Biography
Paul Hopman is a local Tucson scratchboard artist who illustrates the beauty and spirit of animals, be they a wild mustang or a pet dog. Paul is passionate about using his unique art form to teach about and preserve the wild creatures. Many of his subjects are endangered species, such as wolves, tigers & gorillas. But he also does commission work for those who want a stunningly beautiful framed portrait of their favorite pet.
After graduation from the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Illinois, Paul started his career in 1971 as an illustrator and graphic designer. Over the past 45 years, Paul’s art has proved to be more than competitive in the professional art industry. Over time, his passion has evolved to drawing a variety of animals, from exotic to domestic and he has been widely commissioned for not only his amazing illustrations of wild animals but also endearing pet portraits.
“The moment my passion for the art of scratchboard started to form was the moment my father asked if I would rather attend a traditional college or art school. Soon after, I enrolled at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Illinois. My time in art school included only twenty days learning scratchboard. The next thirty- nine years followed with a career in the art and printing trades while producing scratchboard art in my free time for friends and family. After retiring from the printing business in 2008, I was able to dedicate more time to scratchboard and began attending art shows across the country. Today I attend an average of twenty shows per year, mostly in the southwest.”
