Humans have always used stories to explain the world. A wealth of folklore, myths and legends has been passed down through the ages. Many of these stories are familiar to us through modern authors and filmmakers who have been inspired by ancient tales. Overlapping mythical themes show up in cultures throughout the world. With a little research you can draw inspiration from a suitable time and place to create your own unique interpretation.
Medieval styles call to mind legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, fairy tales and nineteenth-century Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Pre-Raphaelite interpretations may not be completely accurate in the details, but often have the correct shapes.
Women’s dresses were low-necked and one piece, fitted to the hips where they dropped into a flowing full skirt. Medieval clothing was worn in multiple layers, often with contrasting colors. Both men and women wore white undergarments to protect their outer layers, which were made of finer cloth. Outer layers were decorated with embroidered borders, often wide at the trailing edge of skirts. Women’s dresses were often so long they needed to be lifted to walk, which showed off the contrasting color underneath.
The earliest Western clothing were simple loose tunics belted at the waist. Most garments were made with rectangular pieces of fabric, but gradually became more fitted.
Once you get the basic shapes down, change the details to your liking. Avoid a Renaissance Faire look by drawing dresses in one piece. Separate bodices with contrasting fronts weren’t in fashion until the 1600s. Short skirts and off-the-shoulder blouses look out of place.
A mid-fifteenth-century Burgundian lady wears a high-waisted V-neck dress with a large fur-lined collar. Her belt is wide, and her overdress is made of rich brocaded fabric. She wears a pointed hat and veil. She stands in a swooped posture typical of paintings from the period.
A sleeveless dress called a sideless surcoat with large openings on the sides was worn over another dress with long fitted sleeves. This style was popular through the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
A belt, or girdle, worn at the hip creates the impression of a long waist. Girdles can be made as embroidered fabric, braided cord or metal links. Experiment with different shaped links.
The man wears a shorter tunic over tights with a cloak held up by metal clasps and a chain. The woman is wearing a tunic dress called a bliaut, which is tightened with laces at the side. The edges and upper arms are trimmed with embroidery.
The conical hat often worn by princesses in fairy tale illustrations was known as a hennin and came in many variations from short and truncated to an extremely long cone. The hat was then dressed with a veil in a variety of styles.
A treasure trove of inspiration can be found in the arts and architecture of the medieval world. Creative energy was poured into the construction of massive cathedrals, all decorated with sculpture, paintings and stained-glass windows. Books were hand-lettered and illustrated so ornately they are called illuminated manuscripts. These illustrations are great sources of reference for historical clothing, as well as decorative motifs.
The most prevalent architectural motif in the medieval era is a clover shape called a trefoil, which was used in windows, arches and combined with scrolling manuscript borders. Sometimes the three sides become pointy like a maple leaf. Tear shapes combined with trefoils often make up window designs.
Wildflowers or twisting scrolls of leaves and blossoms showed up in manuscript illustrations as borders. Each flower usually had symbolic meaning. Thistles, strawberries, pansies, forget-me-nots, periwinkles and carnations were common.
Acanthus leaves, used in architecture and decorative art since the ancient Greeks, were commonly used as a border or even covered entire pages of repeating scrolls. They were commonly depicted as twisting ribbons of leaves, with each side being a different color.
Depicted both naturally and stylized, roses and pomegranate fruits were highly symbolic. Pomegranates were symbolic of temptation and later fertility in Christian art. They were often depicted on tapestry behind the Virgin Mary and in unicorn tapestries. Roses were identified with love, devotion and Christian martyrs.
A medieval princess meets a unicorn in an enchanted forest. Her emerald-green dress mimics the colors of the woods and the wild roses along the path.
In medieval legends, only a pure maiden was able to tame a unicorn. Roses were a common art motif used in the medieval world, symbolizing both love and religious devotion.
Paint light Viridian around the edges of the background down to the base of the trees. Blend inward with clean water. Then paint light Sap Green over most of the background, lighter toward the center. Avoid painting the maiden and unicorn.
Your unicorn’s head can be based on a variety of animals, not just a horse. The horse’s head is larger and muscular, while a deer or antelope is more graceful.
Sketch a cone shape, then sketch diagonal lines across it. Think of a thin ribbon spiraling around the cone.
