Duck Stamp

In this artwork the idea was to create the most realistic painting of these ducks as possible. I wanted to capture the behavior and general attitude of these ducks which is shown through the swimming and the fact that the male and female are together. My goal was to look at many different sources, so as not to copy any, and kind of combine all of them into one painting. I tried to look closely at all the details and make them look as lifelike as possible.

For this work I used gouache paints. I wanted to be able to have a steady paint bas that wasn't see through like watercolor, but I also wanted something that was a little more malleable that could be pushed around. With gouache you can also add water to to lighten the general impact of the paint and blend it. I wanted to be able to lighten parts, also I am not super familiar working with paint on canvas so this was a good introduction while at the sametime being able to water it down and wipe it away. 

I started with a sketch of just brainstorming ideas which looked horrible but I was just trying to get some ideas on paper quickly before they slipped out of my head. Then I began  to look at some photos that seemed like they could be helpful. I sketched the ducks on the canvas and started to add base colors in the general shape. After that I then added the small details with a small brush to make everything look realistic. Lastly, I went in with a super tiny brush and added the texture.