Single Frame Journal #1

Tito Merello - CONFRONTATION Tito Merello Vilar is an illustrator and architect from Barcelona, creating digital portraits where discipline collides into instinct — filtered through a scenographic, cinematic lens. At first glance, it feels spontaneous, but the more you look, the more you notice how carefully planned it really is. The multitude of details that communicate in harmony bring the proposed narrative fully to life.

What drew me in first was familiarity. The familiarity of the line, the line not only as structure but as the end point of a drawing that feels part spontaneous, part studied. It reminded me of long hours spent shading in charcoal at a strict 45-degree angle in architecture class back in the day. That academic rigor mixed with the freedom that sources from nurtured talent made me a little nostalgic.

So much is suggested with the simplest gestures. A subtle flick of a hand, tilted just so, shifts the whole dynamic of the confrontation between the two figures. Or maybe — dare I say — between the subject and its own extension, ready for departure. A soft farewell whispered through a tender yet resigned gaze.

Looking deeper, I can’t help but notice a strong layer of symbolism. To me, the left figure seems more modest, with attire and hairstyle that hint at a lower social class. On the right, we see a figure who looks back with candor and preciousness — suggested not just through facial expression and grimace, but through details of dress and posture that feel closer to high society.

The lace, the ruffles, the way the hair is styled… all of it creates a duality (both literal and metaphorical) through subtle contrasts of tone and texture. And then, of course, there are the small yet striking colored dots scattered across the piece.

To be honest, I don’t yet know the full symbolic weight of those dots. They don’t feel gratuitous, though. My best guess is that they reference raw innocence — a kind of unfiltered honesty that wraps the whole piece. 

In any case, since this is the first work in Tito’s Dots collection, I can only say I’m hungry for more. I’ll end this reflection on Confrontation with an open invitation: I want to see what’s next.