Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Tipping, and I'm really looking forward to learning with you today about new Pop Art through sculpture and mixed-media.

We're going to do lots of thinking, talking, and exploring together in this lesson.

So, shall we get started? Let's go.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to develop a Pop Art-inspired artwork using ideas from your research and sketchbook.

Before we start, I would like to introduce you to some keywords.

We'll be using these keywords during the lesson, so it might be a good idea to write these words down.

The keywords we'll be using today are developing, composition, and mixed-media.

I'm going to say those again and I would like you to repeat them after me.

Developing.

Composition.

Mixed-media.

Good job.

Now, let's think in more detail about what these keywords mean by taking a look at their definitions.

Developing is the process of improving and evolving ideas or artworks.

Composition is the arrangement of visual elements within an artwork.

Mixed-media is the use of more than one material or technique in a single piece.

Pause the video here to make a note of these keywords, and when you're ready to continue, press play.

These are the learning cycles that we'll be working through together in today's lesson, developing a Pop Art composition and making a mixed-media Pop Art piece.

In this first learning cycle, we're going to have a go at developing a Pop Art composition.

What does developing an artwork mean? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? Well, developing an artwork means improving and evolving your idea before creating a final piece.

Artists experiment with composition, colour, and media to bring their ideas to life in new ways.

Take a look at this artist here developing a stained glass artwork.

You can see that they're carefully laying different pieces of coloured glass, and it might be that this artist changes their mind around where these shapes go whilst they're doing this part of development.

They may want to try different colour combinations.

They might want to see where different shapes might fit to make the best composition, and they can do that because they can move the glass around until they decide to do the final welding where they piece it all together.

Sketches, collected source materials, and moodboards help to guide the process of developing your artwork.

Having a strong plan ensures your chosen theme is reflected in the art you make.

Can you see these individuals here using craft and collage to make artworks? Different use of bright colours and clear prints.

Depending on the Pop Art piece you are creating, you might be working with different materials or a combination of them through mixed-media.

However you choose to work, your art should feature elements from the Pop Art style.

Can you remember any elements of the Pop Art style? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner and press play when you're ready to continue.

What could you remember? Perhaps the bright colour palette, the repetition, the popular cultural references, or the bold lines.

We can see some of the pop elements in this painting here.

We can see some colourful, vibrant, bold colours in the orange, the red, the blue, and the pink.

We can also see some bold black lines creating the outline of those shapes.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Which of the following is a common feature of Pop Art? Watercolour landscapes, detailed portraits from imagination, abstract patterns with muted tones, or bright colours and repeated images from popular culture? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about the answer to this question and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said bright colours and repeated images from popular culture, that's right.

Those are the common features of Pop Art.

In addition to sketches and plans made, artists might also create a compositional plan, or a step-by-step process, to help guide the creation of the final piece.

Composition refers to the way elements are arranged on a page for 2D works, or the overall form of an object if it is 3D.

To create a compositional plan, you need to sketch at least two possible layouts and then annotate your choices and decide which version to use when developing a final piece.

Discuss with a partner the composition choices or the key stages of the process for making your Pop Art piece.

Pause the video here to have that discussion, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you discuss? Looking at this artist here, they're sketching lots of different Pop Art-inspired ideas.

Perhaps your sketchbook looks similar.

Aisha says, "I'm making a mixed-media Pop Art portrait which will combine collaged magazines and drawing.

I'll then scan it in and digitally edit it to develop it further." And Lucas says, "I'm going to make a 3D fast food inspired Pop Art sculpture.

I'll use card, glue, and papier mache to make each element before painting in the details." So perhaps you have some similar kind of idea to Aisha or Lucas, or maybe it's slightly different.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

What does composition mean in visual art? The number of colours used in a painting, the type of materials used, the name of the artist's signature, the way elements are arranged on the page? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about the answer to this question and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said composition in visual art means the way elements are arranged on the page, you're absolutely right.

Well done.

This brings us to our first learning task.

I'd like you to create two to three thumbnail sketches, exploring different compositions for your Pop Art piece, and use annotations to explain your choices.

