plate no. 6382

Street in Torun

Petros Malayan, 1972

oilExpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingstowersstreetarchitectureurban

recreation guide

Street in Torun (1972) by Petros Malayan is an Expressionist cityscape executed in oil. As a cityscape, it falls under the broader tradition of landscape painting, which includes urban environments and hardscapes such as streets and sidewalks (Source 6). The work likely employs the expressive potential of oil paint, utilizing the medium’s capacity for texture and value manipulation to convey the atmosphere of the street scene. While specific visual details of the buildings or figures are not described in the provided sources, the genre implies a focus on the organization of urban space, where the composition serves to guide the viewer’s eye through the architectural elements and atmospheric conditions (Source 4, Source 6).

estimated time

15-25 hours over 4-6 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (pigment + drying oil)	Primary medium for the painting	—
Linseed oil	General purpose drying oil for mixing paint and glazing	—
Safflower or Poppyseed oil	For lighter colors like white to prevent yellowing	—
Canvas or linen support	Surface for painting	—
Gesso or ground	Preparation of the surface	—
Brushes	Application of paint	—

preparation

surface prep

The surface should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While the specific ground used by Malayan is not detailed, standard practice involves priming the canvas or linen to create a stable surface for the oil layers (Source 3).

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Malayan’s underdrawing technique. In general oil painting practice, an underdrawing may be used to establish the composition, but it is often obscured by subsequent layers. If the artist worked wet-on-wet or with heavy impasto, the underdrawing might be minimal or non-existent.

underpainting

A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) is a traditional technique that can be employed to establish values before applying color. This involves painting the composition in neutral tones, mentally extracting red and yellow colors to focus on form and light (Source 1). This method allows for subsequent glazing and scumbling of transparent and semi-opaque colors.

color palette

Neutral Grays/Browns

Black, Ultramarine, White, Earth tones

Underpainting (grisaille) to establish values

Reds and Yellows

Transparent red and yellow pigments

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce color

Whites

Lead white (historical) or Titanium Zinc (modern)

Highlights and lightening colors; note that lighter colors may use safflower or poppyseed oil to reduce yellowing (Source 3)

composition

As a cityscape, the composition likely organizes urban elements such as buildings and streets. General compositional principles suggest avoiding exact bisections of the picture space and positioning the horizon line to emphasize either the sky or the ground, depending on the desired focus (Source 8). The arrangement should guide the viewer’s eye through the scene, creating a center of interest and balancing detailed areas with 'rest' areas (Source 8).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the basic composition of the street scene, focusing on the placement of buildings and the horizon line.
Tip — Avoid placing the horizon line exactly in the center; position it to emphasize the sky or the street as desired (Source 8).
Compositional planning

underpainting

step 02
Create a grisaille underpainting using neutral tones (e.g., black, ultramarine, white) to establish the values and forms of the scene.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on the underlying structure and light (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely before proceeding.
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is dry to prevent mixing with subsequent glazes.
Drying

refining

step 04
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the grisaille using oil as a medium.
Tip — Glazing involves applying a transparent coat of color, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors (Source 1).
Glazing
step 05
Use scumbling to apply semi-opaque paint over darker areas to create coldness or gray blooms.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to show through, creating complex tonal effects (Source 1).
Scumbling

finishing

step 06
Adjust colors and values as needed, being mindful of hue shifts when lightening or darkening colors.
Tip — When lightening reds or oranges with white, add a small amount of an adjacent color (e.g., orange) to correct hue shifts toward blue (Source 2).
Color mixing

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build up luminosity and depth. This technique was commonly used by old masters and involves using oil or varnish mixed with oil as a medium (Source 1).

Scumbling

Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create coldness or gray blooms. This technique allows the underlying layers to influence the final appearance (Source 1).

Color Mixing

Adjusting brightness and hue by mixing with white, black, or complementary colors. Care must be taken to avoid unwanted hue shifts, such as reds shifting toward blue when lightened with white (Source 2).

common pitfalls

→Adding black to darken colors can cause hue shifts, particularly in yellows, oranges, and reds, which may shift toward greenish or bluish tones (Source 2).
→Lightening reds and oranges with white can cause a shift toward blue; this can be corrected by adding a small amount of an adjacent color (Source 2).
→Using linseed oil for white pigments may lead to yellowing over time; safflower or poppyseed oil is preferred for lighter colors (Source 3).
→Placing the horizon line exactly in the center can create a static composition; it should be positioned 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 visual details of the painting (e.g., building styles, presence of figures, weather conditions) are not described in the sources.
·Petros Malayan’s specific palette and brushwork techniques are not detailed in the provided sources.
·The exact composition and layout of 'Street in Torun' are not described, so general compositional principles are applied instead.
·The specific drying time and layering sequence for this particular artwork are not known.

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 (grisaille), glazing, and scumbling techniques

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Color mixing and avoiding hue shifts
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 4 — applied to Materials and drying oils
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 6 — applied to Compositional principles for cityscapes
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 13 — applied to Definition of cityscape and urban landscape