Help with Surrealism Project...

[Courtney Mae]

I need to do a pen & ink surrealism project for art. It needs to have a foreground, background, and middleground, and some other stuff I don't remember. Anyway, here's my rough draft that I have so far. Any constructive critisism, suggestions, or ideas to finish it (need to fill in that gigantic blank space) would be wonderful. (Sorry for the bad picture, I'm going to blame AOL) Oh, and if you can't tell, it's a skeleton marionette sitting on a box containing the universe, he's recieving a blood transfusion (AB-, mind you) While there are umbrella's floating in the sky with nooses on them, and one noose is hanging another marionette by the neck. And yes, that tree is meant to be one-sided.

[Seeker]

Hmm, what were you going to do with the lower right hand corner? The entire theme of your drawing seems to be kind of dark and spooky. How about putting something unexpected in the lower right that clashes with the rest of the drawing? Maybe some daisies or a puppy? Just a thought. Wish I could draw

[Distant Clone]

You can draw a lot better than I can, I would give you an A. By the way, is there any defined way to judge something surreal? I guess you have a grade sheet, but other than that, here are my suggestions. Upon inspection, it seems natural to have a rock, and one or more cactus(es) in a desert, perhaps with a tumbleweed. Of course, a sheep and something (possibly the sheep) with a giant infection might work. Consider putting something like the sun with a giant eyeball in the upper left corner. Edit: Can't you just have a dream about this, and let your subconscious mind fill it in? Maybe you should lay in bed with it and stare at it before you fall asleep. A grenade and Rubik's cube also come to mind. A 5x5x5 cube specifically, instea of 3x3x3, but those might be hard to draw in black and white.

[Burns]

Nice drawing! Did you just draw random things that came to mind? How did you decide what to draw?

[Courtney Mae]

Seeker- I'm not sure what I'm doing with the lower right corner. Lol, that's kinda one of the things I needed help with. I would go with the daisies, but I think that would throw off the 'general feeling' like you said. And I'm not sure if I'm getting graded on that or not. Distant Clone- I really like the grenade idea. And you're dream idea too, but I'm still working on LD'ing, and even just inducing normal dreams. I'll definately try though! Burns- Well, surrealistic drawings are basically just things that dont' happen, or aren't expected to happen. There's a bunch of terms, juxa-something-tation...long words to describe different techniches used to achieve a 'surrealistic' affect. Things like an object being abnormally large, or small (the universe in the box), Personification of an inanimate object, Umm....there's more, I forget. But at first I was just going for a nightmareish thing (with lots of puppets, no less)....but then I got a little off, what with the blood transfusion and all. And then I just like floating umbrella's I guess...

[poeticDreamer]

Ack! One of my favorite words! It's Juxtaposition, and it means to place alongside. Often used in literature and art to describe how two ideas or principles, often opposite or unexpected, are placed side by side. I learned that word my junior year of high school, and I still love it. Feel free to roll your eyes at the future English teacher. Oh yeah, and I think you've got a good start on the drawing. Maybe take a look at some of Dali's work, you might find some inspiration there. I like the idea of a grenade, but not a grenade alone. As long as we're talking juxtaposition, what would you NOT expect to find with a grenade?

[Seeker]

hmmm.... fitting in with the general theme..... it's going to be tough to populate that corner. Maybe a road winding toward the horizon of some strange mountains?

[Felix Ahlner]

Surrealism? What about Dubya and Ahmadinejad walking towards the sunset holding hands, kissing each other and throwing flowers at people? Anyway, why not change the skeleton to a … mummy, you know, someone who still has some tissue left, and who might benefit from a blood transfusion (or does that make it too realistic? ) BEWARE! This picture is basically the mummified remains of some old Mexicans, they look a bit uncomfortable, and they may cause you some uncomfort, I don’t know … http://www.bigbamboostock.com/photos/1MX04...ied-remains.jpg Here’s a mummified family: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditio...es/CR002211.jpg Things like an object being abnormally large, or small[/b] I propose that the lower right hand corner should be populated by ants and butterflies, filming the skeleton/mummy, with old fashion cameras: What about the nooses from the tree, are they also hanging from umbrellas, or is that a question whose answer one will find only by looking deep inside oneself? What’s happening with the lowest part of the tree? And, what colour should the sky be?

[Burns]

Originally posted by Felix Ahlner I propose that the lower right hand corner should be populated by ants and butterflies, filming the skeleton/mummy, with old fashion cameras: Yeah, the old-fashioned camera filiming the skeleton getting the blood transfusion would be really freaky! And it would kinda bring the whole picture together. Good idea!

[Courtney Mae]

Wow, tons of responses. Anyway, I'll admit, that first picture kinda scared me. But I like the idea of mummies and cameras. Unfortunately, this morning, I added something in the area that the camera would have had to go in order for it to look as if it where filming the skeleton: (yes, it's a light bulb with a pistol in it, reflection to a light bulb with a goldfish in it I really should find a way to incorporate that camera though. <Edit: Should I remove the light bulbs? It doesn't really fit with everything else.> Also, just a note, this is a rough draft for a pen & ink project on bristol, so there will be no color.

[shark!]

wow...I love the lightbulb! ha it would be really surreal if you had Mr.T and his A-team truck kicking it oldschool in the background...ok maybe bad idea. A good way to get some surreal inspiration thats a lot easier then inducing a ld...just eat some lysergic acid diethylamide. Anyways gl with that art...

[Felix Ahlner]

Nothing wrong with the light bulbs, and I think you can still fit a camera there Ant-sized perhaps?

[dudesuperior]

It looks cool What of the background though? Perhaps you could draw some wierd shaped mountains or a big eye watching everything from behind. And you could try to draw different shading/textures for the ground.

[Howie]

I like spooky. Because you want to establish a foreground, middle ground and a background (If you have to) I think that you should begin to focus on where the light source is coming from. You then can begin to deepen the shading and in return you will gain depth!

[Gwendolyn]

I love your drawing. It's so...different! That rocks. I love the umbrellas....The skeleton...It is a great picture.

[italianmonkey]

... why not some far far far away mountains on the horizon and the white tower of the neverending story?

[boldtypespark]

Good stuff C-dawg, Im in love with that picture.

[Courtney Mae]

To fill that blank spot, I drew a tyranasaurus (sp?) rex skull. It looks really out of place, I'll post a picture when I get one and I want your guys' honest opinions.

[Xanous]

Do you still need help with this? When are you going to post the new pic? I've waited sooooo long! I really want to give you my *honest opinion*. I know a lot about this sort of thing. Just PM me and let me know. K?

[Xanous]

[Cubellius]

Yeah she's probably still working on it, I mean it's only been like 8 years..

[OpheliaBlue]

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