Surreal Landscape & Distorted Self-portrait

Lesson Plan by: Michal Austin
Unit: Surrealism/Painting
Project: Surreal landscape with distorted self-portrait

 

Objectives:

* Gain an appreciation for Surreal art
* Use math skills in transforming an image
* Use imagination - develop problem solving skills - utilize elements/principles of design
* Develop painting skills -- color planning

 

Vocabulary:

Surrealism, distortion, abstract,
vanishing point, perspective,
anamorphic, grid transformation.

 

Materials:

Digital pictures of students,
Transparency grids, Tempera Paint, Mixing Trays, Brushes, heavy Drawing Paper, water dishes

 

Preparation:

Take digital pictures of students while they are working on a previous project.

 

Instruction:

1. Present Surrealism (some Online resources)
2. Demonstrate grid distortion - and demonstrate composition requirements. (from Michal: The background had to have something melting or dripping, something flying, and a vanishing point.)

 

Procedures:

1. Place grid over photograph (if desired - grids could be drawn directly on print)
2. Draw a distorted grid on 12 x 18 (30 x 46 cm) paper. Make lines wavy and change distance between lines
3. Enlarge photograph block by block - observe closely what is in each block
4. Plan the remainder of composition - Create a Surreal landscape. Requirement: Have something melting or dripping, something flying and have a vanishing point.
5. Plan colors - limit color palette.
6. Select colors for painting - begin painting background areas - vary the value of the paint.
7. Paint portrait showing highlights and shadows.

 

See the Ugly Zoo - animals and people manipulated with Photo editing software. Some wild creations. Try this with your students. Corpse Cards comes to mind too. You can buy the best photo editing software at the Adobe Software Page.