plate no. 1027

Rain in Early May

Martiros Sarian, 1940

oil, canvasExpressionismlandscapetreesbuildingslandscapefigurespathsky

recreation guide

Martiros Sarian’s 'Rain in Early May' (1940) is a landscape that reflects his role as the founder of a modern Armenian national school of painting, deeply inspired by his travels to Armenia and the Middle East (Source 2). While the specific visual details of this 1940 work are not explicitly described in the provided texts, Sarian’s general practice involved capturing the emotional and atmospheric qualities of nature, often influenced by his childhood admiration for the natural world (Source 2). The painting likely employs expressive color contrasts and atmospheric depth, consistent with the principles of color theory and landscape painting traditions that emphasize the depiction of weather and light modifications (Source 3, Source 7).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (primary set: Ultramarine, Yellow Ochre, White, Black, Vermilion)	For creating the grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazes/scumbles	—
Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed/walnut oil)	Medium for the first and second paintings, as per Reynolds' method cited in Source 1	Linseed oil or Walnut oil
Canvas	Support for the oil painting	—
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparency	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish
Brushes (various sizes)	For applying opaque underpainting and transparent glazes	—

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a standard oil-primed canvas. While Sarian’s specific ground preparation is not detailed in the sources, the technique described in Source 1 implies a dry ground suitable for glazing. Ensure the surface is smooth enough to allow for the 'transparent coat of colour' (glazing) to sit evenly without absorbing too much oil prematurely.

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Sarian’s underdrawing method for this specific work. However, given the emphasis on color contrast and atmospheric effect, a light, non-intrusive sketch is likely to avoid interfering with the subsequent color layers. Avoid heavy charcoal that might show through the glazes.

underpainting

Create a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia (or a similar medium) as described by Sir Joshua Reynolds in Source 1. This step involves 'mentally extracting the red and yellow colours' to establish the tonal structure of the landscape without chromatic interference (Source 1). This grisaille should be allowed to dry completely before proceeding.

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure Ultramarine

Grisaille underpainting and cool atmospheric tones

White

Titanium or Zinc White

Grisaille underpainting and lightening tones

Black

Ivory Black

Grisaille underpainting and darkening shadows

Yellow Ochre/Red Ochre

Yellow Ochre, Vermilion

Glazing and scumbling to reintroduce warm tones, as per the 'red and yellow tones' mentioned in Source 1

Complementary Colors

Dependent on local color (e.g., Green/Red, Blue/Orange)

Creating contrast and atmospheric depth, leveraging the law of simultaneous contrast (Source 3, Source 4)

composition

The sources do not describe the specific composition of 'Rain in Early May.' However, landscape painting traditionally includes sky and weather as key elements (Source 7). Sarian’s work is inspired by Armenian landscapes, suggesting a focus on natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, or rural settlements (Source 2). The composition likely aims to harmonize colors inherent to the nature of the objects, considering the modifications of light and contiguous colors (Source 3).

step by step

underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underpainting

step 01
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia (or linseed oil) to create a grisaille. Paint the tonal structure of the landscape, focusing on light and shadow without using red or yellow hues.
Tip — Ensure the grisaille is completely dry before proceeding to avoid muddying the subsequent glazes.
Grisaille

first pass

step 02
Begin glazing with transparent coats of color, starting with oil as a medium. Apply yellow and red tones where they occur in the landscape, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color that allows the underlying grisaille to show through, creating depth.
Glazing

refining

step 03
Use scumbling, a semi-opaque painting technique, over darker grounds to create coldness or a 'grey bloom' effect, enhancing the atmospheric quality of the rain.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to make itself felt, useful for creating misty or rainy effects.
Scumbling
step 04
Consider the law of simultaneous contrast when placing colors. Ensure that adjacent colors do not inadvertently shift each other’s perceived hue, especially in the sky and foliage.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may perceive colors differently due to the influence of neighboring hues, potentially leading to inaccuracies if not corrected.
Simultaneous Contrast

finishing

step 05
As mastery increases, mix varnish with oil for further glazing to enhance transparency and depth. Adjust lightness by mixing with white or complements, avoiding black which may shift hues undesirably.
Tip — Adding black to darken colors can cause hue shifts (e.g., yellows shifting greenish), so use complements for neutralizing instead.
Varnish Glazing

varnishing

step 06
Allow the painting to dry thoroughly before applying a final varnish to protect the surface and unify the gloss.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry to prevent yellowing or cracking of the varnish.
Final Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to build up color and atmosphere in layers, starting with a dry grisaille underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque texture, both contributing to the depth and mood of the landscape.

Simultaneous Contrast

Applied to harmonize colors and account for the eye’s tendency to perceive complementary hues in adjacent areas, ensuring accurate color representation in the landscape.

Color Mixing with Complements

Used to darken or neutralize colors without shifting their hue, avoiding the pitfalls of adding black or white which can alter the color’s character.

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the grisaille is completely dry, leading to muddied colors and loss of transparency.
→Using black to darken colors, which can cause undesirable hue shifts (e.g., yellows becoming greenish).
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, resulting in colors that appear inaccurate or unharmonious due to neighboring hues.
→Overworking the paint, losing the vitality of the medium and the expressive quality of the landscape.

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 'Rain in Early May' (e.g., exact landscape features, color scheme) are not described in the sources.
·Sarian’s specific brushwork or compositional choices for this 1940 work are not detailed.
·The exact pigments used by Sarian in this period are not specified, though general oil painting practices are inferred.

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 Underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color harmony and simultaneous contrast

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia bio — Martiros Sarian↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist’s inspiration and general practice
Wikipedia: Complementary colors↗
- part 1 — applied to Understanding complementary color pairs
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- part 6 — applied to Color mixing and avoiding hue shifts
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- part 1 — applied to General landscape composition and weather depiction