plate no. 5477

Saghmosavank

Petros Malayan, 1973

oilExpressionismcityscapechurcharchitecturelandscapeskystone walltrees

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and simplified architectural rendering. It also provides practice in creating texture with layering and dry brush techniques.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the church and landscape, focusing on proportions.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of muted blues and grays.
step 03
Establish the main value areas of the church with browns and grays, paying attention to light direction.
step 04
Add the darker tones to the church to define the shadows and architectural details.
step 05
Paint the landscape elements, starting with the distant hills and working forward.
step 06
Create the stone wall in the foreground using a variety of grays and browns, suggesting texture with dry brush strokes.
step 07
Add details to the trees and foliage, using broken color and varied brushstrokes.
step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting values and adding subtle highlights.

color palette

primary · raw umber · payne's gray · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue

Mix browns and grays by combining umber, blue, and white. Use yellow ochre to warm up the browns for the landscape. Create atmospheric perspective by lightening and muting colors in the distance.

techniques