Shisha by Cairomum

From the Artist: A friend of mine gave me a photograph of this old man in Cairo, sitting in a street cafe, smoking apple tobacco in a waterpipe, or shisha, just watching the world go by. Although I liked the central figure in the photograph, the background wasn't great (bins) and there were some scruffy-looking individuals sitting beside him. Painting this tonal study has helped me work out my composition.

I don't intend to paint over it. I just wanted to get a feel for how it would turn out in full color. This is the first time I have done a tonal study. Normally I tend to do a quick sketch, rush in, and halfway through curse myself for not planning my painting properly! I'm quite pleased with the way this has turned out and will most definitely try this exercise again when planning future paintings.

From the Painting Guide: I think this is a great composition, with the background placing the figure in a location while not distracting from it. There's a lovely balance of lights and darks, such as the light of the wall next to him balancing the extreme dark behind him.

I would consider adding a little shadow to the elements in the extreme foreground, which are floating a little to me rather than resting solidly on the ground (below his foot, the shisha, and chair).