13. Duck Stamp

DESCRIBE: For this piece we had to create a realistic environment centered around a set of ducks of our choice. Having chosen my to be the green-winged teal, I then created a environment around them that you'd most likely find them in. This piece was strictly made only using watercolors, though some ink can be found scattered around the page. Color and shape played a huge part in this piece, as to truly give these ducks and landscape the feeling of life; the uses of color and different shapes was much needed. Balancing out the placement of my ducks, so it would seem like they actually fitted into this environment; unity was also big for me, as to achieve that natural feel unity was needed.

ANALYZE: Grouping and low horizon line were also important composition techniques that I included in this piece. To make sure that the environment actually fitted the size I was going for with the ducks, the horizon line had to be shifted; ultimately falling where it is now. Grouping was also big on that natural aspect, and grouping the ducks and every together to close would've looked weird. In the positions that everything is now, balance is paced across the piece. This piece actually kept a pretty consistent path as I worked on it, no big changes. The only thing that would be considered new was my use of ink in some spots, cause originally it was just to be watercolor.

EVALUATE: There's no real story behind this art, I think just a quick glimpse of the peaceful life of a duck. Though this scene does remind me a bit of the summers that I spent on the lake, watching the ducks float in and out of the rides and lillypads; nothing really big relates to me in this piece. Just looking at the final piece of my work, I feel as though it came out good. Water color is always hard to work with, lettering everything and all. Some if I were to revise, I would probably go back and layer more; so I could get that richer effect of the colors.