Edward Hopper Post

Similar to my process of researching and learning about artist Richard Diebenkorn, I am currently looking at work by Edward Hopper; my next painting will be based on his work. However this will be a transition in that Diebenkorn's work typically focuses on abstract arrangements and layers, while Hopper is generally associated with realist depictions of both urban and rural scenery. When I first came across paintings by Hopper, I noticed his strong emphasis on the shapes created by various structures and shadows, primarily in architecture such as city buildings, houses, etc. This is evident in his recognizable "Nighthawks" painting, in which he portrays the perspective of looking through a window into a diner, in the evening. Of his many paintings, I particularly like the one below. I love the way he evaluates the light on different faces of cubical shapes, such as the base of the lighthouse. Contrary to my initial perception of shadows as black, Hopper uses a blue-grey. For the areas of light, he uses a yellow/beige color. Another feature that caught my eye was the cylindrical walls of the lighthouse, which have a graduated shadow. It is interesting that he choses to show that shadow as a series of three values, with the middle line functioning as the transitional color. The angular composition of shadows and lights to construct the building itself is an approach I am currently using on a painting I am doing, which is based off a photo that was taken of the face of a school building. I will make a post of this photo and painting in the coming weeks.