Inspiration: Automatic Techniques
Surrealist artists are credited with developing a series of automatic techniques with the aim of freeing the imagination and removing conscious control from at least part of their creative process. The appealing thing about these techniques is that they help you get over the problem of staring at a blank canvas or wondering where to start. When you’re absolutely stuck for ideas and creative inspiration, why not give some of these a try:
Decalcomania
Decalcomania is a process of spreading thick paint on a canvas then covering it with another material such as paper or tin foil. This layer is then peeled back, leaving a pattern which becomes the basis for your work of art. The technique was used by surrealist artists including Max Ernst who used sheets of glass to create patterns which became artworks such as this:
Works using decalcomania by Max Ernst
Bulletism
Bulletism describes the technique of shooting or throwing ink at a blank piece of paper. The artist then develops the image based on what they see. Salvador Dali used this technique in images such as the one below:
Biblia Sacra 1- Sanctus Hieronymus by Salvador Dali
Basic technique (video)
Cubomania
Cubomania is a method of making collages in which a picture or image is cut into squares and the squares are then reassembled without regard for the image. The technique was first used by the Romanian surrealist Gherasim Luca.
Parsemage
Parsemage describes a technique where dust from charcoal or colored chalk is scattered on the surface of water and then skimmed off by running cardboard or heavy paper under the water’s surface. UK artist Ithell Colquhoun is credited with inventing the technique.
Grattage
Grattage is the act of scraping off dry pieces of paint from a canvas, resulting in random lines and shapes. The technique was used by surrealist artists including Max Ernst and Joan Miro.
The Entire City by Max Ernst
We’d like to hear about any similar automatic techniques you use in your work. Perhaps you’ve dabbled in a little paint throwing or maybe you’ve joined the photographers in Project Double X, swapping rolls of film to see what results you get. You might have even been brave enough to try camera tossing. We’d love to see some examples of work where part of your creative process has been left to chance.
Nat
Related groups: Project Double X, Surrealism, The Ressurrection of The Exquisite Corpse and The Voyage Of The Surrealists
Helen McLean
Great post Nat, thanks. I’ve experimented with quite a bit, thanks to the arts design course I did at TAFE. One of them was adding PVA glue to paper and while wet, randomly sprinkling instant coffee to it. Nice (and aromatic!) effect once dried.
community replied
I’ve heard of using sand in a similar way but I think coffee sounds much more appealing!
Gregory John O...
Agree, great post. Good reference
community replied
Thanks Gregory.
Juilee Pryor
gorden bennett… people tossing cameras…. crikey… maybe when we have our first proper RB Olympics we can have that instead of caber tossing….. just a thought….. :)
community replied
The RB Olympics … I wouldn’t want to have to clean up after that ;)
riverotter
How about painting parabolas. INSTEAD of tossing cameras … or perhaps I’m too faint-hearted? From the Digital Photography School online.
community replied
Beautiful results! ... And no risk of smashing expensive camera equipment. I think I prefer this technique :)
AmandaWitt
To create snow specks on a small 3D Christmas tree, I filled up a paintbrush with white paint, then flicked it with my finger all over the place.
community replied
I vaguely remember destroying my bedroom carpet using a similar technique for a painting I did at school …
Jakki O
Fab post Nat, my carpet could tell many stories of my automatic techniques… :D
Janis Zroback
Interesting post…I have done quite a few of these techniquess, but I see some more here for me to try…
I have experimented with many different techniques, the most recent is doing transfer printing using vodka with digital prints…it works beautifully…visitors to my studio are often surprised to see a large bottle of vodka sitting on the table and I have to quickly disabuse them of any wrong ideas they might have as to why it’s there…
community replied
I hope it’s not expensive vodka!
Tiffany Chroni...
One of the most recent ones that I’ve done is what I like to call bubble painting. I took acryllic paint and squirted some in a bottle of bubble mix then blew the colored bubbles at a piece of poster board. The bubbles pop, leaving a lovely pattern on the paper. I had some pictures of them, I cant seem to find them now.
Another idea I had required the help of my cat. I put his paws in some paint and sat him down on a large canvas. He walked around, leaving cute paw prints all over.
community replied
There’s a similar bubble technique which involves blowing bubbles in a tray or dish then laying the paper over them. My sister tried the second technique with the neighbour’s cat, Hamish when she was little. He wasn’t too impressed!
aglaia b
great reading nat! thanks. ;-) xox
Elizabeth Bravo
This is very nice…..I appreciate the inspiration. I often use these ideas…....but didn’t know they had a name or were developed by someone…...long ago. I love to glob paint on the canvas and spray it down until there is just enough left to leave an idea of what I might do.
Great Journal!! Thanks
gabryshak
very cool article nat… it’s like a mini art lesson!!
i’d never heard of some of the techniques
♥t
coppertrees
Wonderful article, great art choices
Josh Hakman
High Definition Range photography is an area in which I have been experimenting to achieve a surreal appearance to an image. It is achieved by taking 3 varied exposures of exactly the same subject, and then combining them. It allows you to achieve a much higher definition as it combines the extremes of highlights and shadows. See example below:
Duncan Waldron
A while back, I accidentally made a long exposure while moving the camera. The effect was interesting, so I repeated it a few times until I had something I liked. The possibilities are, of course, endless!
Rita Blom
Interesting to look at and learn, thank you.
Sharon K. Shubert
I enjoy using rubbing alcohol, or salt, or white waxy pencils or crayons with watercolor. I also like to lay a piece of sarah wrap over wet watercolor on paper and smush it around…...let it dry, then peel the wrap off. You’ll be amazed at the cool effects that have formed underneath.
If you’ll dip a Q-tip into rubbing alcohol, then dab it into wet watercolor you’ve just laid down on paper, the watercolor will pull away from the alcohol. You can also drip or splash alcohol for cool effects.
Here’s another…..draw with clear waxy pencil (or use white) onto your watercolor paper, then paint over. The watercolor will not soak through the wax, so the design you drew will show through the paint. Salt makes things interesting too, forming cool textural designs. It’s fun experimenting with watercolor, a very cool medium!
Sharon K. Shubert
I meant SARAN WRAP, not sarah wrap. :(
Rosalie Scanlon
Great information, now do one for photography.
Lynsye Medalia
Very cool! I’m working on a series that’s rather automatic…..I guess it’s kind of like Bulletism…I don’t know if it has a name or not. Anyway….I paint a colored background, then I take my acrylics and water them down. I then drip little droplets of the paint on to the canvas. Then, I blow through a straw right above the paint drip….this makes the ink spray and move like ink blots! I just randomly drip these on and they become the leaves for my trees….the tree trunk and branches take shape from the randomness of the drops. It’s a lot of fun and really gets me past that block of what do I paint next?! :)
Sharon Mau
This page is a good read. Mahalo for all the wonderful links and fascinating information. Aloha ‘oe