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 find and research source images to develop a pop art idea.

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 source, research, theme.

I'm going to say those words again, and I would like you to repeat them after me: source, research, theme, good job.

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

A source is an image, object, or idea used as inspiration for an artwork.

Research refers to gathering and studying information to develop or support creative ideas.

And a theme is the main subject or message behind an artwork.

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: understanding and finding sources and organising and reflecting on research.

In this first learning cycle, we're going to take a look at understanding and finding sources.

Artists often begin their work by collecting sources that inspire them, including images, objects, and themes.

A source is something that gives you inspiration for your artwork.

It could be a photo, an advert, a pattern, or something from everyday life.

Artists use sources to spark new ideas.

Look at this person here looking at a detailed mural artwork.

Perhaps they might see something that inspires them within their artwork.

In pop art, the process of using sources often involves everyday visuals that say something about society or the artist's identity.

Pop art sources include magazines, packaging, logos or adverts, celebrities and famous faces, or everyday, familiar objects.

You can see this image here, this collection of everyday objects.

What can you see? We've got some bananas, a mug, a camera, a map, a small globe, and some sandwiches.

Lots of different everyday objects.

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

What is a source in art? A tool used for drawing lines, a finished artwork, an image or object used for inspiration, or a sketch made with pencil only? 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 a source in art is an image or object used for inspiration, you're absolutely right, well done.

Collecting images and ideas that can connect to a theme of your choice can help inspire a pop art piece you'll later develop, design, and create.

Ideas and inspiration can come from unexpected moments, so make sure you are looking out for them.

Themes help give your artwork meaning.

You could choose themes like fame, identity, technology, media, or something more personal, like culture or my daily life.

Take a look at these neon signs and sculptures here.

I wonder what the theme is here.

A good source connects to your theme and makes you think.

It might be visual.

For example, a logo.

It might be personal, maybe a favourite food.

Or it might be symbolic, an image that represents something.

So this neon guitar design here, perhaps that makes you think of music, which may be personal, or it might be a favourite band that you have.

The theme you choose makes your work personal and helps guide all the other decisions you make.

For example, if your theme is food, you might decide to use bold, bright colours to make it look fun and eye-catching.

If your theme is a famous person, you might focus on their features and use repeating images, like Andy Warhol did with Marilyn Monroe.

Your theme acts like a compass.

It points you in a direction and influences the colours, shapes, and style you use.

That's what makes your final outcome unique to you.

Discuss with a partner the sources you might use and the places you could research ideas for your pop art piece.

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

What did you think? Where could you research ideas for your pop art piece? Well, Sam says, "I'm taking photos of everyday objects to use as pop art sources." Izzy says, "I have lots of old magazines and newspapers I could use as sources." And Lucas, he says, "I'll research ideas using the internet and discuss them in a group." Maybe you had similar ideas to Sam, Izzy, and Lucas, or maybe you had some different ones of your own too.

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

Why do pop artists often use magazines, adverts, or packaging in their work? Because they don't like drawing, to reflect popular culture and everyday life, to copy logos exactly, or to make their work more expensive? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner 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 often use magazines, adverts, or packaging in their work to reflect popular culture and everyday life, you're absolutely right, well done.

This brings us to our first learning task.

I'd like you to first of all choose a theme, whether that's identity, media, food, fame, or one of your own ideas related to pop art.

And then I would like you to research and select 6 to 10 images from magazines or printed media that link to your chosen theme.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have a go at these two steps for this learning task, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did you get on? Were you able to choose a theme and research and select some images from magazines or printed media? Well, let's have a look at an example.

So, for Izzy here, she chose the theme of summer holiday, and she researched and selected some source images from magazines.

So have a look there at some of the images that she's chosen.

Images with quite bright, summery colours.

We've got different fruits and flowers, some sunglasses, and a fan.

Thinking about those hot summer holidays you might have.

So well done for having a go at choosing your theme and selecting some images that show that theme, well done.

This now brings us to the second part of our lesson.

We're going to be looking at organising and reflecting on research.

So now that you've gathered your source material, it's time to arrange it into a clear mood board.

This helps you visualise your ideas and guides your creative choices.

