Create a Surreal Digital Composite

For this project, you will create a complete surreal scene based on the concept of “Edible Architecture.” You will transform a fruit or vegetable into a believable piece of architecture by combining photographic images and digital editing techniques in Photoshop. There must be a minimum of 10 images to create the composited scene.  11” x 17” resolution 150 dpi color mode RGB (Portrait or Landscape)

Your edible structure might become a house, apartment building, castle, skyscraper, school, restaurant, stadium, or another architectural structure. You should add architectural details such as:

• Windows

• Doors

• Steps

• Flower boxes

• Chimneys

• Shutters

• Roofs

• Balconies

• Satellite dishes

• People

• Signs

• Other architectural details

You may also build an environment around your structure using elements such as:

• Sidewalks

• Roads

• Fences

• Mailboxes

• Trees

• Bushes

• Streetlights

• Picnic tables

• Benches

• Vehicles

• Clouds

• Other environmental elements

The goal is not simply to place random images together. Your final composition should create a believable visual world in which the individual images appear to belong together.

You will use Photoshop tools and techniques to manipulate, combine, scale, mask, layer, and blend your images.

• LOOK FOR HIGH RES IMAGES.

  • https://unsplash.com/

  • https://www.pexels.com/

  • https://pixabay.com/

  • https://burst.shopify.com/

  • https://kaboompics.com/

  • https://stocksnap.io/

• *DO NOT USE IMAGES WITH WATERMARKS

Deliverables

1. Concept Sketch & Planning 8/27

2. Work-in-Progress Submission 9/9

3. Final Digital Composite 9/17

Learning Objectives

Students will:

1. Generate and develop an original visual concept based on the theme of Edible Architecture.

2. Create a detailed sketch or visual plan before beginning the final digital artwork.

3. Select and combine a minimum of 10 photographic images to construct a unified composition.

4. Apply Photoshop tools and techniques to remove backgrounds, create selections, mask images, transform objects, and organize layers.

5. Demonstrate an understanding of foreground, middle ground, and background.

6. Apply principles of composition, scale, proportion, balance, contrast, and visual hierarchy.

7. Manipulate photographic elements so that they appear to occupy the same environment.

8. Experiment with digital techniques and revise their work based on feedback.

9. Critique their own work and the work of classmates using appropriate visual-art vocabulary.

10. Present a finished digital composition that demonstrates creativity, craftsmanship, and intentional design decisions.

Big Ideas

• Images can be manipulated to communicate ideas that could not exist in the real world.

• Successful digital composites depend on more than combining images; the elements must visually belong together.

• Composition, scale, perspective, lighting, and color affect how believable a digital image appears.

• Creative work improves through experimentation, critique, revision, and refinement.

• Digital tools are artistic media that can be used to communicate concepts, narratives, and visual ideas.

Essential Questions

1. How can ordinary objects be transformed into something unexpected through digital manipulation?

2. What makes a digital composite appear believable?

3. How do scale, proportion, perspective, and placement affect a composition?

4. How can lighting, color, and value help separate or unify elements in a digital scene?

5. How does feedback from others help an artist improve a work?

6. How can Photoshop be used as a creative medium rather than simply an editing program?

7. How can artists use imagination and visual problem-solving to communicate an original idea?

Vocabulary

Architecture – The design and construction of buildings and other structures.

Composite – An image created by combining multiple separate images into one final composition.

Edible Architecture – The transformation of a food item such as a fruit or vegetable into the visual form of a building or architectural structure.

Foreground – The area of an image that appears closest to the viewer.

Middle Ground – The area between the foreground and background of a composition.

Background – The area of an image that appears farthest from the viewer.

Composition – The arrangement of visual elements within an artwork.

Scale – The size of an object in relation to other objects or to the environment.

Proportion – The size relationship between parts of an object or between different objects.

Perspective – A visual system used to create the appearance of depth and spatial distance.

Layer – A separate level in a digital document that allows elements to be edited independently.

Layer Mask – A Photoshop feature used to hide or reveal portions of a layer without permanently deleting the image.

Selection – A designated area of an image that can be edited independently.

Blending – The process of making separate visual elements appear as though they naturally belong together.

Lighting – The direction, intensity, and quality of light represented in an image.

Value – The lightness or darkness of an area or color.

Color Harmony – The relationship between colors that helps create a visually unified composition.

Visual Hierarchy – The organization of visual elements so that some areas attract attention before others.

Surrealism – An artistic approach that combines unexpected or impossible elements to create imaginative or dreamlike imagery.

