plate no. 6569
The House of Ill Fame
Hieronymus Bosch, 1516
experienced study
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering aged textures and depicting figures in a limited color palette. It also provides practice in creating a sense of depth through subtle value changes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
2
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Prepare the canvas with a toned ground of burnt umber.
- step 02
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the house, figures, and landscape elements.
- step 03
Block in the large areas of color using thinned paint, focusing on the overall value structure.
- step 04
Begin adding details to the house, such as the timber framing and roof texture.
- step 05
Develop the figures, paying attention to the drapery and facial expressions.
- step 06
Refine the landscape elements, adding details to the ground and background.
- step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Glaze with thin layers of color to unify the painting and create a sense of atmosphere.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · burnt umber · titanium white
secondary · ivory black · raw sienna
Achieve the aged, muted tones by mixing yellow ochre, raw umber, and burnt umber in varying proportions. Use titanium white to lighten values and ivory black to darken them. Glazes of raw sienna can add warmth.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·underpainting
- ·chiaroscuro
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Creating overly saturated colors.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Ignoring the subtle variations in texture.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium (e.g., Liquin)
- ·raw sienna oil paint
A fine-weave canvas will allow for greater detail. Use a high-quality linseed oil and turpentine for best results.
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