A piece of art on a wall in the evening is only as good as the light on it. In most rooms that means not very good: a ceiling light somewhere behind you, casting your own shadow across the picture. Dark artwork, in particular, turns into a black rectangle after sunset.
An LED strip fixes that for very little money. Stuck to the back of a canvas, it throws light onto the wall around the picture and makes it look as if it is floating. It is one of the simplest upgrades there is, and it takes about fifteen minutes.
Two ways to light art with LEDs
- Backlighting. The strip goes behind the art. Light spills out onto the wall as a glow or halo. It doesn't light the picture itself. It lights the wall, and the contrast makes the picture stand out. This is what most people mean by lighting art with LEDs.
- Front lighting. The light goes above or beside the art and shines onto its face. This is what a picture light does. It shows the detail and colour of the artwork.
They do different jobs. Backlighting is atmosphere. Front lighting is visibility. The best results use a little of both.
Why canvas is ideal for backlighting
A canvas has a wooden frame behind it, with a hollow back. Kiyo Arts canvases are stretched over a 1.25-inch pine frame and have rubber bumpers that hold them slightly off the wall. That gives you a hidden ledge to stick a strip to, and a gap for the light to escape through. No other format is as easy.
A framed poster can be backlit too, if the frame has enough depth. A flat poster on the wall cannot: there is nowhere for the strip to hide.
What to buy
- Length. Measure the perimeter of the canvas: twice the width plus twice the height. A 24 × 36 inch canvas needs about 10 feet. Most strips can be cut to length at marked points.
- Power. USB-powered strips are the simplest for one picture. Battery strips avoid a trailing cable and need recharging or new batteries. Mains-powered strips are brightest.
- Colour. A white strip is the simple choice. Colour-changing strips give you options. If you buy white, choose warm white for a cosy room and neutral white for accurate colour.
- A dimmer or remote. Essential. Full brightness is almost never right.
- A recognised safety mark, from a reputable seller.
How to fit it
- Take the canvas down and lay it face down on something soft.
- Clean the back of the wooden frame with a dry cloth, so the adhesive holds.
- Stick the strip to the inside or back face of the frame, a little in from the outer edge. The LEDs should face the wall or point outward to the sides. They should not be visible from the front.
- Run it all the way round for an even halo. Or along the top only, for light that washes down the wall. Or along the two sides.
- At the corners, bend the strip gently in a loop or use corner connectors. Don't crease it sharply.
- Bring the cable out at the bottom, at the corner nearest your socket.
- Test it before rehanging.
- Hang the canvas and check from where you sit that no individual LEDs are visible.
If the glow is narrow or patchy, the canvas is too close to the wall. Add small spacers or felt pads behind the corners to bring it out half an inch.
Which colour of light
- White always works. Warm white is cosy. Neutral white is clean.
- A colour from the artwork. This is the most effective use of a colour strip. The glow looks like light spilling out of the picture. Violet behind Purple Pink Wormhole. Red or pink behind Japanese City Punk FX.3. Teal behind Cyber Wave Escape. Blue behind Starlight City.
- Avoid the opposite colour. Green light behind a purple picture, or orange behind a blue one, makes the art look dull.
- Avoid colour cycling. A slowly changing rainbow distracts from the picture.
For shades that go together, see synthwave colour palettes with hex codes.
Which art gains the most
- Dark pieces with bright subjects. Neon cities, space scenes, black backgrounds. A halo separates the dark picture from the wall and gives it an edge.
- Art on dark walls. The glow shows up strongly on charcoal or navy. See wall art for dark walls.
- Large canvases. More perimeter, more glow.
Pale art on a white wall gains least. The halo barely shows.
Don't forget the front
Backlighting makes a picture stand out and does nothing for seeing it. In a dark room, a backlit canvas is a dark shape with a bright outline. Add a little front light so the image is visible: a lamp to one side, a picture light, or a small spotlight. Keep it dim, and aim it from above or the side, not straight on.
Hiding the cable
- Run it straight down from the bottom corner and cover it with a paintable cable channel.
- Hang the art above furniture, so the cable drops behind it.
- Use a battery strip if there is no socket nearby.
Safety
- Use LED strips only. They run cool.
- Don't cover a strip with fabric or bunch it up. Lay it flat.
- Don't use a strip with a damaged wire.
- Don't overload a socket or an extension lead.
- Switch it off when you go out. A timer or smart plug makes that automatic.
- If the adhesive fails, don't use glue. Use the mounting clips sold for the purpose.
Common mistakes
- Too bright. Turn it down until the glow is soft.
- Visible LEDs. Move the strip further in from the edge.
- Patchy light. The canvas is too close to the wall, or the strip has too few LEDs per foot.
- A visible cable.
- Too many lit things in one room. One or two is a feature. Six is a shop.
For lighting fabric, see tapestries with fairy lights and LED strips. For lighting around a screen, see art above a TV or behind a monitor. Browse the canvas art collection for pieces that suit it.