If you've been following my work for a while you probably know that tend not to make "people pictures". See my latest post, "A New Dawn", for an example of this. I prefer my wallpapers to be environments, and I think it's a little unsettling to have a wallpaper where someone else is staring back at you (unless it's a picture of my kids).

The exception to this rule is that there are times that I think it's important to give the scene a sense of scale. That's when I like to add a small figure somewhere in the scene.

This never fails to be polarizing. Immediately I hear the calls of folks who think that the scale figure completely spoils the scene and that I should provide a version without it (him/her).

It is usually a simple process to render a version without the figure, but the prideful artist in me always feels a twinge when I am requested to do so. Consider Friedrich's "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog". I'm sure this would be a pleasant scene of a foggy valley if the "Wanderer" were removed, but would we still be talking about the image today? The foreground figure is vital to the image and removing him renders a classic image simply above average.

Will I continue to provide versions without the little people? Probably, but I just wanted you all to know my feelings on the subject.