Quote - I can't get over how people bite off trying a new thing by doing a whole scene, with figure, skin shader, hair, cloth, and then they wonder why they don't have enough time to learn everything.

Render a couple of primitives in a white room with a doorway. Once you know that inside and out, then you have permission to use a figure.

Until then, you're in way over your head.

I understand where you're coming from, however, I'm not exactly that new at this. I've been creating and posing characters on and off for over two years, but that being said, I've never gotten too heavily into lighting. Now I'm at a point where I feel I need to and was hoping that I could find a better, faster, easier way than the hunting and pecking - the time laborious experimenting, trial and mostly error -  I have been doing with lighting.

Point well taken and a good idea to experiment with a very simple scene.