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surrealist landscape

mixed media
 

by JuliannaKunstler.com

Objectives: Students learn to combine multiple medias to achieve an aesthetic effect.

Essential questions:

1. What is surrealism?
2. How to draw a tree?
3. How to apply highlights and shadows on a black illustration board?
4. How to achieve a necessary value using bleach over a black surface?
5. How to use oil pastels and pencils to add depth?

Draw a surrealist landscape that includes:

  • Space in the drawing - background, middle-ground, and foreground
  • At least three trees
  • All objects should look three-dimensional and realistic in appearance
  • Drawing should be surrealistic in nature - dream-like subject matter

Media to use:

  • Bleach
  • Oil pastels
  • Colored pencils
Important:

Turn in your sketch for a separate grade

Project grade will be based on: creativity, drawing quality, 3-D quality, use of art materials, all requirements are incorporated, craftsmanship, complexity

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GALLERY

landscape
landscape
landscape
tree drawing
tree imagination

STEPS

sketching

Spend 2-3 hours sketching surrealist landscapes (should include at least 3 trees and have FOREGROUND, MID-GROUND, and BACKGROUD).

Final sketch should look realistic, but "with a twist". Create a dream-like reality.

Research surrealists and their artwork for inspiration.

examples

drawing

Redraw your landscape on a black illustration board.
bleaching

Use regular bleach and Q-tip to lighten up some areas to support the light source. Use multiple applications to create textures.

Each black color illustration board would have a different bleached color - it depends on the dyes that were used for the board.

Use bleach to add bark texture.

You can emphasize this texture later with colored pencils.

coloring

Use color pencils for coloring small details and backgrounds.

  • Use small pencil strokes
  • Blend and mix multiple colors
  • Strokes should not be obvious - they should support the form of the object and its texture

Apply colors, values, and textures to the trees - make them look round.

Each tree and its parts should have at least 3 values:

  • highlight
  • light
  • shadow

Treat each part of a tree as a cylinder - apply values to support the "roundness" of the tree and its parts.

Do not outline your objects - use value contrasts and shadows .

Keep the light source and light-and-dark pattern consistent throughout the drawing.

Make sure that if your light is coming from the right, all shadows should be on the left, etc.

That should be applied to all objects.

Apply colors, values, and texture to the leaves.

Remember how you drew a tree during the practice assignment? (here)

  • Tree crown should be three-dimensional, not flat.
  • Tree crown can be any color

Details will make your drawing a success.

Use oil pastels to color close-up objects.

Pastels are also great for foreground or background.

  • Oil pastels should create contrasts and color blending.
  • Use only small strokes when working with oil pastels
  • Use at least 2-3 colors for each shape
  • Use oil pastels to support the forms (different values) and textures (strokes)

GRADING

preliminary sketch
creativity
surrealistic quality
at least 3 trees
drawing steps
landscape has depth: foreground, mid-ground, background
drawings are detailed and realistic - trees drawing is according to steps we've practiced
color
Application of each process (bleach, colored pencils, oil pastels)
3-D effect value shading (light source, highlights, shades, shadows, etc.)
Shading quality (strokes are small, colors are blended)
Textures
Artistic quality:
Craftsmanship
Project is finished
...