Did you know you can whip up a pop art masterpiece in a coupla minutes with PicMonkey? Go all Andy Warhol with a checkered, multi-colored design complete with enough colors to give the ’60s a run for their money. Use our pop art filter (known in PicMonkey as the Warhol effect) and make all your friends say, “Yes, in fact I did win this at a fancy auction.”
Here's the lowdown on PicMonkey's one-of-a-kind pop art effects and how to achieve this classic look in PicMonkey.
What is pop art?
Pop art began as a massively popular art movement in the 1950s and 60s. The idea behind the "pop" was that it drew from mass media and pop-ular culture. Indeed, many early works stemmed from post-WWII manufacturing and an ever-growing media presence.
If you're new to pop art, think of it as blurring the lines between traditional "high art" themes and everyday life. Famed pop artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and James Rosenquist celebrated the common things, whether they were people, objects, ideas, etc. This resulted in wholly unique works of (pop) art.
Using the pop art filter in PicMonkey
Open a blank collage template.
Replace a cell background with your image.
Apply the Warhol effect (in the Effects tab on the left menu).
Adjust your overall look using the Brightness, Contrast, and Fade sliders. Click Apply to save your changes.
Repeat steps 2-4 for each collage cell. Change the colors of your pop art filter each time you apply it.
When you're all done, click Download on the top toolbar to download as a JPG, PNG, or PDF (PicMonkey Pro feature). Or click Share and light up one of your social accounts with the new look!
Just wanna create one image? No problem! Just open one of our regular blank canvases instead of a collage and get to Warholing!
Want more on making the best collage ever? Read: Aesthetic Collage Ideas
Why learn how to Warhol a photo?
We get you might be thinking, Sure, pop art effects are cool and all, but why use them in the first place? Great question! Unless you're straight up looking to make Andy Warhol pictures, we'll speak to those with curiously raised eyebrows.
Be a part of history
The beauty of art is that it instantly transports people to a particular era. Feel super connected to the 60s? Express it with an Andy Warhol pop art filter!
If you don't know much about art in the 60s, using the Andy Warhol effect on pictures will help you learn. Engaging with this particular pop art filter can introduce you to a part of yourself you didn't even know you liked! Plus, you also get to educate others about a style they may love or wanna love after seeing your creation.
Instant recognition
Heck, why not increase your audience views, likes, and following with this instantly recognizable pop art filter? It may not sound like a marketing strategy, but it is! Enjoy the perks of riding the coattails of such an esteemed artistic movement.
Art for the non-artist
There's no such thing as a non-creative person, despite people's own self-assessments. For those who struggle to optimize the right brain, class it up with a pop art effect that drops some jaws! Then, strut your art around like you made it yourself (cause you did!).
Pro Tip: You don't have to disclose your artistic secrets — there's no shame in making folks think that you did, in fact, build the Warhol effect from scratch...
Fast and easy
In a hurried, I-have-no-time-for-art kinda society, what's easier than a few-clicks effect for standout designs? Tired of time-consuming graphic design apps? Us too! That's why PicMonkey's simple, fast, and easy-to-use photo editing tools are the best of the best.
Simple and complex
While effective stylistic choices come from having a clear focus, we don't want anyone feeling limited. Why choose between simple or complex photo filters when you can have both with the Andy Warhol effect?
For a more simple look, optimize a single image with our blank canvas. For trippier, more complex designs, use our collage tool to make four, eight, or as many frames as your inner Warhol can handle!
The pop art effect that everyone's talking about
Remember, whether you're a Warhol fanatic or never heard of the guy, you can use the Warhol effect for a fresh and unique pop art vibe. And don't forget! Once you apply the Warhol effect, you can customize your color choices, color direction, and color intensity.
Be sure to explore the right color combos to determine whether you want complementary colors, contrasting, or anything in between!
Whatever you choose, you don't have to use the Warhol effect for the world-renowned Warhol vibe — you can just apply it for more dynamic and dramatic components. Maybe you want your look to be Warhol, but incognito style. Hey, we're not here to judge.
More art-centric resources
Now that you've mastered the pop art filter, it's time to go full-on artist. Check out a few other tutorials we have for achieving artsy looks:
