Make the impossible look believable.
Combine two ordinary things into one extraordinary artwork. Expect a surprise twist!
Be inventive
A clever idea matters more than “perfect” drawing.
Make it bold
Draw large, overlap shapes and fill the page.
Hide a clue
Your final image will contain a secret symbol.
🧑🏫 Set the scene in 20 seconds: “You are forgers. Tonight we fake a masterpiece.” Then move straight on.
Real artwork or ridiculous invention?
Hold up 1, 2 or 3 fingers: which one is a real Surrealist idea?
1. Melting clocks
2. Lobster telephone
3. Long-legged elephants
🧑🏫 It’s a trick — all three are real. Take answers fast; no hands-up debate.
Creative collision
Draw them as ONE object. You have 90 seconds. Strange is good!
🧑🏫 Roll 2–3 combos until the class reacts, then lock it. 90 seconds only — stop them mid-line.
Create the stolen masterpiece
Your artwork must…
- Combine two recognisable things
- Fill most of the page
- Include tone, texture or colour
- Respond to the surprise twist
- Have an intriguing title
Remember
You are not drawing something that exists.
You are inventing it. A clever solution can beat a technically perfect drawing.
🛤️ Every route counts
- Trace or copy one object — invent only the merge
- Labelled diagram — blueprint the impossible object
- Collage — cut, stick and combine
- Words first — write the title and sales pitch, draw last
Real Surrealists traced and collaged all the time.
🧑🏫 Point at “Every route counts” — name no pupils, just say all four routes score equally.
Two tiny plans. Then choose.
Plan A: Close-up
Make the hybrid object huge. Crop part of it off the page.
Plan B: Strange location
Place it somewhere unexpected: underwater, in space or in a classroom.
Circle your strongest plan. Keep it tiny—this is thinking, not finishing.
🧑🏫 Tiny thumbnails, 30 seconds each. Circling a plan = commitment; praise the choice, not the drawing.
Build your impossible object
Fill most of the page.
Do not draw two separate things side by side.
Use light, medium and dark—or controlled colour.
Add texture, shadow, pattern or reflection.
Teacher: reveal after about 5 minutes of drawing. Do not restart — adapt!
🧑🏫 Circulate; praise starts and size. Stuck script: “Draw one object’s body, swap one part.” Twist at ~5 min.
Hide the secret clue
Add one tiny symbol naturally within your artwork. Keep it secret.
Eye
Key
Tiny door
Lightning bolt
Then give your masterpiece an intriguing title.
🧑🏫 Whisper-level task. Finished early? Add a second hidden symbol.
Stand back. Look closely. Place your bid.
Creativity Bid
Which combination is the most inventive?
Skill Bid
Where is tone, texture or colour used best?
Mystery Bid
Which artwork makes you want to look again?
Choose fairly—bid for the artwork, not your friend.
🧑🏫 Bids point at artwork, never at people. Redirect any “that’s rubbish” to a bid category.
What made the impossible look believable?
A
A strange and original idea
B
Careful tone, texture and detail
C
A powerful combination of both
Hold up A, B or C — then justify your answer.
Stem: “It looked believable because…”
🧑🏫 C is the strongest answer but any justified answer wins. Use the stem for pupils who freeze.