Watercolor Artist - USA (2019-08)

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balancetherealityofwhatyou’re
lookingatwithwhatyouseeand
filterthroughyourintuition,then
itbecomesirrelevantwhetheryou’re
paintingonthesceneorlookingat
a photograph,”hesays.
ForDjukaric,a successfulpainting
processis oneinwhichhe’sabletocon-
trolthewetnessofthepaper,thecolor
hastherightopaquequality,andhe
managestoapplycolorontowetpaper

Meet the Artist

Dusan Djukaric (dusandjukaric.

com) studied at the Academy

of Arts, in Belgrade, Serbia, and

has had solo exhibitions in France,

China, Italy, Spain, Great Britain,

Switzerland and Taiwan. He has

served as juror for international

watercolor competitions, and has

won many awards for his own

work. His paintings have been

published in numerous print and

electronic publications, including

Pratique des Arts and The Art of

Watercolour.

at just the right time. He says waiting

for that optimal moment is one of the

most diffi cult to get right. “Diff erences

in wetness of paper, combined with the

same density and intensity of color,

produce a completely diff erent tone of

color, a diff erent end result after which

there’s no return,” he says.

Getting those things right is a

matter of experience, but even after

30 years, it’s still a challenge for the

artist. More often than not, Djukaric

says things get out of hand, and water

follows its own route. Over the years,

he’s learned how to embrace these

surprises. “Th is breathes life into a

painting,” he says. “At the end of the

day, the greatest mastery means to be

in control of coincidence.”

If Djukaric makes a mistake, he

corrects it while the paper is still wet.

ABOVE
Morning in Square
in St. Marco, Venice
(watercolor on paper, 251⁄5x19)

LEFT
The Stories From Savamala
(watercolor on paper, 29x21¼ )

Th en, once it has dried, he makes fi n-

ishing touches on the paper, such as

brushstrokes that cut into the soft-

ness of a wet and refl ective surface.

Djukaric’s paper of choice is Arches

140-lb. rough, and he uses Rembrandt

and Schmincke watercolors. As for

brushes, he’s not particular. “I use

any I can lay my hands on,” he says.

Djukaric still gets a thrill from

selling a painting. “At the end of the

day, what matters is that the painting

doesn’t leave the observer indiff erent,”

he says. “Th e painting continues to live

in his eyes as his own personal privi-

lege and pleasure. Th is takes me back

to my childhood, to my beginnings.”

Amy Leibrock is a Cincinnati-based

freelance writer and content manager.

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