Tatjana Mirkov-Popovicki Portraiture

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In my portraits, I explore the world of timeless values, beauty of the human body, landscape of the face. I take a long time to create these images, savoring their emergence from hundreds of thin layers of graphite, crayon or watercolor. Only natural materials are used - earthy pigments, rug paper, crayon made from clay, charcoal and graphite. Thanks to my beautiful models, these paintings carry messages sent from the ancient times to the today’s world. The messages hidden in shapes and gestures of the body, symbolic meanings of colors, reminders of stories passed on from our ancestors.

Watercolor provides a unique delicate beauty, emphasizing our fragility and vulnerability. Watercolor portraits are painted with the very finest pigments on heavy 100% cotton paper, acid free with the highest archival value.  The finished piece, if properly cared for and framed in an archival manner behind glass, will last for hundreds of years.

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Oil and acrylic portraits are staged to provide an immediate drama. They carry strong statements and project strong emotions of happiness, anticipation, playfulness, expectation. Portraits are done on canvas or board with the finest oil and acrylic paints. Each painting is varnished and should be framed without glass.

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Graphite and crayon drawings are typically done as a preparation for a portrait painting, however, they can be also used as a finished piece. They can have various levels of details. Sketches are valued for their freshness when the face only starts to emerge from the surface of the paper. Highly detailed drawings are admired for their classical look, liveliness and feeling of texture.  All drawings are done on acid-free paper, white of lightly colored, and should be framed in an archival manner behind glass.

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The process of making a portrait starts with a photo session and a sketching session if possible. Several compositional and color studies are required before even starting the work on the final piece, which takes anything from one to six months to finish, depending on the complexity and the desired level of detail. More elaborate compositions may require several months for completion. Portraits are traditionally commissioned by the number of limbs. That is how the expression of "costing an arm and a leg" came about. Portraits can be done in traditional poses, but also in a more contemporary manner. Send me an email if you would like to learn more.