Japanese Art I

 

 

Japanese art is very rich and diverse.

It combines nature, tradition and imagination in a unique way.

In Japanese art we can find peaceful landscapes, like mountains, rivers and cherry blossom trees, but also modern styles such as manga and anime, full of expressive characters and emotions.

Another important part of Japanese culture is craft, for example amigurumi, small handmade figures that represent animals or characters and transmit kindness and creativity.

Through Japanese art, children can explore emotions, stories, nature and design, while learning to respect another culture and express themselves creatively.

Task 1: Mount Fuji at Sunset

In this activity, you have to create a picture of Mount Fuji at sunset using dry drawing techniques.

First, they colour the sky with wooden coloured pencils, wax crayons (plastidecor) or markers.

You start with light colours (yellow) and slowly add darker colours (orange, red or purple), blending the colours gently to create a sunset gradient.

Then, you draw Mount Fuji in the centre of the picture and colour it in dark blue or black, creating a silhouette.

The contrast between the bright sky and the dark mountain makes the picture more expressive.

Technique:

Colour blending with coloured pencils, plastidecor or markers

Gradient effect without paint

Silhouette drawing

 

Task 2: Manga Emotion Panel

In this activity, you have to create a picture inspired by manga comics.
The artwork is divided into three panels, like a real manga page.

In each panel, the same character shows a different emotion (happy, sad, angry, surprised, etc.).
Students focus on facial expressions, especially the eyes and mouth, which are very important in manga art.

Technique:

Black marker for outlines

Coloured pencils or markers for colouring

Simple backgrounds to highlight the emotions

Task 3: Cherry Blossom Landscape (Sakura)

In this activity, you have to paint a Japanese spring landscape with cherry blossom trees.

First, you paint the sky and the ground using watercolours or diluted paint.

Then, you draw tree branches with a brush or brown paint.

Finally, you create the blossoms using cotton swabs or sponges, stamping small pink and white dots.

Technique:

Watercolour background

Stamping technique for flowers

Layered painting

This activity develops observation of nature and soft colour blending.