The "Painter of Light" himself offered some guidelines to the crew filming Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage, a straight-to-DVD movie released today, based on his paintings (yes, you read that right). Among other handy tips for achieving his, er, "trademark" look:

14) The concept of beauty. I get rid of the "ugly parts" in my paintings. It would be nice to utilize this concept as much as possible. Favor shots that feature older buildings, ramshackle, careworn structures and vehicles, and a general sense of homespun simplicity and reliance on beautiful settings. 

15) Nostalgia. My paintings routinely blend timeframes. This is not only okay, but tends to create a more timeless look. Vintage cars (30's, 40's, 50's, 60's etc) can be featured along with 70's era cars. Older buildings are favorable. Avoid anything that looks contemporary -- shopping centers, contemporary storefronts, etc. Also, I prefer to avoid anything that is shiny. Our vintage vehicles, though often times are cherished by their owners and kept spic-n-span should be "dirtied up" a bit for the shoot. Placerville was and is a somewhat shabby place, and most vehicles, people, etc bear traces of dust, sawdust, and the remnants of country living. There are many dirt roads, muddy lanes, etc., and in general the place has a tumbled down, well-worn look.

Old things -- but only pretty old things. All lighting is to be soft and gauzy and of indeterminate origin. And damn historical or regional accuracy, so long as it looks good. Sounds like his paintings alright. It's the artistic equivalent of Sweet 'n Low -- sort of like the real thing, but artificially sweet and with no nutrional value.