Revision – Making changes to artwork to improve its visual communication, craftsmanship, or effectiveness.

Critique – The process of examining and discussing artwork in order to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.

Project Specifications

Your final image must:

• Be 11" × 17"

• Be 150 dpi

• Be in RGB color mode

• Be portrait or landscape orientation

• Contain a minimum of 10 photographic images

• Include an edible architectural structure

• Include a complete environment around the structure

• Demonstrate foreground, middle ground, and background

• Demonstrate intentional composition

• Use Photoshop techniques to blend the elements together

• Contain no visible watermarks

• Use high-resolution source images whenever possible

Suggested Image Sources

Use copyright-appropriate image sources and follow the usage requirements of each website.

• Unsplash

• Pexels

• Pixabay

• Burst

• Kaboompics

• StockSnap

Your current assignment page already provides these suggested image sources and specifies that watermarked images should not be used. (Google Sites)

Project Process

Part 1 – Concept Development

Create a detailed sketch of your Edible Architecture scene.

Your sketch should communicate:

• What food item will become your architecture?

• What type of building will you create?

• Where will the structure be located?

• What will be in the foreground?

• What will be in the middle ground?

• What will be in the background?

• Where will the viewer's eye go first?

• What 10 or more images will you need?

Sketch Requirement

List the 10 or more photographic elements you plan to use directly on your sketch or planning document.

Your sketch does not have to be a fully rendered drawing, but it must contain enough information for another person to understand your intended composition.

Part 2 – Digital Construction

Begin building your Photoshop composition.

During this stage, focus on:

• Creating an organized layer structure

• Removing unwanted backgrounds

• Making accurate selections

• Using layer masks

• Establishing foreground, middle ground, and background

• Establishing believable scale and proportion

• Creating depth

• Matching perspective

• Beginning to match lighting and color

• Combining your photographic elements into one unified scene

Part 3 – Work in Progress

Your composition should be approximately halfway complete.

Submit a Work-in-Progress image for feedback.

Your WIP should demonstrate:

• The edible architecture is established.

• Most major elements have been placed.

• The composition has a clear foreground, middle ground, and background.

• At least 10 images are being incorporated.

• You have begun blending the elements together.

• You are making intentional decisions about scale, perspective, lighting, and composition.

Part 4 – Revision and Refinement

Use feedback from your classmates and teacher to revise your composition.

Pay particular attention to:

• Does the scene make visual sense?

• Do the objects appear to exist in the same environment?

• Are the proportions believable?

• Does the lighting match?

• Do the colors work together?

• Are edges clean?

• Are selections and masks accurate?

• Is the composition balanced?

• Is there a clear focal point?

• Does the image communicate an original idea?

Part 5 – Final Presentation

Export your final composition as a JPEG.

Naming Convention

Block-LastName_FirstName_ProjectName.jpeg

Example:

2A-Taylor_Kinte_EdibleArchitecture.jpeg

Submit the final image using the class submission link.

Assessment Criteria

You will be assessed on:

Concept & Creativity

• Originality of the Edible Architecture concept

• Imagination

• Creative problem-solving

• Development of a complete visual idea

Composition

• Effective foreground, middle ground, and background

• Visual hierarchy

• Balance

• Scale and proportion

• Placement of elements

Technical Skill

• Accurate selections and masking

• Layer organization

• Image manipulation

• Blending

• Perspective

• Lighting and color integration

Craftsmanship

• Clean edges

• Attention to detail

• Resolution and image quality

• Professional presentation

Process

• Effective use of class time

• Completion of required checkpoints

• Willingness to experiment

• Use of critique and feedback

• Revision and refinement

Communication

• Ability to explain design decisions

• Ability to provide constructive critique

• Ability to respond to feedback

Georgia DOE Visual Arts/Graphics Standards

This project addresses the Georgia Visual Arts/Graphics standards currently identified for Graphics courses.

Creating

VAHSGD.CR.1 – Visualize and generate ideas for creating works of art.

Students develop an original concept for an Edible Architecture scene and communicate the idea through sketching and planning.

VAHSGD.CR.2 – Choose from a range of materials and methods of traditional and contemporary artistic practices to plan and create works of art.

Students select photographic resources and digital Photoshop techniques appropriate for their concept.

VAHSGD.CR.3 – Engage in an array of processes, media, techniques, and technology through experimentation, practice and persistence.

Students experiment with selections, masks, layers, transformations, blending, perspective, lighting, and color.

