Exploring Surrealism in Artistic Drawing: Techniques for the Unconventional
Surrealism is an avant-garde movement that appeared during the early years of the 20th century to free the imagination and reach the subconscious. The approach encourages the creator to approach subjects that have little to do with reality and more related to the subconscious. For the writer, it will explain in a step-by-step process how one can unlock surrealism from their drawing sheet, inviting artists to break out from the ordinary and go for the extraordinary.
1. Automatic Drawing
One of the most fundamental techniques of surrealist drawing, is automatic drawing, a process whereby one draws without thought of conscious intent. The hand can flow over the paper, leading to the shapes and forms that occur organically. To practice automatic drawing, take a blank sheet and let your pencil draw without any planning or controlling outcome. This can reveal thoughts and feelings within you, serving as a springboard for further investigation.
2. Juxtaposition of Images
The surrealistic atmosphere thrives on the jarringly mixed incongruous. Juxtaposition is putting together unassociated ideas in an often unsettling sense of surprise or confusion. To illustrate this device, go with two or more things that are unlikely to occur together - a clock and a fish, for example. Draw these items as if the juxtaposition leads one's mind to curiosity or story telling. This device forces the viewer to understand in new ways and question his or her perception of reality.
3. Imagery of Dreams
Surrealism is heavily rooted in the dream world, where the bizarre and illogical reigns. To include dream imagery into your drawings, start by keeping a dream journal. Write down your dreams the moment you wake up, including vivid details, strange characters, and surreal landscapes. Use this as inspiration for your drawings, more or less translating the dreamscape onto the page. This could render an interesting mix of fantasy and reality, hence the essence of the surreal.
4. Distorted Perspectives
Distorting perspective is also another medium in implementing surrealistism. Distortion gives you a feeling of discomfort or even shakes the viewer's perception of space. Enjoy scaling and proportioning in your drawings. Take tiny things and make them enormous and vice versa. This distortion will carry out a dream-like ambience and give the viewer a way out of reality into a world where the mundane becomes fabulous.
5. Symbolism and Metaphor
Even surreal art often utilizes symbols and metaphoric language in order to have even more suggested. Utilize symbols that you believe speak to you heart or life to elaborate your drawings. Such as, a shattered mirror is used to depict shattered identity while the maze symbolizes confusion. Through overlaying multiple meaning within your artwork, you give the viewer permission to look deeper into your pieces of art and inspires them to determine their own interpretation.
Conclusion
Surrealism, within the medium of artistic drawing, is a fantastic journey through the land of the unconscious, and those techniques of automatic drawing, juxtaposition, dream imagery, distorted perspective, and symbolism can really free the artist from the limits of conventionality to convey their unique visions. Let go of the neurotic tie to the ordinary because, in reality, surrealism is about victory over the mundane to tap into the extraordinary reserves of the mind. Surrealism is a wonderful source of creativity inspiration for an experience of new imagination whether you are a professional artist or just at the very beginning.
Exploring Surrealism in Artistic Drawing: Techniques for the Unconventional
