Emu in a Visor

An emu stands for its portrait in near darkness, head turned a fraction to the right, eyes hidden behind a slim charcoal visor. A thin cable runs from the visor's hinge out of frame to the left. Wisps of hair stick up from its crown like static. The light is low and soft, catching the grain of the beak and the layered, almost metallic tips of the breast feathers.

Everything sits between black and smoky grey, with a faint plum warmth along the neck. The visor lands near the top third and the shaggy chest fills the bottom. At 9 × 18 in the feather texture reads clearly. It wants a dark wall, a lamp nearby and a dry sense of humour.