Is about to study pictures (5)
I believe the answer is:
icons
'pictures' is the definition.
(I know this)
'is about to study' is the wordplay.
'about' is an insertion indicator.
'to study' becomes 'con' (con can informally mean to study).
'is' going around 'con' is 'ICONS'.
(Other definitions for icons that I've seen before include "Screen symbols on 4 across" , "Images, religious perhaps" , "Devotional paintings" , "Computer displays" , "Graphic symbols on computer screens" .)