Duck Stamp Project

Duck Stamp Project: "A Pair of Northern Pintails"

Colored Pencil

9" x 12"

My painting depicts two Northern Pintails swimming in a wetland. The Northern Pintails' range includes almost all of North America, even extending all the way North to parts of Greenland. Their habitats are mostly marshlike- low shrubbed, woodless wetlands are their prefered mating habitat, but they also enjoy agricultural fields and bays. I chose to focus on the Northern Pintail because they frequented my hometown in Washington state and are a little nostalgic symbol of my childhood.

I completed this piece using Colored Pencil on Drawing Paper.

I decided to use colored pencil so that I could capture the vibrant colors of the Northern Pintails wings and so that I could practice with this medium. I began by drawing the outline lightly in pencil, although I planned out and added most of the details in colored pencil- often straying from my graphite plan. I drew the ducks first so that I could try and capture their likeness in the water's reflection. To improve upon this piece I would try to focus on darkening the background because it is lighter than the foreground, messing with the composition of the piece.