Lesson 6

Studying Dalí: Gridding & Annotation

Workshop lesson — your study + annotation

✏️

→STUDY

Grid · Sketch · Annotate.
This is your workshop.Today: model annotation, gridding recap, then long workshop time.

Learning Objective:

Recall the State / Describe / Explain annotation frame
Use gridding to draw an accurate study of a Dalí piece
Write a full annotation using the writing frame

Teacher Print Tools

Catch-up

Page not finished yet? Here's your lane 👀

Most of you have a Dalí research page started. Today is mainly about the study + annotation. If your research page isn't quite done, follow the catch-up lane below.

🎯 Either way: the I Do / We Do slides apply to ALL of you — they're skill demos (annotation + gridding) you'll use in YOUR sketchbook today.

Arrival Task

Arrival Task — Review Your Page

Instructions: Open your sketchbook on your Dalí page. Read it. Make a tick-list of what's still to do.

Have you got…

A title?
5 facts about Dalí?
1 image stuck in?
Anything written about it?

Today's focus:

The drawing. Pick a Dalí image and draw it carefully using a grid.

Have you got…

Title + 6 facts in own words?
2+ images with titles?
A REACT response?
Juxtaposition explained?
Comparison sentence to Miró?

Today's focus:

Study + annotation. Use gridding for accuracy. Use State / Describe / Explain to annotate.

Have you got…

Creative title + 8+ facts in context?
3 images with mini-analysis?
Three-way comparison (Magritte/Miró/Dalí)?
Subconscious/Freud connection?
"Connection to my work" line?

Today's focus:

A high-quality study + a sophisticated annotation linking technique to meaning. Aim for tone, scale, and symbolism in the annotation.

Starter

Starter — Annotation Writing Frame

Instructions: Recall the writing frame. We'll use this every time we annotate. Three stages — you build them in order.

1️⃣ STATE

What is the basic info?

Artist's name · Title of work · Medium (oil, watercolour…) · Date / year painted

2️⃣ DESCRIBE

What can you see?

Foreground / mid-ground / background. Objects. Colours, tone, line, texture. Visual elements. Juxtaposition / scale / unusual choices.

3️⃣ EXPLAIN

Why? Meaning? Your reaction?

What the artist might mean. What it makes YOU feel. Connection to the artist's life or ideas (e.g., subconscious / Freud / dreams).

📋 Quick test yourself

For each phrase, decide: STATE, DESCRIBE or EXPLAIN?

"Painted in 1944 in oil." → STATE

"In the background, an elephant on long stilt-legs." → DESCRIBE

"Reminds me of a chaotic dream — feels uneasy." → EXPLAIN

Aspire: Top-band annotations weave the three stages together — they don't write three separate paragraphs labelled "state", "describe", "explain". Use the frame as a checklist, not a wall.

I Do

I Do: Model Annotation — Dalí's Bee Painting

Watch & note: I'll model a full annotation of Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second before Waking (1944). Reveal each stage in order.

1️⃣ STATE

Click below to reveal the STATE stage…

"This painting is by Salvador Dalí. It is called Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second before Waking. It is an oil painting on panel, painted in 1944."

2️⃣ DESCRIBE

Click below to reveal the DESCRIBE stage…

"In the background there is an elephant with absurdly long stilt-legs carrying a large rock-like crystal. In the mid-ground we see two tigers leaping from one another, and from a fish which itself leaps from a pomegranate. In front of the leaping tiger a rifle points at an unclothed reclining woman. There are many juxtapositions here — bizarre imagery contrasted with the relaxed pose of the woman, calm against the aggression of the tigers. Dalí emphasises warm colour and tone to give the work a Renaissance feel."

3️⃣ EXPLAIN

Click below to reveal the EXPLAIN stage…

"This piece feels chaotic and dreamlike. I think Dalí is showing the woman's subconscious mind — the bee, the rifle, the tigers may all be dream-images created at the moment of waking. The realistic detail makes the impossible scene feel believable, which makes me feel uneasy. This links to Dalí's interest in Freud's ideas about dreams."

