New
New
Year 6

Pop Art: in depth artist study

I can analyse the work of a Pop artist in detail and explain how their ideas and techniques might inspire my own artwork.

New
New
Year 6

Pop Art: in depth artist study

I can analyse the work of a Pop artist in detail and explain how their ideas and techniques might inspire my own artwork.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Pop artists use style and repetition for a purpose - message is as important as visual impact.
  2. Analysing an artwork involves looking at technique, subject, and symbolism.
  3. Understanding an artist’s work helps us plan meaningful artwork of our own.

Keywords

  • Analyse - to look closely at how something is made and what it means

  • Technique - a method or skill used by an artist to create their work

  • Media - the materials or tools used to make art (e.g. paint, collage, digital)

  • Subject matter - the main focus or theme of an artwork (e.g. people, objects, culture)

  • Interpretation - what we think a piece of art is saying or showing

Common misconception

All Pop Art looks the same - it’s just bold colours and celebrities.

Each Pop artist had a unique message and approach. Some explored consumerism, others made emotional or political statements.


To help you plan your year 6 art and design lesson on: Pop Art: in depth artist study, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage deeper thinking by asking: “What do you think the artist wants us to feel or notice?” Move beyond describing colours - push for meaning and interpretation.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Printed artwork examples of Pop Artists (Warhol, Lichtenstein, etc.). Pencils, coloured pencils, felt tips.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is an example of a mixed-media material used in Pop Art?

water only
Correct answer: paint
ink only
pencils only

Q2.
How does Pop Art continue to influence today’s world?

It’s only used in art galleries

It’s mostly found in ancient books

Correct answer: It appears in things like memes, packaging and social media
It is used only by fashion designers

Q3.
Which of these is an example of mass media?

A private letter
A school whiteboard
Correct answer: A television show
A family photo album

Q4.
What is it called when the same picture or word is shown again and again in Pop Art?

Correct Answer: Repetition

Q5.
Put these Pop artists in order based on when they became famous:

1 - Andy Warhol
2 - Roy Lichtenstein
3 - Yayoi Kusama

Q6.
What does the word "iconic" mean in Pop Art?

Correct Answer: Famous, Popular

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is an example of media used in a mixed-media sculpture?

Clay only
Pencil sketch
Correct answer: Cardboard and bottle tops
Only digital drawing

Q2.
What does the word technique mean in art?

The type of museum art is in
The title of the artwork
The person who buys the artwork
Correct answer: The way an artist uses materials and tools

Q3.
Match the key word to its definition:

Correct Answer:Analyse,Look closely to understand meaning and choices

Look closely to understand meaning and choices

Correct Answer:Interpretation,Your own idea of what the artwork means

Your own idea of what the artwork means

Correct Answer:Media,The materials used to make an artwork

The materials used to make an artwork

Correct Answer:Subject matter,What the artwork is mainly about

What the artwork is mainly about

Q4.
Match the artist to the description of their Pop Art sculpture or technique.

Correct Answer:Yayoi Kusama,Uses dots and repetition in sculpture

Uses dots and repetition in sculpture

Correct Answer:Claes Oldenburg,Creates large sculptures of everyday objects

Creates large sculptures of everyday objects

Correct Answer:Keith Haring,Uses bold outlines and figures, sometimes in 3D

Uses bold outlines and figures, sometimes in 3D

Q5.
Put these steps in order for creating a mixed-media Pop Art sculpture:

1 - Plan your subject and materials
2 - Build the structure
3 - Add mixed-media details
4 - Analyse your finished work

Q6.
What word means “looking closely at an artwork to understand it”?

Correct Answer: Analyse