Before I was a painter, I spent six years as a lighting technical director for visual effects. My job was to make CG objects look realistic, and that required a deep understanding of how light actually works. In this lesson, I’m breaking down that logic so you can apply it to your art.

We will cover the essential vocabulary of light, including key lights, cast shadows, bounce light, and rim lighting. You will learn how to identify the main light source in any scene and use specific values to define the form and texture of your subject.