Notice: the model uses juxtaposition, subconscious, tone, and Renaissance — your Word-Along-the-Way and 3 keywords from last lesson.

We Do

We Do: Co-Annotate Together

Instructions: Together, write ONE sentence for each stage about the dreamscape on the left. Whiteboards out.

Same dreamscape — write ONE sentence per stage

1️⃣ STATE

2️⃣ DESCRIBE

3️⃣ EXPLAIN

Sentence starters: "The artist is _____." | "There is a juxtaposition between _____ and _____." | "I think Dalí is showing _____."

I Do

I Do: Gridding — A Quick Recap

Reminder: You used gridding for your Magritte study. Same technique for Dalí. Four steps. Skip if confident.

Grid the imageDraw 2cm × 2cm squares over your printed Dalí image with a ruler.

Grid your pageSame number of squares on your sketchbook. Bigger if scaling up.

Box-by-boxCopy what's in each square, one at a time. Don't draw the whole shape.

Add tonePencil shading, watercolour, or coloured pencil. Match Dalí's warm/sunlit feel.

Image with grid

→

Sketchbook outline

Quality check: use a sharp pencil, light lines, box-by-box copying (not freehand). The grid does the proportion work for you.

We Do

🔍 We Do: Spot the Mistake

Instructions: A pupil wrote this annotation about Dalí's painting. Find 3 mistakes. Whiteboards out.

"This painting by Dalí is called The Persistence of Memory. It is a watercolour painted in 2004. In the painting I can see lots of weird stuff — an elephant with long legs, some tigers and a pomegranate. Dalí used bright primary colours like Miró did. The work is just weird and I don't really get it. I think it's lazy because anyone could paint random things."

Here are the mistakes:

Mistake 1 (STATE): Title is wrong. The painting described is Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate, NOT Persistence of Memory. Medium is oil on panel, not watercolour. Date is 1944, not 2004.
Mistake 2 (DESCRIBE): "Bright primary colours like Miró" — wrong. Dalí used warm sunlit naturalistic tones, not bold primaries. He's the opposite of Miró colour-wise.
Mistake 3 (EXPLAIN): "It's lazy because anyone could paint random things" — completely wrong. Dalí trained as a realistic painter. His work uses juxtaposition deliberately to access the subconscious mind — there's nothing random about it.

And missing: the EXPLAIN stage doesn't link to Freud, dreams, or the subconscious — that's the meaning the writer skipped.

Quality check before YOU write: Did I get the title, medium and date right? Did I describe what's actually IN the picture? Did I link the EXPLAIN to Dalí's BIG idea (the subconscious / dreams)?

Independent Work

Independent Work — Study + Annotation Workshop

This is the big block. Pick a Dalí image from the resource sheet, grid it, draw it, then annotate using STATE / DESCRIBE / EXPLAIN.

Foundation

Pick ONE simpler Dalí image from the sheet. Grid it (2cm×2cm). Copy outlines box-by-box. Add basic tone (pencil shading or one watercolour wash). Write STATE sentence (use the printed writing frame template).

Middle

Pick ONE Dalí image. Grid + accurate copy. Add tone using your chosen medium. Write STATE + DESCRIBE paragraphs. Include the keyword juxtaposition.

Higher

Pick ONE complex Dalí image. Detailed gridded study with developed tone (multiple media if appropriate). Full annotation: STATE + DESCRIBE + EXPLAIN, weaving in juxtaposition, subconscious, Freud and a comparison line to one other Surrealist.

🌉 Catch-up Path

Route B (research nearly done): finish research first (~5 min), then start gridding. Route C (Miró unfinished): finish Miró first, do Foundation Dalí research, study slips to next lesson.

📋 Scaffolding

Foundation: use the printed writing frame template — fill in the gaps. Middle: use sentence starters from the Starter slide. Higher: link technique to meaning in EXPLAIN.

🏆 Success Criteria

Foundation: gridded study, tone added, STATE complete on writing frame.

