After three terrible attempts at painting Tars Tarkas I had a go at a 3D model and (as mentioned in the 3D thread) I tried to do it "properly" using just quads like this...
...and then tried some multi-res subdivision sculpting to get this...
But there still isn't enough detail for the face and another subdivision slows everything down on my PC so...
I thought I'd try and pose it and maybe use that as a reference to go back to painting.
Here's the pose...
And here's my current attempts at painting that...
Unfortunately it's now looking like a painting of a 3D model superimposed on an unpainted landscape.
Maybe that will improve when I give him an outfit, some weapons, a bit more reflected light and some detail in the background
I was gonna have his "bottom" hands holding a leash as he restrained another martian beastie but that's not gonna get done in the time so I'm thinking of a long spear/lance with a big sword in that other non-pointy hand.
That's assuming any more progress can be made.