plate no. 5456
Yerevan flowers
Martiros Sarian, 1957
recreation guide
Martiros Sarian’s 'Yerevan flowers' (1957) is a still life that reflects his role as the founder of a modern Armenian national school of painting, characterized by a deep admiration for nature inspired by his travels and childhood in rural settlements (Source 4). While the specific visual arrangement of flowers in this 1957 work is not detailed in the provided texts, Sarian’s practice generally involved capturing the vibrant light and color of the Armenian landscape and Middle Eastern regions he visited (Source 6). The work belongs to the still life genre, which allows for significant freedom in arranging elements to experiment with composition and color harmony (Source 5). Sarian’s approach likely emphasizes the 'laws of contrast of colour,' where juxtapositions of tones and hues create spontaneous gradations of light and harmony, rather than relying solely on rigid realism (Source 1).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
7 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (pre-mixed tubes) | Primary medium for color application | — |
| Linseed oil | Medium to mix with pigments; traditional binder | Refined linseed oil |
| Canvas | Support surface | Primed cotton or linen canvas |
| Hog bristle brushes | Applying broad swaths of color and creating impasto textures | Synthetic or natural hog bristle flats/filberts |
| Sable or Kolinsky sable brushes | Fine detail work and smooth handling for delicate flower petals | High-quality synthetic sable or natural kolinsky |
| Palette knife | Mixing paints and potentially applying/removing paint for texture | Standard metal palette knife |
| Turpentine | Thinner for initial layers and cleaning | Odorless mineral spirits or turpentine substitute |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be primed with a traditional ground suitable for oil painting. While specific priming methods for Sarian are not detailed, standard practice involves a gesso or oil ground to ensure proper adhesion and prevent oil from rotting the canvas fibers (Source 2). Given Sarian’s emphasis on color contrast and light, a neutral or warm-toned ground may be preferable to facilitate the 'chiaro-scuro' effects described in color theory sources (Source 1).
underdrawing
Sarian’s specific underdrawing technique is not explicitly described in the sources. However, general oil painting practice suggests sketching an outline of the subject before applying paint (Source 2). For a still life, one might use charcoal or thinned paint to establish the composition, ensuring the arrangement of flowers allows for the 'freedom to experiment with the arrangement of elements' characteristic of the genre (Source 5). Corrections should be made at this stage to avoid 'perplexities' later (Source 8).
underpainting
An underpainting layer, possibly using raw umber and white as suggested for general oil painting studies, can establish tonal values (Source 8). This layer helps in planning the 'gradation of light' and color contrasts before applying full color intensity (Source 1). Sarian’s focus on 'great effects' suggests that the underpainting should prioritize the overall harmony and contrast rather than minute details (Source 1).
color palette
Vibrant Reds and Oranges
Cadmium red, cadmium orange, vermilion
Flowers, particularly those contrasting with green leaves, as red/orange are complementary to green/blue
Deep Greens
Viridian, sap green, phthalo green
Leaves and foliage, providing contrast to red/orange flowers
Blues and Violets
Ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, dioxazine purple
Shadows, background elements, or flowers complementary to yellow/orange tones
Yellows
Cadmium yellow, lemon yellow
Highlights, yellow flowers, and creating contrast with violet/blue elements
Whites and Off-Whites
Titanium white, zinc white
Highlights, mixing to create tints, and establishing the 'highest tone' bands for chiaroscuro
composition
The composition should leverage the 'laws of contrast of colour' to create harmony. Place colors mutually complementary to each other, such as blue with orange or yellow with violet, to enhance visual impact (Source 7). Arrange the flowers to allow for 'spontaneous' production of contrast effects, where the juxtaposition of tones creates a true gradation of light (Source 1). The arrangement should reflect the artist’s freedom in still life to select and position elements for maximum aesthetic and symbolic effect (Source 5).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the arrangement of flowers and leaves on the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint. Ensure the composition allows for strong color contrasts.
Tip — Make corrections now; charcoal offers little resistance to a brush (Source 8).
Preliminary sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a thin layer of raw umber and white to establish basic tonal values and light/shadow relationships.
Tip — Focus on the 'gradation of light' rather than detail (Source 1).
Imprimatura
first pass
step 03
Block in large areas of color using hog bristle brushes. Apply broad swaths of color to establish the main hues of the flowers and background.
Tip — Use flat brushes for broad areas (Source 2).
Blocking in
refining
step 04
Refine the color contrasts by juxtaposing complementary colors. Enhance the 'chiaro-scuro' effect by adjusting the tones of adjacent bands of color.
Tip — Observe how the highest tone band is enfeebled and the lowest tone band is heightened at juxtaposition lines (Source 1).
Color contrast adjustment
finishing
step 05
Add fine details to petals and leaves using sable brushes. Use impasto techniques with hog bristle brushes for texture where appropriate.
Tip — Sable brushes provide smooth handling and 'snap' for fine points (Source 2).
Detailing and impasto
varnishing
step 06
Allow the painting to dry completely before applying a protective varnish.
Tip — Ensure the paint is fully cured to prevent yellowing or cracking.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Simultaneous Contrast of Color
Juxtaposing colors to create spontaneous gradations of light and harmony. This involves placing complementary colors next to each other to enhance their intensity.
Chiaroscuro through Color Juxtaposition
Creating light and shadow effects not just through value but through the interaction of adjacent color tones, where the highest tone is enfeebled and the lowest heightened.
Impasto and Brushwork
Using hog bristle brushes for bold strokes and texture, and sable brushes for fine details, reflecting traditional oil painting practices.
common pitfalls
- →Putting down paint with obvious errors in construction or drawing, which is 'fatal to lucidity' (Source 8).
- →Ignoring the laws of color contrast, leading to muddy or harmonically weak compositions (Source 1).
- →Overworking the paint, which can destroy the 'snap' and freshness of the brushstrokes (Source 2).
- →Failing to allow layers to dry properly, leading to cracking or mixing issues (Source 2).
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 flowers in 'Yerevan flowers' (e.g., species, exact arrangement) are not described in the sources.
- ·Sarian’s specific palette preferences for this 1957 work are not detailed; general Armenian landscape colors are inferred.
- ·Exact brush sizes and specific pigment brands used by Sarian are not provided.
- ·The specific lighting conditions under which the still life was painted are not described.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Understanding chiaroscuro and color juxtaposition effects
- 551. The associations of flowers... — applied to Complementary color pairings for flowers
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- PAINTING FROM LIFE — applied to Underdrawing and correction advice
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 6 — applied to Materials, brush types, and application techniques
Wikipedia: Still life↗
- part 6 — applied to Genre characteristics and compositional freedom
Wikipedia bio — Martiros Sarian↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist’s background and inspiration from nature
- part 2 — applied to Travels and influences on color and light
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
