Discovering Andy Warhol

Overview

Lesson 1 of 2 in the unit Pop Art Portraits. Students investigate Andy Warhol’s life and portrait artworks, identify key Pop Art features, and plan a portrait composition to develop in the next lesson. The lesson is designed for 25 Year 7–8 students and uses images, discussion, brief research and sketching.

Learning intentions

• WALT research Andy Warhol and identify key features of his Pop Art style.
• WALT explain how repetition, colour and contrast create visual impact.
• WALT analyse how Warhol represented celebrity culture.
• WALT plan a personal portrait composition using Pop Art ideas.

Success criteria

• I can name Andy Warhol and share a relevant fact about his work.
• I can identify at least three Pop Art features.
• I can explain how repetition and colour create impact.
• I can sketch a portrait plan that shows a clear composition.

Curriculum links

• Visual Arts: Understanding the Arts in Context — investigating Warhol’s artworks, ideas, cultural setting and interest in celebrity culture.
• Visual Arts: Developing Practical Knowledge — exploring visual elements such as colour, contrast, shape, line, pattern and repetition.
• Visual Arts: Developing Ideas — generating and recording ideas for a portrait composition.
• Key Competencies: thinking, managing self, and relating to others through analysis, planning, discussion and collaborative research.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Hook and prior knowledge

Open with the hook image and opening question. Display a striking repeated portrait and ask: “Why might an artist show the same face several times?” Students make a quick individual prediction, then share with a partner. Introduce the unit title and explain that today they will discover the artist behind the style.

2. 5–13 minutes – Meet Andy Warhol

Use the Andy Warhol biography slides to introduce Warhol as an American artist and leading figure in Pop Art. Cover accessible facts about his work in commercial illustration, his interest in popular culture and his use of everyday products and famous people as subject matter. Students record Warhol’s name and one fact on the Warhol research and portrait planning worksheet.

3. 13–22 minutes – Look, notice and discuss

Show Marilyn Diptych and selected Elvis portraits using the artwork analysis slides. Ask students to notice repetition, bold or unexpected colour, strong contrast, simplified shapes, outlines, cropping and references to celebrity culture. In pairs, students identify three features and explain one possible effect on the viewer. Invite several pairs to contribute, clarifying vocabulary as needed.

4. 22–29 minutes – Guided artwork analysis

Model one short analysis using the visual prompts on the Warhol research and portrait planning worksheet: “I notice…”, “This creates impact because…”, and “Warhol may have chosen this because…”. Pairs complete the remaining prompts for either the Marilyn or Elvis example. Emphasise that students should support ideas with visible evidence rather than guess Warhol’s intentions.

5. 29–39 minutes – Plan a personal portrait

Explain the design brief through the portrait planning instruction slide: create a portrait plan that could be repeated in four panels next lesson. Students choose themselves, a family member, a public figure or an invented character. On the worksheet, they sketch a simplified head-and-shoulders portrait, select a limited colour scheme, mark areas of contrast and show how the image will repeat. Circulate and conference with students about composition and clarity.

6. 39–43 minutes – Pair feedback and improvement

Students share plans with a partner. Partners use the prompts “One Pop Art feature I can see is…” and “One way to make the impact stronger could be…”. Students make one labelled improvement to their plan, such as simplifying a shape, increasing contrast or changing a colour choice.

7. 43–45 minutes – Plenary and next steps

Return to the recap and next-lesson slide. Ask students to name one Warhol artwork, one Pop Art feature and one choice they made in their own plan. Collect worksheets or photograph plans for use in Lesson 2, when students will develop the repeated portrait artwork.

Resources

• Projector or interactive whiteboard.
• the Discovering Andy Warhol slide deck.
• the Warhol research and portrait planning worksheet.
• Reproductions of Marilyn Diptych and Elvis portrait examples in the slide deck.
• Pencils, erasers and coloured pencils or markers.
• A3 or A4 drawing paper for students who need more planning space.
• Visual vocabulary display: repetition, bold colour, contrast, simplified shape, celebrity culture, composition.
• Dyslexia-friendly printed or digital text using a clear sans-serif font, increased spacing and short sections.
• Optional audio or teacher read-aloud of the biography and instructions.

Assessment

• Listen to pair discussions and check whether students can identify at least three Pop Art features and explain an effect of repetition or colour.
• Review the research section of the worksheet for accurate identification of Warhol and relevant artwork observations.
• Assess portrait plans formatively: clear portrait, intended repetition, considered colour choice, contrast and evidence of an improvement after feedback.

Differentiation

• Provide a visual vocabulary sheet, labelled artwork examples, sentence starters and mixed-ability pairs. Use teacher-guided research with a small group or individuals who need additional support.
• Offer dyslexia-friendly text with a clear sans-serif font, increased spacing, short sections, read-aloud or audio support, and accessible digital sources prepared in advance.
• Allow students to respond through drawing, labelled notes, oral explanation or speech-to-text. Provide a pre-drawn oval or portrait template for students who find freehand drawing difficult.
• Extend confident students by comparing Warhol’s portraits with another Pop Artist and justifying which techniques they will adapt in their own composition.