Roy Lichtenstein and Pop Art Study and Activities

When I was little, I loved comic books. This was probably because my older brother had a massive collection of them that I wasn’t allowed to touch. Like any good little sis, I had a goal of sneakily reading every one of them.

Maybe that’s why I love the art of Roy Lichtenstein. It just feels fun, like being able to step back into childhood.

Along with Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein helped define the art of the 1960s. His iconic comic book-style graphics are easily recognizable today, even by those who don’t know his name.

*Affiliate links may be present on this page. Please see the disclosure for details.

Roy Lichtenstein

Although Warhol and Lichtenstein were founders of the same movement, they had very different backgrounds. Lichtenstein grew up in New York City, where he spent a lot of time at the American Museum of Natural History. He also loved building models and listening to science fiction.

Roy enjoyed drawing as a teen. In his last year of high school, he studied under the American painter Reginald Marsh at the Art Students League in New York. He then went on to earn both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine art at Ohio State University, where he later taught for several years. His studies were interrupted by service in the Army during World War II, and he returned to Ohio to finish his degrees afterward.

He was trained in both classical and modern art forms and included aspects of both in his work. His most famous works are those inspired by comic book graphics. He used both hand-drawn and mechanical techniques to make them, but he reformatted them to bring out specific details.

Roy Lichtenstein in His StudioRoy Lichtenstein’s ABC

 

Comic Book Art

Roy Lichtenstein’s art steadily progressed through the years. In the early 1960s, he developed a new style of print that mimicked comic book frames. His first Pop painting in this vein, Look Mickey (1961), is generally considered the piece that launched his signature style.

Here’s a piece of the story most people get wrong: the rivalry with Andy Warhol didn’t start the way it’s usually told. Warhol was already painting comic strips and cartoon characters when he learned that Lichtenstein’s comic-based work had been picked up by the well-known Leo Castelli Gallery. Realizing his own comics would look like an imitation, Warhol went looking for a subject that would set him apart. As the popular account goes, a friend suggested he paint something instantly recognizable, like a can of Campbell’s Soup. So Lichtenstein didn’t exactly steal Warhol’s idea. He just got there first, and sent Warhol hunting for the soup can that made him famous.

Lichtenstein drew heavily on DC Comics for his artwork. In making it, he cropped and reformatted frames and reworked various elements. He made extensive use of Ben-Day dots, which are used for shading in comic book graphics.

His most famous works from this series include Whaam! (1963) and Drowning Girl (1963).

Something that Lichtenstein felt strongly about was the fact that both art and language communicate through types of codes. With the use of mechanical procedures and the coding of different shapes in his art, he was able to portray this.

Roy’s HouseRoy Lichtenstein (MoMA Artist Series)

 

Modern Art Pieces

Lichtenstein was also well-versed in Modern Art, which uses abstract elements to portray an object or idea. His signature use of Ben-Day dots and coded shapes often made their way into his Modern pieces as well. These pieces used different types of media to portray things like city landscapes, the use of mirrors in everyday life, and more.

Pop Art vs. Abstract Art – Art History Lessons | Children’s Arts, Music & Photography Books

 

Timeline Activities

Lichtenstein lived during roughly the same time as Andy Warhol; they were born and died within a decade of each other. They also both worked in the same city and industry, so they experienced many of the same things.

Warhol and Lichtenstein made very different choices, though. While Warhol became involved with the eclectic, avant garde art world of the 1960s and 1970s, Lichtenstein chose the more academic route. Except for the time he spent in the military during World War II, much of his time was spent in professional illustrating or as a university professor.

His work served to bridge the gap between the “high” classic art and the “low” art of popular culture.

Be sure to record Roy Lichtenstein on your timeline. He lived from 1923 to 1997.

Hands-On Activity: Comic Book Graphics!

Roy Lichtenstein’s use of comic book graphics was pretty revolutionary for his time because it caused people to see popular culture as art. It is also really fun and easy to try, though!

This project can be done on any kind of surface, but I recommend either watercolor paper or a canvas. They’re just easier to work with and can stand up well to either markers or paint. Either can be used for this project, but I found that markers are easier to get sharp, controlled graphics with. This is where my multi-pack of Sharpies comes in really handy!

You’ll want to start from the outside and work your way in. Using a pencil, draw your outside “frame.” I drew a star-type shape, but you can also use a square or rectangle, a cloud, an oval, or anything you like.

With your pencil, sketch another shape as an inside “frame.” For this one, I chose a cloud to contrast the sharp lines of the outside star.

Then, draw a word that you might see in a comic book. Wham! Pow! Boof! Bang! Bam! You can also use encouraging words. Great job! Hooray! Yay! Terrific!

Feel free to stretch these out, to make it seem like a really powerful shot. Block or balloon letters work best for this.

When you’ve got everything sketched out, fill in the shapes and letters. To keep a clean, graphic look, use one color for each shape. (If you want to add more colors though, you can. It’s your piece of art!)

Outline each element in black to give it definition. Choose one element to add shading dots to, like Lichtenstein did. I chose the outside star frame. These dots should be fairly spaced out. They’re meant to be pretty obvious.

When you’re done, display your art!

Additional Resources

Roy Lichtenstein Coloring Book – This just looks like so much fun! Try out your skills by coloring in some of Lichtenstein’s masterpieces.

Roy Lichtenstein Coloring BookLichtenstein (Basic Art Series 2.0)Whaam! The Art and Life of Roy Lichtenstein

Khan Academy Lessons on Roy Lichtenstein

Share Your Masterpiece!

I love to hear from my readers, and I’m excited to hear about what your kids create. Comment below and let me know!

And if you want to keep the learning going, my Art History Notebooking Pages give your kids room to record what they discover about each artist and their work. They’re great for elementary through high school, and they turn a single art study like this one into something your kids can build on all year.