Duck Stamp

I chose to draw two wood ducks for my duck stamp. The two are by the water's edge of a marsh with a female perched on a fallen branch and a male standing in the water. I chose the wood duck because I was intrigued by the shape of the male's head and the vibrant colors of its feathers. I also wanted to explore the differences in feather pattern and color of the females as well, which is why I decided to include both genders in my drawing. I chose to create a background with depth and detail to show how the ducks visually fit in with their environment.

I chose to use Bristol board for this project in favor of having a smooth surface that would allow better blending of colors and more effective burnishing. To create my duck stamp, I used Prismacolor colored pencils because I am most experienced and comfortable using this medium and I am confident in how to make the colors blend well together and how to create effective detail.

I began by sketching out how I wanted to organize the ducks within the drawing and put together a background, being cautious about effectively using the space of the entire paper. For the grass in the background, I used long curvy lines to capture the slow, relaxed movement and nature of it. I then used a range of green shades to add color and depth to the background while making sure I was creating the right texture for the grass by blending evenly and using soft lines. I used the same shade range of greens and texture for the water plants the ducks are standing in and around in order to create unity within the entire background. The fallen branch is large and dark and cuts across the drawing, creating contrast against the green background and emphasizing the subject of the drawing: the ducks. Getting the shape of the ducks correct was a major goal for me, as well as effectively using color and pattern to bring their feathers' to life. As my project evolved, I became more aware of how light and shadow has an affect on the color and detail of my subject, which was challenging when trying to draw something as realistically as I can. Often, I became overwhelmed by the amount of detail I wanted to be able to incorporate and the amount of space I had to cover. I overcame this by working on small portions at a time and focusing only on the colors and shape of that one area. My next steps for this project could be considering how the ducks look from different angles and how that might affect the composition of my drawing.