plate no. 7514

Burning of Arnoldus, Teacher from Brixen, Rome, AD 1145

etchingBaroqueillustrationfiguresfirebuildingcrowdskullexecution

experienced study

Recreating this etching will develop skills in line work, cross-hatching for shading, and creating depth through varying line thickness and density. Students will also learn to depict complex scenes with many figures and architectural details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch of the overall composition, focusing on the placement of the main figures and the architectural elements.
step 02
Outline the major shapes and forms, paying attention to proportions and perspective.
step 03
Start adding details to the figures, such as facial features, clothing folds, and hands.
step 04
Use line work to define the edges of objects and create a sense of volume.
step 05
Employ cross-hatching to create shading and depth, varying the density of the lines to achieve different tones.
step 06
Add details to the background, such as the buildings and the crowd of people.
step 07
Refine the details and add any final touches, such as highlights and shadows.
step 08
Carefully erase any unnecessary sketch lines.

color palette

primary · black · white

secondary ·

This is a monochrome image, so the focus is on creating different shades of gray using line work and cross-hatching.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·line weight variation
·stippling
·contour drawing

common pitfalls

→Failing to establish a clear focal point.
→Creating overly uniform line work, resulting in a flat and lifeless image.
→Not varying the density of cross-hatching, leading to a lack of depth and shading.
→Overworking the image and losing the spontaneity of the original.