With the help of these 50 Dreamlike Surrealism prompts, artists can unlock their imagination and create breathtaking masterpieces that challenge our perceptions of reality. This artistic style originated in the early 20th century and is characterized by its use of the irrational and unconscious mind to depict dreamlike and imaginary scenes. These prompts provide a detailed description of the subject to be drawn, along with additional modifiers such as art genres, styles, mediums and techniques, lighting settings, color settings, and suitable descriptive terms. They also include the three most suitable artists for generating the subject. From landscapes to cosmic imagery, these prompts offer endless possibilities for artists to explore their creativity and push the boundaries of what is possible.

50 text-to-image prompts for creating dreamlike surrealism paintings

1. A scene of a bedroom with furniture and objects floating in the air, creating a sense of weightlessness and wonder; Bedroom, Floating; Dreamlike Surrealism; Oil, Collage; Dim, natural lighting; Pastel colors of pink and blue; weightless, wonderful; by Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali, and Yves Klein; Unreal engine 5
2. A portrait of a woman with a starry sky instead of skin and planets instead of eyes, creating a sense of vision and space; Woman, Space; Dreamlike Surrealism; Acrylic, Digital; Bright, cosmic lighting; Sparkling colors of blue and silver; visionary, cosmic; by Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, and David Hockney; Unreal engine 5
3. A landscape of a forest with trees and animals made of candy, chocolate, and ice cream, creating a sense of sweetness and fantasy; Forest, Candy; Dreamlike Surrealism; Watercolor, Sculpture; Colorful, artificial lighting; Vibrant colors of red and green; sweet, fantastical; by Hans Christian Andersen, Willy Wonka, and Claes Oldenburg; Unreal engine 5
4. A composition of a human eye with a clock face instead of iris and pupil, creating a sense of time and perception; Eye, Time; Dreamlike Surrealism; Pencil, Ink; Cool, artificial lighting; Monochromatic with shades of gray; temporal, perceptive; by Leonardo da Vinci, Rene Magritte, and Salvador Dali; Unreal engine 5
5. A painting of a city with buildings and streets made of books, papers, and letters, creating a sense of literacy and knowledge; City, Literature; Dreamlike Surrealism; Oil, Mixed Media; Bright, artificial lighting; Sepia colors of brown and beige; literary, urban; by Jorge Luis Borges, M.C. Escher, and Barbara Kruger; Unreal engine 5
6. A giant octopus emerging from the ocean and attacking a lighthouse; Adventure, Horror; Surrealism, Expressionism; Oil, Mixed media; Dramatic, contrasted lighting; Vibrant, complementary colors; terrifying, chaotic; by Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, and Frida Kahlo; Unreal engine 5
7. A floating island with a castle and a waterfall in the sky; Fantasy, Mystery; Surrealism, Romanticism; Digital, Collage; Bright, natural lighting; Pastel, analogous colors; whimsical, dreamy; by Rene Magritte, Caspar David Friedrich, and Joseph Cornell; Unreal engine 5
8. A human face with multiple eyes and mouths on different parts of the body; Distortion, Illusion; Surrealism, Cubism; Pencil, Charcoal; Dark, shadowy lighting; Monochromatic, grayscale colors; bizarre, unsettling; by Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, and M.C. Escher; Unreal engine 5
9. A forest of giant mushrooms and insects with human faces; Fantasy, Nature; Surrealism, Pop art; Acrylic, Spray paint; Colorful, psychedelic lighting; Saturated, triadic colors; surreal, playful; by Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama, and Takashi Murakami; Unreal engine 5
10. A clock melting on a tree branch in a desert landscape; Time, Decay; Surrealism, Dadaism; Oil, Collage; Warm, muted lighting; Earthy, neutral colors; absurd, symbolic; by Salvador Dali, Hannah Hoch, and Man Ray; Unreal engine 5
11. A woman with butterfly wings and a snake tail flying over a cityscape; Transformation, Freedom; Surrealism, Art Nouveau; Watercolor, Ink; Cool, soft lighting; Harmonious, split-complementary colors; elegant, graceful; by Gustav Klimt, Alphonse Mucha, and Remedios Varo; Unreal engine 5
