Viking

I’ve had this bust kicking around in my Doom Pile for a few years. I wanted the axe to represent fire and ice. The skin tones were done as underpainting of royal purple (shadows), deep red (mid-tones) and bright green/yellow(highlights), with the old tattos in deep blue, then skin tones applied in extremely thin washes so that the under painting comes through. The beads in his beard are from archeological Viking jewellery. The tattoo runes are Norse, and chosen to bring him luck, the blessing of Thor, prosperity etc