Want To Incorporate Pop Art Graphic Design? Here’s How

Animated artwork draped in full color - we see pop art graphic design as a fun and trendy theme visible in various illustrations and even commercial graphics. The effective use of pop art transforms a simple image into graphics that can easily catch attention.

Do you want to make your graphic design pop using bold and vibrant art? Let's explore the art behind this innovative and creative graphic design theme that has captured the minds of brilliant artists.

What Is Pop Art in Graphic Design?

Pop art graphic design is a style that originated in the US and UK in the mid-1950s. It features bright and vibrant colors, iconic imagery, and the appropriation of elements from popular culture and mass media. Pop art in graphic design often includes things like advertising, comics, packaging, and celebrities.

This movement was a reaction to the art styles prevalent at the time and aimed to blur the lines between high art and popular culture. Pop art attempted to challenge traditional notions of art by upgrading everyday objects and paintings to the level of works of art.

In graphic design, pop art is often associated with the use of bright, contrasting colors and bold, simplified shapes. As a visual element, it often uses techniques such as collage, repetition, and the use of text and typography. The style often uses popular symbols and icons such as Coca-Cola bottles, cartoon characters, and celebrities to create visually striking and impactful designs.

Pop art in graphic design had a significant impact on popular culture, advertising, and contemporary design. The bold and visually arresting aesthetic continues to inspire and find references in various media and artistic expressions.

What Are the Characteristics of Pop Art Design?

Popular Culture References

Pop art draws inspiration from everyday consumer objects, advertising, celebrities, comic books, and other aspects of popular culture. Artists often incorporate recognizable images and symbols from mass media to create their artwork.

Typically these include famous or trending elements from entertainment and other similar outlets. An artist may include a face of a celebrity or draw inspiration from comic books to produce pop art graphic design.

Bold and Vibrant Colors

The juxtaposition of colors and shapes is what makes pop art iconic, known for its effective use of animated design elements. A mix of several colors makes up pop art graphics. Some of them may have one color but use different hues to provide a contrasting appearance to the artwork.

Pop art is known for its use of bright, bold, and contrasting colors. Artists employ vivid color palettes to capture attention and create visually striking compositions. 

Repetition and Multiplication

Repetition and multiplication of images or objects are common techniques in pop art. Artists repeat and reproduce familiar icons, often arranged in a grid-like format, emphasizing the mass-produced and consumerist nature of the subjects.

The collage and assembly of different elements are arranged in a non-conforming manner. This is how pop art can be achieved, by either repeating similar design elements or arranging contrasting components to make the artwork more interesting to the eye.

Irony and Satire

Pop art often employs irony, satire, and a sense of humor to critique and comment on contemporary society. Artists use visual language to question the notions of high art, consumerism, and the mass media's influence on society.

Some examples include using simple, everyday objects like kitchen utensils, appliances, and other things that normally wouldn't be a subject in high art. The goal of pop art is to elevate these fixtures into luxurious artwork objects.

Flat, Graphic Style

Pop art typically features a flat, graphic style with bold outlines and simplified forms. Artists simplify and stylize images to resemble commercial art, such as advertising or comic book illustrations.

This is why you don't normally see pop art graphics that incorporate modern textures. The animated style is what makes pop art a unique and timeless design choice that graphic artists incorporate into their artwork.

How Does Pop Art Influence Design?

Two prominent artists made pop art famous - Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Their creativity has brought pop art into the limelight through its distinct imagery. Today, the influence of pop art has made waves even in the commercial arena, with companies applying pop art to their campaigns to attract audiences.

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol's pop art design revolutionized the art world and continues to inspire artists today. With his bold use of bright colors, iconic imagery, and repetitive patterns, Warhol created a unique style that challenged traditional notions of art. His work often depicted popular icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Campbell's soup cans, and Coca-Cola bottles, elevating everyday objects to the status of high art. Warhol's pop art designs were not only visually striking but also made powerful social commentaries on consumer culture and the commodification of art.

By blurring the lines between fine art and popular culture, Warhol paved the way for future generations of artists to explore new avenues of creativity and expression. His impact can still be felt in contemporary art, fashion, advertising, and beyond. Andy Warhol's pop art designs will forever be remembered as a groundbreaking movement that challenged the status quo and celebrated the beauty of everyday life.

Roy Lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein's pop art designs are iconic and instantly recognizable. Known for his use of bold lines, vibrant colors, and comic book-inspired imagery, Lichtenstein's work is a celebration of popular culture and consumerism. His unique style often incorporates speech bubbles, dots, and Ben-Day dots to create a sense of movement and energy in his pieces. Lichtenstein's art challenges the distinction between high and low culture by elevating everyday objects and images to the status of fine art.

His work has a lasting impact on the art world, influencing subsequent generations of artists and continuing to captivate audiences with its boldness and wit. Whether it's his famous comic book panels or his reinterpretation of classic works of art, Roy Lichtenstein's pop art design continues to be admired for its innovative approach and playful aesthetic.

How Do You Make Pop Art Designs?

Pop art graphic design takes a certain level of creativity that only a talented graphic designer can bring to life. The artistic detail that goes towards transforming a simple image into pop art has to follow certain characteristics, which we've discussed here.

The use of pop art graphic design can be incorporated into various artwork and marketing campaigns. Among the companies that incorporate pop art in their graphic design is Coca-Cola. They make their advertising artwork catch anyone's attention through their effective use of colors and other design elements.

You can also do the same for your business or even for your personal artwork collection. What you need to do is to look for creative graphic artists who know how to craft innovative pop art graphic material out of a simple image or reference that you provide to them. One way to do this is by subscribing to on-demand graphic design services that employ talented graphic designers.

In Delesign, you can expect some of the finest artworks produced by its creative graphic artists. The designers from Delesign go through a stringent hiring process, assessing their intuition and creative talents before they become graphic designers for the on-demand design firm. This enables clients from Delesign to have access to creative talent. Delesign can produce artwork including pop art graphic design, providing you with a dedicated designer and an efficient platform to manage all your projects at a fraction of the cost.

So instead of spending time producing pop art graphics, you can assign them to any of Delesign's top design talent. The arrangement allows you to focus more on the broad aspects of your business, growing them while Delesign is taking care of your creative needs - be it for a pop art graphic design material or any other visual output your business requires.