plate no. 5760
Snow at Ishinomaki
Hasui Kawase, 1953
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create atmospheric perspective and rendering textures like snow and wood.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
2
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, trees, and water, paying attention to perspective.
- step 02
Establish the horizon line and the overall composition.
- step 03
Apply a light wash of blue-gray for the sky and water, creating a base for the snow.
- step 04
Paint the buildings with a muted brown, adding darker tones for shadows and lighter tones for highlights.
- step 05
Add the snow on the roofs and ground, using white and light gray.
- step 06
Create the texture of the trees by layering white and gray, suggesting the weight of the snow.
- step 07
Paint the details of the boats and any other small elements.
- step 08
Add the falling snow using small, delicate brushstrokes.
color palette
primary · Prussian Blue · Titanium White · Burnt Umber
secondary · Payne's Gray · Yellow Ochre
Mix white with small amounts of blue and umber to create the various shades of gray for the snow and sky. Use yellow ochre to warm up the browns for the buildings.
techniques
- ·Layering
- ·Dry brushing
- ·Atmospheric perspective
- ·Color mixing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the snow details, resulting in a flat appearance.
- →Not establishing a clear light source, leading to inconsistent shadows.
- →Using too much pure white, which can make the painting look stark.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the snow and water.
materials
surface · Stretched canvas
required
- ·Stretched canvas
- ·Acrylic or oil paints
- ·Round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·Flat brush (size 8)
- ·Palette
- ·Palette knife
- ·Odorless mineral spirits or water (depending on paint type)
- ·Rags
optional
- ·Medium (for oil paints)
- ·Easel
- ·Reference photo print
Use a canvas with a smooth surface to better replicate the original painting's texture. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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