Two sources of light in landscape plein air painting

1. When you are outdoors, there is not only a bright, direct parallel light flow from the Sun, but also a soft azure diffused light from every side from the dome of the sky. It’s easier to note this in shadows because the Sun shines much brighter.
2. Which color sunlight precisely is when it reaches surfaces of objects is a big and complex question. I still can’t find an answer for that.

1. I’ll tell what I have found so far. Before reaching the atmosphere the Sun’s light consists of a set of light beams of various colors, which combine to look white. But when the sun passes through the sky (a layer of air), these colored light beams diffuse variously, and the color of the sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface directly is unknown. Measurements that I found on the Internet don’t seem trustworthy. What is more important, the measurements are made by devices, and which correction (accounting for the white balance) our mind does in such cases is unclear. Add to this that the result depends on the time of day and weather, and probably on the latitude and the elevation above sea level (this should be checked by experts if this is so).Direct sunlight definitely can be warm (the lower the Sun is to the horizon the warmer its light). Whether it can be a clear white (not a yellowish white) or an azure light is an unanswered question. In painting I use my own perception and the knowledge that there is a blue light from the sky in shadows.