Hold it right there!

Al

So, finally got around to finishing this one of my lawman from my western, Marshal Alexander Breed. Once again he's out and about at night time. Hopefully he'll get paid overtime for that.
Here he is having one of those 'What did you just say there, sonny?' moments, followed rapidly by a 'I wouldn't do that if I were you' moment.
I love moon light... and Anthony Zerbe's face. I love your face, Mr. Zerbe, sir! There, I said it, I feel better now :-)

Buckles, Straps and Toggles

So, a few people asked about the buckles, asking how I painted them... To be honest, I'm never quite sure how I do anyhting... it just sort of happens. But I do save wip jpgs as I go along. So here's a little buckle progress compilation. And  little gif I gone done made. Hope that helps a bit.

All the faces

And so the 29 faces challenge has come to and end for me. It's been super fun and very educational... until September then.

Strap me to your chest...

Lee Thomas - Tandem skydive instructor and all round nice guy

... and I'll follow you anywhere.

And lets face it... when you're strapped to a guy who's about to jump out of an airplane you don't have much of a choice.
So I went for my first ever tandem skydive last weekend at Go Skydive and it was awesome! So awesome in fact that I have already planned my imminent return.
As a result the 29th face for the 29 faces challenge is that of my skydive instructor Lee.
For those who don't know... the plane you go up in does not have seats. You all sit on the floor in one long conga line. During the twenty minute ascent to 15000 feet I had plenty of time to admire the minimalist interior.

Says I - 'It's the first time I've ever been in a plane held together by gaffer tape.'
Says he - 'Why do you think we're wearing a parachute.'

:-)

Happy go Bucky...

Happy Bucky

So I decided to continue with the face of Bucky I started the other evening.
The story of the Winter Soldier is really rather heart breaking... lots of anger and angst and 'how dare they do all that horrible stuff to poor Bucky'.
So I think he deserves to come out the other end and be happy again. So there.
To put it in the words of the trolls from Frozen, which I watched the other day 'he's just a bit of a fixer upper - his isolation is confirmation of his desperation for healing hugs!'
Well, both films have a winter them, don't they ;-)

I try to stay awake and remember my name...

Bucky Barnes

Done at last. It took some tinkering... which I'm not overly fond off. I find that when I tinker for too long my strokes cramp up and everything feels really uptight. But sometimes you just have to keep trying to get it the way you want it. One small advantage for me here is that I am very stubborn by nature.
But here he is... and here is where I leave it for now.
For those who haven't watched 'Captain America - The First Avenger' or 'The Winter Soldier' - SPOILER ALERT - ... When sergeant James Buchanan Barnes fell of the train he actually survived. In the fall his left arm came off.  He was then found by Hydra and brainwashed and turned into a very efficient assassin with a metal arm known as the Winter Soldier.

There must have been a moment, before all memories of his old life were stripped away, the last flicker of Bucky, before the metal arm was attached and the winter soldier took over. How long did he try to resist? how hard did he try remain who he was?

'Trying to make a move just to stay in the game,
I try to stay awake and remember my name,
but everybody's changing and I don't feel the same'
(Keane - Everybody's Changing)

Status report, sergeant...

Bucky Barnes - wip

 So, I've been locked in mortal combat with this torso all day. At least there is a teeny, tiny bit of progress. The main one being that I didn't tear my big anatomy book to pieces in sheer aggravation. Lucky for me that I live with quite possible the most understanding person in the known universe.
Says I - 'I've got to go and battle this torso.'
Says he - 'I'll kill some pirates then.'
About an hour later his pirate is drunk and I'm painting like a drunk... Everyone's happy ;-)
And so the battle continues...

Buck-ered up...

Bucky Barnes

Another wip for the pile. Face number 28. Sergeant Buchanan Barnes again... And I still don't understand nipples.

Bruised Bucky

Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes

Tonight's face. Hey, it's Bucky... What a surprise. Must go to sleep now, so I'll leave this as a wip for now.

Buckle up...

Bucky Barnes

Well, it was bound to happen eventually.

Dedicated Follower of Fashion

Maxwell Oliver Macrae - wip

Tonight's wip is another character from my western - Maxwell Oliver Macrae. So spectacular they nicknamed him twice as he is always referred to as either 'Mom' or 'Maxo'.
Due to his extremely sunny disposition Maxo has become the natural agony aunt of his friends, since his bright and sparkly attitude towards life lends itself brilliantly to cheering up anyone suffering from the blues. As a result, anyone feeling a bit down is almost instantly advised to ‘go and have a chat to Mom’. Always impeccably dressed, Maxo works for the Earl in the shopping emporium as a tailor and appointed shop floor ‘customer relations supervisor’, a job title made up by the Earl to give him an excuse to have Maxo hang around in the shop and beam his inherent happiness onto any customer who enters the emporium. It is said that his smile is so spellbinding it will inevitably result in a sale. Maxo is an excellent dancer and plays the piano in the Earl’s band.
His dapper looks and affinity for dance are inspired by the ever fabulous and super charming Don O'Connor.

Imahara

Imahara - Mythbusting Elf

So I wanted to make an elf with really, really short hair for tonight's face. That became an elf with no hair... and then it sort of started reminding me of Grant Imahara from Mythbusters. So there. Number 25.