steve put some links in the description to those videos if you want to dive deeper into the subject. It’s a fascinating topic and a fun one to discuss.
Why She Needed a Task Light
As you can see in the picture on the screen, my mom has a window right next to the armoire, which is fantastic. A north-facing window offers the best natural light you can get, and that’s exactly what she has. However, it only partially illuminates the inside of the armoire, which means she’d have some frustrating shadows to deal with. I knew right away that she needed a dedicated task light.
Unboxing the OttLite
The brand is called OttLite — I’ll show you the logo so you can look for it when you’re shopping. There are many different versions of OttLite lamps, and I’ve purchased quite a few of them over the years. I’m not sponsored by OttLite; I’m simply a fan of their products and trust the brand, which is why I recommended one to my mom.
This particular model has a nice long neck that is posable — not just up and down, but left to right as well, which is really important. I’ll talk more about lamp placement in a moment. It plugs into an outlet, so I also ordered her a power strip to go along with it, since I’ve picked up a few other items for her armoire as well. If you’d like me to do a video about all the other things I got for her, let me know in the comments!
The base is nice and wide, so it won’t tip over, and it has a touch button that cycles through four different brightness settings. I’ll demonstrate those in a moment. Despite having a solid, stable base, it doesn’t take up much desk space, which is perfect for her armoire setup.
Understanding Kelvins: The Color of Light
Now, let me turn off the big studio lights so I can show you something really important. I have another lamp I bought years ago from IKEA that I once thought would make a good task lamp — and it is quite bright — but it doesn’t produce natural daylight color. That comes down to Kelvins, which is how we measure the color of light.
Steve, who handles all of our studio lighting, knows a lot about this subject, so I asked him to explain it:
Steve: “The easiest way to understand Kelvins is to think about the sun, since it’s something we all know. In the morning, as the sun is coming up, the light can be very yellow. As the sun gets higher — around noon — the light becomes what we call ‘daylight.’ Then in the evening, you get that golden hour where everything turns warm and yellow again, sometimes shifting into reds. After sunset, you actually get a very blue light during what’s called ‘blue hour.’
What Kelvins measure is essentially that shift from yellow to blue and back again. The lower the Kelvin number, the more yellow the light — something like 2,000 to 3,000 K. As you move toward daylight, you’re looking at 5,000 to 6,500 K, which corresponds roughly to that midday sun between noon and 2:00 p.m. That’s what’s considered true daylight.”
Jennifer: That’s exactly why so many artists prefer a north-facing window and like to work during the middle of the day — because that light is the most neutral. It’s not super yellow and not super blue.
Steve: “Right. And the reason artists love a north-facing window specifically is that direct sunlight never comes through it. It’s all ambient light, so it’s soft, dispersed, and doesn’t cast harsh shadows. It also has the least amount of color contamination — it’s very neutral.”
The Demonstration: IKEA Lamp vs. OttLite
With the studio lights off, I turned on the IKEA lamp and the OttLite at the same time so you could see both shadows on screen — the yellow shadow from the IKEA lamp on the right, and the shadow from the OttLite on the lower left. Then I switched them, and the difference was dramatic.
When the OttLite came on, the colors on the swatch chart immediately looked more accurate and true to life. Just as importantly, the white paper actually looked white — under the IKEA lamp, it had a noticeable yellow cast. I’ll have Steve put a side-by-side comparison on the screen so you can really see the difference.
This is such a good demonstration of why lighting matters for coloring. It’s not just about how bright your light is — it’s about the color of your light. If your light has a yellow cast, you’re not seeing your colors accurately, which affects every decision you make while coloring.
A Budget-Friendly Alternative: Swap Your Bulbs
If you have a lamp you already love but it has a standard yellow bulb in it, you don’t have to buy a whole new lamp. You can simply replace the bulb with a natural daylight bulb — and these only cost a few dollars. I found a 5,000K, 100-watt equivalent four-pack for around eight dollars on Amazon here in the US (as of late August 2026). I’ll have Steve put a link in the description in case you’d like to try that option. It’s a quick, easy, and affordable way to get better light on your artwork.
What to Look for When Shopping for a Light
When shopping for a task lamp, look for the Kelvin rating. You want something in the 5,000 to 6,500 K range for true daylight color. Interestingly, this specific OttLite model doesn’t list its Kelvin rating on the packaging, but because I trust the OttLite brand, I’m confident it falls within that range. If you want a reliable brand to start with, I’d point you toward OttLite, though there are many options available.
Lamp Placement: This Really Matters
The next important consideration is where you position your lamp. My mom has her north-facing window to her left, and she is right-handed — so placing the light source on her left side is ideal. Here’s why:
When the light comes from the left and you’re coloring with your right hand, the shadow falls under your hand and out of your working area. It’s not in your line of sight and won’t cause eye strain.
To show you the difference, I turned on the IKEA lamp positioned to my right. The shadow it cast over my working area was terrible — exactly the kind of shadow that causes strain and frustration. I actually used to color with a light source on my right, and it was awful.
The rule is simple:
- Right-handed? Place your light source on the left.
- Left-handed? Place your light source on the right.
That way, the shadow always falls away from your work rather than across it.
Another reason I chose this particular OttLite for my mom is the size of the light face. It’s quite large, which means it casts a broad, even light over her workspace. And because the neck is fully adjustable, she can angle it wherever she needs it — even directing it straight down onto her work surface — and it holds its position firmly.
Price Breakdown: Your Options at Every Budget
Here’s a quick summary of your options from most affordable to more of an investment:
- A window — Free. Position yourself next to a window, ideally north-facing, and try to work around midday when the light is most neutral. This is the best free option available.
- A replacement daylight bulb — Around $8–$10 for a four-pack on Amazon. Swap out the bulb in a lamp you already own, and you’re good to go.
- A dedicated OttLite task lamp — $50, with a 10% off coupon available on Amazon as of late August 2026 here in the US.
Fifty dollars is an investment, but it’s something you’ll use every single time you sit down to make art. Better light means less eye strain, more accurate color choices, and more confidence in your work — so you can do more art. To me, that’s absolutely worth it.
Wrapping Up
I’m excited to bring this lamp over to my mom’s apartment and get it set up in her art armoire. I think it’s going to make the space feel bigger and brighter, and I know it’s going to make a real difference for her coloring, sewing, and crafting. She’ll be able to see her colors accurately, work without eye strain, and feel confident in her creative space.
Thank you so much for watching! I hope you learned something useful about Kelvins and lighting today. I’d love to know — what do you use for lighting in your art space, and how do you have it positioned? Share your tips in the comments so our whole community can learn from you.
I hope you all have a wonderful, colorful, blissful, light-filled day! Bye-bye, everyone!
