In 1981, Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones set the big screen ablaze. His adventures have spanned three decades… with a fifth film in the works… and if you would believe the latest press — “this won’t be a Bond thing“.

In other words… Ford and his cattle whip will be back.

Here is the scene, captured in a fleeting moment during the third film. It is the perfect Jones posture  — well-beaten from many battles, flashing his signature smirk, staring down adversity with a sweaty glint.

If you’d like to view the entire process, narrated by yours truly — here is your chance. Did I hum the theme song twice? You’ll have to watch to find out. And yes, I did.

Cracking the whip and getting down to the headline selections… I believe they speak for themselves, as most pieces of paper do.

Trimmed, collaged and ready-for-action. Why James Garner you ask? Here’s why.

An orange background for good measure. No matter how many times I paint a complementary background, the final result never lets me down. It shows through.

Starting with the shadows… spoiler alert, this is the first time the raw canvas can be seen in the white and highlights of the eyes on the completed canvas.

Another tone, working the angles.

Here’s where it starts to get interesting… now that the shadows are almost complete, it’s time for the perilous midtones.

Almost pure red… almost…

Ah, into the light… often, I find myself hoping I nailed the tonality on the first go. It’s rare. Unicorn rare. But it happens, and wouldn’t you know, it did here. Viva la Tetons.

Stoked about the face, save for a few harsh red lines in the highlighted area, it was time to paint his signature fedora. I had one of those, but it never became quite as famous.

I used gel medium to create that layer of translucency, so you can sense the elements beneath, but only discover them upon close inspection.

With the shirt and hat done, it was time to paint his clothes and the background. Somewhere along the line, blue became the soup d’jour…

And here is Dr. Jones. Another kick ass actor, immortalized on canvas… entitled, “It Belongs In A Museum” — thank you Ben.