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Surreal activities

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 abstract red squiggly drawing

Caption

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

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