Mix Viridian and Sap Green to paint along the base of the trees. Dot some color in between the thorns and roses at the corners. While wet, drop in a little Yellow Ochre. Use clean water to blend it all together. Then mix Yellow Ochre with the green mix and paint lightly over the rest of the ground.
Create a base for the upper foliage using Viridian to paint around the top arch. Apply using dots and a scribbling motion. Use clean water to blend the spots together. Paint the lower foliage with the same technique using Viridian plus Sap Green. When dry, paint another layer of Viridian around the top edge.
Paint a light base coat of Yellow Ochre over the border. Paint the smaller edges.
Build up the color of the border using a no. 2 brush and light Yellow Ochre.
Fill in the negative spaces between the rose branches with a mix of Viridian and Dioxazine Purple using a no. 2 brush. Paint around the outer leaves letting the color fade toward the center.
Using a no. 4 brush, paint light Viridian over the trees. Mix in a little Sap Green for the trees farthest away. Then use the Viridian and purple mixture to paint shadows on the trees by painting the base of the trunks darker and then a lighter wide shadow in the center. Paint vertical lines to suggest bark. Fill in some of the branches as well. Then glaze the ground with very light Sap Green.
Use a dabbing motion to paint a layer of foliage at the top. Dab varying strengths of Viridian and Viridian mixed with Sap Green. Then soften the edges and blend some of the paint splotches together with clean water. Add some shades of the Viridian and purple mixture near the top edges.
Darken the negative spaces around the leaves and roses at the bottom with a mix of Sap Green and Raw Umber. Paint faint shadows on the rose petals. Use the same color to paint the rocky texture on the ground, leaving spaces for an uneven rocky appearance. Then glaze this color on some of the upper foliage and along the fronts of the tree trunks.
Use Yellow Ochre to paint the border. Shade the center of the thin borders, leaving lighter color along the edges.
Use light Cadmium Red to paint several layers on the roses. Paint a light (diluted) base color and add shading with another layer of pure Cadmium Red.
Glaze light Sap Green over some of the rose leaves and Raw Umber over the stems. Add more shading between the leaves and increase the bark texture with a mix of Viridian and purple. Paint shadows on the rocks under the unicorn’s hooves and around the base of the maiden’s dress.
Create the upper foliage by painting leaf shapes and filling in the negative areas around them with mixes of Viridian and Dioxazine Purple and Viridian and Sap Green.
Shade the border with Yellow Ochre between the recessed areas and around the rose petals. Glaze Cadmium Red and Sap Green over the scrolling leaves on each side.
If you aren’t used to drawing four-legged creatures, sketch a simple grid to aid in placing the legs in perspective.
Continue shading with Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna. Fill in the recesses and shade the center of the leaves. Blend toward the edges of the leaves. For each of the large petals, leave a ridge along the center unpainted and shade the sides. Paint the darkest color along the corners of the border and blend down. Do the same with the center and side of the arch. Shade the center, leaving some lighter color on the edges. Use Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber for the darkest shadows under the roses on the border.
Add shadows to her skin with Dioxazine Purple. Use Viridian and purple to make the shadows on the unicorn. Make it darker between the leaves in the garland around its neck.
Glaze Raw Sienna over the skin, leaving lots of white highlights. Paint mostly over previously painted shadows. Fill in her hair with Burnt Sienna mixed with Raw Umber.
Glaze Brown Madder over her skin and lips. Paint a little darker around the eyes. When dry, paint her eyes with Payne’s Gray and Sap Green. Use Burnt Sienna plus Raw Umber on the eyebrows and add a touch of Cadmium Red to her lips. Paint the flowers in her hair, garland and collar using pale Cadmium Red. Use pale Sap Green for the leaves and Cadmium Yellow for the centers.
Paint the base tones of her dress with Sap Green for the main part, Cadmium Red for the lining and Yellow Ochre for the underdress and trim. When dry, glaze the top of the yellow skirt with Cadmium Red.
Add shadows to her hair with Burnt Sienna mixed with Raw Umber.
Deepen the color on the main part of her dress with Viridian. Shade the insides of her sleeves and skirt with Alizarin Crimson.
Mix Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna on gold parts. Add deeper shadows to her hair with Burnt Sienna and Sepia.
Darken the leaves on the garland with Viridian plus Sap Green and Cadmium Red on the flowers.
Unicorns are said to have cloven goat hooves. Study the hooves of similar animals for reference. When viewed from the side, a deer’s hoof is analogous to human fingers, with the closest joint being the wrist.
