plate no. 5542

Evening Snow at Terashima Village

Hasui Kawase, 1920

woodblock printShin-hangacityscapesnowvillagebuildingsstreettelephone polesfigure

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and accurately depicting perspective in a cityscape. Students will also learn to create the illusion of falling snow.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, including the buildings, street, and telephone poles.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the perspective of the street.
step 03
Block in the large areas of color: the sky, the snow-covered ground, and the dark buildings.
step 04
Add details to the buildings, such as the windows and the snow on the roofs.
step 05
Paint the water reflections with light blue and yellow.
step 06
Add the telephone poles and wires.
step 07
Create the falling snow effect by dabbing white paint with a small brush or using a spattering technique.
step 08
Refine the details and add any final touches.

color palette

primary · Prussian blue · Titanium white · Lamp black

secondary · Yellow ochre · Payne's gray

Mix Prussian blue and white for the sky, adding a touch of black for darker areas. Mix black and white for the buildings, using more white for the snow-covered areas. Use yellow ochre for the window lights.

techniques

·Layering
·Dry brushing
·Spattering
·Color mixing

common pitfalls

→Incorrect perspective, leading to a distorted cityscape.
→Overworking the snow, making it look unnatural.
→Using too much detail, which can detract from the overall effect.
→Not creating enough contrast between the snow and the buildings.

materials

surface · Stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas
·Acrylic paints (Prussian blue, Titanium white, Lamp black, Yellow ochre, Payne's gray)
·Round brushes (various sizes)
·Flat brushes (various sizes)
·Palette
·Water container
·Paper towels