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The first thought I had when I saw the reference was that he looked happy. Calm, amused, and relaxed. And then I immediately questioned why I thought that, because on second glance this is a very neutral expression, though his brow is scrunched a little because of that beautiful bright light from the window.
But I'm certain that my first impression is the right one; it's in the subtle set of several small muscles, and it's so delicate that I lost it a few times while painting this. If you look closely you'll see the muscles around his eyes, especially in the lower lid of his right eye, are tightened up ever so slightly, and the upper lid is relaxed and rounded, a faint ghost of the crescents of glee that his eyes disappear into when he's well and truly mirthful.
The humor is also in the deceptively relaxed set of his mouth; his lower lip is pulled ever so slightly taut, and the corners of his mouth tilt up. Just a little. Just enough. He's in a fine good humor, and his dimples and laugh lines, gently creased by time and care and love, are quick to telegraph the smile that I'm certain is hiding just below the surface.
The reference used is from the same photoshoot as Adam Driver #44, so the same speculation applies; it was most likely taken by Art Streiber on 26 Oct 2019 either just before or just after the Variety Actors on Actors conversation that Adam had with Charlize Theron.
This was probably about 11 hours of work, but I lost track of time for a bit, so it might have been more.
But I'm certain that my first impression is the right one; it's in the subtle set of several small muscles, and it's so delicate that I lost it a few times while painting this. If you look closely you'll see the muscles around his eyes, especially in the lower lid of his right eye, are tightened up ever so slightly, and the upper lid is relaxed and rounded, a faint ghost of the crescents of glee that his eyes disappear into when he's well and truly mirthful.
The humor is also in the deceptively relaxed set of his mouth; his lower lip is pulled ever so slightly taut, and the corners of his mouth tilt up. Just a little. Just enough. He's in a fine good humor, and his dimples and laugh lines, gently creased by time and care and love, are quick to telegraph the smile that I'm certain is hiding just below the surface.
The reference used is from the same photoshoot as Adam Driver #44, so the same speculation applies; it was most likely taken by Art Streiber on 26 Oct 2019 either just before or just after the Variety Actors on Actors conversation that Adam had with Charlize Theron.
This was probably about 11 hours of work, but I lost track of time for a bit, so it might have been more.
