Surreal activity: Draw without thinking
Free your unconscious mind by creating an artwork without using your eyes. This activity will help you enter a surreal state of mind and drown out the noise of your conscious mind. Music can be helpful.
An example of automatic drawing by Daniel Crichton-Rouse, 2021. Te Papa
Activity
For this activity, you’ll need:
a blindfold (or the willpower to keep your eyes shut!)
a blank sheet of paper
pencils.
Step 1: Close your eyes or use a blindfold, but...
...before you do, read through step 2 – you’ll need to remember it!
Step 2: Draw!
After you’ve closed your eyes, go ahead and draw. Don’t think! Just let your hand move.
Step 3: Open your eyes
Look closely at your artwork. Can you find a hidden picture within it? If you are working in a group, you could even pass your artwork to someone else – they might see something you can’t.
Step 4: Add lines and shading
Add lines or shading to emphasise parts of your artwork.
This activity has been adapted from the free-to-download surreal activities teaching resource