So pause the video here, give yourself enough time to have a go at creating those thumbnail sketches, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did you get on? Were you able to explore different compositions and include those annotations to explain your choices? Well, let's have a look at an example.

So you might have got some portraits a bit like this, and you've got the composition here of this one facing away and the background filled with mixed-media textures.

And then on this side, we've got repetition in squares and rectangles, and the composition is facing the viewer.

So we've got two very different thumbnail sketches there with different compositions, and the annotations explain those choices.

So well done if you got two sketches with your annotations.

This now brings us to the second part of our lesson where we're gonna be making a mixed-media Pop Art piece.

Now that you've chosen your strongest composition, it's time to begin making your Pop Art-inspired final artwork.

We've seen this example here of this Pop Art-inspired mural of an ice cream in clouds.

You see those bright colours in that bold black outline.

Now, you might use drawing, collage, painting, digital tools, 2D or 3D sculptural processes, or a combination of them through mixed-media.

Pop artists often use layered collage, painting, and printmaking techniques.

You can try combining magazine cuttings, markers, and bold outlines in your own piece to create an effective mixed-media artwork.

You see this mixed-media collage here, how there's some bold colours just of triangles within this, and there's also images and writing from magazines, lots of different things collaged.

Pop Art is loud and confident.

Choose bold colours and exaggerate your shapes.

Mistakes are part of the process, and you can adapt your ideas as you create the artwork.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Why do Pop artists use repetition in their work? To fill space quickly, to mimic mass production and advertising, to practise drawing skills, because they can't think of new ideas? Pause the video here and give yourself time to think about the answer to this question, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that Pop artists use repetition in their work to mimic mass production and advertising, you're absolutely right.

Well done.

As you create your artwork, it's important to pause and reflect as you progress.

What questions might you consider when reflecting on your developing Pop artwork? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? Well, you might think about the style, theme, and use of the elements of art.

You might consider, is it balanced? Does it reflect a Pop Art style? What could be added, removed, or changed? Artists often revisit and refine their ideas.

Use your starting point and try experimenting with different compositions, materials, and colour choices.

Your material and mixed-media choices should reflect the theme and the effect you want to create.

So you can see here in this craft collage of papers that's happening here, we've got lots of different bold colours, but also some patterned papers and some glitter, and even some kind of tissue paper gives a different transparent effect.

If your Pop Art piece is a sculptural 3D piece, you may need to separate the stages of making to allow time for glue or paint to dry between layers.

You can use this time to reflect on the work and prepare for the next stage of the process.

Rasha Eleyan is a Palestinian Pop artist who makes mixed-media artworks that are vibrant and colourful with bold outlines.

Reviewing the artworks made by others can help inspire and inform your own process of developing art.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

When using mixed-media in a Pop Art piece, what should guide your material choices? Whatever is closest to you, which material is easiest to clean up, your theme and the effect you want to create, what your partner is using? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about the answer to this question, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that your theme and the effect you want to create is what should guide your material choices, you're absolutely right.

Well done.

This now brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to begin making a mixed-media Pop Art piece based on your compositional plan.

So you should continue developing your piece until the composition is right, if it's a 2D artwork, or continue developing your piece until the overall structure is in place, if it's a 3D sculpture.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have a go at making that mixed-media Pop Art piece based on your compositional plan, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did you get on? Were you able to develop your piece even further? Well, let's have a look at an example.

So Aisha says, "I made this mixed-media artwork using magazine cutouts and coloured card shapes collage together.

I then scanned it in and digitally started to edit the placement and contrast settings to make it more vibrant." Can you see here the digital elements on that portrait, the different contrast, how it's making that bold red, and we've got these bright colours of blue, pink, and yellow, how they stand out in those repeated circles? Aisha's used lots of different mixed-media to create this Pop Art piece.

Hopefully you were able to do the same with your mixed-media Pop Art piece based on your compositional plan.

So well done.

Before we finish this lesson, let's summarise what we've learned about developing a Pop Art piece.

Pop Art often includes repetition, bold colours, and images from popular culture.

Developing artworks involve sketching, considering compositions, and refining ideas visually.

Mixed-media techniques can help enhance meaning in Pop Art.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson today.

I hope to see you in the next one.

See you next time.