In the shadows

Your title is very spot on , definitely someone lite up by their lighter in a dark alleyway . I can imagine some like James Cagney waiting having a clandestine meeting etc.

So powerful Michael, I find it difficult to look at and mesmerising in equal measures

Super work Michael. Great title. You have given us just enough light to discern some of the features of the man. Stunning!

He may be innocent but there is something wonderfully sinister about him. Excellent!!

I can see this as being the haunted expression of a man who has witnessed a tragedy; a mining disaster or wartime or such. Brilliantly done, but not something I'd want on my wall.

A soldier seeking comfort from a cigarette during a lull in gunfire while sheltering in a trench. A powerful painting Michael.

Thankyou for the comments. Jim and Lynn are closest to the truth of the painting.

The idea I had was to paint someone suffering from PTSD or some other traumatic mental illness. Maybe the trauma of psychosis and it's aftermath.