I want to write about my experience building and using a digital light reference library, because lighting references are the most valuable category of reference for painting.

What a light reference library contains: photographs organized by light condition. Dawn interior, overcast exterior, golden hour backlit, candlelit interior, blue hour street, fluorescent studio. For each condition I save ten to twenty examples.

How I use it: when starting a painting with a specific light condition, I spend five minutes reviewing the relevant folder before drawing anything. The review calibrates my eye for the specific value relationships, color temperatures, and contrast levels of that light.

The building process: I add to the library whenever I see a compelling photograph with identifiable lighting. I also take my own photographs specifically for reference — especially unusual lighting conditions I encounter in real life.

The accumulation: after two years this library has become one of my most-used tools. It's faster to review than to search Pinterest or Google, and the contents are pre-curated to my specific aesthetic needs.