Maine Junior Duck Stamp

Artist's Statement:

Jillian Wight

Medsker

AP Art and Design

24 January 2023

For this work, the assignment was to create a realistic portrayal of a duck from a list of species. I chose the spectacled eider because I thought the textures and colors of its plumage were really interesting and pretty freaky! This project has been a struggle for me in the past, because I don't really enjoy realistic drawing. This time around, I decided to do a few things differently, and really try to have a good experience with the assignment. I used different materials and approaches for the project, and I would call it a success!

I used oil pastels to create this piece because they allow me to cover spaces faster, but don’t compromise depth of color, control, etc. This turned out to be a good decision. I was able to create shadows and highlights, I was able to etch into the pastel to create sharper details, and I was able to accomplish wide ranges of detail (for example the sharper detail in the head compared to the soft detail in the background). I love oil pastels, and I definitely want to keep experimenting with them.

While I usually plan these pieces out completely before starting, I went about this piece a little differently. I started by creating the head, not sure where I would go with the body from there. I sketched a bit, and when I had a shape I liked I went with it. I then decided as I went if I would add another duck, what I would do for a background, and sort of built the composition step by step. I’m relatively happy with the result, I think this is a solid piece of art, but there are some things I would definitely do differently next time. First, I would spend some more time on the background, because I think it has the ability to complement or take away from a good subject. I would also define a clearer light source next time, and think more about depth of focus. I love the large male duck, but I don’t think the female duck is as strong and I wish it wasn’t so emphasized. Overall, this was a good experience and great practice as always. Though drawing realistically isn't my strength or preference, it challenges me to break down a subject, really observe shades and spaces, and hone my drawing skills.

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