Mix Viridian plus Cobalt Blue to paint shadows on the dress using a no. 4 brush. Switch to no. 2 to paint shadows on the red parts with Alizarin Crimson plus Dioxazine Purple. Shade the roses on the garland and in her hair and collar with Alizarin Crimson as well. Shade the gold trim and underdress with more Yellow Ochre plus Burnt Sienna and a touch of Alizarin Crimson. Use a no. 1 brush to paint a little Alizarin Crimson in the hearts and flowers on her belt.
Deepen the shadows on the unicorn with light Raw Umber plus Payne’s Gray and a little Viridian in varying amounts. Shade the neck, under the garland, and around the leg joints and hooves. Darken shadows on the horn. Paint the hooves eye and nose with Payne’s Gray.
Mix Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna to darken the shadows on the gold trim on the collar and sleeves. Add a touch of Alizarin Crimson in the hearts and roses on her collar and belt. Paint short, thin strokes of gold across the bottom trim to suggest embroidery. Paint Cadmium Red and Sap Green lightly over the roses and leaves on the dress bottom. When dry, make short embroidery-like strokes with Alizarin Crimson and Hooker’s Green over the petals and leaves. Outline the roses and paint circles in the centers with Alizarin Crimson. Add shadows to the leaves in her hair and garland with Hooker’s Green. Use the Viridian/purple mix to darken the shadows on the green.
Finally, use White Gouache to add highlights on the unicorn’s eye, horn and hair and also the maiden’s belt and gold trim. Use small strokes to paint thread texture on the skirt trim.
The unicorn was a popular figure in medieval folklore. Legends of the unicorn speak of a horned white horse with a goat’s beard, cloven hooves and a lion’s tail. A unicorn was considered to be wild and untamable except by a fair maiden. It was believed to hold many magical powers and the ability to heal. Many medieval depictions of the unicorn appear more like a goat than a horse. Look to animals like the gazelle, impala and deer to capture the graceful essence of a unicorn.
In the Renaissance a greater variety of fabrics and materials were available and it showed in the clothing. In fact, the word fashion came about in this era. Unlike the formal medieval fashions, garments were constructed in multiple pieces. Sleeves were often detachable and worn with many dresses. Stiffened undergarments and foundations for skirts came into use in some countries.
Sumptuary laws dictated how much money people could spend on clothing and what classes wore certain materials or colors. Lower classes were able to buy richer clothing secondhand. It became fashionable to slash the fabric in sleeves to show the contrasting color beneath because of decrees that commoners could wear only one color.
These images show different Renaissance sleeve detail variations of a particular style. Any of the variations can be combined or proportions altered for fantasy looks, unless you wish to illustrate a historical figure.
An English Tudor-style dress has a very stiff cone-shaped bodice made to keep fabric from creasing. It features a fuller skirt, often split in the center, worn over a large petticoat. Women wore jeweled girdles that hung down the center of this skirt, from which they often hung objects. It has a low, square neckline, with a jeweled trim matching belt. The large bell shaped sleeves were sometimes trimmed in fur. Inner sleeves were large and slashed with chemise peeking through the bottom.
An early Italian Renaissance dress circa 1500 features a high-waisted style with a split skirt over a chemise and very long sleeves bunched up and peaking through the sleeves.
This Italian dress circa 1562 had two different types of sleeves. Sleeves became thicker and featured small slashes all along them or in vertical bands. The neckline is square with netting or lace over the shoulders. Materials were rich brocades with large motifs.
Above is a German-style dress with banded stripes on the skirts and sleeves. Sleeves use slashed poofs with a matching color underneath. At other times the chemise shows through at elbows and shoulders with thin black ties. The bodice has an embroidered band under the bust and a section with thin laces. The fabric is likely velvet. Paintings by Hans Holbein provide reference for this style.
Large scale fabric designs featuring a main stylized botanical motif surrounded by a symmetrical pattern twisting vines, leaves and florals were popular. Central motifs were often artichokes, pineapples and pomegranate, and thistles.
Interlocking bands of leaves and vines were painted alone or surrounding a central motif. Fabric in a famous portrait of Eleanora of Toledo by Bronzino shows a white background with a contrasting arabesque pattern in heightened black and gold.
