Bato Dugarzhapov

“At the moment when the brush touches the canvas, the inner processes are accelerated. Everything goes faster, clearer and not as was planned beforehand. It happens independently and only now, at this particular moment. Ideas, scenery, colors – everything starts to appear and take their proper place only when my brush and the canvas meet one another. All previous plans and decisions become trash. ” Bato Dugarzhapov

This month’s featured artist is Bato Dugarzhapov. He’s a master Russian Impressionist with a distinct yet versatile style.

I already featured him in my Exploring the Masters email series, but I feel compelled to feature him again for his interior paintings. He has only painted a handful, but they are stunning. You can see them below. I won’t share them directly here for copyright reasons.

Studio

Ivachevo Village

Winter Dawn

Jasmine

Some key observations:

  • Paints mostly with instinct rather than calculated thought. Experience, confidence, and high-level skills are prerequisites for painting like this.
  • Uses broad, thick brushwork for the lights.
  • Uses washes of muted color to simplify the detail, then adds small but powerful accents and highlights over the top.
  • Narrows down on the few essential details; simplifies the rest.
  • Simple and compelling color themes.

I also found this video showing what appears to be one of his workshops. Unfortunately, it’s all in Russian, so I have no idea what he’s saying. But it shows him paint an interior scene from start to finish. Watch how quickly he captures his first impressions of the room and how he narrows down on the few details that really push the needle.

Below are some other videos featuring him painting. Worth a watch when you have time.

In the video below, watch how effortlessly he revises and manipulates the subject.

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