Radagast the Young

Meet Radagast the Young. I met this delightful fellow at Castlefest where we agreed to do a  little photo session at a later date so I could paint a portrait. Here's the result! The birds are nuthatches who nest in his beard or hair( hard to tell). I'm very happy with the result and so is the real life alter ego of Radagast called Koen. Radagast himself is undecided.

Radagast, young and old, is a great character to paint. Tolkien left a lot up to interpretation but the details he does give paint a great story.

Radagast lived for much of his time in Middle-earth at Rhosgobel in the Vales of Anduin, on the western eaves of Mirkwood, between Carrock and the Old Forest Road, near the Gladden Fields, its name deriving from Sindarin rhosc gobel meaning "brown village". Radagast had a strong affinity for – and relationship with – wild animals, and it seemed his greatest concern was with the olvar and kelvar (flora and fauna) of Middle-earth. He was wiser than any Man in all things concerning herbs and beasts. It is said he spoke the many tongues of birds, and was a "master of shapes and changes of hue". Radagast is also described by Gandalf as "never a traveller, unless driven by great need", "a worthy Wizard", and "honest"

Wikipedia

It was a lot of fun to make this one. Before we did the photos I had it in my head to do a full body pose but it soon became clear that I'd much rather focus on the face to bring out the beard.
His costume is not precisely what I painted. The hat and the robe are the same but I changed the staff and put on more greenery and feathers. However, since this painting he added to his costume and he's now actually resembling the painting a little more

It's acrylic paint on paper and 30 by 40 cm.

I honestly don't really know in which DA category this goes. It's sort of fanart, sort of a portrait. Since I personally feel it's mostly fantasy I put it in there.