This week, our students have finished exploring surrealism inspired by René Magritte. They discover how to see textures and colors in an entirely new way. By using vibrant colors and observing different types of clouds, students create their own surrealist artwork with acrylic painting.
Surrealist painters René Magritte was known for its dreamlike imagery, unexpected contexts, and use of ordinary objects. His skies were often a soft blue with crisp clouds that were hiding paradoxes and surprises—like birds made of sky. From Magritte, the students learn about reality could be twisted gently by using everyday objects.
In the first class, they first begin to plan and brainstorm. The students start deciding any ordinary objects or animals they like, such as: A window with curtains, a house, a door and so on. They also decide to choose the type kind of sky to create, such as: cloudy, sunset, stormy, sunny, ect. After brainstorming, they begin composition and laying out their scene.
For the next class, students start to paint their scene, focusing on various types of the clouds while adding in their own touch of dreamy imagery. From here, they learn how to:
Set up composition and layout
Observe and understand lighting and atmosphere
Acrylic painting techniques such as blending and texture
Understanding colors and contrast
We’re incredibly proud of the work our students created. From looking closely at the world, they start to create dreamlike and expressive art. We look forward to more exciting projects ahead in the Creative Minds program.
