shared by Rich Gady

It’s very important in any art technique to know where the light is coming from, how it hits the objects, and where the shadows are. Lighter veneers should be used on the side where the light hits and darker veneers on the shadowed sides. Sand shading could also be used to help objects within a picture appear more sculptural and less flat.

It’s also important to know how the veneer will change over time. For example, cherry is a wood which darkens a shade or two as it ages, whereas walnut lightens. This means we have to choose a little more contrast as we make a picture so that it won’t appear monochromatic later. I learned some of these lessons in my earlier window scenes.