Painting a pattern over an entire costume can become tedious to paint on drapery, so stick to painting complicated designs on a small area or edge. Twisting spirals are easier to paint than a large repeating pattern since you won’t need to place them accurately. Imply a design by painting a suggestion of a pattern on the lighter areas of fabric and leaving the shadows.
As the fading light of dusk shines through the trees, the Fairy Queen carries a golden cup that shines from within with ancient power. Her dress, made of the finest fabrics available, is a fanciful fairy interpretation of the human fashions she remembers. Since time flows differently in the land of Fairy, its inhabitants often wear the fashions of ages past, carefully picking the parts they like and discarding the rest.
Using a no. 4 brush, paint a light layer of Yellow Ochre over the background. Dilute further to paint a pale yellow on the fairy’s large wing and the reflections on her hands and the front and back of her dress.
Paint a second darker layer of Yellow Ochre over most of the background, allowing some lighter spots to show through. Then use a no. 2 brush to paint her hair, crown, goblet and the gold trim on the dress. Leave white for highlights on the goblet and gold trim.
Using a no. 2 brush, paint pale shadows on the fairy’s skin, blouse and white underskirt with Dioxazine Purple. Switch to a no. 0 for details, and shade her goblet, hair and gold trim with Raw Sienna. Then use Cadmium Yellow to paint sections in her small center wings.
Build up the background color with Raw Sienna, using a no. 4 brush. Paint around the edges, leaving lighter color around the figure and goblet. Create small circles of light by painting an outline and then blending the edges into the background with water. Finally, dilute the Raw Sienna and glaze a little over her dress and large wings.
Glaze her skin with a no. 2 brush and pale diluted Raw Sienna, painting a little darker over the purple shadows.
Using a no. 2 brush, color in most of the large wing with light Raw Umber, stopping short of the edge to leave a white space. Outline the outer edge with a thin line of Raw Umber. When dry, glaze pale Quinacridone Violet over most of the wing so that it fades out from the inside to the tip. Paint light Cerulean Blue over the small lower wing, leaving the edge lighter. Then switch to a no. 0 and use pale Quinacridone Red to paint some of the sections in the small wings. Be sure to leave some of the yellow and white showing.
With a no. 4 brush, build up layers of Raw Umber over the background. Paint over the darkest areas and avoiding the lighter areas to create a glow. Then switch to a no. 0 to shade sections of her hair.
Glaze her skin with light Brown Madder using no. 2 and 0 brushes. Darken the areas where shadows were previously painted. Make her lips and cheeks rosy using Cadmium Red thinned out. Use Raw Umber to glaze over the shadows on her blouse and white parts of her skirt. Add more shadows to her hair using a mix of Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna.
Using a no. 0 brush, add to the iridescent colors on the small wings with Phthalo Blue and Quinacridone Violet. Outline the blue wing with Cerulean Blue, and add blue to the eye spot on the larger wing. Switch to a no. 2 to paint the patterns on the largest wing. Paint the lighter stripes in the center with Burnt Sienna and let the color fade out. Then paint another darker layer over them with a mix of Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber. Darken the outline along the outer edges with Raw Umber.
Paint a base layer on the fairy’s dress using Cadmium Red for the upper part and a mix of Quinacridone Violet and Dioxazine Purple for the underskirt. Color the small jewels with Quinacridone Violet, Dioxazine Purple and Phthalo Blue separately.
Using a no. 4 brush, build up more layers of Raw Umber over the outer edges of the background, letting the color fade around the lightest glowing areas.
Paint the top section of the dress with Permanent Alizarin Crimson using a no. 2 brush. Leave lighter areas along the edges of the forms. Paint shadows on the underskirt with another layer of Quinacridone Violet mixed with Dioxazine Purple. Then dilute this mixture and glaze over the folds in the white cloth. With Burnt Sienna, deepen some of the color on the gold dress trim, crown and goblet.
Paint an outline of Cerulean Blue plus Payne’s Gray along the blue wing using a no. 0. Glaze Raw Sienna over the light outer edge of the large wing. Then darken the stripes with Raw Umber. Paint transparent spots in the small wings where the brown shows through with Raw Umber.
With a no. 0 brush, deepen the shadows and outline the sections on the purple underskirt with Quinacridone Violet and Dioxazine Purple. Mix Permanent Alizarin Crimson with Dioxazine Purple to paint shadows on the red parts of her dress. Leave lighter edges and outlines of folds to mimic velvet. Paint another layer with drybrush for the deepest shadows.
