Loose & Luminous Forest Painting

• Beginner friendly
• Materials included
• Bring a packed lunch

Focus: Backlighting, "Light-Wrap," and Atmospheric Depth

We begin by establishing the "temperature" of the sun before anything else.

• The Action: Wiping a transparent, warm stain (like Transparent Earth Yellow or Gamboge) over the entire canvas.
• The Goal: Ensuring the light "vibrates" from the back of the canvas to the front.

Instead of air, we start with the "skeletons" of the forest.

• The Action: Painting tree trunks and major branches in dark, rich tones (Burnt Sienna + Ultramarine).
• The Goal: Establishing the "bones" of the forest. Students learn to place their darks first to create a roadmap for where the light will eventually land.

Now, we use the "open" time of the oils to push the forest back.

• The Action: Using large, soft brushes and cool teals or soft greens to paint between and over the edges of the tree trunks from Phase 2.
• The Goal: Creating "Light Wrap"—where the background light and haze seem to "eat" the edges of the dark trees, making them look 3D and atmospheric rather than like flat stickers.

The final, "juicy" layers that define the "Loose and Luminous" style.

• The Action: "Dabbing" thick, opaque, high-key colors (lime greens, lemon yellows) only where the sun hits a leaf directly.
• The Goal: Creating focal points of "pure light" that lead the viewer’s eye through the path of the sunbeams.

• Edge Manipulation: How to take a hard-edged tree trunk and "blur" it into the background to create a sense of deep, humid air.
• The "Light Wrap" Phenomenon: A core skill in luminous painting—learning that bright light physically overflows the boundaries of dark objects.
• Structural Composition: How to build a strong "dark-to-light" value scale so the painting doesn't look washed out.
• Simplifying Chaos: Learning how to represent a thousand leaves with just ten well-placed marks—the key to a "loose" style.
• Value Control: Keeping the background "high-value" (light) and the foreground "low-value" (dark) to trick the eye into seeing miles of forest.

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Host or Publisher Michelle Reid Art