man with books. - portrait photography- using colour to visualize the atmosphere

though this figure illustration is produced in the same style as the pigeon man and other figure drawings i have done in the past, i think there is still something missing. though i had layered a scene illustration with the the last drawing of the builders (below)  for this project, the client said he did not want a scene in this picture. 

without a scene, i felt the illustration seemed unfinished, so i decided to think about what else i could add to the illustration to make it look complete. as well as the building in the builder picture i used a backdrop of grey in order to make the figures stand out from the building, though i do not need to do this with the single man illustration, i have played around with adding colour to the illustration. 

i think this makes the figure much more prominent,  the white space of the figure is put to use when a background colour is added as it provides a strong outline and draws the eye. i decided to use a colour that hits me and i think of when i look at the photograph i used as reference. this greeny colour is present on the concrete slabs and in the shrubbery behind the man. i think this adds a element of atmosphere and surrounding to the portrait, helping to document bradford and wills experience of the place and meeting this man.