plate no. 0739

40. Bashō's Hermitage on Camellia Hill Beside the Aqueduct at Sekiguchi

oilUkiyo-elandscaperivertreeslandscapefiguresbuildingsky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and perspective, as well as simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and forms. It's also a good exercise in understanding atmospheric perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic composition, including the river, landmasses, trees, and buildings.
step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue wash, creating a gradient from dark blue at the top to light blue near the horizon.
step 03
Paint the river with a medium blue, adding darker blues near the bottom to suggest depth.
step 04
Add the landmasses with a base layer of light brown or tan.
step 05
Layer greens and browns to create the foliage and ground cover, using darker shades for shadows.
step 06
Paint the trees, focusing on the shapes of the branches and leaves.
step 07
Add the figures with simple shapes and colors.
step 08
Refine details and add highlights to create depth and interest.

color palette

primary · light blue · medium blue · green · brown

secondary · red · white · yellow

Mix different shades of green by combining blue and yellow with varying amounts of brown. Achieve the sky gradient by diluting the blue with water or white.

techniques