How to Make a Good Lightbox

I love using a lightbox when I draw and when I take photographs. When drawing, it allows me to establish reference points quickly and it allows me to check my drawing during and after the process. This is important because it allows me to make corrections as I go along. Nothing is more frustrating than getting to the end of a project to discover so many errors that you have to start all over again.  It also adds a new dimension to my photographs. In the paragraphs below, I will discuss three types of lightboxes; improvised, homemade and store bought.

Any window in your home or office through which sufficient light is shining through can serve as a lightbox.  I’ve even used my computer monitor screen and my television screen (turned on of course). This works well when you don’t have immediate access to a real lightbox. The only draw back is that sometimes you end up working from difficult and/or uncomfortable angles.

A homemade lightbox can be built with readily available supplies for very little money. In fact you can build it for free if you really want to. I did…here’s how:  You’ll need a sturdy copy paper box lid (the one I used was 17” x 11” x 3.5”), an 8 ½” x 11” piece of Plexiglas (I used a photo frame), some double sided tape and a light source (I used an under cabinet fluorescent light fixture). Cut a 6” x 9” hole in the center of the box lid. Secure the Plexiglas over the hole with the double-sided tape. Place the light source under the box lid. That’s all there is to it!

I was quite happy using the improvised and the homemade lightboxes for a very long time. Then my wife bought a Porta Trace lightbox for my birthday. I was surprised by how relatively inexpensive it is (between $35 and $120 depending on the model) and I am totally pleased by how well made it is. That’s all there is to it! Did I mention my wife is happy that she doesn’t have to go around cleaning my fingerprints from the windows and TV screens?