Out of the mists of time a piercing gaze of an ancestor long dead.

This guy is my loose interpretation of Heidelberg Man. An early forerunner of Homo Sapiens that many believe is the direct link between us and the Neanderthals. Not much is known about them. They were on average quite tall. Maybe a bit taller than modern humans, though I understand there‘s been some specimens found in South Africa that are quite huge. And while they still have a sloping forehead, their brian size does fit into the smaller end of the normal human range.

What inspired this image and the Neanderthal I drew earlier is a fascinating book I picked up at the bookstore, Evolution The Human Story by Dr Alice Roberts. It has a great many really cool reconstructions by the artists of Adrie and Alfons Kennis. I strongly urge any interested to check out their stuff. Amazing work!

Anyways, my guy is based on the Heidelberg Man found in the book, but not quite as harsh looking. I wanted a more contemplative pose, possible from a shaman or tribal elder (assuming they had such things). Started off a a pencil sketch and colour finished in Photoshop. The colour scheme was quite difficult to work out and took several tries before I settled on anything. Added some tribal markings afterwards just for fun.

Enjoy.