plate no. 6000
Noon
Martiros Sarian, 1953
recreation guide
Martiros Sarian’s 'Noon' (1953) is a landscape painting that reflects his role as the founder of a modern Armenian national school of painting, heavily influenced by his travels to Armenia and the Middle East (Source 5). As a work from 1953, it falls within the period after Sarian permanently moved to Armenia, where his admiration for nature—rooted in his childhood in a rural khutor—remained a central theme (Source 5). The artwork belongs to the genre of landscape painting, which depicts natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, and trees, often including the sky and weather as compositional elements (Source 1). While the specific visual details of 'Noon' are not described in the provided sources, Sarian’s general practice involved capturing the spirit of the Armenian landscape, likely employing the broad masses and coloristic intensity characteristic of his mature style.
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
7 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints | Primary medium for the artwork | — |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and ensure proper drying according to 'fat over lean' rule | — |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent for thinning paint and cleaning brushes | — |
| Canvas | Support surface for the oil painting | — |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For initial sketching of the subject onto the canvas | — |
| Paintbrushes | Traditional tool for transferring paint to the surface | — |
| Palette knives | Alternative application tool for scraping or applying paint | — |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be prepared according to traditional oil painting standards. While specific priming methods for Sarian are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting techniques often begin with sketching the subject onto the prepared canvas (Source 3). Ensure the surface is stable to support the layering of oil paint.
underdrawing
Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 3). Sarian’s specific preparatory methods are not explicitly described in the sources, so a standard charcoal underdrawing is recommended to establish the composition of the landscape elements.
underpainting
Consider using a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish values before applying color. This technique involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to translate what would be left in nature, allowing for subsequent glazing and scumbling (Source 8). This approach helps in managing the 'broad masses' of the landscape.
color palette
Earth tones and local colors
Natural pigments reflecting Armenian landscape
General use in this artist's palette, reflecting his inspiration from travels to Armenia and the Middle East (Source 5)
Sky tones
Blues and whites
Depicting the sky, which is almost always included in landscape views (Source 1)
Warm highlights
Yellows and reds
Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and light, consistent with the technique of adding red and yellow tones over a monochrome base (Source 8)
composition
The composition should organize natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests into a coherent whole (Source 1). The sky should be included, and weather conditions may serve as an element of the composition (Source 1). Sarian’s works were inspired by his travels, suggesting a focus on the specific character of the Armenian landscape (Source 5). The arrangement of elements should create a visual path for the eye, utilizing line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space (Source 4).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the landscape composition onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Focus on the arrangement of natural scenery into a coherent composition.
Initial sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish values, mentally extracting red and yellow colors.
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is dry before proceeding to color layers.
Monochrome underpainting
first pass
step 03
Begin applying oil paint, mixing with linseed oil or mineral spirits to achieve desired consistency.
Tip — Follow the 'fat over lean' rule: each additional layer should contain more oil than the layer below.
Oil paint application
refining
step 04
Glaze and scumble with oil to add red and yellow tones, enhancing the warmth and light of the landscape.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color; scumbling is semi-opaque, allowing the underlying painting to show through.
Glazing and scumbling
finishing
step 05
Refine details and adjust colors as needed, utilizing the longer drying time of oil paint to change color, texture, or form.
Tip — Oil paint remains wet longer than other materials, allowing for adjustments.
Oil paint manipulation
varnishing
step 06
Apply varnish if desired, after the painting is completely dry (usually within two weeks).
Tip — Ensure the painting is dry to the touch before varnishing.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Fat over lean
Each additional layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking.
Glazing and scumbling
Glazing applies a transparent coat of color; scumbling applies semi-opaque paint, allowing the underlying layer to show through, useful for adding warmth and light.
Monochrome underpainting
Establishing values with a grisaille before adding color, helping to manage broad masses and color relationships.
common pitfalls
- →Violating the 'fat over lean' rule, which can cause the final painting to crack and peel (Source 3).
- →Over-modeling or being too tied down to outlines, which can result in a smallness of effect; copying works like Reynolds’s portraits can help check this tendency (Source 7).
- →Applying color layers before the underpainting is dry, which can lead to muddiness or improper drying (Source 8).
- →Ignoring the importance of the sky and weather in landscape composition, which are key elements in landscape painting (Source 1).
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 visual details of 'Noon' (e.g., exact landscape features, color scheme, composition) are not described in the sources.
- ·Sarian’s specific palette and pigment choices for this 1953 work are not detailed.
- ·The exact preparatory methods (e.g., specific underdrawing materials) used by Sarian for this painting are not documented in the sources.
- ·The role of 'The Four Arts' association in influencing the style of 'Noon' is not explicitly linked in the sources.
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 Monochrome underpainting, glazing, scumbling techniques
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding over-modeling and smallness
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to Definition of landscape painting, inclusion of sky and weather, composition elements
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Oil painting techniques, 'fat over lean' rule, sketching, drying time
Wikipedia bio — Martiros Sarian↗
- Martiros Sarian — part 1 — applied to Artist’s background, inspiration from Armenia and Middle East, role in Armenian national school
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 1 — applied to Elements of design, composition organization
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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