Duck Stamp

In my art, you can clearly see three birds swimming together in their natural habitat. The story told is that a moment was captured of these birds living in peace in their natural environment. I chose to make this because I found the pattern on the northern shoveler very intriguing and difficult and I wanted to challenge myself. This relates to my life because I love nature. I believe that protecting these birds, any birds, and their habitat is essential for our environment. Birds also add to nature's beauty and make for a fun painting/drawing process. I have practiced how to draw water ripples a lot this year so I was glad I could incorporate my new skill into this piece.

My work was made by printing out reference photos of a male, female, and baby northern shoveler. I laid these birds horizontally how I wanted them placed on a document then printed it. I made a grid on my blank paper and the reference paper. I then began to make sketch lines with my pencil to get the correct placement of the birds, the grass, and water. I used acrylic paint mixed with water to create the birds as well as a pen. I used blue acrylic paint as a base for the background. I then went in different shades of various blue pens to add detail to the water and give it the appearance of movement. I used watered down acrylic paint for the feathers of the female bird. I added highlights using a white gel pen to the water ripples and birds' eyes. The shadows were the most difficult since they had to look ripply in the water.

The process of creating my art was very long. I spent over 2 days just sitting at my table and not taking a break until every 2 hours or so. My project evolved as I came back from my breaks I saw mistakes or changes I wanted to make that I hadn't seen before. So I'd go back in and add in little details such as highlights or shadows to add more contrast. My next steps could be to work on adding more detail to my pieces. I liked the process and seeing this piece grow I just need to take my time and take more breaks to see how I can improve. Overall, I am very proud of this piece and it's by far one of my favorite pieces of artwork I have ever made. This is because of all of the detail and time I have put into this northern shoveler artwork.