plate no. 3963
Olshtin Street
Petros Malayan, 1973
recreation guide
Olshtin Street (1973) by Petros Malayan is an expressionist cityscape executed in oil. As a cityscape, it falls within the tradition of depicting urban landscapes, potentially including hardscapes such as streets and sidewalks (Source 3). The work is characterized by the expressive capacity of oil paint, which allows for adjustments in translucency, sheen, and the density or 'body' of the paint to convey emotion rather than strict topographical accuracy (Source 1). The composition likely utilizes principles of visual ordering, such as line, shape, and value, to organize the urban elements into a coherent whole (Source 4).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
8 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas | Support for the oil painting | — |
| Oil paints | Primary medium for color and texture | — |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and increase oil content for 'fat over lean' rule | — |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent to thin paint for initial layers and clean brushes | — |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For initial sketching of the subject onto the canvas | — |
| Paintbrushes | Primary tool for transferring paint to the surface | — |
| Palette knives | Alternative application tool for scraping or applying thick paint | — |
| Rags | For cleaning brushes or removing wet paint layers | — |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be primed to accept oil paint. While specific priming methods for Malayan are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting techniques assume a prepared surface to prevent oil absorption issues (Source 1).
underdrawing
Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint, as is traditional in oil painting techniques (Source 1). This establishes the basic layout of the cityscape elements.
underpainting
Consider creating 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, providing a foundation for subsequent glazing and scumbling (Source 2).
color palette
General Earth Tones
Umbers, Ochres, Siennas
General use in establishing the urban landscape and hardscapes
Cool Grays/Blues
Ultramarine, White, Black
Sky and atmospheric conditions, consistent with landscape traditions (Source 5)
Warm Accents
Reds, Yellows
Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and depth, as suggested by traditional methods (Source 2)
composition
Organize the artwork using elements of design such as line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space (Source 4). Ensure there is a center of interest to prevent the work from becoming merely a pattern, and avoid exact bisections of the picture space (Source 8). The horizon line should be positioned to emphasize either the sky or the ground, rather than dividing the artwork in two equal parts (Source 8).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the cityscape layout onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Keep lines light to allow for adjustments.
Traditional sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish values, excluding red and yellow tones initially.
Tip — Ensure this layer is completely dry before proceeding.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Apply initial layers of paint using a 'lean' mixture (more solvent, less oil) to establish basic colors and forms.
Tip — Follow the rule that each additional layer should contain more oil than the layer below to prevent cracking.
Fat over lean
refining
step 04
Use glazing (transparent coats of color) and scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to add depth and color variation, particularly introducing red and yellow tones.
Tip — Scumbling over a darker ground can create a grey bloom or coldness effect.
Glazing and Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Adjust texture and form using palette knives or brushes, taking advantage of oil paint's long drying time.
Tip — Oil paint remains wet longer than other materials, allowing for changes to color, texture, or form.
Palette knife application
varnishing
step 06
Apply varnish after the painting is fully dry (typically two weeks) to protect the surface and unify the sheen.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely 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 transparent coats of color, while scumbling applies semi-opaque paint, allowing the underlying layer to show through.
Palette Knife Usage
Used for applying paint or scraping off layers, offering control over texture and form.
common pitfalls
- →Applying layers with less oil than the previous layer, which can cause the final painting to crack and peel (Source 1).
- →Dividing the picture space with exact bisections, which can lead to a static composition (Source 8).
- →Placing the horizon line in the exact center, which fails to emphasize either the sky or the ground (Source 8).
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 color palette used by Petros Malayan for Olshtin Street is not detailed in the sources.
- ·Exact compositional layout of Olshtin Street (e.g., specific buildings, street perspective) is not described in the sources.
- ·Malayan's specific preparatory methods or unique deviations from traditional oil painting techniques are not covered.
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 underpainting, glazing, scumbling
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 2 — applied to Materials, underdrawing, fat over lean rule, palette knife usage, drying time
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- part 13 — applied to Definition of cityscape and hardscape
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 1 — applied to Elements of design (line, shape, color, etc.)
- part 6 — applied to Compositional rules (center of interest, horizon line, bisections)
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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