For months now I have been working on this portrait of my oldest son. Dexter was still 17 in this image and now he is 20. He is on his (new then) motorcycle and is wearing a leather jacket that belongs to my dad. The work is oil on canvas and 24x30" making the face pretty much life scale. I am very happy to have it done and soon it will go to Jarv's to frame and then on to a wall at my parents house that is full of family portraits-
When I composed the portrait I imagined it a nocturnal one so that the subject glowed on a very deep black ground. We set up outside of my house by the rose bushes to photograph him on his bike. With a spot light on him I was able to get the affect I wanted. It is a strangely theatrical with mixture of both shallow and deep space.
All of the contrasting surfaces were fascinating to describe in paint.
And finally, here is the wall it will hang on with the others.
Thanks for having a look!