plate no. 7316
Ashtarak in hazy day
Martiros Sarian, 1954
recreation guide
Martiros Sarian’s 'Ashtarak in hazy day' (1954) is a landscape that exemplifies his mature style, characterized by a vibrant, expressive use of color and an emphasis on atmospheric effects. As a founder of the modern Armenian national school of painting, Sarian’s work often draws inspiration from the natural scenery of Armenia, capturing the essence of the landscape rather than a strictly topographical replication (Source 8). The painting likely employs techniques associated with Post-Impressionism, focusing on the interplay of light and color to convey the mood of a hazy day, rather than detailed realism. The distinctive quality of this artwork lies in its atmospheric perspective, achieved through the manipulation of color temperature and transparency. Sarian’s approach to landscape painting involves selecting colors that harmonize with the inherent nature of the objects while allowing for artistic interpretation of accidental effects like haze (Source 4). The painting likely utilizes glazing and scumbling techniques to create depth and luminosity, methods that were practiced by old masters and remain relevant for rendering complex atmospheric conditions (Source 1, Source 3).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
7 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red) | Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing | — |
| Linseed oil or Alkyd medium | To create transparent glazes and increase paint flow | Stand oil or Galkyd |
| Canvas (primed) | Support for the painting | Linen or cotton canvas with acrylic gesso |
| Solvent (Odorless mineral spirits) | Thinning paint and cleaning brushes | — |
| Soft bristle brushes (filberts, flats) | For applying glazes and scumbles | — |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be primed with a neutral ground, likely white or light gray, to facilitate the glazing process. Sarian’s practice, consistent with traditional oil painting methods, likely involved a stable ground to support multiple layers of transparent paint (Source 3).
underdrawing
Sarian’s preparatory methods are not explicitly detailed in the sources. However, given his expressive style, a loose underdrawing in charcoal or thinned oil paint is likely, focusing on major compositional elements rather than fine details (Source 8).
underpainting
A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) is recommended, using black, ultramarine, and white to establish values and composition. This aligns with the traditional method described by Sir Joshua Reynolds, which Sarian may have studied or been influenced by through academic training (Source 1). The underpainting should capture the basic forms of the landscape, excluding red and yellow tones to be added later via glazing (Source 1).
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure Ultramarine
Underpainting and cool shadows
White
Titanium or Zinc White
Underpainting and highlights
Black
Ivory Black
Underpainting and deep shadows
Yellow Ochre
Yellow Ochre
Glazing warm tones in the landscape
Red Ochre
Red Ochre
Glazing warm tones in the landscape
Cadmium Yellow
Cadmium Yellow Light
Glazing bright highlights
Cadmium Red
Cadmium Red Light
Glazing warm accents
composition
The composition likely features a wide view of the Ashtarak landscape, with the sky playing a significant role in conveying the hazy atmosphere. Sarian’s landscapes often emphasize the spiritual element of nature, drawing on the tradition of landscape painting that values the emotional impact of the scene (Source 2, Source 6). The arrangement of elements is coherent, with the haze softening the boundaries between foreground and background.
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the main compositional elements lightly with charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Focus on major shapes and values, not details.
Underdrawing
underpainting
step 02
Apply a grisaille using black, ultramarine, and white to establish values and composition.
Tip — Exclude red and yellow tones; focus on light and shadow.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Allow the underpainting to dry completely.
Tip — Ensure the layer is fully dry to prevent mixing with glazes.
Drying
refining
step 04
Apply thin, transparent glazes of yellow and red tones using linseed oil or alkyd medium.
Tip — Use a great amount of medium relative to pigment for transparency.
Glazing
step 05
Use scumbling to add semi-opaque layers, particularly for hazy effects.
Tip — Apply thinly to allow the underlying layer to show through.
Scumbling
finishing
step 06
Adjust colors based on simultaneous contrast principles to enhance atmospheric effects.
Tip — Observe how adjacent colors influence each other’s appearance.
Simultaneous Contrast
varnishing
step 07
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and enhance depth.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry before varnishing.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying thin, transparent layers of color to modify the underlying paint, creating depth and luminosity.
Scumbling
Applying semi-opaque paint thinly to allow the underlying layer to show through, useful for hazy effects.
Simultaneous Contrast
Using color juxtaposition to enhance the perception of light and atmosphere.
common pitfalls
- →Applying glazes before the underpainting is fully dry, leading to muddiness.
- →Using too much pigment in glazes, reducing transparency.
- →Ignoring the principles of simultaneous contrast, resulting in flat colors.
- →Overworking the paint, losing the atmospheric haze.
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific details of Sarian’s brushwork in this particular painting.
- ·Exact pigment choices used by Sarian in 1954.
- ·Detailed compositional analysis of 'Ashtarak in hazy day'.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting and glazing techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- Simultaneous Contrast — applied to Color harmony and atmospheric effects
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Glaze (painting technique)↗
- Glaze (painting technique) — applied to Glazing and scumbling methods
Wikipedia bio — Martiros Sarian↗
- Martiros Sarian — applied to Artist’s background and style
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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