Junior Duck Stamp

This was my submission to the 2019 Junior Duck Stamp Contest. I painted two harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus): a male and a female. The male sits in the water while the female stands on a rock. My chosen medium was acrylic on paper. I created this piece by first making a reference image from online sources using photoshop. I continued by sketching the major contours of the two ducks and then adding paint. I painted the background first and then added the ducks. I lastly added the ducks' reflections and used my background color to cover small areas where other colors had spilled onto the background. I chose to depict harlequin ducks because of their unique coloration and their habitat. I found the coloration of the males particularly intriguing and I think the deep blues and browns contrast well with the light browns of the female to create a rich composition. I also wanted to depict sea ducks because I previously worked with fresh water ducks and wanted to work with the more vibrant coloration of the ocean. I think that I established texture well considering my limited experience with acrylic, and created an accurate sense of space by adding the reflections.

I created my composition for the piece in my reference picture and the most difficult task was appropriately scaling the ducks to make them accurate and fit in my frame. I think that in the end I balanced the composition well as there is one duck on either side and relatively little negative space. This could be considered formal balance as the ducks are centered vertically as a the focal point. This project evolved in that I was initially going to use colored pencil, but I decided to use acrylic in order to make saturated colors faster and without having to burnish.

The Junior Duck Stamp Contest focuses on the conservation of wetlands and the places that provide important habitats for ducks. These harlequin ducks live in the ocean, which is under constant threat from pollution and development of surrounding wetlands. I feel that it is important to conserve our wetlands and bodies of water for the benefit of all life, including humans. Countless times I have visited the beach in Maine, only to see trash collecting on the shores that animals such as sea ducks rely on for their habitat. It is important to conserve and respect these valuable places for the benefit of all. I think this piece could be stronger if the coloration of the background was more intriguing and contributed more to the piece. I think it serves its purpose but contributes little.