Illuminate the darkness with one of these illuminating, creatively illuminating lightboxes.
Whether you are an artist, designer, photographer, interior designer or just someone who loves having cool gadgets around your home, the light boxes featured below can work with a number of different creative pursuits.
If you love art, enjoy reading lots of books or you’re just interested in having some cool decor in your home, these illuminating LED light boxes are bound to fill your needs.
We compiled this list of the best light boxes below to help you illuminate the darkness and set the mood.
1. tiktecklab A4 Size Ultra-Thin Portable Tracer White LED Artcraft Tracing Pad Light Box w dimmable Brightness
Pros:
- Portable, lightweight
- Available in several different sizes and colors
- Dims according to brightness choice
- Perfect for drawing and sketching
- Unbeatable price
Cons:
- Lacks white background for tracing
- Dimming may not be as effective as desired
This light box from Tiktecklab is a very impressive artistic rendering tool. It’s got plenty of features that our young ones will love. When they need more light, all they have to do is dim a wheel for a lower lumens rate or turn it off.
It can also be converted into a video projector as well. It’s got a strong glass build enclosed in a durable hard shell plastic case and weighs just 2 pounds, so it’s easy to take this with you anywhere.
This little light box can be used for a variety of artistic purposes, drawing, craft, and even in product design to render 3D designs.
2. Huion LB4 Light Box Wireless Battery Powered Ultra-Thin Portable A4 Size LED Light
Pros:
- 2 pieces of 24 CREE LED light
- Powered by 8 AA batteries, rechargeable USB-plug, and wall adapter
- Supports both portrait and landscape
- Weighs around 3.46 pounds
- 3 feet long USB cable
- Nylon carrying case
- 36-month warranty
- Has three brightness levels
- 8 x AA Power
- Designed for unlimited use
Cons:
- You may need to recharge your light more frequently depending on how you use it
- On-Off Switch is a little unreliable
- Plastic material feels cheap and thin
- There can be a little difference amongst the brightness levels according to your model.
- Charger not included
(31x22cm)..
Another one of the best light boxes you can find is the Huion LB4 Light Box. This was created particularly for artists and graphic designers who wanted a collapsible light box that can be moved around easily.
3. US ART SUPPLY Lightmaster 32.5" Extra Large(A2) 17"x24" LED Lightbox Board Ultra-Thin 3/8" Light Box Pad and 110V AC Power Adapter Dimmable LED
This is a great source of light for artists, photographers and anyone who wants a high quality drawing pad. It can be used with a variety of different mediums including pencil, chalk and charcoal.
The surface is thin and smooth, great for artists who like to work very close to their artwork. There is a high contrast grid on the surface for precision, and it is dimmable.
You can choose from three different light levels for your preference, and it can stay lit for up to six hours with the 250 watt setup. The box comes with a plug and there is an option to purchase a 100 watt adapter if you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best light box for artists?
If you're an aspiring artist or even a seasoned professional, then creating the best possible preliminary artwork is important to you. A good light box gives you a steady, even light which helps you gauge proportions much more accurately than when doing work on your lap.
You can see precisely how dark or light a shade is going to be before you apply it to your final drawing. Many artists who are just beginning their career and need to get a feel for the workflow that'll form the basis of their career often start out with light boxes.
What is the best light pad?
There are a few different light pads to choose from that will fit different needs. I will list them from cheapest lightpad to most expensive. The cheapest lightpad is the Powerpad 2, which comes with the light pad and a daylight light bulb. This lightpad can be connected to a portable power source as well for added versatility.
The next light pad is the "Naturalight Light Pad" sold by Home Depot. This one is a single light pad without the bulbs, and it costs about three times as much as the Powerpad 2. I feel that the Powerpad 2 is better suited for most artists throughout the world, as it offers more flexibility in wattage and choice of bulb.
The third light pad is the "truecolor" lightpad. This one is sold by Blick. This is a large light pad, with three distinct places for bulbs to shine. These light pads are said to make colors pop more.
What is the difference between a3 and a4 light box?
A3 and a4 light boxes are two different sizes. The a4 is the largest available size while the a3 is a little smaller. The a3 light box is capable of providing a 30 by 20 inch canvas.
Both provide a large amount of space for large paintings, and both can be used with either paper or canvas.
How does a lightbox work for tracing?
To trace an image using a lightbox you must project the image you want to trace onto the surface you will work on. This allows you to trace directly onto your drawing paper. You can use graphite, ink, pencil, carbon paper, or anything else that you want for your drawing. The paper you use to trace must be light sensitive. For example drafting paper is ideal because it is light sensitive.
Often the lights in a lightbox are super-bright. This is done in a way so it will make the light coming out is very even and not too bright. Some light boxes come with magnifying lenses. You can use these to enlarge the image and make sure you get the details you need.
Conclusion
After looking at hundreds of different artists’ light boxes, we found that the best light boxes could be divided into two categories. One type tends to be smaller and more compact with a high CRI (color rendering index). A good example is this one here.
These tend to be best suited for smaller studios or those who travel with their work. Many of these high CRI light boxes are also great for people looking to tint grayscale images like this one.
The second type tends to be larger and is better suited to the more serious artist, who needs a larger canvas than the smaller and more compact models can provide. This category is well-represented by this model here.