Duck Stamp

Artist Statement

For this piece we chose a species of waterfowl that spoke to us in some way, and had to as realistically as possible create s scientific illustration of either a male species, a female or both. The assignment was to follow the criteria given by the Wildlife Conservation and the idea was to draw a duck species in its habitat to show the importance of conserving wildlife. I chose to draw the Northern Pintail because aesthetically, so it's colors and overall body, spoke to me the most. I specifically liked the similarity that the male and female share when they are seen together, and in general their expressions. Another aspect of the Northern Pintail that I liked was the different colors that shine through beneath the feathers, whether it be a tint of red in the male or a slight pink undertone in the female.

Since this piece was a scientific illustration, it was really important to work in layers and try and include every last detail. I felt that colored pencils would be the best option as they blend well and the tips are fine enough to add small details to create texture. The first part of this process, however, was researching the species, and finding several sources to look at. I tried out my general technique of realistic drawing with a pen, just to get a feel of the shapes and angles individual feathers made. I also used these sketches to single out important details unique to the species (see sketches below). Once I had a basic balanced composition set, I began sketching on my final draft paper, I initially used bristol board as it is a very flat surface so it is good for creating a smooth appearance. Once I had the basic outline sketched in, I began to single out colors I saw on the ducks head, lightly shading in with my colored pencils and leaving some areas either very lightly shaded or just completely white to create highlights. I worked feather by feather, so my strokes were very small and the process very slow. Once I had "finished" the head, I realized that it was lacking the depth I needed to create a realistic illustration. So, I sort of rashly and without thinking went over the pencil with a layer of watercolor, and immediately the head began to come together and looking like a real duck. With this new strategy in mind, I began lightly sketching in the colors all over the duck that I picked out from different reference photos. I then went over the entire duck with watercolor again, however I slightly tinted the water to emphasize the different colors of the ducks. My final step with the ducks was to go back in and add a new layer of detail with a fine colored pencil and an eraser to give the illusion of shiny feathers. For the background, I chose to keep it quite simple, so I drew some lake water and several grasses and broken branches sticking out of the water.

I experimented a lot with the process of drawing this piece as I have never really drawn this realistically before. I tried out different ways to add layers, both by using different colors, erasing, and layering watercolors and colored pencils. I also experimented with different ways of adding texture and highlights. I used a fine tipped paint brush for some of the feathers, and then to blend it out a bit I went in with a more subtle colored pencil. I also experimented with adding highlights using both erasers and white colored pencils. I found that the eraser was more effective as the colored pencil was more of a gray color, however the eraser often pulled a whole layer of paint and paper off, making it difficult to blend it back into the rest of the duck. My project did not evolve much from my original sketches, however I am very pleased with the way I was able to struggle past the difficulties of drawing realistically and till come out with a nice drawing.