King Arthur Pendragon Bust by Bigchild Creatives

This was the last of three academic busts I painted up throughout the first half of 2024 with the plan to try and push my painting skills - and I’d like to think hopefully the best of them.

This one I really wanted to think about whether I could convey a story with the painting, and there are also a lot of really great versions of this bust that imagine him as this noble king so wanted to see if I could find room for a different interpretation. I imagined him as perhaps going slightly mad, watching his kingdom burn below him, or maybe staring into a fireplace thinking about his past life, but overall wanted a slightly fearful or crazed look in his eyes - I hope this comes across when you view him.

As always, learned a lot while painting, particularly about the NMM and lighting that I’d like to improve on for the next one - but overall am really happy with the finished model.