Digital Pop Art: Unleash Your Inner Warhol

Amy Courtright-Elmer

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This story is taken from “The Design Authority” (Element K Journals).

When you think of pop art, what comes to mind? Probably the repetitive prints of soup cans and Marilyn Monroe created by Andy Warhol or maybe the bold comic-like paintings created by Roy Lichtenstein. In this article we’re going to show you how to create artwork similar to that of Roy Lichtenstein. If you’re not familiar with his specific style of art, Figure 1 shows one of his more recognizable pieces titled “The Melody Haunts My Reverie.” What’s nice about this style is that it adds texture to your imagery, as well as character.

Figure 1

Photoshop

• Step 1: Decide on an image
  In order to create your own pop art in Photoshop you first have to find or create a line art image to work with. It can be something simple and modular or it can be something more detailed, like our image shown in Figure 2. Once you’ve selected an image, open it in Photoshop. If your image isn’t in RGB mode already, choose Image > Mode > RGB Color to convert it. Now you’re ready to transform your image into pop art.
  
  Figure 2
• Step 2: Paint in color
  The next step is to add color to your image. To do so, make a new layer to place your color into by clicking the Create A New Layer button at the base of the Layers palette. Then select the Paint Bucket tool from the Toolbox. In the tool options bar, select the All Layers option box so that the paint will fill in areas from your line art. Then click on the Set Foreground Color swatch in the Toolbox. In the resulting window select a color that you want to use and click OK. Using the Paint Bucket tool click on an area within your image to fill it with color. Repeat these steps until you’ve filled all of the areas that you want to be that one color, as shown in Figure 3.
  
  Figure 3

  Then when you’re done with that color, create a new layer and select a new color. Fill in all of the sections of your image that you want to be in that new color. Continue with this process until you’ve added color to all the areas within your image that you want, as we did for Figure 4.

  
  Figure 4

  Note: As you create each layer you may want to name them according to the color that you’re using within the layer.

  
  

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