plate no. 7578

Fallen Leaves (Ochiba)

Hishida Shunso, 1909

oilNihongalandscapetreesforestleavesfoglandscapeautumn

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in creating atmospheric perspective and rendering subtle color variations to depict depth and light. It also provides practice in creating repetitive patterns with slight variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare the surface with a light beige or off-white ground.
step 02
Lightly sketch the placement of the trees, focusing on their verticality and varying widths.
step 03
Establish the foggy background by applying thin, diluted washes of beige and gray, gradually building up the atmospheric perspective.
step 04
Paint the tree trunks, paying attention to the subtle variations in color and texture to suggest bark.
step 05
Add the leaves on the ground using small, controlled brushstrokes with varying shades of brown and ochre.
step 06
Paint the foliage of the trees in the foreground, using slightly more saturated colors.
step 07
Add subtle details like small branches and the bird on a branch.
step 08
Refine the overall composition by adjusting values and adding subtle highlights.

color palette

primary · beige · light gray · brown · ochre

secondary · dark green · burnt sienna

Achieve the foggy effect by diluting colors with a glazing medium or water. Mix browns and ochres with white to create a range of muted tones for the leaves and ground.

techniques

·atmospheric perspective
·glazing
·dry brushing
·scumbling
·layering

common pitfalls

→Overly saturated colors
→Lack of variation in leaf patterns
→Ignoring atmospheric perspective
→Harsh lines instead of soft blending

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·acrylic paints (beige, light gray, brown, ochre, dark green, burnt sienna, titanium white)
·round brushes (various sizes)
·flat brushes (various sizes)
·palette
·water or glazing medium

optional