Edward Hopper / Composition

Observational drawing, and more precisely, observational figure drawing is a source of great panic for students. Using Hopper’s work as a principle for creating compositions this unit develops skills in this important area. A series of ‘tricks’ are employed that allow students to gain confidence, the sketches are done quickly and seen as a listing of general details rather than a finished whole. If one sketch is poor it doesn’t matter because the next one may be better. This idea frees students from the idea that every piece of work must be finished and perfect. This unit also offers scope for larger scale group work, pooling together the more able and those with special educational needs to work together.