Our lesson on how to paint a parrot in a Pop Art style is a demonstration of the steps involved in creating our parrot painting above. It was created in three distinct stages:

The style of our parrot painting was influenced by the art of Andy Warhol and created with gouache (an opaque form of watercolor) and black ink on white paper.

 

 

Painting a Parrot in a Pop Art Style: Stage 1a

THE LINE DRAWING: Stage 1 in our parrot painting is to create a pencil study in line that will assist with the next stage of the work.

TECHNIQUE: Your pencil study should be drawn in line only. Note how the details of the parrot's feathers have been hatched in line.

 

 

Painting a Parrot in a Pop Art Style: Stage 1b

THE BRUSH DRAWING: The second step in our parrot drawing is to ink or paint over the pencil study to create a brush drawing.

TECHNIQUE: You can use black indian ink or any opaque paint applied with a fine sable brush to paint over your pencil study. Alternatively, a black 'brush point' felt pen will do a similar job.

 

Painting a Parrot in a Pop Art Style: Stage 1c

ERASING THE ORIGINAL IMAGE: The third step in our parrot drawing is to erase the pencil lines of the original study to leave a clean black and white brush drawing.

TECHNIQUE: Make sure that you give the medium you choose for your brush drawing plenty of time to dry. You may smudge your image if you try to erase the pencil lines too early.

 

 

Painting a Parrot in a Pop Art Style: Stage 2a

AN ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Stage 2 in our parrot drawing is to create an abstract background.

TECHNIQUE: A piece of tracing paper was placed over our brush drawing and an abstract design, that loosely conforms to the shapes of the parrot, was sketched over it.

 

 

Painting a Parrot in a Pop Art Style: Stage 2b

TRANSFERRING THE BACKGROUND: The next step is to transfer the abstract background onto a fresh sheet of white paper.

TECHNIQUE: You transfer the background drawing by using a 'trace and transfer' technique:

 

 

Painting a Parrot in a Pop Art Style: Stage 2c

COLORING THE BACKGROUND: The final step in this stage of our parrot drawing is to paint the abstract background.

TECHNIQUE: The type of paint that we recommend you use is either designers gouache, which can be expensive, or the less expensive tempera discs commonly used in schools. Both these media are capable of creating a flat matt surface which best emphasizes the properties of color and shape. The colors for our background were chosen because they relate to the subject as they are all associated with the natural colors of the parrot's plumage.

 

 

Painting a Parrot in a Pop Art Style: Stage 3a

COMPLETING THE IMAGE: The final stage in our Pop Art parrot picture is to transfer the brush drawing from Stage 1 onto the abstract background.

TECHNIQUE: Trace the brush drawing of the parrot and transfer its image onto the background using the 'trace and transfer' method explained in Stage 2B. Then by repeating Stage 1B and 1C again, ink or paint over the transferred pencil drawing and once it is thoroughly dry, clean up the final image.

 

 

Painting a Parrot in a Pop Art Style: Stage 3b

THE FINAL IMAGE: Our final Painting of a Parrot in a Pop Art Style is an expressive technique that allows you to separate and explore the drawing, shape and color of the subject with a view to recomposing its elements in a vibrant new arrangement.

 

Parrot Painting Slideshow