How to Make Surreal Art
- 1). Acquaint yourself with the masters of surrealism, such as Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali, Man Ray and Juan Miro. Surrealism is not just a visual movement, but a literary one as well. In a manifesto, Andre Breton set forth the principles of surrealism. He wrote about the importance of dreams and nonconformism. Understanding what it is about will help you create surreal art.
- 2). Choose a medium. More than with most art forms, surrealism is flexible. You can use pen and ink, collage, oil or any other combination of mediums.
- 3). Use free association. Let one image propel you to another, and don't restrict your art to things that connect. Violent images can be combined with dreamlike ones and placed next to erotic ones. You are free to create whatever your mind conceives.
- 4). Draw on images from your dreams. You can keep a journal and draw images right after you wake. The images themselves don't need to be realistic. In Dali's painting, "The Persistence of Memory," a glob-like image in the center is actually the painter's face transformed.
- 5). Have fun. Whimsy is an important element in surreal art. Images are often playful. Surrealists often presented themselves as artists who did not take themselves too seriously.
