When the light tells the story
There is a small human moment I keep coming back to. It is not a pose. It is not a performance. It is that quiet, instinctive motion when someone lifts their face toward the sun.
That is the moment behind The Light Finds You.
In comics, I spent years learning how to make linework carry the story. Here, I am learning something different. I am learning to let light do the talking. To let warmth soften edges. To let shadow carve structure. To let one simple plan shift turn a face into a feeling.
This piece is a Studio Study from my transition from comics to oils and mixed media. It is finished, signed, and one of one. And I am sharing the full process, including work in progress photos and a time lapse video, because the process is part of what you are collecting.
The painting: a glance that feels bigger than it looks
What I love about this subject is the upward tilt. It is the whole point.
It is the split second when the world gets quieter. When you can feel the day shifting. When light stops being “lighting” and starts being hope.
That is what I wanted to capture.
Time lapse video and work in progress images
I included a time lapse video and multiple work in progress images in the gallery for a reason.
They show the decisions. The revisions. The risks. The turns I did not plan. That is the real story of the painting.
The process: from “monster” to moment
If you scroll through the work in progress images, you will see something most people never get to see: the ugly stage. The messy stage. The “what have I done” stage.
That stage is not a mistake. It is the foundation.
Here is the exact approach I used.
Step 1: The 3 color, 8 stroke start (the monster stage)
I start with a limited palette, only three colors, and I block in the portrait using an 8 stroke painting approach. It looks like a monster at first. That is normal.
At this stage I am not painting features. I am setting:
- the big value pattern
- the direction of light
- the major planes of the head
- the gesture and tilt
It is fast, bold, and intentionally imperfect.
Step 2: The subtraction layer
Once the structure is in, I move into a subtraction layer. I pull back, wipe out, and carve into what is there so the light can breathe.
This is where the portrait starts to stop looking like paint and starts looking like form.
Step 3: Building with opaques and plan shifts
After that, I begin building back up with opaques.
This is where I work the “architecture” of the face:
- clear plane shifts across the forehead, cheekbone, and jaw
- edges that soften or sharpen based on light
- value control so the face turns instead of flattening
This stage is less about detail and more about believable structure.
Step 4: Skin tones and stacked complementary color
Then I start dialing in skin tones using stacked complementary color.
Instead of mixing one perfect skin tone and spreading it everywhere, I stack temperature shifts:
- warm notes against cool notes
- subtle complementary pushes to create life in the skin
- richer color where blood and light naturally influence the surface
That layering is what gives the portrait energy without needing heavy detail.
Step 5: Refinement, edges, and the “quiet finish”
The last stage is where I protect the feeling.
I refine only what supports the story:
- I simplify areas that distract
- I soften edges where I want calm
- I sharpen edges where I want focus
- I keep the light doing the work
The goal is not perfection. The goal is presence.
If you are a collector, those images become part of what you own. They document this transition in real time.
Why I call it a Studio Study
This painting is a Studio Study, which means it sits right in the middle of growth and finish.
It is not a sketch. It is not unfinished. It is a completed, signed, one of one original.
I price these as studies because I am still defining my signature body of gallery work in oils and mixed media. As my body of work locks in, this study era will not last forever, and neither will the pricing.
Once this piece sells, it is gone.
It also includes a certificate of authenticity.
If this piece hits you the way it hit me while painting it, it is available here:
And if you want first look at new originals, behind the scenes process, and early access to upcoming work, you can also join my free Studio Insider list on the site.
