A space cowboy in the last seconds before a duel — leaning against a weathered wall, coat still, gun hand hovering over the holster. One full human character, one wall, one moment of held breath.

The character. A full-body human figure with believable proportions and a readable face — this is the test. Stylization is welcome (a strong stylized character beats a broken photoreal one), but the anatomy must hold: correct limb lengths, a natural weight-bearing stance, hands with individually posed fingers. The pose tells the story: shoulder and hip settled against the wall, one boot crossed or braced, head turned down-range toward the unseen opponent, and the gun hand open, fingers spread a few centimeters above the pistol grip. Tension lives in that hand.

The costume — western meets vacuum. The outfit must read as both at once: a long duster coat or serape with real cloth folds falling over hard vac-suit elements — a chest plate or life-support rig, sealed gloves, heavy magnetic boots, hoses running from a backpack unit to a collar ring. A wide-brimmed hat sits over (or integrated into) a transparent helmet dome, or the helmet hangs clipped to the belt with the hat worn bare — choose one and commit. At the hip: a gun belt with an energy revolver in an open holster, cells or shells in belt loops. Leather, canvas, worn metal, and scuffed polymer must each read as distinct materials.

The wall and the ground. A weathered wall of a frontier settlement — rusted colony panels, riveted plating, maybe a faded painted sign or a hazard stripe — tall enough to fill the character's backdrop, interesting enough to justify close framing. Dusty ground with scattered grit; a tumbleweed of wire or dry brush is welcome. No further environment is required; do not build a town.

Lighting — the duel. Hard, low, warm key light raking across the scene like a setting sun (or a harsh station floodlight standing in for one), throwing a long sharp shadow of the cowboy across wall or ground. Cool ambient fill from the sky keeps the shadow side alive. The lighting must carry the high-noon standoff mood: high contrast, long shadow, dust in the light if you can manage it.

Composition. Camera at chest height or slightly below, close enough that the figure dominates the frame, angled so both the face (in profile or three-quarter) and the hovering gun hand are clearly readable. The image should feel like the frame before the cut in a western.

Deliverable. Final render plus a clay/matcap render for anatomy and pose evaluation.