Surrealist Scene

ASSIGNMENT

Students will create a surrealist/fantasy digital composition in Adobe Photoshop inspired by dreams and imagination. The final artwork should visually communicate a personal dreamlike or fantastical narrative in which the student is the central focus. Students will combine at least 15 images/elements using advanced compositing techniques such as masking, blending, color grading, and lighting adjustments to produce a cohesive surreal scene.

Students will study the work of Surrealist painters such as Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, and René Magritte, as well as contemporary digital surrealists like Mario Nevado, Ted Chin, Herri Susanto, and Erik Johansson to inform their visual choices.

The final piece should demonstrate creativity, technical skill, and conceptual depth while clearly emphasizing the student as the focal point of the composition.

Big Ideas

• Art can express the subconscious mind and personal identity.

• Surreal imagery allows artists to communicate emotions and ideas beyond reality.

• Digital tools expand the possibilities of imaginative storytelling.

• Composition, lighting, and color unify complex visual scenes.

• Personal experience and dreams can be transformed into meaningful artwork.

Essential Questions

• How can surrealism visually represent dreams and subconscious thoughts?

• In what ways can digital compositing communicate personal identity?

• How do artists use contrast, scale, and juxtaposition to create emphasis?

• What techniques make a surreal composition feel believable?

• How does imagination influence artistic decision-making?
  
  

Vocabulary

• Surrealism – An artistic movement that explores the subconscious through dreamlike and irrational imagery.

• Imagination – The ability to form mental images and create ideas beyond present reality.

• Fantasy – Creative expression that depicts unrealistic or dreamlike scenarios.

• Composition – The arrangement of visual elements within an artwork.

• Emphasis – A principle of design that draws attention to a focal point.

• Juxtaposition – Placing contrasting elements close together for effect.

• Layer Mask – A Photoshop tool used to hide or reveal parts of an image non-destructively.

• Blending Modes – Photoshop settings that determine how layers interact visually.

• Color Grading – Adjusting color tones to unify an composition.

• Photomontage – A collage made by combining multiple photographs into one image.

• Scale – The size relationship between objects in an artwork.

• Atmosphere – The mood or feeling created by lighting and color.

Project Requirements

• Include a clear photo of yourself as the focal point.

• Use 15 or more images/elements.

• Demonstrate advanced Photoshop compositing techniques.

• Create a cohesive surreal/fantasy environment.

• Submit a final high-resolution digital image.

• Include a short written artist statement explaining your concept.

6-Class Project Timeline

Class 1 – Introduction & Concept Development

• Introduction to Surrealism and artist examples

• Brainstorming dream imagery and themes

• Sketching concept thumbnails

• Planning image needs and shooting self-portrait
  
  

Class 2 – Image Gathering & Setup

• Photograph student portraits

• Source or create additional imagery

• Begin Photoshop canvas setup

• Rough composition layout
  
  

Class 3 – Compositing Foundations

• Masking and layering techniques

• Integrating 5–7 elements

• Establishing focal point and scale
  
  

Class 4 – Advanced Integration

• Adding remaining elements

• Refining lighting and shadows

• Beginning color grading

• Instructor feedback and revision
  
  

Class 5 – Refinement & Detail

• Texture and atmospheric effects

• Final color adjustments

• Composition polishing

• Artist statement draft
  
  

Class 6 – Finalization & Critique

• Final edits and export

• Submit finished artwork

• Class critique and reflection

• Artist statement submission

Specifications

• Size: 11” ×x 17”

• Resolution: 150 dpi

• Color Mode: RGB

• Orientation: Portrait or Landscape

• Images: Minimum of 10 high-resolution images

• Important: LOOK FOR HIGH RES IMAGES

• DO NOT USE IMAGES WITH WATERMARKS
  
  

Free stock image resources:

• https://www.freeimages.com

• https://unsplash.com/

• https://www.pexels.com/

• https://pixabay.com/

• https://burst.shopify.com/

• https://kaboompics.com/

• https://stocksnap.io/

Grading Criteria

Students will be graded on:

• Correct Naming Convention: LastName_FirstName_ProjectName.jpeg

• YOU are the focus of the scene

• Using appropriate images to create your scene

• Aesthetics

• Imagination

• Creativity

• Effective use of class time

For inspiration

• google "surreal photoshop"

• google "fantasy Photoshop"
  
  

Part 1 (10/06)

• Homework 

  • Take a digital photo of yourself in the pose that you want to be in for the scene e.g, if you will be holding a sword pose like you are holding a sword

    • Take several photos do not just rely on one

    • DO NOT take photos inside your house or a building

    • Make sure the photos have good ligthing and place yourself where you want the light souce in your scene to come from 

    • If you do not have a way to take a digital photo you must tell me/ask for my help prior to the dude date

  • Submission Link 

    • Take a photo of your work and upload it to the link above

    • Make sure you do not see the shadow of your phone in the image and the images is not blurry

    • If you do not have a phone with a camera let me know

Part 2 (10/16)

• Sketch

  • Sketch your idea. This does not have to be a fully rendered sketch, but it needs to be detailed enough for me to tell what the items are

  • Use an appropriate number of images to composite the scene together

  • Submission Link 

    • Take a photo of your work and upload it to the link above

    • Make sure you do not see the shadow of your phone in the image, and the image is not blurry

    • If you do not have a phone with a camera, let me know

Part 3 (10/28)

• Work in Progress (WIP)

  • You should be roughly half way finished with your project. Upload your progress as a jpg using the Correct Naming Convention: LastName_FirstName_ProjectName.jpeg

  • Submission Link 

  • Critique 10/10

Part 4 (11/12)

• Upload your final image as a JPG using the Correct Naming Convention: Block - LastName_FirstName_ProjectName.jpeg e.g, 1A-TaylorKinteSurreal.jpg

• Submission Link 

• Critique 10/15

Examples

Graphic Design Standards

Creating

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

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

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

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

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

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

Presenting

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

Responding

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

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

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

Connecting

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

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

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