You color goal for the surfaces around your make-up counters (this includes walls and ceilings, too) is to be color neutral so your lights don't tint the color of the reflected light. The surfaces can be anywhere along that neutral color line from black to gray to white.
White is good as it bounces more light back to the performer's face. A reasonable goal is to get 75-100 fc measured at the face.
Chose a surface materials that are clean-up friendly. Test them to see how well make-up and powders wipe off. Textured surfaces may trap small particles and accumulate over time to look dirty.
Check-out Rosco's LitePad for LED make-up lights. They have a special part number for a 4 3/4" x 36" panel. It is H28-36x4.75L2HC. No more fluorescent yech! or scorching hot incandescent lamps.
Frequently your ceiling lights may be "school standard" fluorescent types. These are typically 4400K CCT. Consider replaceing them with 2800-3000K CCT, high color rendering index (CRI) lamps. This will more closely approximate the light from your stage lighting (un-gelled) and will more closely match the make-up mirror lamps. If you have screw-base compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's) or LED lamps, make sure that they, too are approximately 2800-3000K CCT high CRI type lamps. Try to get all of them to be the same make and model so there is consistency from one make-up workstation to the next.
With either of these, getting the maintenance department to stock the special lamps can be a challenge.
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Erich Friend
Theatre Consultant
Teqniqal Systems
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-13-2014 12:19
From: John Perry
Subject: Make-up Table Tops
I'm having new laminate tops made for my make-up tables. I'm leaning toward a white top. What about "off-white" or gray? Any suggestions? What's your experience?
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John Perry
Drama Instructor
Atherton High School
Louisville KY
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