Old Quarter, Yerevan by Petros Malayan

plate no. 6269

Old Quarter, Yerevan

Petros Malayan, 1968

watercolorExpressionismcityscapebuildingsarchitecturecityscapecourtyardshadowstrees

experienced study

This painting would teach students watercolor transparency control, architectural perspective, and how to balance warm and cool colors in complex urban compositions.

technical profile

palette complexity

4

brushwork visibility

3

value contrast

4

compositional simplicity

2

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Start with light pencil sketch establishing basic architectural shapes and perspective
step 02
Block in large shadow areas with diluted neutral washes
step 03
Paint the yellow ochre building walls with varied warm tones
step 04
Add the blue and purple shadow areas while paint is still damp
step 05
Paint the green foliage areas with bold, loose strokes
step 06
Define architectural details like windows and doors with darker values
step 07
Add final dark accents and linear details to define forms
step 08
Balance the composition with small color notes and adjustments

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · ivory black

secondary · sap green · dioxazine purple · raw umber · cadmium orange

Mix warm grays from yellow ochre and ultramarine blue, create rich purples by combining blue with small amounts of burnt sienna

techniques

·wet-on-wet blending
·color temperature contrast
·architectural perspective
·loose expressive brushwork
·transparent layering

common pitfalls

→Overworking the loose foliage areas
→Making shadows too dark too early
→Losing the spontaneous quality with too much detail
→Not maintaining proper perspective in the building forms

materials

surface · watercolor paper 140lb cold-pressed

required

·#10 round brush
·#6 flat brush
·yellow ochre watercolor
·ultramarine blue watercolor
·burnt sienna watercolor
·sap green watercolor
·ivory black watercolor
·watercolor paper 140lb

optional

·#2 round detail brush
·natural sponge
·masking fluid
·spray bottle

Cold-pressed paper will help achieve the textural quality seen in the architectural elements

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