PAINT GLOSS LEVELS & LIGHTING
Whether you want to heighten the impact of a color or are looking to soften the mood a color creates, gloss and lighting can help you achieve the final finish that speaks to you.
THE EFFECT IT CAN HAVE ON YOUR COLOR CHOICE
Nothing changes our perception of color more than light. In fact, it's entirely possible for two color samples to appear to match under one source of light and not match under a different source (FYI, for you true color geeks, that phenomenon is called metamerism). When choosing color, you need to consider what type of light exists in the space your painting. Below are the three primary lighting sources and how each works to influence color.
Considered the most ideal light source, direct sunlight provides the truest interpretation of color and the best balance between warm (yellow shades) and cool (blue shades) extremes.
This inconsistent source varies throughout the day and has a big impact on the color in a room. The intense gold rays of sunrise and long, dark shadows of twilight 'warm' and 'cool' room colors in dramatic fashion. Indirect sunlight is the most volatile and unpredictable lighting to assess.
Depending upon the specific type of light source, artificial light can be warm or cool. For example, incandescent and halogen lights enhance reds and yellows, warming up a room, while fluorescent and energy-saving bulbs enhance blues and greens, cooling, or flattening, a room's color. The good news is, you can change the effect simply by changing the type of light used.