Surrealism Art Lesson: Student Favorites

I recently did a Surrealism art lesson with my students for the first time and was surprised by how much they liked it. It’s often interesting which lessons students like, so I decided to start writing about some of my student’s favorite lessons. I spend a lot of time researching, buying supplies and writing lesson plans. It’s all worth it when the lesson is a hit with the students! Here’s how I did the Surrealism art lesson and why I think it was such a hit.

Getting Them Hooked

I introduced the lesson to my students by showing them some examples of Surrealism and having a class critique of “Persistence of Memory” by Salvador Dali. Afterwards, the discussion was great. They had so many differing views, interpretations and responses. My students were hooked and engaged immediately. I think it is important to hook them and excite them about the lesson prior to getting started and the Surrealism art lesson definitely did that.

Surrealism Art Lesson Objectives

Surrealism Art Lesson Student Artwork — Student artwork example using alcohol markers

Next, I proposed the lesson and objectives as a problem they had to solve. I told the students to morph two objects together and then draw the objects in a realistic way. The artwork should have personal meaning. This was a lot to digest. The students spent two class periods just planning their art. The students shared their ideas with each other and we also brainstormed as a class. Lastly, I conferenced with my students after they had their final idea sketched and planned.

The Freedom of Surrealism

I think one of the reasons the students loved this lesson so much was the freedom it gave them. They chose the medium in which they were most comfortable creating realistic art. Some of my students excel at painting, while others prefer a pencil and paper. This choice was key in making everyone comfortable and allowing more time to focus on the subject matter.

student working on surrealism art lesson — Student working on surrealism watercolor.

The other freedom they enjoyed was the ability to choose the subject matter of their art. The personal connection allowed students to create art they wanted to create. Most of my students like to make art about themselves. For example, a few students chose to draw portraits, while others drew a snake. The choice in subject matter allowed for all students to be successful. I made it very clear, draw an object you can draw on your own without any assistance. Yes, it is important to draw portraiture, however, a challenging lesson can cause some students to shut down and give up on their artwork.

Taking Some Time

We spent two weeks on this lesson. I typically like to keep lessons short and about a week in length. However, the students were so engaged in looking at this art, critiquing the art and creating the art we needed more time for the finished product.

I think the students enjoyed slowing down a bit and really putting some time into the planning stage which set themselves up for success.

The final results of the Surrealism lesson were stunning. A lovely variety of medium, subject matter and skill. The students were all proud of their final outcome and begging to create more Surrealism in the future. I love wrapping up a lesson, even more so when the outcome is so successful. If you are interested in the complete Surrealism lesson plan click here.

Thanks, Trista

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I’ve been teaching art for over 20 years and I love it!

I have taught every grade from kindergarten to high school. This site features art education articles with art resources and ideas as well as art lesson ideas for all ages. My goal is to allow students to explore a variety of art materials, discover different genres and styles, and most importantly, have FUN!