VAHSGD.CR.4 – Incorporate formal and informal components to create works of art.

Students use composition, scale, proportion, color, value, perspective, and visual hierarchy to construct a unified digital artwork.

VAHSGD.CR.5 – Reflect on, revise, and refine works of art considering relevant traditional and contemporary practices as well as artistic ideation.

Students participate in critique and revise their digital composite based on feedback.

VAHSGD.CR.6 – Keep an ongoing visual and verbal record to explore and develop works of art.

Students maintain sketches, planning documents, WIP submissions, and revisions throughout the project.

Presenting

VAHSGD.PR.1 – Plan, prepare, and present works of art for exhibition in school, virtual environment, and/or portfolio presentation.

Students prepare and submit a finished digital artwork using professional file specifications and naming conventions.

Responding

VAHSGD.RE.1 – Reflect on the context of personal works of art in relation to community, culture, and the world.

Students consider how familiar foods, architecture, environments, and visual imagery can be transformed into an imaginative artwork.

VAHSGD.RE.2 – Critique personal works of art and the artwork of others, individually and collaboratively, using a variety of approaches.

Students participate in structured peer critique and use feedback to improve their work.

VAHSGD.RE.3 – Engage in the process of art criticism to make meaning and increase visual literacy.

Students analyze how composition, scale, perspective, lighting, color, and imagery affect the effectiveness of a digital composite.

Connecting

VAHSGD.CN.1 – Develop personal artistic voice through connecting uses of art within a variety of cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts.

Students develop an original visual concept by transforming familiar objects and environments into an imaginative contemporary artwork.

VAHSGD.CN.2 – Develop life skills through the study and production of art (e.g., collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication).

Students practice creative problem-solving, collaboration, communication, time management, critique, and revision.

VAHSGD.CN.3 – Utilize a variety of resources to understand how artistic learning extends beyond the walls of the classroom.

Students research, locate, evaluate, and responsibly use photographic resources to construct their compositions.

These standards are the same Graphics standards currently included on your existing assignment page. (Google Sites)

Six-Class Learning Sequence

Students see the teacher every other day. This project is designed for six class meetings.

Class 1 – Concept Development & Peer Critique

Bell Ringer – “How Would You Improve It?”

Review your partner's work.

Students list:

1. Three improvements they would make.

2. Why each change would help improve the artwork.

Students should use specific visual-art vocabulary when explaining their suggestions.

Opening – Students Will...

• Examine examples of surreal digital composites.

• Identify characteristics that make a composite visually believable.

• Analyze their partner's concept using composition, scale, perspective, and visual hierarchy.

• Begin developing their own Edible Architecture concept.

Teacher Will...

• Introduce the Edible Architecture project.

• Demonstrate how unrelated photographic objects can be transformed into a unified visual concept.

• Model how to critique artwork constructively.

• Review project specifications and required image count.

• Conference with students about their concepts.

Work Session

Students will:

• Develop their Edible Architecture concept.

• Select their primary food/vegetable structure.

• Sketch the complete composition.

• Identify foreground, middle ground, and background.

• List at least 10 photographic elements.

• Begin researching appropriate high-resolution images.

• Revise their concept based on peer feedback.

Closing/Debrief

Students will share one change they made to their concept because of peer feedback.

Student-Centered Standard Language:

I can visualize and generate an original idea and use critique to revise my concept.
VAHSGD.CR.1, VAHSGD.CR.6, VAHSGD.RE.2

Class 2 – Photoshop Construction

Opening – Students Will...

• Review their sketches and identify the major components of their composition.

• Identify the Photoshop tools needed to begin construction.

Teacher Will...

• Demonstrate layer organization.

• Review selections, masks, transformations, and image placement.

• Demonstrate strategies for creating clean selections and removing backgrounds.

• Model how to establish foreground, middle ground, and background.

Work Session

Students will:

• Create their Photoshop document.

• Import and organize images.

• Begin constructing the edible architectural structure.

• Remove backgrounds and isolate objects.

• Establish the major foreground, middle ground, and background.

• Save their work using the correct file structure.

Closing/Debrief

Students will identify the Photoshop technique they used most successfully and explain how it helped communicate their idea.

Student-Centered Standard Language:

I can choose appropriate digital tools and techniques to construct my artwork.
VAHSGD.CR.2, VAHSGD.CR.3

Class 3 – Composition, Scale & Perspective

Opening – Students Will...

• Analyze their composition for scale, proportion, and perspective.