Middle: accurate study with tone, STATE + DESCRIBE paragraphs, juxtaposition used.

Higher: developed study, full STATE/DESCRIBE/EXPLAIN, technique linked to meaning, comparison line.

🎯 Last 2 mins: stop drawing, photograph your work, write your name on it, leave it in the marking pile.

Exit Ticket

Instructions: Answer independently. No notes.

1) What are the 3 stages of the annotation writing frame?

State, Describe, Explain.

2) Why do we use a grid when copying an image?

To draw accurately / get proportions right by copying box by box.

3) Name one thing that should go in the STATE part of an annotation.

Artist's name OR title of work OR medium OR date.

Knowledge Organiser (L6): Studying Dalí

Annotation Stage	What goes in it
1. STATE	Artist · Title · Medium · Date
2. DESCRIBE	Foreground / mid / background. Objects. Colour, tone, line, scale. Juxtaposition.
3. EXPLAIN	What the artist means. Your reaction. Link to ideas (Freud / dreams / subconscious).

Gridding step	Action
1	Grid the printed image (2cm × 2cm)
2	Grid your sketchbook page (same number of squares)
3	Copy box-by-box, NOT freehand
4	Add tone — pencil, watercolour, or coloured pencil

Keyword	Meaning
Juxtaposition	Two unrelated things side by side
Subconscious	Mind below conscious awareness
Renaissance	Classical revival — Dalí's later style
Dreamscape	Landscape that resembles a dream

Arrival Task — Review Your Page

Foundation

Tick what you've already got:

☐ A title ☐ 5 facts about Dalí ☐ 1 image stuck in ☐ Anything written about it

Today's focus: the gridded drawing.

Notes:

Middle

Tick what you've got:

☐ Title + 6 facts in own words ☐ 2+ images with titles ☐ REACT response ☐ Juxtaposition explained ☐ Comparison sentence to Miró

Today's focus: study + annotation.

Notes:

Higher

Tick what you've got:

☐ Creative title + 8+ facts in context ☐ 3 images with mini-analysis ☐ Three-way comparison ☐ Subconscious / Freud connection ☐ "Connection to my work" line

Today's focus: high-quality study + sophisticated annotation linking technique to meaning.

Notes:

🌉 Catch-up Bridge — Three Routes Today

Route	Plan
A — Research finished	Straight into the study + annotation
B — Research nearly done	5 min finish facts/REACT, then grid + draw. Annotation possibly homework.
C — Miró still unfinished	Finish Miró first (10 min), then start Foundation Dalí research. Study slips to next lesson.

Starter — Annotation Writing Frame

Stage	Includes	Example phrase
1. STATE	Artist, title, medium, date	"Painted by Dalí in 1944, oil on panel."
2. DESCRIBE	Objects, layout, colour, tone, juxtaposition	"In the background, an elephant on long stilt-legs."
3. EXPLAIN	Meaning, your reaction, link to ideas	"This feels like a chaotic dream — Dalí is showing the subconscious."

I Do — Model Annotation (Bee/Pomegranate, 1944)

STATE: This painting is by Salvador Dalí. It is called Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second before Waking. It is an oil painting on panel, painted in 1944.

DESCRIBE: In the background there is an elephant with absurdly long stilt-legs carrying a large rock-like crystal. In the mid-ground we see two tigers leaping from one another, and from a fish which itself leaps from a pomegranate. In front of the leaping tiger a rifle points at an unclothed reclining woman. Many juxtapositions: bizarre imagery against the relaxed pose of the woman, calm against tiger-aggression. Dalí emphasises warm colour and tone for a Renaissance feel.

EXPLAIN: This piece feels chaotic and dreamlike. Dalí is showing the woman's subconscious mind — the bee, rifle, tigers may be dream-images at the moment of waking. The realistic detail makes the impossible believable, which makes me feel uneasy. Links to Dalí's interest in Freud's writings on dreams.

We Do — Co-Annotate (your turn)

1️⃣ STATE. The artist is _____. The work is called _____, painted in _____.

