plate no. 1271

Aizu Winter

Kiyoshi Saito, 1970

oilSōsaku hangalandscapesnowtreeshouseslandscapewintersky

suitable for beginners

Recreating this painting will help students practice simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and using a limited color palette to create a cohesive mood. It also provides practice with layering and creating depth through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 6 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the houses, trees, and background mountains.
step 02
Apply a base layer of light gray or blue-gray to the sky, blending smoothly.
step 03
Paint the distant trees using a darker shade of gray-green, creating a sense of depth.
step 04
Add the snow-covered roofs and ground using white, shaping the snowdrifts with subtle shadows.
step 05
Paint the dark trees in the foreground, paying attention to their silhouette.
step 06
Add details like the windows of the house and the vertical lines at the base of the foreground trees.
step 07
Add small white dots to the sky to represent stars.
step 08
Refine the edges and add any final details.

color palette

primary · white · gray · dark green

secondary · light blue · black

Mix different shades of gray by combining white and black. Add a touch of blue to the gray for the sky and snow shadows. Mix green with gray to create muted tones for the trees.

techniques