Let’s talk about all things Pop Art! So, what is it and why is it so popular? Pop Art is a stylised interpretation of popular mainstream culture. This refers to art that has themes that relate directly to the now. Think about what trends you may see on social media, advertising, fashion, current affairs, and celebrities. Art that is about those things is known as Pop Art.  

The most famous artists and creators of the movement are Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Although Pop Art is much more than what you see in art, it is found in writing, film, and photography!  

So what are the key features of Pop Art? 

Subject Matter

The most important feature of a Pop Art is the subject matter. Typical subjects are products, celebrities, or cultural icons which are currently mainstream. Themes include consumerism, irony, and satire. A great example of irony and satire would be the subject of the “Meme”. Examples of great Pop Art subjects would be the Iphone13, Kim Kardashian, the “Condescending Willy Wonka” meme, or our very own “Chromacryl” paint tube.

Subjects can include text in the form of speech bubbles or to be more contemporary, you could use the meme font.  

Colour Choice

Inspired by comic books and advertisements, Pop Art will often use bold, bright colours. For a more classic feel use the colour palette of the original Marvel or DC comics. If you would prefer a more contemporary feel, use any colour scheme but keep the colours bright and highly saturated.  

Style

There are many styles that fall under the category of Pop Art. Pop Art style can include bold black outlines that resemble those of a comic book. Crisp blocks of colours in simplified shapes and commonly used. “Ben-Day Dots” is probably the most recognizable style feature.  

Painting Project

Step One:

Brainstorm what your artwork is going to be about, in other words, choose your subject matter. In this case, we have chosen our favourite Chromacryl Acrylic Paint! This fits perfectly as it’s a wonderful product and makes the ideal base for our pop art artwork. Once you have chosen your subject create a quick sketch to work out the composition and style. Will there be text? Will it look like a meme/comic/ad/collage? 

Step Two

Using light pressure with your pencil, draw your design onto the canvas. Ensure that there is a little graphite as possible transferred to the canvas. Just enough to see the outline and to use it as a guide for your painting. 

Step Three

Plan your colour scheme. Are you wanting a more classic comic book feeling? Or maybe you are going to use a popular colour scheme in today’s fashion or interiors, Pantone’s colour of the year is a great option. Think about which colour will be best for the background, foreground, and highlights. Create and mix colour swatches to help this process.  

We are going to use on-trend colours: Blush, Lilac, Turquoise, and Teal. 

Blush: White 90% + Warm Red 9% + Warm Blue 1% 

Lilac: White 80% + Cool Red 10% + Cool Blue 10% 

Turquoise: White 70% + Cool Blue 20% + Cool Yellow 10% 

Teal: Cool Blue 70 % + Cool Yellow 30% 

Step Four

Using large blocks of solid colour, paint in all parts of the artwork and let dry.  

Step Five

Using a small round brush, apply Black to outline shapes. To add a comic book feeling think about adding dramatic lines and filling in shadow areas with solid black. 

Step Six

Using the back of the paintbrush press on dots in White or a contrasting colour to areas you would like to add details. Be sure to keep your dots even and straight. Let dry.