Green Absinthe Decanter on a Bar

The bar is dark; the bottle glows. A cut-crystal decanter of green absinthe sits at the center, lit from within in chartreuse and emerald, with a smaller cordial glass beside it half-full of the same liquor. Behind, the rest of the back-bar drops into smoky brown shadow, lined with the warm pinpricks of tungsten bulbs.

Almost all the saturation in the piece is contained in those two pieces of glassware. Everything else — wood, walls, neighboring bottles — runs in muted ochres and umbers, which makes the green read like neon by contrast.

A piece for colorists who like atmosphere and tone over variety. Bring patience to the dark areas; the ambience is built almost entirely from how carefully you handle browns.