Outline the blue wing and color in her hair tie with Payne’s Gray using a no. 0. Switch to a no. 2 and glaze the inner edges of the larger wing with Dioxazine Purple and Quinacridone Violet. Use Sepia to darken the outer stripes and eye spots and transparent parts of the small wings.
Finally, using White Gouache add highlights on the goblet, crown and gold trim using a no. 0. Dot small pearls in her hair and highlight and outline the smaller wings. Paint larger glowing spots by hand and then spatter smaller spots over the background and wings.
Folk costumes bring to mind fairy tales, and each country boasts its own versions of both. Traditional costumes identified with a particular country, or region, are most often worn for festivals and weddings now. Their history lies in the everyday wear of rural regions in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Some traditional costumes keep details from the Renaissance or other periods. Dress varies by region in each country, often including colors and details that signify the owner’s wealth, town or marital status. For the most part, aristocratic people often wore more modern clothing influenced by richer countries.
Most feature embroidered blouses and aprons or varying colors and cuts.
Embroidery is a common decoration on blouses and aprons. Ukrainian designs tend to be red and black and run down the sleeve, while the Russian designs are mostly red bands around sleeves and cuffs. Slovak sleeves and collars are bordered in lacy black embroidery.
Russian and Ukrainian embroidery is most often made of repeating geometric designs. Sometimes they feature animals, birds and folktales, all still very angular in shape. Embroidery is used around sleeves, cuffs and collars.
Here is an example of rustic floral Czech folk embroidery in red and yellow. Hungarian embroidery is characterized by large, stylized flowers of many colors over a white background with lacy edges.
Decorative borders can be more than just an extra decoration for an illustration. By bringing narrative elements into the border design, you can show more of the story. Repeating motifs or even small scenes illustrated in a corner are effective.
Choose a border shape according to how you intend to fill in the space. Fill the spaces around an arched top with a large motif or a scene. Make use of vertical spaces with repeating motifs or scrolling plants.
The horseman appears close to his destination. The thin vertical panel forces the story elements closer together. Draw the same scene horizontally to show a farther distance or longer passage of time.
A grid of dots makes a useful guideline for placing winding vines or Celtic knotwork. Sketch your design and count the dots to space repeating elements evenly.
Draw a scrolling length of paper if you wish to include a title or caption for an illustration. Place a scroll at the bottom or wrap twisting ends around a border.
Be creative with poses to fit figures into a space over an arch or use a central motif of a story element.
In the Russian folktale of Vasilisa the Beautiful, a young girl is forced to travel to the witch Baba Yaga to obtain fire. As she makes her way through the forest, three horsemen pass her, each at a different time of the day.
Deep in the forest stands Baba Yaga’s log hut. After performing a series of tasks for the witch with the help of a magical doll, Vasilisa runs home, carrying an illuminated skull from Baba Yaga’s gates.
Paint pale Cadmium Yellow over the upper background, then glaze Raw Sienna over it. Paint a circle of yellow around the skull and in the eye sockets. Paint very light Raw Umber over the lower half of the ground and tree trunks in the foreground while carefully avoiding the mushrooms.
With Raw Sienna fill in the sides of the border and paint the scenes at the top.
Paint the upper portion of the sky with light Cobalt Blue. Paint the foreground with Raw Umber, working around the mushrooms. Working in small sections, paint wet-in-wet, dropping various colors into the Raw Umber. Drop in Hooker’s Green along the sides and Cobalt Blue beneath her skirt. Use a clean brush to lift out paint or drop in water for a rocky texture.
Use Raw Sienna and Raw Umber to paint the ground farther back.
With Raw Sienna shade the scenes at the top of the border, the sides and bottom section, dropping in Burnt Sienna toward the top to create a gradient.
For the top border, shade the scenes with a mix of Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna. Mix in a little Raw Umber to paint the darkest values, like the horses and Baba Yaga’s hut. Shade the sides with Burnt Sienna in the negative spaces, darkest toward the top.
For the interior of the image, glaze Raw Sienna over the lower sky and pines. Darken the sky with Cobalt Blue. Continue building up color in the foreground with Raw Umber. While wet, drop in more Cobalt Blue shadows under her skirt and a mix of Raw Umber, Sap Green and Raw Sienna around the sides. Dilute this mix to paint the ground farther back and the pines.
