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Cheryl,
You will either have to come to one of my workshops or experiment on your own to see what it is like.
Remember that what we do is paint the light on a subject, not the subject itself. To see the light, we must have shadows. The only tools you have are colors and values. Our paints are limited in range. Therefore for something to look light, it has to be against a dark. Check out the portraits by the best old masters -- and current masters.
If you want to experiment, block out most of your north windows, starting at the bottom and working to the top. All you really need is a window opening as small as 3x4 feet and usually no bigger than 4x6 feet. All the other light must be blocked off completely. Then place a backdrop behind your subject and wrapping around it slightly like a trifold screen. This backdrop can be as simple as sheets of cardboard and should be covered with a mid to dark greyish cloth or paint such as the color of my studio walls. Move your subject around until you find the magic sweet spot where the forms really glow. It's magic.
Do this right, and your subject will have plenty of light on it, right up to pure white highlights. It will have lovely shadows too.
It looks like I will have to make a DVD on this. Either that, or you will have to come visit my studio.
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