plate no. 0332
Old Yerevan, Kond
Petros Malayan, 1973
recreation guide
This recreation guide addresses Petros Malayan’s 1973 oil painting 'Old Yerevan, Kond,' an expressionist cityscape. While the provided sources do not contain specific visual descriptions of this particular artwork’s content (such as specific buildings or street layouts), they offer robust technical frameworks for executing an expressionist cityscape in oil. The approach relies on traditional oil painting methods, specifically the use of a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish form and value before applying transparent color layers. This method aligns with the 'old masters' technique described in the sources, which emphasizes mental extraction of red and yellow tones during the initial stages to build a structural foundation (Source 1). The composition should adhere to general principles of visual ordering, ensuring a clear center of interest and avoiding exact bisections of space (Source 4).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 6-8 sessions (allowing for drying times between glazing layers)
materials
6 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, Black, White, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, etc.) | Primary medium for underpainting and glazing | — |
| Linseed oil | Medium for thinning paint and creating glazes; essential for the 'fat over lean' rule | Stand oil or refined linseed oil |
| Mineral spirits or Turpentine | Solvent for cleaning brushes and thinning initial washes | Odorless mineral spirits (OMS) |
| Canvas or primed panel | Support surface | — |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For initial sketching/underdrawing | Vine charcoal or diluted burnt umber |
| Palette knives and brushes | Application of paint; knives for scraping or impasto, brushes for glazing | — |
preparation
surface prep
Prepare a standard oil-primed canvas. While the sources do not specify Malayan’s exact ground, traditional oil painting practice suggests a stable, absorbent surface. Ensure the surface is clean and free of dust before beginning the underdrawing (Source 5).
underdrawing
Sketch the cityscape composition using charcoal or thinned paint. Focus on establishing the 'center of interest' and ensuring the horizon line does not bisect the canvas equally, but rather emphasizes either the sky or the ground to create a more dynamic composition (Source 4, Source 5). Avoid exact bisections of picture space (Source 4).
underpainting
Execute a grisaille (monochrome) underpainting. Mentally extract red and yellow colors from your mental image of the scene, translating what would remain if those colors were absent. Use black, ultramarine, and white to establish values and forms. This layer must be completely dry before proceeding (Source 1). This technique helps in building a structural foundation similar to methods used by old masters (Source 1).
color palette
Ultramarine/Black/White
Ultramarine blue, Ivory black, Titanium white
Grisaille underpainting to establish value structure
Yellow Tones
Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow
Glazing and scumbling to reintroduce warmth and light
Red Tones
Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson
Glazing and scumbling to add depth and atmospheric warmth
composition
As specific visual details of 'Old Yerevan, Kond' are not described in the sources, apply general composition principles for cityscapes. Ensure there is a clear center of interest to prevent the work from becoming a mere pattern (Source 4). Use detailed areas contrasted with 'rest' areas to guide the viewer's eye (Source 4). Avoid placing the prominent subject directly in the center unless a formal symmetry is intended; instead, balance it with smaller satellite elements (Source 4).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the cityscape layout on the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint. Establish the horizon line off-center and identify the main focal point.
Tip — Ensure the composition leads the viewer's eye around all elements before exiting the picture (Source 4).
Initial Sketch
underpainting
step 02
Apply a grisaille layer using black, ultramarine, and white. Focus on value contrasts rather than color. Mentally exclude red and yellow hues.
Tip — This layer must be completely dry before adding color to prevent muddiness (Source 1).
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Begin glazing with transparent coats of yellow and red tones over the dry grisaille. Use oil as a medium initially.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color that allows the underlying painting to show through (Source 1).
Glazing
refining
step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms if desired.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to make itself felt while adding texture (Source 1).
Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Apply final layers ensuring the 'fat over lean' rule: each subsequent layer should contain more oil than the previous one to prevent cracking.
Tip — If layers contain less oil, the painting will crack and peel (Source 5).
Fat over Lean
critical techniques
Grisaille
A monochrome underpainting that establishes form and value before color is introduced. It involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to focus on structure (Source 1).
Glazing
Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build depth and luminosity, similar to tinting an engraving (Source 1).
Fat over Lean
A fundamental rule of oil painting where each additional layer contains more oil than the one below it to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking (Source 5).
common pitfalls
- →Applying color before the grisaille is completely dry, which can lead to muddying of the underpainting (Source 1).
- →Violating the 'fat over lean' rule, causing the paint film to crack and peel over time (Source 5).
- →Placing the horizon line exactly in the middle of the canvas, which can create a static and less engaging composition (Source 4).
- →Failing to establish a clear center of interest, causing the cityscape to appear as a repetitive pattern rather than a cohesive image (Source 4).
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 'Old Yerevan, Kond' (e.g., specific buildings, street layout, lighting conditions) are not described in the sources.
- ·Petros Malayan’s specific personal palette or unique stylistic quirks beyond general expressionism are not detailed in the provided texts.
- ·The exact dimensions of the original artwork are not provided.
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 Grisaille technique, glazing, and scumbling instructions
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Materials, 'fat over lean' rule, and drying times
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 6 — applied to Compositional principles for cityscapes
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
related artworks
Dolly Sisters
Kees van Dongen
Nude with Loaves
Jean Helion
My Father
Carlos Botelho
Helen
Chronis Botsoglou
The portrait painter in the country
Albin Egger-Lienz
Marketta on Lázeňská street, Prague
Maria Bozoky
Winter at the Entrepotdok, in Amsterdam city
Paul Werner
Old Woman with Masks (Theatre of Masks)
James Ensor