Darken the negative spaces in the side border with Burnt Sienna. Mix in Raw Umber to paint the very top and the eyes of the skulls at the bottom. Paint the top arch and thin borders at the top with Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna.
Darken the sky around the arch using Cobalt Blue plus Payne’s Gray. Lift off some spots for clouds with a wet brush and then blot with a tissue. Paint the pines one at a time with a mix of Sap Green and Raw Sienna, then drop in a mix of Sap Green and Cobalt Blue. Paint the tree trunks on the right and left with Raw Umber and glaze with a layer of Payne’s Gray. Paint the lighter trunks around the glowing skull with a pale mix of Raw Umber and Hooker’s Green.
Mix Hooker’s Green and Raw Umber to shade the ground. Paint the mushroom tops with Cadmium Red for the red caps and Raw Sienna and Raw Umber for the brown caps.
Paint a mix of Sap Green and Raw Sienna over the ground nearest the pines. Mix in Cobalt Blue to paint the shadows of the pines on the ground. Suggest branches on the pines by painting shadows with Sap Green plus Cobalt Blue.
Shade the ground with a mix of Sap Green and Raw Umber followed by Payne’s Gray along the dips in the ground and over shadow areas, and shade the lighter trees behind the skull. Add shadows to the mushrooms with Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna, and Alizarin Crimson plus Burnt Sienna on the red caps.
Darken the tree trunks on either side with Payne’s Gray. Then add Cobalt Blue to the gray to dot leaves along the branches and the top edge near the arch.
Shade along the edges of the border scrollwork with Burnt Sienna. Mix Raw and Burnt Sienna to shade the scrolls toward the bottom.
Paint reflected light on Vasilisa’s dress and skin with light Cadmium Yellow. Paint yellow around the skull and in the eyes.
Paint Dioxazine Purple shadows on her skin away from the skull light and on her blouse and apron. Fill in the trim at the bottom of her skirt with Raw Sienna.
Glaze Raw Sienna over her skin and fill in her hair. Paint light Cadmium Yellow over her headdress and the trim on her vest. Glaze Raw Umber over the shadows on her blouse and apron. Paint a light layer of Cadmium Red over the rest of her dress, lighter toward the right.
Glaze Brown Madder over her skin and lips. Outline her eyes and the inside of her mouth with Raw Umber.
Paint darker Cadmium Red over her dress and hair bow, and shade the trim, headdress and hair with Raw Sienna. Paint some small transparent lace areas in her apron, using the same colors of the dress thinned out. Use light Payne’s Gray to fill in her shoes.
Mix Raw and Burnt Sienna to shade her hair and the edge of her skirt lightly. Use more concentrated color to shade the trim on her vest and headdress. Fill in her necklace and the designs on the vest trim with Cadmium Red. Pick out some strands in her hair with Burnt Sienna.
Paint shadows on her dress and headdress using Cadmium Red plus Dioxazine Purple. Glaze Payne’s Gray over the darkest shadows on her blouse, apron and shoes.
Add to the glow around the skull with Cadmium Yellow and shade with Raw Umber and Raw Sienna.
Mix Brown Madder and Quinacridone Violet to deepen some of the shadows on her skin. Darken the folds in her dress and on the left side of her vest with a mix of Alizarin Crimson and Dioxazine Purple. Paint a few deeper shadows on her vest trim and hair using Burnt Sienna plus purple. Then use this to paint the pattern along the top and bottom edges of her skirt trim. Add a few deeper shadows on the skull using a mix of Raw Umber and Payne’s Gray.
Using Payne’s Gray, deepen some shadows on the ground and tree trunks and paint a few thin branches.
Paint the pattern of diamond shapes on her dress with Alizarin Crimson and Dioxazine Purple. Use Cadmium Red to paint the embroidered bands across her sleeves and collar. Then use White Gouache to paint a crosshatch pattern for the apron lace. Add small pearls to the bottom trim and her skirt and vest. Use white to paint stars in the blue sky and the small scene in the border, then spots on the mushrooms. Touch a little white on the trees and smoke behind Baba Yaga’s hut. Paint the eyes in the skull with Raw Sienna, and finally, the light beaming out with thin white lines.
