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Warm Cool Light Source Woman Portrait Oil Painting by Mike Malm

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Balancing Warm & Cool Light Sources

🔥 Paint the push-and-pull of light. In this 3+ hour demo, Michael Malm guides you through a portrait lighting challenge where warm and cool light sources duel—and you learn how to make both work together.


You’ll learn how to:
🎯 Set up opposing light sources (one warm, one cool) and see how they affect form, value and edge. 
🧠 Simplify complex lighting into a back-lit sphere exercise and then apply it to a full portrait. 
🌗 Control temperature shifts in skin, clothing and background so your painting stays harmonious.
💪 Confidently tackle tricky lighting situations where colour temperature is central to mood and structure.


Ideal for portrait artists who are comfortable beyond beginner level and ready to deepen their understanding of light, temperature and colour dynamics. 🕒 Runtime: 3+ hours

  • Michael Malm

    Instructor

  • Advanced

    Difficulty
Meet your instructor

Michael Malm

Michael lives in the beautiful Cache Valley of northern Utah with his wife, Juanita, and their four children. The surrounding rural communities and setting provide backdrops for his figure paintings and inspiration for his landscapes. His serious study began under Del Parson at Dixie College where he completed his associate’s degree. He then went on to Southern Utah University where he had the opportunity to study with Perry Stewart, and completed his formal education at Utah State University where he received a Master of Fine Arts Degree studying under Glen Edwards. Workshops have also played an important part of his development studying with such master painters as Richard Schmid, Burton Silverman, Daniel Gerhartz, Quang Ho, Ron Hicks, Michael Workman, and Jim Norton.

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