What color lighting to work by

I'm not sure that there is such a thing as "enough light" with my eyesight and age!

My belief is that I should build the kit under the environment it will be viewed in most often, which is indoor lighting.  On the other hand, I do photograph my finished models in sunlight.  I build under a combination of flourescent and incandescent light, and I have never noticed the pics I take outdoors looking funny, as if off-color.  So I am content to not worry about getting  sunlight color temperature lighting temperature for my workbench.  And, I have never been to a contest where models were viewed under sunlight (except in the olden days when I flew and judged RC scale).

I do, however, think that the light at the bench is critically important as to brightness level and being positionable.  I do my airbrush painting and hand painting at my bench, and I find I must position the main lamp to see a specular reflection while airbrushing to get the finish I desire.  That turns out not to be the same position and angle I need to get best illumination on the model for seeing detail.  So I use a positionable lamp.

Don beat me to the punch, I agree that probably the 'right' answer is to build under the same light model will be viewed under.

But in real life that doesn't always work. Maybe we have no choice but to display under too-warm, too-dim room lighting. Doubt we should build under those conditions.

Direct answer is I prefer to stay around 4200k with my shop lighting. That is a personal preference. I don't like too warm or too cold.

I have been using the cool bulbs for eons and just recently switched to daylight bulbs. Man  what a difference!! 

6000k

My  worth.

I use 2 Philips F32T8/Daylight 32 Watt bulbs mounted 21" above the workbench. I started using them about a year ago when my wife, who is a seamstress, told me that they would be better for me than the ones I was using. She said that they show the color better. She has also been using them over her work table for quite a while.

I use 2 adjustable lights, 1 on each side, for the Spraybooth with a 25 Watt CFL bulb in each. Work OK for me.

Jim  

mississippivol

I'm using an Ottlite which is a cool color along with an overhead floor lamp with a standard incandescent bulb. I haven't been to picky about the type as much as "do I have enough" light. 

I also use an OttLite desk lamp, and a halogen floor lap for my modeling. And, the same for me - "enough light" as opposed to "type of light".