Portrait of an Old Man

Painting by Gilberto Mello

I did this portrait of an old man based on a photo taken inside a train cabin in Eastern Europe about four years ago. Needless to say I was “painting what I saw” in the picture, and this was before I signed up for Drawing Academy lessons. The fact is, I, and many people who visit me, like the painting, perhaps something in it is actually good – I just don’t know what!

Just few facts, the light is weird for sure, the train cabin received light from both sides (again, that’s what I saw), so the man’s face has also highlights on both sides. The cane the man holds was not in the actual position, I placed it where I thought it would make the composition better. Last, I did not care to draw the cabin background (sit, glass-wood windows, etc) because I thought they would cause a distraction – on the other hand, I don’t know if my choice of background invented patterning is helping much.

Thank you.

Gilberto