The Japanese kimono silhouette is very straight with padding used to disguise the shape of the figure. Each kimono is made entirely from one length of cloth, with all pattern pieces being rectangular. Because the garment can be easily laid out like a painting canvas, kimonos can be lavishly decorated with hand-painted designs.
A maiko is an apprentice geisha. Her extra-long dancing kimono trails behind her and is more elaborately decorated than most. Since she in still in training, her sleeves and shoulders are made with tucks to resemble a child’s kimono that has been made smaller. Her under-kimono and collar are always red until she graduates. The obi is wider and longer, with the ends hanging at the back. She wears a floral kanzashi hair ornament on her right side.
A jūnihitoe is a twelve-layered silk kimono worn by medieval court women in the Heian era. Multicolored silk robes are worn over a long red pleated skirt. A long white train hangs from the back of the waist. The colors of the robes are only visible at the sleeves and neckline. Color combinations can show a noblewoman’s rank or her good taste. Jūnihitoe create a feeling of nostalgia and are pictured in many illustrations from The Tale of Genji.
The historical costume of the Han Chinese, called hanfu, was worn before the seventeenth century and formed the basis for the Japanese kimono. Hanfu costumes are common in Chinese historical fantasy comics and movies. Many variations exist, from long robes tied at the waist with a sash worn over a skirt, or paired with a skirt over a robe. Accessories include long sashes and ornaments of jade and braided cord attached to the waist.
Geta are wooden sandals on two platforms. Zori sandals are similar but lack the feet. Both are worn with two-toed socks made of white fabric.
When arms are bent, the top of the sleeve drapes over and appears like a fold. The tail of the sleeve hangs down behind when her arm is at her side. It’s helpful to study historical Japanese prints or photos for reference.
Traditional hairstyles are waxed at the front and pulled into buns or loops that are held with combs and pins.
Heian ladies wear their hair extremely long and trimmed only around the face. Eyebrows are shaven and drawn higher on the forehead with makeup.
Kimonos fabric is decorated with a combination of dying techniques, embroidery or woven patterns. The motifs are mainly botanical and designed to be worn seasonally with some plants conveying a symbolic meaning. Designs tend to be elaborate, sometimes showing an entire landscape with birds and animals.
Patterns and placement can indicate the wearer’s age or a level of formality. Formal kimonos are mostly patterned at the bottom edge, sleeves and shoulder—sometimes with round family seals on the shoulders. A plain or small pattern is considered informal.
Summer motifs include flowers, water, rain, waves and scenes of the sea. Flowers and plants include irises, bamboo, willow, lilies, water lilies and morning glories. Other symbols include wind chimes, goldfish, festival scenes and fireflies.
Themes used in a fall kimono include chrysanthemums, falling leaves such as Japanese maple or ginkgo, chestnuts and persimmons. Popular motifs related to fall moongazing include the harvest moon and the rabbit in the moon.
Combine chrysanthemums with maple leaves and a geometric pattern. Paint around the lighter flowers, then paint the darker leaves over the background color. Mix watercolors with White Gouache to add final details.
Pine, bamboo and plum blossoms are the most popular winter motifs. These are plants that endure the winter weather, known as the “three friends of winter,” and have been popular subjects in traditional Chinese brush painting. Other winter motifs include camellia blossoms, snow and snowflakes, moon and stars and orchids.
Spring is synonymous with the cherry blossom and is depicted with both flowering and falling petals later in the season. Other motifs are wisteria, peonies and irises. Butterflies, birds, koi fish and streaming water are also indicative of spring.
This peonies and cherry blossom pattern is perfect for spring. Mask the flowers, then paint and shade the surrounding color. Remove the masking, paint the flowers and add details with White Gouache and gold paint.
peonies and irises. Butterflies, birds, koi fish and streaming water are also indicative of spring.
Fox spirits, called “kitsune” in Japanese, are well-known figures in Japanese, Chinese and Korean folklore. These long-lived foxes are believed to possess magical powers and gain more tails as they become older, finally having nine tails at their oldest and most powerful. Many stories feature foxes who disguise themselves as humans to create mischief or remain human for love.
The fox maiden dances beneath a twisting Japanese maple tree, calling her ghostly fox sisters into physical form through the mists. The blue and red provide a striking contrast to the orange foxes and subdued background colors.
Paint with light Raw Umber lightly over the background, avoiding the wispy smoke outline. Paint the darkest layers along the edges of the smoke and tree, then blend outward with clean water. Paint another layer over the tree, with a lighter color under the smoke. Working wet-in-wet, darken the ground along the tree base and behind the figure.
