Surreal Room

unit

Subject
Intro to Art

Drawing

teacher

Date

Mrs. Jones

Teacher Guide

Objectives/
standards

Students will understand Surrealism and linear perspective. They will be able to draw in 1
Point Perspective and express creative ideas through the use of Surreal imagery, drawing,
coloring, and collage. Standards 25, 26, and 27

Elements/
principles

Line, Space, Form, Proportion, Depth through Linear Perspective (25a)

art history/
connections

Surrealism, Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali

skills/ concepts

Drawing in 1 Point Perspective using rulers; understanding of 3-D rendering

programs such as Sketch Up (26A, B)

Surrealism developed as a response to WWI and Freudian concepts (27B). It was

an expression of philosophical ideas (27A). Surreal art influenced other arts and
disciplines (25B)

Colored Pencil, shading along contours, range of values, gradation, color

overlapping and blending, texture (applying pencil techniques weve been
learning).
Collage, glue sticks, scissors, xactos for cut-outs
Surrealism Concepts: Element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions, non sequitur
(illogical,absurd) tapping into dreams and the subconscious to enhance creativity
and understand reality
assessment

Pre-assessment room drawing

Draw boxes in 1PP (F)
Observation of ongoing work, drawing the room and furniture (F)
Essential Question response What are some qualities of Surreal art? What was
happening in the world that led to the production of this type of art? (F)
Surreal Room Rubric: Criteria- 1 Point Perspective, Surreal Imagery/Creativity,
Composition, Craftsmanship, Time/Effort (S)

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Horizon Line

surrealism.org

Vanishing Point

theartstory.org

 Converging Lines

youtube.com, drawing in 1 Point Perspective

Juxtaposition

How to Draw Furniture, interactive website

Surrealism

LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1.

Pre-assessment: Draw your Dream Room in your sketchbook for homework before instruction.
View and discuss in small groups. Introduce the Surreal Room project. Show examples.
2. Introduce 1 Point Perspective. View an actual block from different perspectives. Draw boxes and
other forms in 1PP. Shade if time allows.
3. Draw basic format of room. Watch video How to draw with 1 Point Perspective and teacher
demonstration.
4. Introduction to Surrealism: Discuss Surreal prints with partner for 3 minutes. What do you see?
What are the similarities and differences? Watch video Surrealism, A Retrospective and
brainstorm with partner, then whole group, What is Surrealism? Take notes on Surrealism. For 5
minutes, brainstorm in your sketchbook what surreal imagery you might include in your room.
5. Draw furniture in the room. Use the crate technique to draw a table. Students can refer to website
for instruction on different pieces of furniture.
(http://www.olejarz.com/arted/perspective/index.html)
6. When finished drawing furniture and imagery, color with colored pencils. Cut and glue photographic
images from magazines to incorporate additional Surreal imagery and room details.
7. Rubric Assessment

NOTES
"Creativity is that marvelous capacity to grasp mutually distinct realities and draw a spark from their
juxtaposition."
- Max Ernst
Magritte is best known for his juxtaposition of ordinary objects in unusual context and for giving
familiar objects new translations.
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s, and is best known for the visual
artworks and writings of the group members.
Surrealist works feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non sequitur;
however many Surrealist artists and writers regard their work as an expression of the philosophical
movement first and foremost, with the works being an artifact. Leader Andr Breton was explicit in
his assertion that Surrealism was above all a revolutionary movement.
Surrealism developed out of the Dada activities of World War I and the most important center of the
movement was Paris. From the 1920s on, the movement spread around the globe, eventually
affecting the visual arts, literature, film, and music, of many countries and languages, as well as
political thought and practice, and philosophy and social theory.
Many Dadaists believed that the 'reason' and 'logic' of bourgeois capitalist society had led people into
war. They expressed their rejection of that ideology in artistic expression that appeared to reject logic
and embrace chaos and irrationality.
Sigmund Freud- Tapping into the subconscious
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