plate no. 2412

Autumn hazy day

Martiros Sarian, 1928

oil, canvasSymbolismlandscapemountainstreeslandscapebuildingsanimalssky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and using color to create depth and atmosphere. It also provides an opportunity to experiment with expressive brushstrokes and color mixing to capture the feeling of a hazy day.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the mountains, buildings, trees, and animals, focusing on their relative sizes and positions.
step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue-gray wash, allowing for variations in tone to suggest clouds.
step 03
Establish the distant landscape with muted greens and browns, using horizontal strokes to create a sense of depth.
step 04
Paint the buildings with simplified shapes and warm colors, paying attention to the light and shadow on their surfaces.
step 05
Add the trees in the foreground with bold, expressive brushstrokes, using a mix of greens, yellows, and blues.
step 06
Paint the animals with simplified forms and warm colors, using quick, gestural strokes to capture their movement.
step 07
Refine the details of the painting, adding highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Add the artist's signature in the bottom right corner.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · sap green

secondary · titanium white · cadmium red · violet

Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Achieve the hazy atmosphere by mixing white with small amounts of blue, violet, and brown. Use burnt sienna and cadmium red for the animals and buildings.

techniques

·broken color
·alla prima
·scumbling
·color layering
·expressive brushwork

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Creating too much contrast and losing the hazy atmosphere.
→Making the colors too saturated and not capturing the muted tones of the landscape.
→Not simplifying the shapes and forms enough, resulting in a cluttered composition.