#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of city scene - #doodlewash
Featured Artists

GUEST ARTIST: “A Combination Of Planning And Intuition” by Dalibor Popović Mikša

Written by Charlie O'Shields

Hi, my name is Dalibor Popović Mikša, and I’m from Belgrade, Serbia. The medium I’ve used for the last 5 years is watercolor, but besides that, I use pencil, acrylic and wire-installations.

#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of wooden door - #doodlewash
#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of green door - #doodlewash
#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of mail boxes - #doodlewash

I graduated from the Academy of Art University of Banja Luka. A couple of years ago, I saw on the Internet watercolors done by Andrew Wyeth, Alvaro Castagnet and Joseph Zbukvic and under their influence I entered into the world of watercolor. From that moment, watercolor painting influenced my approach in other painting technique (mist, detail omission, connecting shapes, etc.)

LIGHT AND CONNECTING SHAPES

The light is probably the main theme of all my works. Considering that I prefer to paint in studio using photographs, instead of plein air painting, I developed the ability to recognize the right photography with expressed contrast of light and shadow.

#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of sunset and boats - #doodlewash

This contrast could be strong and sharp or soft and discreet. In both cases it is important to paint connecting shapes before drying, because it is the good and easy way of making atmosphere in watercolor.

DRAWING AND GEOMETRY

The base of all of my paintings in watercolor or any other technique is a solid drawing which dictates the composition and dynamics of a painting.

#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of aerial view - #doodlewash
#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of rocks - #doodlewash
#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of boat - #doodlewash

One of the reasons I mainly choose urban landscapes is the strong presence of geometry and straight lines, as well as the contrast the lines make to irregularly shaped objects. I also like to emphasise tram overhead lines and other electrical installations that can be seen in the streets. Playing with lines is an important part of my watercolor paintings.

COLOR

The palette of colors in my watercolor paintings is generally dim and mostly comprised of various shades of grey with a tendency towards warmer or cooler nuances.

#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of seaside village - #doodlewash

I often get those shades of grey from burnt sienna and ultramarine. As opposed to darkness, brightly colored accents appear on pedestrians, traffic lights, advertisements etc.

MATERIALS

I use Hahnemühle 300g watercolor cotton paper.  My watercolors are Schmincke Horadam and I use Escoda brushes.

#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa portrait - #doodlewash
#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of male portrait - #doodlewash

UNFINISHED PAINTING

Except light, the basic idea of my expression is the unfinished part of the picture – the contrast between hyperrealism and total lack of details. The biggest challenge is finding a best way to do that, and recognize the moment to stop painting.

#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of clothes - #doodlewash
#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of fabric - #doodlewash
#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of shirt - #doodlewash

It is especially hard to achieve in watercolor because it does not allow mistakes. So, I try to plan in advanced but at the same time to let my intuition guide me.

#WorldWatercolorGroup - watercolor by Dalibor Popovic Miksa of Purple Converse Tennis Shoes - #doodlewash

I would like to say thanks to Charlie for featuring me and to support his idea to create dooodlewash.com.

Greetings from Belgrade

Dalibor Popović Mikša
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Charlie O'Shields

Creator of Doodlewash, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world!

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63 thoughts on “GUEST ARTIST: “A Combination Of Planning And Intuition” by Dalibor Popović Mikša”

  12. Dalibor, your delicate and expressive method of handling paint and incorporating negative space as an essential part of each painting showcase your extraordinary talent. I like how your philosophy of knowing when to stop, of knowing a work is complete even when part of the paper remains untouched or some of the paints appear smudged and unfinished, imbues your artwork with the feeling that we are seeing the scene at its moment of inception. Takes insight and courage to paint this way. Truly brilliant and gorgeous art.

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  14. As someone who plays with graphics with nowhere the sensitivity and control you display I could only admire your adventures into depth with a firm expertise in value understanding. It’s a valuable lesson for me and invites exploration.

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    1. Wow. You paint with such amazing delicacy and your handle on color and light are unreal. This inspired me to pull out my watercolors. I struggled with the same issues of knowing when I learned to oil paint. I prefer to leave pieces slightly underdone because I’ve ruined enough sketches and far more paintings from going too far and ruining them. Really brilliant body of work. Thanks for sharing!

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