Well it's a bust painted version

I painted the barnstormer pilot and am happy with the outcome. When I had first painted the jacket the color was too strong so to tone it down I took it to my Dremel tool with a pad that Bob gave me and what a difference, it not only helped me remove some of the paint but it also gave the finish a bit of a shimmer. With it being a leather jacket that really worked well and I will remember this for the next time. I can get the name of the pad for anyone who might want it.

The other issue I had to deal with was around the eyes. I didn't carve the eye creases that deep to create shadows so once the paint was applied it washed out my lines carved around the eyes for the most part. I had two options, to either re-carve this area then re-paint or to adjust the way I paint this area. I decided to try a new way of painting around the eyes and modified the color around the eyes to be a tad darker than the rest of the face. In the end I was happy with this call and will do this more in the future.

The other difference from previous carvings like the civil war soldier and the Santa ornaments was I painted the whiskers on the pilots face and hair as well. Normally I have gotten in the habit of leaving this unpainted, which I like because it highlights the wood and the grain. I actually wasn't happy with this after I had done it but am getting used to it now though I think in future carvings I will try to always have some un-painted wood.

Carve Diem