Dorin Popa

I was born and raised north Transylvania, Romania. I completed my studies in Engineering in 2003, but 15 years ago, while living in the UK, I steered toward becoming a representational artist. Eventually I settled in Bucharest, Romania with my wife and children, where I work and have established my own studio.

Mostly self-thought artist, I have no formal artistic education. However I attended a couple of artistic groups in Reading, UK between 2010-2013 (SketchPad, Rising Sun – Life Drawing class, Remenham Portrait Group), where guidance was received from the most established painters.

I've had a very systematic approach to drawing and painting; Following Van Gogh's model, I did not touch colors until I had spent enough time understanding drawing, proportions, perspective, volumes and tones, which, to me, are the intrinsic foundation of a good painting.

After completing "Cours de dessin" by Charles Bargue within a year, and after copying masters for another one, I began to tackle colors - watercolor at first, then acrylics and finally, a few years ago, I began experimenting with oil painting, which is where I ultimately settled.

I am very fond of impressionistic movement, and everything that preceded (romantics, Barbizon school) and followed the movement (post-impressionist).

I strongly consider, that the impressionistic and post-impressionistic movements, have been forced to live too short as the modernist-abstract art like cubism came into the scene much too quick. So, that all the field of light studying in nature, light impact on color and our perception, color vs tones approach has not been experimented enough. 

So, my aim is to go back in time and start some light vs color studies and experiments where mid XIX schools have advanced them, but I think not enough experimented with. Maybe something that might be catalogues as new-naturalists/new-impressionism. All this strongly backed by the urge to go and paint outside my studio, plein-air,  for the quality of the light, and for the love for landscape, being it in front of the see or a busy-town scene.

Discover contemporary artworks by Dorin Popa, browse recent artworks and buy online. Categories: romanian contemporary artists. Artistic domains: Painting. Account type: Artist , member since 2025 (Country of origin Romania). Buy Dorin Popa's latest works on ArtMajeur: Discover great art by contemporary artist Dorin Popa. Browse artworks, buy original art or high end prints.

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