Ferryman on the River Styx

There is no face inside the hood. The cloaked ferryman stands in the prow of a long black boat, one hand on a staff, the other holding a small lantern that throws a warm orange circle onto the dark green water. Tattered red fabric hangs from his arm; bare branches close in overhead.

Almost the whole frame is in shadow. The lantern is the one bright object — a small fire in a vast amount of dark — and the only other warm note is the red of the cloak's lining. Mostly a value-and-mood piece rather than a color-variety piece. The water at the bottom edge breaks into pale green ripples that catch the lantern's reflection.

Atmospheric, somber, slow. Best for colorists who like blacks and greens and one bright, pinpoint light source.