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Psalms 119:105 (ANIV)
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
Unspecified in Bible verse.

LIGHTING NOTES:
There are three sources of light in this scene:
01) In the distance there is a yellow glow coming from the end of the cavern – possibly the sun in the outside world.
02) There is a white glow coming from the Bible held by the woman, which is illuminating the floor.
03) There is a subtle blue glow coming from the bottom right of the scene, which can be seen on the steps and bridge.

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
Unnamed woman, holding glowing Bible.

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Psalm 119 is an example of a Wisdom psalm, which probe life’s mysteries to teach the congregation about itself & God.

There are six versions of this scene. The first three feature a woman standing on a stone walkway. The last three feature a man standing on some steps:
Woman versions
01) (Previous page) Psalm 119v105 – Light for my path (Woman dark version).
This version has a woman carrying a glowing Bible.
The background (cavern and maze) shadows are darker in this version.

02) (Previous page) Psalm 119v105 – Light for my path (Woman light version).
This version also has a woman carrying a glowing Bible.
The background (cavern and maze) shadows are lighter in this version.

03) (Previous page) Psalm 119v105 – Light for my path (Woman light text version).
This version also has a woman carrying a glowing Bible.
The background (cavern and maze) shadows are lighter in this version.
This version has the “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” text in it, and I have faded the background somewhat, so help keep the text legible.

Man versions
04) (Previous page) Psalm 119v105 – Light for my path (Man dark version).
This version has a man carrying a glowing Bible.
The background (cavern and maze) shadows are darker in this version.

05) (This page) Psalm 119v105 – Light for my path (Man light version).
This version also has a man carrying a glowing Bible.
The background (cavern and maze) shadows are lighter in this version.

06) (Next page) Psalm 119v105 – Light for my path (Man light text version).
This version also has a man carrying a glowing Bible.
The background (cavern and maze) shadows are lighter in this version.
This version has the “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” text in it, and I have faded the background somewhat, so help keep the text legible.

The primary differences between these six versions are the foreground figure and the presence or absence of the Bible text. The cavern background is exactly the same physically in all versions, but two of them have an additional layer that make the shadows darker… it is a cavern after all!

Originally I was going to draw the scene looking over the shoulder of the figure, from above, so that the viewer could see the pages of the glowing Bible, with its light illuminating a pathway directly in front of the figure. Then I would have had a very dark blue scene in front of the figure, possibly a large maze structure, and/or a pathway, winding off into the distance. I considered having the scene outdoors, with stars in the sky too!

Having drawn the initial pencil sketch (see below), I opted for a side view of the cavern and figure, as I have drawn in the finished versions above.

Clearly this is a rather literal interpretation of the phrase “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” – we don’t normally see our Bibles glowing in the dark! But the metaphorical point is made: the Bible provides illumination and wisdom for us when we are not sure which path in life to take. The maze-like pathways represent the variety of (often confusing!) choices we are presented with, as we go through life. Consulting the Bible is always a good option, especially since the Lord promises to provide wisdom to us, when we ask for it.

James 1:5 New Life Version (NLV)
5 If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking.

Greyscale pencil sketch of cavern and maze pathways.