NOIR INTERLUDE — A Study in Chiaroscuro Portraits

This project explores chiaroscuro in a modern voice: jawline geometry, fabric texture, and smoke drawing calligraphy in the air. Everything is built low-key so the eye hops from small highlights on skin and jewelry to the hat silhouette. A single hard key light with tight spill control and negative fill shapes the face; half-face compositions keep a classic noir mood. Smoke isn’t a prop—it’s a brush that paints depth and space.