Terry Reynoldson

Art Instruction, 1996 to 2021

Selected, Students' 2D Artworks, Page 1: Drawing, Design Principles, 2D-Art Fundamentals

Conté Mid-Tone Value Study

Assignment (above), THEORY: There is an almost infinite number of ways that we can depict 3D objects on a 2D surface. Surprisingly, there are only two ways that value relationships can be represented: planar value contrast or value gradation. Planar value contrast is used when depicting values on two or more surfaces that meet abruptly to form an edge or when depicting cast shadows. Value gradation is used when the edge disappears and the transition from one value to another is smoothed out over a convex or concave surface.

OBJECTIVE: On a full sheet of good-quality paper that's middle gray in colour (Canson Mi-Teintes 'Steel Gray' works quite nicely), draw a still-life using only black and white sticks of Conté. White will be used to depict lighter values and highlights while the black Conté will be used to depict darker values and shadows. The gray of the paper (by itself or with thin, translucent layers of black or white on it but NEVER both black and white mixed together) will represent the middle values of your composition.

Follow this link to see the lesson: Mid-Tone Value Study.

Dreamscape / Surreal Interior Project

Assignment (above), OBJECTIVE: Create a drawing on good quality paper with any of the drawing materials that we've explored in class. Your drawing must depict a space (either an interior or an exterior) within which two, dream-like realities are juxtaposed.

There's mystery and sublime beauty in the imagery that a mind generates during sleep. It's therefore useful to prepare for this project by thinking about the astounding combinations of objects, environments, individuals and situations that regularly inhabit your dreams. Consider how such things seem perfectly reasonable while you're dreaming but, upon waking, you confidently assess them (provided you remember them at all) as being completely and utterly bizarre, but often fascinating.

As an exercise, for one week, keep your sketchbook on your nightstand and record your dreams as soon as you wake up. Provide as much detail as possible; make sketches, if you can. Describe the characters, colours, textures and shapes from your dreams. Think about them as you begin your day and allow the images to grow in your imagination as your day unfolds.

When you've collected a sufficient amount of dream imagery, begin sketching a composition. Work these elements into an imaginary environment, interior or exterior, implausible as it might seem. Allow the characters, shapes, colours and textures to establish their own universe of peculiar rules and relationships, no matter how strange your waking mind perceives them to be. The end result (your completed composition) should look very much like an unbelievable and yet fascinating "dreamscape".

Follow this link to see the lesson: Dreamscape / Surreal Interior Project.

Exquisite Corpse Project

Assignment (above), THEORY: Breton's assertion that art must be "a pure creation of the mind" points to a belief in the importance of imagination whenever we make an image. The Surrealists were masters of the imagination and devised clever strategies to harness its power. One such strategy was a simple drawing game called, "Exquisite Corpse". In this game, a piece of paper is folded into thirds or quarters and then passed from artist to artist, each one taking a turn to secretly fill one folded side with some kind of imagery. Before passing the paper, a tiny bit of line was made across the fold to provide a starting point for the next artist; a sort of registration mark to keep the different parts of the image aligned.

OBJECTIVE: Use the Exquisite Corpse drawing game as inspiration to create a finished drawing that juxtaposes two or more distant realities. Look to the world around you - animals, objects, people, your own body - to choose realities for your work. Your drawing must be naturalistically rendered with convincing shadows, textures and details. Your exquisite corpse must appear seamless (like the example above of the cat-snake). The effect should be more subtle and convincing than the jarring transitions of an image produced during an exquisite corpse game. It should seem almost as though you've presented the viewer with a strange being that would not be found on this world, but COULD perhaps exist in a different universe where evolution took a very different path or the physical laws are completely different than our own (like the kind of believability that often accompanies bizarre dream imagery).

Follow this link to see the lesson: Exquisite Corpse Project.

Expressive Self-Portrait, Mimetic Still-Life & Naturalistic / Anatomical-Figure Studies

Assignment (above), THEORY: Self Portraits have a long and rich history in the visual arts. Some of the most recognized names - Rembrandt, Frida Kahlo, Vincent van Gogh - are synonymous with this art form. There are several reasons why self-portraiture has enduring appeal for artists:

Making a portrait of oneself is an excellent option for artists who don't have easy and affordable access to models.
It's usually easier to draw a portrait of oneself because we are more familiar with our own features than with those of a model.
The artist can reflect on her inner-most thoughts and emotions, which always helps to create an interesting work of art.

OBJECTIVE: Create an expressive self-portrait of your face, head, neck and shoulders. Your work should be descriptive, but should ALSO express a personal emotion or a state of mind.

Follow this link to see the lesson: Expressive Self-Portrait Project.