12. A man with a fish head and a suit sitting at a desk with a typewriter; Absurdity, Work; Surrealism, Surreal humor; Digital, Pixel art; Flat, artificial lighting; Desaturated, tetradic colors; humorous, ironic; by Terry Gilliam, David Shrigley, and Banksy; Unreal engine 5
13. A bird cage with a human head inside and a bird perched on top; Captivity, Escape; Surrealism, Symbolism; Oil, Mixed media; Dim, directional lighting; Contrasted, complementary colors; mysterious, intriguing; by Rene Magritte, Odilon Redon, and Leonora Carrington; Unreal engine 5
14. A staircase that leads to nowhere in an empty room; Paradox, Isolation; Surrealism, Minimalism; Acrylic, Collage; Neutral, ambient lighting; Monochromatic, achromatic colors; simple, stark; by M.C. Escher, Piet Mondrian, and Robert Rauschenberg; Unreal engine 5
15. A human body with animal parts and plants growing out of it; Hybridity, Nature; Surrealism, Biomorphism; Pencil, Charcoal; Soft, natural lighting; Earthy, analogous colors; organic, grotesque; by Joan Miro, Henry Moore, and Louise Bourgeois; Unreal engine 5
16. A chess board with human figures as pieces and a giant hand moving them; Strategy, Fate; Surrealism, Neoclassicism; Oil, Tempera; Bright, contrasted lighting; Balanced, triadic colors; realistic, dramatic; by Salvador Dali, Jacques-Louis David, and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres; Unreal engine 5
17. A train coming out of a fireplace in a living room; Displacement, Surprise; Surrealism, Photorealism; Digital, Airbrush; Warm, cozy lighting; Rich, analogous colors; detailed, immersive; by Rene Magritte, Chuck Close, and Audrey Flack; Unreal engine 5
18. A human eye with a landscape inside and a cloud as the iris; Vision, Imagination; Surrealism, Landscape painting; Watercolor, Ink; Cool, soft lighting; Harmonious, split-complementary colors; delicate, expressive; by Rene Magritte, John Constable, and Claude Monet; Unreal engine 5
19. A skeleton playing a violin in a graveyard; Death, Music; Surrealism, Romanticism; Oil, Mixed media; Dark, eerie lighting; Contrasted, complementary colors; macabre, poetic; by Salvador Dali, Francisco Goya, and Caspar David Friedrich; Unreal engine 5
20. A cake with candles and human teeth on top; Birthday, Horror; Surrealism, Pop art; Acrylic, Collage; Colorful, festive lighting; Saturated, triadic colors; surreal, shocking; by Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, and Damien Hirst; Unreal engine 5
21. A mystical forest with a towering tree in the center, surrounded by glowing mushrooms and creatures; Fantasy, Nature; Oil, Impressionism; Low-key lighting; Earthy tones with pops of neon; ethereal, fantastical; by Hieronymus Bosch, Remedios Varo, and Yayoi Kusama; Unreal engine 5
22. An otherworldly landscape with a shimmering aurora overhead and crystalline formations below; Space, Nature; Digital Art, Realism; High contrast lighting; Iridescent, cool tones; cosmic, ethereal; by Leonora Carrington, Salvador Dali, and Yves Tanguy; Unreal engine 5
23. A surreal portrait of a person with a head made of flowers and a body composed of a variety of animals; Portraiture, Nature; Mixed Media, Surrealism; Warm, diffused lighting; Vibrant, bold colors; intricate, bizarre; by Frida Kahlo, Max Ernst, and René Magritte; Unreal engine 5
24. An expansive seascape with a giant, glowing jellyfish looming in the foreground and a distant storm on the horizon; Seascape, Nature; Acrylic, Expressionism; Low-key lighting; Deep blues and purples with highlights of electric pink; eerie, majestic; by Hokusai, Odilon Redon, and Remedios Varo; Unreal engine 5
25. A dystopian cityscape with towering buildings, floating islands, and futuristic vehicles; Cityscape, Sci-fi; Digital Art, Post-modernism; Neon, flickering lighting; Monochromatic with shades of blue and yellow; futuristic, ominous; by Syd Mead, HR Giger, and Moebius; Unreal engine 5
26. A dystopian cityscape with towering skyscrapers surrounded by a glowing neon aura; Cyberpunk, Futuristic; Oil painting, Digital art; Dark and moody lighting with flickering lights; A monochromatic palette of blue and purple with pops of neon; complex, intricate, futuristic; by Syd Mead, Simon Stålenhag, and Masamune Shirow; Unreal engine 5
