Sometimes people ask me which white I use, and whether it is a brighter white than normal. I wish I did have access to a brighter white! But no, the surprising thing about the blinding whites of sparkly lighting is that they are not usually pure white. Instead, there is a lot of surrounding off white and warm colour providing a sun-like corona for the illusion of glow. Any strong light affects at least the immediate vicinity, so bear this in mind when you paint it.
Obviously everything we see is only visible due to light. Just as the sun reveals the world, it affects our perception of colour, depending on the quality of light. In work, just as the light is warm, objects between us and the sunbecome pastel and warmer. In (below) the colours of of the central figure melt into desaturated, lighter versions, giving the illusion that the light is having a real effect on your eye. Every aspect of a painting is affected by that light source, so every colour and brushstroke must be a slave to it.
