Duck Stamp

This assignment was to choose a type of wetland bird from a list and create an art piece based off of a collage you made. I did research and learned more about my bird type that I chose, Bufflehead, and learned more about conservation. The subject of my creation is simply a few bufflehead birds floating through the water peacefully. My work was made by first drawing sketch lines so I would know where each lily pad and bird would be placed. I then went in and added a single shade of blue, using watercolor, to the background. Overtime, I eventually built up the blue water by adding different shades of blue and adding highlights using white to make the water look like it's moving. I then went in and worked slowly on the birds using pen and watercolor making sure I was adding the correct details as I went along.

I chose to create this specific artwork because I was drawn to the buffleheads as soon as I did research on them. It’s arranged by having two birds, male and a female, closer in the front and then another bufflehead farther in the back. This way it doesn't leave too much empty space and the art piece is balanced. How my project evolved was once I "finished" my birds, I went back in and added more shadows and highlights to make it more realistic. I also got advice from peers and my teacher on what would make my piece even stronger. I revised my artwork by adding a darker shadow in the water for the birds. I also went back in with a white colored pen and watercolor to add more ripples to the water to make it look like the birds are moving moving.

The meaning behind my artwork is that these birds are beautiful creatures and we should do all we can to see them live in peace just like they are living in peace in my artwork. How my artwork relates to my life is because I actually really like this type of bird and I would love for people to acknowledge more about bird conservation and how we can keep these birds safe. For example, reduce your use of water in your home in order to save the birds around you and they'll be able to survive too. What I'm most proud of in my artwork is how much detail I was able to add to the wing on the birds. I struggled with the ripples in the water. But I overcome these struggles by asking for advice on what I could add, so I added white highlights to improve the water ripples. My artwork could be stronger if I spent more time and added even more shades of blue to the water. But overall, I worked very hard on this project and put in my best effort to make this my best work.