How to Draw Birds, Insects and Fish Simply - Kuwagata Keisai

A 1797 woodblock print from Kuwagata Keisai's instructional manual, featuring simplified studies of animals and elephants in the Edo period style.

This woodblock print originates from the 1797 publication 'Chōjū ryakugashiki', or 'How to Draw Birds, Insects and Fish Simply', by the Japanese artist Kuwagata Keisai. Keisai, a student of Kitao Shigemasa, was known for his ability to reduce complex forms into their most essential shapes. This approach, often termed 'ryakuga' or 'simplified drawing', prioritised economy of line and clarity of form over realistic detail.

The composition displays a series of animal studies, including various small mammals on the left and elephants on the right. The elephants are depicted from multiple angles, demonstrating the artist's interest in spatial understanding and the reduction of three-dimensional subjects into manageable, graphic components. The lines are clean and deliberate, reflecting the pedagogical intent of the original manual. By stripping away unnecessary ornamentation, Keisai provided a clear visual guide for students of art during the Edo period.

The colour palette is restrained, relying on soft greys, muted browns, and subtle green accents to define the subjects against the paper. The arrangement of the figures across the page is balanced, creating a sense of order that is characteristic of instructional texts from this era. This print offers a glimpse into the methods used to teach drawing techniques in late 18th-century Japan, where the focus remained on capturing the spirit and posture of the subject through minimal strokes. The work remains a clear example of the 'ryakuga' style, which influenced many later artists who sought to simplify their own visual language.