27. An ethereal moonscape with a cosmic, aurora-filled sky; Science fiction, Astral; Digital art, Acrylic; Soft, glowing lighting with a diffused, dreamy quality; A pastel color palette with shades of pink, blue, and purple; ethereal, dreamlike, surreal; by Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, and Yves Tanguy; Unreal engine 5
28. A spiraling, entangled forest with a glowing, iridescent quality; Fantasy, Cosmic; Ink wash, Photography; Dappled sunlight filtering through the trees with a mystical, otherworldly feel; A cool color palette with shades of green, blue, and purple; mystical, intricate, elegant; by Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, and Max Ernst; Unreal engine 5
29. A post-apocalyptic wasteland with towering, ominous clouds and a crackling thunderstorm; Horror, Post-apocalyptic; Charcoal, Digital art; Dark, stormy lighting with flickering lightning bolts; A monochromatic palette of black and white with pops of red; ominous, unsettling, haunting; by H.R. Giger, Zdzisław Beksiński, and Yoshitaka Amano; Unreal engine 5
30. A liminal space with a low-poly, glitchy quality; Abstract, Futuristic; Photography, Digital art; Flickering neon lights with a surreal, disorienting feel; A monochromatic palette of blues and purples with pops of neon; surreal, glitchy, futuristic; by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Max Ernst; Unreal engine 5
31. An otherworldly landscape of a neon forest at night, where glowing trees and plants with intricate patterns tower overhead; Sci-fi, Fantasy; Digital Art, Mixed Media; Dark, Mysterious Lighting; Vivid, Electric Colors; aurora, dystopian, hyperdetailed; by H.R. Giger, Syd Mead, and Moebius; Unreal engine 5
32. A fantastical portrait of a person with a head made of water droplets, surrounded by a shimmering aura of light; Portrait, Fantasy; Oil, Watercolor; Soft, Dreamy Lighting; Iridescent, Shimmering Colors; ethereal, iridescent, beautiful; by Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, and Hieronymus Bosch; Unreal engine 5
33. A surreal moonscape with a massive, glowing planet hanging low in the sky; Space, Fantasy; Acrylic, Digital Art; Dark, Mysterious Lighting; Deep, Cosmic Colors; cosmic, intricate, atmospheric; by Yves Tanguy, Remedios Varo, and Max Ernst; Unreal engine 5
34. An eerie dreamscape of a haunted mansion with twisted, gnarled trees and an ominous moon looming overhead; Horror, Fantasy; Mixed Media, Oil; Moody, Atmospheric Lighting; Dark, Brooding Colors; ominous, stygian, haunting; by Salvador Dalí, H.R. Giger, and Edward Gorey; Unreal engine 5
35. A complex, geometric cityscape floating in a vast, nebulous void, surrounded by swirling colors and astral phenomena; Sci-fi, Fantasy; Digital Art, Mixed Media; Glowing, Radiant Lighting; Vibrant, Complex Colors; cosmic, geometric, futuristic; by Zdzisław Beksiński, Syd Mead, and H.R. Giger; Unreal engine 5
36. An intricately detailed landscape painting of a city skyline that is being slowly engulfed by an encroaching forest; Impressionism, Expressionism; Oil on canvas, Mixed media; Sunset lighting with long shadows; Dark, earthy tones with pops of vibrant green; elaborate, dystopian, elemental; by Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and Hieronymus Bosch; Unreal engine 5
37. A painting of a mythical creature that is half-unicorn, half-dragon soaring through a starry sky; Fantasy, Mythology; Acrylic, Digital painting; Deep blue background with glowing stars; Iridescent, pastel colors; ethereal, cosmic, radiant; by Remedios Varo, Yves Tanguy, and Leonora Carrington; Unreal engine 5
38. A photorealistic painting of an underwater scene featuring a school of brightly colored fish swimming through a field of coral; Realism, Naturalism; Oil on canvas, Digital painting; Sunlight filtering through water creating dappled shadows; Vibrant, contrasting colors; intricate, gossamer, glowing neon; by René Magritte, Joan Miró, and Giorgio de Chirico; Unreal engine 5
