Buffleheads in Colored Pencil

Colored pencil on Stonehenge paper, 9x12”

This piece place second in the 2020 Tennessee Duck Stamp Contest

The Subject

I fell in love with buffleheads the first time I saw them in Yellowstone National Park. I loved watching the way they bobbled along in the water and then suddenly disappeared in a dive! Buffleheads are actually the smallest diving ducks in North America. When courting, the males will bob their heads up and down rapidly to attract females, hence the name. Small, compact, and full of energy, there’s just something lovable about these ducks.

The Process

This drawing took me about eight hours. I began by making a sketch and using my own photos as reference material. Then I gradually built up layers of color using Prismacolor colored pencils, beginning with the lightest values. The darkest areas of the drawing have have ten to fifteen layers pf color, while the lightest areas only have two or three layers. One of my favorite things about colored pencil is that you don’t have to worry about it fading, smearing, or peeling. Although the process takes time, it’s definitely worth it. I am so grateful for my art teacher, Mrs. Nancy Sims, for introducing this technique to me!

“Buffleheads” by Sophie Buck in colored pencil on Stonehenge paper