"Seeking light enlightenment" Topic

Salutations, gentlefolk,

Back in the last century, I was living in apartment with balcony facing west, and in evenings in May and June, I'd take a tray table outside and paint some figures while catching some rays. But got to H'con, found that 'grass green' I'd been using for bases looked fine in sunlight, 'disco neon' under Distlefink's florescents.

So now my swingarm-magnifier-light needs new 8" circular florescent bulb. Local Home Despot has three varieties:
'Daylight Deluxe'
910 lumens
79 color rendering index
6500 K color temperature

'Cool White'
1050 " "
62 " " " "
4100 K " " "

'Bright White'
1150 " "
85 " " " "
3000 K " " "

So, which of these should I get for my painting table ?

And, is there somewhere on ye intertubes that explains 'color temperature' and 'color rendering index' for an old man who took last physics course fifty years ago ?

Thanks, very much, for your help with this.

color rendering index
link

color temperature
link

Looks like it's back to school for us.
I have always used fluorescent and incandescent bulbs together to get the best results but this may require rethinking.

This is more of a "What is your goal" than what is "Best".

If you want your figures to look their best on your gaming table. Match the color temperature (the mix of colors in the light) of your gaming table, but consider more Lumens (the intensity of the light).

If you want them to look best in Day Light, get a very high Color Temp, like the 6500 K you listed.

If you want to match evening sunlight in May, you are looking at the rather low Color Temp.

If you are painting for competition or to look good in flash photos, then very high Color Temp.

In summary, Paint in the light you want your figures viewed under. Or default to the high color temp.