39. A surrealistic painting of a faceless figure sitting at a grand piano with hands made of shimmering stardust; Abstract, Symbolism; Watercolor, Mixed media; Soft candlelight illuminating the scene; Monochromatic grayscale with pops of glittering silver; dreamlike, astral, elegant; by Frida Kahlo, Paul Delvaux, and Dorothea Tanning; Unreal engine 5
40. A painting of a woman with multiple arms, each arm holding an object that represents a different aspect of her personality; Symbolism, Expressionism; Oil on canvas, Digital painting; Softly diffused, warm lighting; Rich, jewel-toned colors; complex, entangled, elemental; by Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, and Lee Krasner; Unreal engine 5
41. A nightmarish landscape of a city engulfed in flames with a swirling black hole in the sky; Dark, Dystopian; Oil, Charcoal; Dim, flickering light; Monochromatic with shades of red and black; ominous, fiery, dystopian; by Zdzisław Beksiński, Hieronymus Bosch, and Giger; Unreal engine 5
42. An intricate surreal portrait of a woman with butterfly wings, surrounded by floating objects; Surrealism, Portraiture; Oil, Mixed Media; Soft, diffused lighting; Monochromatic with shades of blue and green; ethereal, intricate, gossamer; by Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, and Frida Kahlo; Unreal engine 5
43. An expansive, alien landscape with floating islands, rainbow-colored skies, and giant, glowing crystals; Cosmic, Extraterrestrial; Digital, 3D modeling; Radiant, glowing neon lighting; Rainbow-colored with iridescent accents; cosmic, aurora, geometric; by Alex Grey, Martina Hoffmann, and Android Jones; Unreal engine 5
44. A surreal, dystopian landscape of a ruined city with a massive, glowing mushroom cloud in the distance; Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian; Acrylic, Digital; Ominous, dark lighting; Monochromatic with shades of gray and black; ominous, surreal, twisted; by Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, and René Magritte; Unreal engine 5
45. A surreal, otherworldly landscape of a forest with twisted trees, floating islands, and glowing, neon-colored creatures; Fantasy, Otherworldly; Watercolor, Digital; Ethereal, glowing lighting; Monochromatic with shades of pink and purple; fantastical, ethereal, iridescent; by Odilon Redon, Hieronymus Bosch, and Moebius; Unreal engine 5
46. An elaborate cityscape suspended in a cosmic void, with geometric skyscrapers and flowing neon lights; Cyberpunk, Futuristic; Digital painting, Mixed media; Neon lighting casting long shadows; A dark and moody color scheme with pops of electric blue and pink; complex, glowing neon; by Syd Mead, H.R. Giger, and Simon Stålenhag; Unreal engine 5
47. A nocturnal forest scene with towering trees that are alive, their dendritic branches writhing and intertwined with each other; Dark Fantasy, Horror; Oil painting, Pointillism; Moonlight illuminating the scene with an ethereal blue glow; A limited palette of blues and greens with highlights of yellow; intricate, ethereal; by Gustave Doré, H.P. Lovecraft, and Zdzisław Beksiński; Unreal engine 5
48. An elemental creature made of fire and water, locked in a cosmic dance of creation and destruction; Mythology, Fantasy; Digital painting, 3D rendering; Glowing embers and sparks creating a flickering light show; A bold and striking color palette of red, orange, blue, and black; elemental, fire, water; by William Blake, J.M.W. Turner, and Alex Grey; Unreal engine 5
49. An infinite cityscape, with buildings that spiral upwards into the clouds, all connected by a web of bridges and walkways; Cyberpunk, Sci-fi; Digital painting, Collage; Neon lighting creating a neon aura throughout the scene; A futuristic color palette of blues, purples, and pinks, with hints of yellow; expansive, futuristic; by Jean Giraud, Syd Mead, and Moebius; Unreal engine 5
50. A post-apocalyptic seascape, with rusted ships and submerged buildings, and giant waves crashing in the distance; Post-apocalyptic, Sci-fi; Oil painting, Impressionism; Sun setting behind storm clouds casting a warm golden hour light; A muted color palette of blues, grays, and oranges; dystopian, seascape; by J.M.W. Turner, H.R. Giger, and John Martin; Unreal engine 5