Pai Gu Fan, probably my favorite dish my mom used to take me out to eat. I really just wanted to get this painting finished, and present it as her birthday gift tomorrow. Happy Early Birthday, Mom 🙂

White rice, pork chop, pickled mustard greens, minced pork sauce and soy sauce eggs. I think I had the most difficulty with the mustard greens. Food is really interesting to paint because it has a variety of behaviors defined by different sizes, shapes, specularity, colors and color behavior. I mean, that can sort of be said for most other things with texture but with food, the goal is not only likeness but also making sure it looks appetizing. Meat is also kind of tricky to paint — the patterns and grain (like grain of wood) and making sure it doesn’t look too dry, but also not sopping wet or something like that.

The days of good affordable vat meat can’t come soon enough 😥

Here’s a detail shot from the full size image:

Happy drooling!