WITH his broad smile and cheery face he's one of the most famous images in Scotland.

And now fans of Oor Wullie will get the chance to see the popular image of the wee boy on his bucket... but with a twist.

Glasgow sculptor Jason Paterson is taking part in a nation wide charity challenge to design an Oor Wullie statue.

But while the other 150 statues - to be dotted around the country - will be painted, Jason's will be made of galvanised steel.

The Oor Wullie BIG Bucket Trail is to raise money and awareness for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity and the ARCHIE Foundation.

Jason, who created the Big G statue for the Commonwealth Games, said he appreciates the responsibility of recreating such a well loved figure.

And he believes he's up to the challenge.

Jason said: "We are going to make him so characterful.

"I will be sculpting the face in steel, it will be covered in steel to capture his iconic smile and that spikey hair he has.

"Ours will be made in galvanised steel so it is totally different from all of the others so I would love to see it in George Square sitting on its own.

"Art has to be shared with the community and I'm pleased to be creating a piece of art that the community can be involved with.

"I hope the sculpture has a place in the community and has meaning to it.

"Because it is galvanised people will be able to sit on it, touch it, interact with it. It will be a sculpture of one of the most iconic characters in history

"We want the image to look absolutely perfect so it is a challenge but I'm sure we can get it done no problem."

Artists who would like to be commissioned to paint an Oor Wullie as part of the trail have until January 31 to throw their hat in the ring.

The statues will form a trail around Scotland with members of the public encouraged to follow the trail and visit all 150.

There are opportunities to sponsor a statue and bid on the statues at the end of the trail, which runs from June 17 to August 30, 2019.

Jason, whose workshop is JP Fabrications and Design, has created steel sculptures of international acclaim but this work is something different for him.

He added: "When I heard about the project I thought, 'I would love to do Oor Wullie.'

"As a boy I used to get the annual every year so this was a great thing to do, capture him sitting on his bucket having a laugh - and all to help the children.

"Most of my sculptures are commissioned by local communities so this is something completely different.

"We're really hoping DC Thomson will solve the problem of who will buy it at auction. I'm hoping they will see it and see how unusual it is and want to put their hands in their pockets.

"After all, it's for a good cause."

Shona Cardle, Chief Executive at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail is a fantastic opportunity for artists from across the country to get involved in the first ever national art trail.

"One of the trail’s primary goals is to highlight Scotland’s diverse culture and heritage, and Jason’s sculpture will certainly reflect that ambition.

"His work is synonymous with Glasgow following his iconic “Big G” sculpture from Glasgow 2014, and we’re thrilled that this very special Oor Wullie will take pride of place on the Glasgow trail this summer.

"This is the final week that artists can enter their designs and ideas to paint one of the Oor Wullie sculptures, and we hope that artists from across Scotland will take advantage of this unique platform to showcase their work.”

For more information about how to get involved and for artists see www.oorwullie.com