How to create a POP ART onomatopoeia!

Pop artist, Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), created unique artworks inspired by comics. A great deal of his art features onomatopoeia, which are words that sound the way it sounds. Some examples include ZAP, POP, CLASH, ZING, BOOM, SPLAT, PURR, BUZZ, and many more! His works often used primary colors, bold outlines, and Ben Day dots. This blog post features a step by step tutorial to create a Lichtenstein-inspired artwork of an onomatopoeia. Let’s begin!

Hey Teachers! Scroll below if you are interested in a ready-to-go lesson available for purchase!

Prior to beginning, I recommend artists:

• get familiar with the history of Pop Art (this video by Tate is my FAVE!)
• check out some of the awesome work of Roy Lichtenstein
• review color theory terms- particularly the primary colors (RED, YELLOW, and BLUE)

It is also helpful to practice sketching letters in a variety of styles. Explore rounded vs. straight edges to letters. Explore how to create a 3d effect or drop shadow on letters.

Materials list…

• pencil
• black marker and/or china marker
• glue
• scissors
• paint supplies
• 3 primary colors of paint (R, Y, and B)
• yellow construction/ cardstock paper (6″ x 9″)
• black construction/cardstock paper (6″ x 9″)
• thick white paper (12″ x 9″)

STEP 1.)

On yellow paper, lightly sketch the “bones” of your chosen onomatopoeia.

STEP 2.)

Outline around the “bones” of the letter to form the block letters. Outline with black marker when done.

STEP 3.)

Erase out the “bones” of the letter. To create 3D block letters, draw a line that is the SAME LENGTH & the SAME ANGLE from the edges of the letters.

STEP 4.)

Connect the lines following the contours of the letters. Strive for a consistent size. Rounded letters can be tricky! Draw lightly until you get it right.

STEP 5.)

Fill the block letters with a primary color of your choice or solid black.

STEP 6.)

Continue the same method to finalize the rest of the letters.

STEP 7.)

Use scissors to cut out around the letters. Leave an evenly spaced gap around the letters.

STEP 8.)

Glue the yellow letters to black paper.

STEP 9.)

Use scissors to cut out around the letters. Leave an evenly spaced gap around the letters. This will create a bold, black outline around the letters.

STEP 10.)

On the white paper, use pencil to lightly sketch out your POP ART background. Word bubbles, explosion shapes, triangular rays can be layered to make interesting compositions. Get creative!

STEP 11.)

Use primary colors to paint the shapes. Strive for even, thick layers of paint to create bold colors that are flat with little/no brushstrokes visible. Strive for clean edges to your best ability.

Another option is to draw the shapes on colored paper and cut it out to create a collage background.

STEP 12.)

Add details and/or Ben Day dots using contrasting colors.

STEP 13.)

Once fully dry, use a china marker (recommeded), black paint, India ink, or a Sharpie to clean up the edges and create BOLD outlines.

STEP 14.)

Glue your onomatopoeia onto the background. It looks really cool to sandwich some cardboard in between the layers to make the letters physically POP! See image below…

Consider adding some cardboard or a material of your choice between the layers to really make it POP! This creates some natural shadows that look really eye catching!

Here are a few examples created by intro level middle school artists! The whole project took about 4-5 class periods of 45 minutes.