Here in Yokohama it’s been a snowy month, and I think everyone is waiting for spring. The first sign of spring in Japan is the plum blossom, which blooms from early February. Although I haven’t seen any around as of yet, I’m looking out for it!
This is a photo I took of the plum blossom last year. Plumb blossom varies in colour depending on the variety; from dark pink to white.
Today’s illustration is actually of cherry blossom, which flowers a little later.
Here is the painting in progress. I chose to depict the cherry blossoms in an impressionist way, focusing on the colour and atmosphere of the drawing, rather than attempting to paint the individual blossoms. I think this worked well, and the overall look is what I was going for.
The final illustration ended up like this. I like the duck egg blue background which I think brings out the pink of the blossoms. I’m happy with the light quality of this painting, and I hope I can see lots of cherry blossom this year when spring finally arrives.
