Howard A. Terpning

Born: November, 5 1927

Today’s Lesson

Howard A. Terpning

Historical and cultural subject matter

Drawing a family tradition

Terpning’s Life Howard Terpning was born in 1927 in Oak Park, Illinois.

He served in the Marine Corps during World War II, then attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Art and the American School of Art.

He worked in New York for 25 years as an illustrator of magazine covers such as Time, Newsweek and Readers Digest and advertising for movies such as Dr. Zhivago, Cleopatra, The Guns of Navarone, The Sound of Music and the re-issue of Gone with the Wind.

In the 1970’s, he and his family moved to Tucson, AZ where he has an extensive collection of Native American and western resources and artifacts that he uses in his paintings for realism and authenticity.

He is a member of the Cowboy Artists of America.

Terpning’s Art Terpning typically begins an artwork by making small sketches in

order to work out the painting’s composition and values.

Then, Terpning applies gesso to the canvas, deliberately creating an uneven surface.

Next, the artist sands the surface of the gessoed canvas to create texture and definition before working with his oil paints.

Friends and relatives are often the models for Terpning’s paintings. He utilizes props and artifacts from his extensive collection in order to help achieve realism and authenticity in his work.

The artist incorporates an impressionistic style with his short, quick brushstrokes and effective use of light and shadow.

Vocabulary Definitions

Realism: Realistic art portrays a recognizable subject with lifelike colors, textures, shadows, proportions and the like.

Authenticity: Truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, and intentions; not a copy or forgery.

Composition: To create, form or design something by arranging parts to create a unified whole.

Light: The effects of light and shade that we see in a work of art; can be from an actual or implied source.

To Capture Enemy Horses by Howard Terpning

The Scouts of General Crook by Howard Terpning

Crow Pipe Ceremony by Howard Terpning

Shepherd of the Plains by Howard Terpning

“Offerings to the Little People” by Howard Terpning

Offering’s to the Little People (cont.)

The painting depicts a traditional tobacco ceremony practiced by the Crow Indians.

Tribal members are planting seeds and offering blessings (medicine bundles containing berries, herbs, tiny moccasins and other miniature articles of clothing) to the “little people” that are believed to live within the earth and help with the success of the tobacco crop.

Looking at the Work What’s going on in this painting? What is your impression of this work and what visual evidence

supports it? How did the artist use light in the painting? What time of day do you

think it is? Notice the light reflecting off the faces of the figures, their clothing, and the leaves in the trees behind them.

What are the actions of the figures? What do you think might be each tribal member’s possible role in the ceremony? One kneeling figure focuses his attention over his shoulder, directing our eye beyond the picture plane.

Imagine that you were a part of this scene. What might you see beyond what the artist has provided in this painting?

Look at the artist’s powerful composition. Notice Terpning’s use of an “s-curve” to draw our eye toward the offering bundles and back through the faces of the society members.

A Quote by Terpning

“Never reveal everything in a painting; leave half out. You must leave mystery for the viewer. ’’

What We Will Be Doing

Consider a cultural tradition practiced among your family members and/or community.

Once you have chosen a family tradition of your own, illustrate that tradition, incorporating authentic aspects of the tradition, as well as abundant detail.

When you have completed your drawings, describe your illustrated scene and share your tradition with others.