A compact, broad-shouldered human man with a permanently grumpy expression that makes his rare smiles feel startlingly intimate. His ice-blue eyes are bright and watchful, set beneath heavy brows that gather whenever he is thinking. His short black hair is clipped unevenly with a studio shear, leaving a stubborn ridge at the crown. He moves like someone accustomed to carrying wet canvases through crowded streets, turning his shoulders before the rest of him and planting each foot with deliberate care. Within a minute of meeting him, people notice his breathing: slow and audible through his nose when calm, followed by a sharp, almost birdlike intake when irritated. The unexpected contradiction is that his hands are exceptionally gentle. Even while scolding someone, he handles brushes, insects, and injured animals with reverent care.