2️⃣ DESCRIBE. In the foreground I can see _____. There is a juxtaposition between _____ and _____.

3️⃣ EXPLAIN. This makes me feel _____. I think Dalí is showing _____. It links to Freud's idea of _____.

We Do — Spot the Mistake

"This painting by Dalí is called The Persistence of Memory. It is a watercolour painted in 2004. In the painting I can see lots of weird stuff — an elephant with long legs, some tigers and a pomegranate. Dalí used bright primary colours like Miró did. The work is just weird and I don't really get it. I think it's lazy because anyone could paint random things."

Find 3 mistakes:

1. ____________________________________

2. ____________________________________

3. ____________________________________

Scaffolding – Foundation

Writing frame template:

This painting is by ___________. It is called ___________. It is painted in ___________. It was made in ___________.

In the picture I can see ___________.

This makes me feel ___________ because ___________.

Scaffolding – Middle

"In the foreground there is _____, in the mid-ground _____, in the background _____."

"There is a juxtaposition between _____ and _____."

"I think Dalí is exploring _____ because _____."

Scaffolding – Higher

Key terms to weave in: juxtaposition, subconscious, Freud, dreamscape, Renaissance brushwork, tonal contrast, scale distortion, symbolic, naturalistic, hyper-realism

Aim: link technique to meaning in EXPLAIN. Add one comparison line to Magritte or Miró.

Independent – Foundation

☐ Pick a simpler Dalí image ☐ Grid 2cm×2cm ☐ Copy box-by-box ☐ Add basic tone ☐ Write STATE on the writing frame

Independent – Middle

☐ Pick a Dalí image ☐ Grid + accurate copy ☐ Add tone ☐ Write STATE + DESCRIBE ☐ Use the keyword juxtaposition

Independent – Higher

☐ Pick a complex image ☐ Detailed gridded study with developed tone ☐ Full STATE + DESCRIBE + EXPLAIN ☐ Weave juxtaposition / subconscious / Freud ☐ One comparison line

Exit Ticket – Foundation

1) What are the 3 stages of the writing frame?

2) Why do we use a grid?

3) Name one thing in the STATE part of an annotation.

Exit Ticket – Middle

1) What goes into each stage — STATE, DESCRIBE, EXPLAIN?

2) Why must Dalí annotations mention the SUBCONSCIOUS?

3) Give an example of a juxtaposition in the Bee painting.

Exit Ticket – Higher

1) Why must STATE come before DESCRIBE before EXPLAIN — does order matter?

2) How does gridding help — and what does it NOT teach?

3) Should artists always link technique to meaning? Argue.

Dalí Study Complete!

Studying Dalí: Gridding & Annotation

Teacher Print Tools

Page not finished yet? Here's your lane 👀

Three routes today — pick yours

Arrival Task — Review Your Page

Have you got…

Today's focus:

Have you got…

Today's focus:

Have you got…

Today's focus:

Starter — Annotation Writing Frame

1️⃣ STATE

2️⃣ DESCRIBE

3️⃣ EXPLAIN

📋 Quick test yourself

I Do: Model Annotation — Dalí's Bee Painting

We Do: Co-Annotate Together

I Do: Gridding — A Quick Recap

🔍 We Do: Spot the Mistake

Independent Work — Study + Annotation Workshop

Foundation

Middle

Higher

🌉 Catch-up Path

📋 Scaffolding

🏆 Success Criteria

Exit Ticket

Knowledge Organiser (L6): Studying Dalí

Arrival Task — Review Your Page

Foundation

Middle

Higher

🌉 Catch-up Bridge — Three Routes Today

Starter — Annotation Writing Frame

I Do — Model Annotation (Bee/Pomegranate, 1944)

We Do — Co-Annotate (your turn)

We Do — Spot the Mistake

Scaffolding – Foundation

Scaffolding – Middle

Scaffolding – Higher

Independent – Foundation

Independent – Middle

Independent – Higher

Exit Ticket – Foundation

Exit Ticket – Middle

Exit Ticket – Higher