plate no. 7665

Ararat and Saint Hripsime Church

Martiros Sarian, 1945

oil, canvasSymbolismlandscapemountainschurchfiguresfieldtreessky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and atmosphere, as well as simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the mountains, church, and figures.
step 02
Block in the sky with light blues and purples, blending softly.
step 03
Establish the mountain's form with varying shades of purple and gray, adding highlights for snow.
step 04
Paint the church using reds, browns, and grays, paying attention to its geometric structure.
step 05
Block in the field with a base layer of yellow-green.
step 06
Add layers of darker greens and browns to create texture and depth in the field.
step 07
Paint the figures with simplified shapes and muted colors.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to the trees and foreground vegetation.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · burnt sienna · cadmium red · sap green

Mix purples for the mountains by combining ultramarine blue and cadmium red. Achieve the field's green by mixing yellow ochre and sap green, adjusting the ratio for different shades.

techniques

·layering
·blending
·scumbling
·broken color
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.
→Making the colors too saturated and unnatural.
→Ignoring the atmospheric perspective, causing the mountains to appear flat.
→Not simplifying the forms enough, resulting in a cluttered composition.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 16x20
·oil paints (ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, titanium white, burnt sienna, cadmium red, sap green)
·palette
·palette knife
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·selection of brushes (round and flat)
·rags