It helps to see a Shibui in progress.
The first image shows the foundation being mapped out, just simple line work. I outlined the edges to determine where the intentional work would begin.
The design work is apparent in the treetops. Many layers later they work well at viewing distance. For a Shibui the viewing distance is closer than 10 feet, a Shibui will naturally beckon the view in closer. The closer the viewer comes the more little surprises he or she will find, often hidden things in the image.
The “bark” of the tree has not been stylized yet in the first image. I love the way this designing process worked for this foundation.
The idea, or Shibui “rule” is to allow the underneath lay show through unless it is not required for the end result; the illusion of realism or abstraction.
The sun is totally intentional, there was no round orb. Creating it fit well with what was happening in that area, I saw rays of sun in the clouds as a possibility.
In a later version, you will find owls, the shade of the trees in the foreground, and smaller leaves in among the larger ones.
There was an awkward branch or tree section coming down from the upper left, this did not find itself until the image was almost done.
The leaves are created within the confines of the space available to me, one the tree trunks were found.
Anisette Studios & Shibui Fine Arts 