Tips for Creating your Entry

Following is a list of helpful hints for teachers and students:

• Follow the size requirement of 9" high by 12" wide.
• Get outdoors to observe, photograph, and sketch live waterfowl.
• Create original art, not copies of someone else's work.
• Use the medium you are most comfortable with.
• A good drawing makes a good painting; refine your image at the drawing stage.
• Create a solid, balanced design such as one that includes a triangle of elements.
• Match the species and its seasonal plumage to the correct habitat.
  

• Make your species the center of attention.
• Focus your detail on waterfowl anatomy.
• Don't overdo background scenes; keep it simple.
• Use bright, bold, and warm colors.
• Use contrasting colors and crisp edges to make your image "pop" from the page.
• Consider what your artwork would look like as a small stamp.
• Get critiques of your work from artists, teachers, biologists, and others.
• Don't forget to postmark your entry by the annual California entry deadline of March 15.