The Cats of Endre Penovác

Endre Penovác (Serbia, b. 1956) is an artist who uses the soft blending quality of ink and watercolor to create evocative images of cats.

He primarily uses a combination of black ink and watercolor on watercolor paper.

Wet-into-Wet. He uses a wet-in-wet technique, which involves applying wet paint to a pre-wetted surface. This approach allows the pigments to blend and spread organically, creating soft, ethereal effects.

Paper Preparation. Penovác begins by submerging his watercolor paper in water for about a minute, then waiting approximately eight minutes before starting to paint.

Minimal Brushwork. He uses very few brushstrokes, relying instead on the natural flow and interaction of the ink and water, giving his work an almost Japanese quality.

Often the eyes, ears, and whiskers are the only details that are crisply defined.

I was surprised about what else he does to achieve his “purposeful accidents.”