Duck Stamp

This piece is a painting of a male Common Merganser, which I thought was a very simple, yet intriguing, elegant species. The iridescent green head and many black and white details on the back make for a unique look. Creating the detail with individual brushstrokes showed me a lot about how incredibly delicate and intricate this species feather pattern is.

Originally, my idea was to use colored pencils for color, after using graphite. But once I began, I felt that I could better display the flow of water and feathers with acrylic paint. So I used graphite for outlines and general shapes, then acrylic paint on bristol board paper.

Like I said, my ideas for the use of materials changed throughout my process. But more than anything, the position of the bird changed. I actually had two attempts at creating the Common Merganser in flight, but after struggling, and eventually deciding that a still, calm look would be just as cool, I decided to do a different position. Throughout the process I definitely had to figure out the difference between male and female, to be most accurate with details.