Duck Stamp

12"x9"

Oil Paint

Finished:

Painting I initially turned in:

The idea behind this artwork is that I wanted to create a painting of a green-winged teel for the Duck Stamp competition. I started the process by putting together reference photos in procreate. When I was doing that I made sure that it worked in terms of the composition.

To make the physical painting, I started with a grid on both the painting and my reference photo in pencil. Then, I took a large amount of linseed oil with oil paint to create a quick wash and figure out where my colors would be going. After that, I took a small brush and tried to replicate the details with more pigmentation.

I used shapes, colors, and values to create a form. I noticed that I was most successful making the illusion of depth when I specifically focused on the idea of painting a 3d object. I created contrast by making light areas in the duck line up with dark areas in the background and vise versa. This is especially important to consider because it needs to read on a tiny stamp, not just a regular sized painting. Going forward, I am going to finish my first go-through, and once it's covered in paint, I'm hoping to go back in with more precision.