• Identify elements that appear visually inconsistent.

Teacher Will...

• Demonstrate how changing scale affects meaning and realism.

• Review perspective and spatial relationships.

• Demonstrate how to use transformation tools to adjust objects.

• Model how to create depth through overlapping and placement.

Work Session

Students will:

• Continue constructing their scene.

• Adjust the size and position of objects.

• Establish believable relationships between objects.

• Strengthen foreground, middle ground, and background.

• Add architectural and environmental details.

• Refine the visual hierarchy of the composition.

Closing/Debrief

Students will identify one compositional problem they discovered and explain the change they made to solve it.

Student-Centered Standard Language:

I can use composition, scale, proportion, and spatial relationships to create a unified artwork.
VAHSGD.CR.4

Class 4 – Blending, Lighting & Color

Opening – Students Will...

• Examine their composition for differences in lighting, color, value, and visual quality.

• Identify at least one area where images do not yet appear to belong together.

Teacher Will...

• Demonstrate techniques for matching lighting and color.

• Review opacity, blending modes, adjustment layers, shadows, highlights, and color correction.

• Demonstrate techniques for making multiple photographs appear to exist in the same environment.

Work Session

Students will:

• Refine masks and selections.

• Adjust color and value.

• Add or modify shadows and highlights.

• Blend photographic elements together.

• Correct inconsistencies in lighting.

• Continue refining the overall composition.

Closing/Debrief

Students will compare an original section of their composition with the revised version and explain how their changes improved visual unity.

Student-Centered Standard Language:

I can experiment with digital techniques to make separate photographic elements appear unified.
VAHSGD.CR.3, VAHSGD.CR.4

Class 5 – Critique, Revision & Refinement

Opening – Students Will...

• Conduct a structured peer critique of their current WIP.

• Identify strengths and areas for improvement.

• Use appropriate art vocabulary when discussing artwork.

Teacher Will...

• Facilitate peer critique.

• Model constructive criticism.

• Ask students questions about composition, concept, craftsmanship, and visual communication.

• Provide individual conferences and targeted feedback.

Work Session

Students will:

• Review peer feedback.

• Revise their composition.

• Refine edges and masks.

• Correct scale and perspective issues.

• Improve lighting and color.

• Strengthen the focal point.

• Add missing details.

• Complete final technical corrections.

Closing/Debrief

Students will write or verbally identify:

• One strength of their artwork.

• One problem they solved.

• One final improvement they still need to make.

Student-Centered Standard Language:

I can critique artwork, use feedback to identify problems, and revise my work to make it more effective.
VAHSGD.CR.5, VAHSGD.RE.2, VAHSGD.RE.3

Class 6 – Final Refinement & Presentation

Opening – Students Will...

• Complete a final quality-control check.

• Compare their artwork against the project specifications and rubric.

• Identify any remaining technical or visual problems.

Teacher Will...

• Review final submission requirements.

• Conduct individual final conferences as needed.

• Check that students have met the technical specifications.

• Facilitate final reflection and presentation.

Work Session

Students will:

• Complete final revisions.

• Check image resolution and document size.

• Confirm RGB color mode.

• Verify that at least 10 images have been used.

• Check composition and craftsmanship.

• Flatten/export the final JPEG as required.

• Apply the correct naming convention.

• Submit the final artwork.

Closing/Debrief

Students will reflect on their completed artwork:

1. What was the strongest part of your composition?

2. What Photoshop technique improved your artwork the most?

3. What did you change because of peer or teacher feedback?

4. What would you improve if you had additional time?

Students will participate in a brief class discussion or gallery-style review of completed work.

Student-Centered Standard Language:

I can present a finished artwork, reflect on my artistic decisions, and explain how revision improved my final composition.
VAHSGD.CR.5, VAHSGD.PR.1, VAHSGD.RE.1

Student Success Checklist

Before submitting, students should be able to answer yes to the following:

• My artwork transforms a fruit or vegetable into architecture.

• My composition contains at least 10 photographic images.

• I created a complete environment around my architecture.

• My composition has a foreground, middle ground, and background.

• My objects have believable scale and proportion.

• My perspective makes sense.

• My lighting is reasonably consistent.

• My colors work together.

• My selections and masks are clean.

• I used Photoshop techniques intentionally.

• I revised my work based on feedback.

• My final document is 11" × 17".

• My resolution is 150 dpi.

• My color mode is RGB.

• I used the correct naming convention.

• I exported and submitted the correct file.

Examples