Duck Stamp

Artist Statement

For the Maine Junior Duck Stamp competition, we began by choosing a duck from a list of North American species that we would create a scientific drawing of. The guidelines and basic criteria of this project included a 9x12 inch horizontal paper with no borders, and a final piece that is clear, detailed, and showcases some important elements and principles of design. I wanted my project to feature a more colorful bird, so I chose a wood duck. After researching and looking through photos, I found a picture of a male and female wood duck sitting peacefully on a log that particularly stood out to me, so I decided I would challenge myself and draw two birds. I liked how the drakes colors contrasted the very light gray feathers of the female, something I tried to replicate in my work. To make my drawing as detailed and accurate as possible, I used a variety of other images for reference, including a few images my uncle had captured himself and shared with me. For an alternate background, I decided to keep the log because wood ducks are most commonly found in wooded areas, but I made sure to change up the patterns and colors of the bark. I also added marsh reeds and cattails in the background set against a blueish-gray sky.

For materials, our entries could be multi-color, black and white, or a single color, and could be drawn in ink, pencil, paint, pastel, crayon, charcoal, or even scratchboard. I began my project with thick 9x12 watercolor paper, and then went in with a 2b pencil to create an outline before coloring. Afterward, I went in with an assortment of browns, reds, yellows, greens, purples, blues, and black colored pencils for the drake. The female however was mostly grayscale, so I added hints of purple and yellow in her head, green and brown in her feathers, and pink in her beak.

I went through a few different processes while creating my artwork. This is the first project that I had ever done entirely in colored pencil. I chose this material so I could incorporate precise details, lines, and shapes which would ultimately help to add texture to the feathers of the ducks and the wood. I am used to using lighter or more pastel colors in most of my work, so I had to become comfortable with layering the pencil in certain areas to make it look more vibrant. However, I found that with my choice of paper, it was difficult to make the colors more saturated, and a lot of white dots were left over, but I feel that it gave it a more vintage and rustic feel that I prefer. One of the most challenging processes I went through was getting the proportions right. I have had some experience with drawing birds and animals, and feel one of my strong suits in art is the ability to draw what I see accurately. However, I found making the heads and faces difficult. I had to erase the beak and eyes many times, because they did not look realistic, and didn't provide the birds with any expression on their faces. Eventually, I found that had to focus less on drawing it exactly like the image, and critique it using my own touch. I also found it difficult to make the plumage of the birds look like they were hanging slightly off of the log, which I fixed using a bit of shadow and shading. Although this was a tedious and time-consuming project, I found it very relaxing and like they way my finished piece turned out.