Dave is certainly one of the most interesting people to paint. When he posed for "Portrait of Dave", he was carrying a navy blue bandana in his back pocket. The bandana makes a more significant appearance in this painting. A dark brooding night scene is the perfect setting for the bandana clad Dave. The two main subjects are lit by two different light sources. The moon is reflecting sunlight while Dave is lit by porch lighting. I always found porch lighting to be an exciting source of illumination. It lights up its subjects within a set radius with such intensity.

DETAIL

It was important for the moon to be highly detailed so it can compete with Dave's face. I think I spent as much time on the moon than I did on his face. I thought Dave and the moon would be sufficient for the painting but I noticed a void in between them that was quickly rectified with the addition of a tree. I was not sure what kind of tree to include until I remembered one I had seen in a giraffe enclosure at a local zoo. The leaves at the tips of the branches were eaten away while the inner ones were left untouched.

2 x Actual Size