Tate Modern’s forthcomingretrospectiveofthePopArtist’sworkis theperfect
chance to learn fromhisuniqueapproachto paintingsaysRAVNEETAHLUWALIA
Lessons
from Andy
Warhol
LEFT Andy Warhol,
Debbie Harry, 1980,
acrylic and ink on
canvas, 106x106cmART HISTORY1
DRAWING UNDERPINS
EVERYTHING
Andy Warhol is best known for his
bold silkscreen prints, yet all the
qualities that defined his most
famous artworks were evident right
from the very beginning. The
reductive lines, the bold shapes, the
voyeuristic fascination with people –
these facets can all be seen in his
1950s drawings, such as Boy with
Flowers [part of Tate Modern’s new
retrospective], where the influence
of artists such as Jean Cocteau and
Henri Matisse are most apparent.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1928, Warhol
initially worked as a commercial
illustrator, producing everything from
shoe advertisements to record
sleeves. Skilled draughtsmanship
underpinned everything that he did.
If drawing is not your strong point,
don’t worry though. Warhol often
traced around projections of
photographs during his early years
to get the desired effects. In fact,
without relying on these rudimentary
methods, he may never have alighted
on his most famous process. After all,
his fondness for both using tracing
paper to repeat images and blotting
ink lines while still wet to create
variations in the line are precursors
of his silkscreen methods.