Design a US Postal Service stamp series

For my stamp project, I decided to create a series of trees found in the United States. I decided that if I did my series on trees, I would be able to highlight the diversity in geographical locations in the United States. One of the unique features of America is its size and variety in climate. Many other countries have consistent flora and fauna throughout, but not the United States. This stamp series celebrates America’s natural beauty. I decided to choose iconic trees from the northwest, southwest, northeast, and southeast to show the variety within geographical regions. These stamps are educational and symbolic of America’s geographical diversity, making them well-fitted for a US Postal stamp series.

My strategy for each stamp was to feature each type of tree, but also to create a background that would provide context to their natural habitats. The trees are the most defined objects in each of the stamps but their backgrounds are also important. Creating background settings helps the viewer connect each tree where it is found in the United States. Over this project, I gained a lot of valuable pen tool experience. Although I already have a pretty strong understanding of the pen tool, I have never used it for such intricate details and curves. This project also taught me how to change my process next time. I was so focused initially on creating the illustrations, I didn’t consider the text. When working with illustrations and text, I learned that it is important to edit both simultaneously.