Direction of Light in Landscape Painting

One of the most crucial aspects for getting a landscape painting to look authentic or realistic is to have the direction of the light consistent across all the elements in a painting. (Actually, this 'rule' applies to any realistic subject you're painting, unless you're a Surrealist perhaps.)

When you're still at painting composition stage, you need to decide which direction the light is going to come from as this influences the shadows, contrasts, and colors. If you're plein-air painting, this means waiting for a particular time of day for the sun to be shining from the 'right' direction. So what are your choices?

See Also:
• Top Tips for Landscape Painting
• Landscape Reference Photos for Artists

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