Duck Stamp

Artist's Statement:

Jillian Wight

Medsker

2D Design

10 December 2020

The main idea that is visually evident in my piece is realism. I tried my best to convey realism through the colors, form, and detail work in my ducks as well as in the backgrounds. The idea of realism is significant to the piece not only because it fits the criteria of the assignment, but also because it transports the viewer to the scene depicted. In this case, I chose to portray a family of ruddy ducks. This is another visually significant theme because it forces the reader to associate the image with comfort and familiarity, which means that the viewer will have a positive reaction to my piece. Beyond this, I really wanted to bring the idea of family to life through my illustration, because duck stamps are used for hunting permits. While I know that many hunters practice safe and responsible methods, I personally do not support the idea of killing other living creatures for sport. If I were to win the competition, my artwork would be seen by hunters every time they decided to kill one of these stunning birds. I would hope that my small piece would develop a voice of its own, and the portrayal of a family with ducklings in such a lifelike manner would discourage any unnecessary cruelty. This project, although not a particularly emotional or personal piece on the surface, actually has a very significant meaning to me. Since I was young, my family has visited my grandfather's lake in Pennsylvania every summer. There, we encounter many ducks. As a result, the bird is something I have begun to associate naturally with my grandfather. Due to this, working on the Duck Stamp allowed me to take a trip into the past and recall some fond memories while I drew.

This piece took me an extremely long time to complete, and I used numerous materials. I started with a piece of thick, watercolor paper. I then used a graphite pencil to sketch the basic composition I had in mind. With that solidified, I gathered some reference images and went back in with a pencil to form a more detailed sketch. Finally, when some of the finer points of my drawing were outlined and laid out in a basic manner, I was ready to start adding colored pencils. I first traced the sketch I’d made with a brown color, and then used an eraser to remove leftover pencil marks. I then proceeded to fill in the color throughout the entire piece, bringing each figure to life! I started with the male duck, then completed the female, and then moved on to the ducklings. Once my shadows, details, and basic colors were in place I knew that I needed to add highlights in order to really make the illustration stand out. I used white colored pencil to shade subtle lighter areas, and a white gel pen to fill in the harsher highlights such as on the beak and in the water. Realism is difficult for me, especially on a large and complete scale. I’m very proud of my performance, specifically the way I was able to manipulate my materials and fill the page!

I used a number of processes to create my artwork. First, I had to master the use of colored pencils, which are a media that I don't often choose to use. I am used to burnishing pencils and using them to fill large, flat spaces. However, I learned that keeping a sharp tip can be extremely important when illustrating texture, as I did in the feathers of each bird. In order to truly add the element of realism to the artwork, the texture was pivotal. The amount of pressure I applied to the colored pencils as well as the size of the tip and the colors I used proved to be essential. Another process I had to master was layering colors. I had limited access to supplies due to the fact that I was completely quarantined during the finishing stages of the project, so I had only a few shades of browns to choose from. I quickly learned that in order to create realistic and life-like value, layering colors is important. Especially when it comes to highlights, which I used under the wings and in the beaks of each bird to emphasize their form and features, layering colors was essential. I was tempted to simply leave the page white or shade very lightly with a brown colored pencil, but I realized that this creates an unfinished and therefore undesirable look. The white colored pencil creates a milky and effectively realistic looking effect, and really helped me to illustrate value. Through emphasis and value, form was eventually born. I was able to portray the ducks as three-dimensional living creatures, frozen in time by the click of a button. The presence of form was important because it draws in the viewer, and makes the piece more applicable to life. Form both in the foreground and background made the piece appear unified because it illustrated a cohesive environment and brought the ducks' natural habitat to life. As a result, everything appeared to be in its place and each element of the piece fit together with the others. Finally, space was important. I was working on a unique size of paper for the task at hand, and so I needed to play with the space effectively. By using three fields of view, I was able to place the ducks strategically across the scene and illustrate a more balanced effect. I would say that my piece evolved from something I was apprehensive of due to lack of experience, to a very pleasant surprise! I am proud of myself, and in the future I will work on paying closer attention to proportions.

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