Can take a look here at this collage of notes and pictures.

So someone's pulled that together to really showcase their source material.

A mood board is a collection of related images that express an idea or theme.

Artists use them to test combinations of images, colours, and ideas before making a final artwork.

Take a look at this image here of a mood board of natural forms, colours, and textures.

Can you see what's been included? Got different shades of green.

We've got leaves and flowers, and even some fruits.

Images in mood boards can be grouped by colour, topic, or composition.

So add a title that explains your theme, and use labels or notes to explain your thinking.

So you can see here the artist is adding a title to their mood board so we know what the theme is.

And notice how images in this mood board for a mask design are thoughtfully placed and they're not crowded.

Each part supports the theme, and there are annotations explaining choices.

So you can see here from the first collection of three images, it says Venetian masks, decorative patterns, gold, silver, and metallic colours.

And we've got carved symbols flow in and around the face, so really picking out some details of that image there.

The bottom one, I love the bold colours and repeated patterns in this Mexican mask.

Can you see how the artist has put a couple of those patterns next to the image of the mask? Then we've got animal spirit masks.

There's two there that say with minimal colours, shapes, and lines that create movement.

And the final two masks are expressive facial features.

So can you see how each of those images has annotations or notes to help you explain why you've chosen those as source material? Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

What should a mood board include? A collection of images and ideas that link to a theme, only your favourite colours, a list of rules about how to follow a theme, or instructions for how to use materials? 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 a mood board should include a collection of images and ideas that link to a theme, you're absolutely right, well done.

Now, your source images should be researched and match your chosen theme or idea.

So you can see this collection of images here are all related to summer.

Research is about gathering inspiration and developing ideas, not copying.

Artists look at sources from fresh viewpoints and combine them in creative and personal ways.

How could you display your mood board in a way which matches the style of your source images? Pause the video here and give yourself some time to discuss this with a partner, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? How could you display your mood board to match the style of your source images? Well, if you're using bright, vibrant, and colourful imagery, your mood board could feature a dynamic, energetic composition.

If your ideas are about everyday objects, then your mood board might be casual and more relaxed.

You can see from this vibrant mood board display here how that's quite a dynamic composition.

There are lots of things happening, lots of patterns and images and shapes.

Whichever direction you choose to take your mood board, try to make it inspiring.

It should also be easy to refer back to as you develop your ideas.

Take a look at this pop art-inspired mood board here: the different bright colours, how they are contrast but also work together as well.

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

How should you choose which source images to use? Pick random pictures from any magazine, use only black and white images, only choose images of celebrities, or select images that match your chosen theme or idea? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said you should select images that match your chosen theme or idea, you're absolutely right, well done.

This brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to create a mood board based on the theme chosen in the previous task.

You should arrange your researched images into a mood board or sketchbook research page.

Then add a heading or a title to represent your theme.

Then I would like you to write notes about your mood board.

You should answer what your chosen theme is, what ideas your chosen images suggest, and how this research will help you develop your final pop art piece.

So pause the video here to follow those two steps for this learning task, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did you get on? Were you able to rearrange all of your images, create a title, and answer these questions? Well, let's take a look at an example.

So, like Sofia, she says, "My chosen theme is identity.

My collaged images suggest fast fashion and digital remixes.

I could use the idea of remixing to make a digital pop art piece." So can you see, she's got the title of "Identity," big and bold there and in the pop art style colours.

Then she's got lots of different images that are vibrant and dynamic, and that really creates an energetic composition.

And she also has different areas where she's added some notes and annotations, answering those questions about what the theme is and why she's included these images.

So well done for having a go at creating a mood board based on your theme and writing notes on your mood board to really showcase why you've chosen that source material.

Before we finish this lesson, let's summarise what we've learned about pop art through finding sources and researching an idea.

Artists gather and select images and information to support themes and enrich their ideas.

Pop artists often use found sources through magazines, adverts, and media to reflect modern culture.

Research helps to develop clearer, more meaningful artistic ideas.

Thoughtful sourcing leads to stronger and more personal pop art outcomes.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson today.

I hope to see you in the next one.

See you next time.