Stream in the Woods

The light source in this painting follows a different strategy than what I normally use. The main lighting comes from the sun, and it comes straight down through the tops of the trees. I usually paint a forest scene with a base layer of cool colors to contrast with the main warm lighting from the sun. But on this painting, I did a very warm undercoat to give the impression of highlights on the background trees. This results in the light from the background being reflected on the water, giving a second light source. What’s interesting is that this second light source is also warm, but it comes from the opposite direction, giving a unique glow.