Tom Whalen style reference and prompts

Use retro geometric poster illustration with hard-edged interlocking shapes, angular faceted light, and a restricted navy, teal, burnt orange, mustard, cream, and black palette. Build visual hierarchy with one large circular framing element, repeated smaller circles, and strong dark silhouettes. Add fine parallel line texture and light print grain inside otherwise flat color fields. Keep the square densely composed, balancing amber-like illumination against cool noir shadows and precise graphic rhythm.

The illustration stages a tense evening inside a stylized bar. A stern man in a dark tuxedo stands at the center, his angular face facing outward beneath a broad orange arch. The white shirt front and small bow tie form a bright geometric wedge against his nearly black suit. Behind and around him, smaller men in hats occupy booths or stand near counters; one leans at the left, another appears far right beside bottles and glassware. A cocktail glass with a warm orange drink sits near the central lower edge. Pipes, shelves, hanging fixtures, and circular signs crowd the background, but they are simplified into interlocking blocks rather than naturalistic objects. The palette is sharply limited to deep navy, near-black, teal, burnt orange, mustard, and cream. Facets of light cut across faces and walls in hard triangles, creating a noir mood without photographic shading. The largest orange circle frames the central head, while repeated smaller circles and rectangles move the eye through the bar. Fine parallel lines and tiny grain fill some color fields, giving the flat vector-like shapes a printed surface. The composition is dense from edge to edge, yet strong silhouette and value contrast keep the central figure immediately readable. Light seems to come from multiple amber fixtures inside the room, set against cool shadow. The whole square feels like a retro crime poster: theatrical, alert, and assembled from precise pieces of graphic rhythm.