Deepen the color along the horizon behind the tree and around the figures with Raw Umber. Paint Burnt Sienna along the ground and grassy edge along the bottom. Drop in some Cobalt Blue for the deepest shadows. Paint around the base of the figures and foreground with Raw Umber. While wet, drop in small amounts of light Cobalt Blue and allow the colors to flow together. Let dry, then paint another layer using the same technique and drop in spots of clean water to create a rocky texture. Make the darkest areas around the edge of the bottom mists and the kimono.
Add some misty texture at the left side with very light Raw Umber. Paint some of the shadows inside the mists and branches with Raw Umber.
Use light Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna to dab around the tree leaves. Then paint light Raw Umber over the branches and trunk.
Make a mix of Burnt Sienna and Yellow Ochre to paint the maple leaves and the wispy grass behind the tree and figure. Drop a mix of Raw Umber and Cobalt Blue into some of the grassy area.
Use Raw Umber to deepen the shadows on the ground, dropping in more Cobalt Blue over the darkest areas. Paint some small circular shapes for rocks and blend the edges together. Use Raw Umber to darken the tree trunk and branches. While wet, lift out some of the color along the trunk and center of the branches with a clean wet brush.
Begin painting the skin with very light Raw Sienna. Add Cadmium Yellow to the Raw Sienna for her obi belt, then paint the ginkgo leaf pattern on her kimono. Paint the red linings and underskirt with Cadmium Red. Paint the main color of the kimono with a layer of Cerulean Blue. When this is dry, mix in Phthalo Blue and glaze another layer over the kimono. Paint a little of the red and blue colors very lightly in the mists to make them transparent.
Paint the midtones on her skin with Burnt Sienna, then glaze Brown Madder for the rosy tones on her cheeks and above her eyes, under the chin and on her fingertips. Paint her lips with Brown Madder and a touch of Alizarin Crimson. Add a little light Quinacridone Violet in the shadows on her neck and under her nose and hairline. Paint her eyes and eyebrows with Payne’s Gray.
Begin shading the folds in the kimono along the bottom edge and top of the sleeves with Cobalt Blue. Next, thin out the Cobalt Blue and glaze over most of the kimono, making it lighter at the bottom. Make a mix of Phthalo Blue and Payne’s Gray, and paint along the top of the sleeves. Blend downward. Try to make a smooth gradient of color from top to bottom.
Shade the obi belt with Raw Sienna, making it darker at the right edge. Create shadows on all of the red parts with Alizarin Crimson. Paint the obijime with Cadmium Red after the areas around it have dried. Shade the hair tie with Raw Sienna and paint her hair with Payne’s Gray.
Darken the top edges of the kimono and add more shadows to the wrinkles with Payne’s Gray plus Phthalo Blue. Mix in Cobalt Blue to make it a little lighter for lower sections. Use Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna each mixed with Cadmium Orange to paint maple leaf shapes and outlines on the obi. Shade the ginkgo leaf pattern with Raw Sienna as well. Shade the obijime with Alizarin Crimson and darken the shadows on the other red parts of the kimono. Shade the lady’s hair with Lamp Black.
Paint Raw Sienna along the foxes’ backs, legs and top of her head. The foxes should stay somewhat pale and ghostly.
Glaze pale Cadmium Red over the upper inside of the obi tails. Add details to the leaf pattern with more concentrated Cadmium Red. Darken the red part of the foxes with another layer of Raw Sienna. Paint the transparent parts of the foremost ghost fox with Cobalt Blue, Raw Umber and Cadmium Red.
Create the bark texture of the tree trunk and darken the upper branches with Raw Umber. Darken the leaves with a mix of Cadmium Red and Burnt Sienna. Use light Raw Umber to lightly outline the mists.
Add some faint leaves around the edges of the mists in the tree with a mix of Burnt Sienna and Yellow Ochre. Work on the foxes using Burnt Sienna, making the legs and ears the darkest.
Use White Gouache to outline the transparent edges of the foxes where the background shows through and the edges of the mists. Paint ginkgo leaves and a star pattern on the kimono with small white dots. Add a few highlights and embroidery texture details with small white strokes on the obi.
Finally, add blush on the lady’s cheeks with very pale Quinacridone Red.