If for no other reason Matt, you should enter your figure for some commentary from other figure painters. If you feel like hanging out around your entries, you can get some very helpful and interesting commentary.
As in anything like this where you open yourself to criticism both constructive and stupid, you have to learn to grit your teeth for the bad and learn from the good. You'd be surprised what some people can impart and are happy to share with you. If you have to stand and listen to 5 senseless remarks about your figure the 1 or 2 really helpful ideas or techniques you may receive will be worth it. Its much easier to find other figure painters that you like and ask them technique questions when you have your piece there for reference and can make comparisons. Your not comparing how good your painting is to theirs, but your techniques to theirs. And hopefully they'll teach you something or show you a better way of doing something. All it really requires from you is an open mind and a willingness to have your piece critiqued and to accept direction and advice. (Which I assume you must since you put your figure up here for us to enjoy.)
Give it a shot. What have you really got to lose?
BTW. If you check out Osprey's book on the Vikings you'll see the Angus McBride painting that inspired this figure along with a couple of others in the Andrea, Verlinden and some other figure mfr's lines.
Mike
"Imagination is the dye that colors our lives"
Marcus Aurellius
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!"