duck stamp

This piece is for the Junior Duck Stamp Competition, and this year I'm getting first in nationals. That's my goal, I felt close last year but my composition was boring, my duck was so small, and my background was not as cool as I had anticipated. But this year, I know all of this, and so I have a good feeling about this year. I want my duck on a stamp. 

When making the duck stamp, I always use colored pencils and a little gel pen, because in my mind it's harder than oil paint because of the time it takes. So it's a little more rewarding. I also use colored pencils because I have used them every year and it's kind of a tradition. I also don't know if anyone has ever won nationals using colored pencils, I think it's always been oil colors. 

The only real conceptual part of this piece is its name. I've used the names of my duck stamps as a point of progression. The first year I started, the name was ducks aren't real. It won honorable mentions. The next time my duck won 1st place in states (out of three 1st places) and its name was are ducks real? This year ducks are real. will win nationals. It's a ladder of progression.

ideas/sketches/color: