Recreating Studio Ghibli scenes is how I taught myself to paint: I’m a huge Ghibli fan, so I started with scenes from my favorite Ghibli films and shared the videos online. This page gathers my Studio Ghibli fan-art gouache paintings in one place, each with its paint-along Short, what the video shows and the supplies on my desk.
The short answer
All four gouache pieces here are painted with HIMI jelly gouache, three of them across a two-page spread, two in watercolor journals and one in a sketchbook; my 48-color HIMI Twin Cup Jelly Gouache set is the box I use for most of my paintings. To paint along, start with my how to use jelly gouache guide; to start with a smaller box, the researched pick is HIMI’s 24-color jelly-cup set.
My Studio Ghibli paintings at a glance
| Film | My painting | Paper | Short posted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirited Away | Spirited Away Scenery | BAOHONG Academy journal | Jun 29, 2026 |
| Only Yesterday | Only Yesterday Scenery: Path at Sunset | Sketchbook spread | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Only Yesterday | Only Yesterday Scenery: Tree by the Field Path | Fuumuui watercolor journal | Oct 22, 2026 |
| My Neighbor Totoro | Totoro asleep in the forest | Not stated | Mar 12, 2026 |
The finished paintings are in my gallery; the Totoro piece is on video only.
Spirited Away: Chihiro and the moss statue
YouTube Short · 1:00
Paint with me - Spirited Away | Studio Ghibli
Posted on my YouTube channel.
Watch on YouTubeA gouache fan-art scene from Spirited Away, painted across a two-page spread of my BAOHONG Academy watercolor journal:
- Misting the box (
0:02–0:03): I mist my open HIMI box across the rows of twin cups with my wetting spray, then set out my brush washer and a rectangular palette. - Sketching (
0:08–0:10): the scene goes down in blue pencil across both pages. - First washes (
0:11–0:17): a pale yellow-green wash across both pages, then a light green layer. - Layering the scene (
0:18–0:43): gray tree trunks, sunlit and shaded foliage, the dark blue car and the grinning mossy stone guardian statue, built up over the washes. - Chihiro (
0:44–0:59): I paint Chihiro in front of the car, then hold the finished spread up to the camera.
The finished spread is Spirited Away Scenery in my gallery.
Only Yesterday: a path toward the sunset
YouTube Short · 0:59
Paint with me - Only Yesterday | Ghibli Scenery
Posted on my YouTube channel.
Watch on YouTubeA landscape inspired by Only Yesterday, and the Short where I mix the whole painting first. I have a habit of mixing
all the colors of a painting before I start, so all 14 wells of my
MEEDEN ceramic palette are full before the first stroke (0:11–0:13). Then a wide
flat brush lays a turquoise-blue to pale yellow sky (0:14–0:16), a round brush blocks in the dark wooded ridge and
blue-grey clouds (0:17–0:21), and the yellow-green fields, treetops, bushes, the ochre dirt path and fine dark grass
with white wildflowers follow (0:22–0:52). I unclip the binder clips and hold up the finished spread at the end
(0:53–0:58).
The finished spread is Only Yesterday Scenery: Path at Sunset in my gallery.
Only Yesterday: the tree by the field path
YouTube Short · 1:00
Ghibli Painting From Anime Only Yesterday
Posted on my YouTube channel.
Watch on YouTubeA second Only Yesterday scene, painted in my square
Fuumuui watercolor journal. The Short opens on the finished trees, field and
path (0:00–0:03), then shows the tools: a MEEDEN ceramic brush wash bowl, a LOBEO ART flat brush, water brushes and my
HIMI jelly gouache case (0:04–0:07). With the pencil-sketched spread clipped flat, the flat brush lays a yellow wash
across both pages and the center fold (0:10–0:12); the blue sky, clouds, hills and a row of conifers come next
(0:12–0:33), then the large tree, its foliage, the field and the path, mostly with water brushes (0:34–0:56).
The finished spread is Only Yesterday Scenery: Tree by the Field Path in my gallery.
My Neighbor Totoro: Totoro asleep in the forest
YouTube Short · 0:58
Paint with me - My Neighbor Totoro - Studio Ghibli
Posted on my YouTube channel.
Watch on YouTubeA fan-art scene from My Neighbor Totoro. The green twin-cup case sits open on the left of my desk, beside a flower-shaped mixing palette and a two-well brush washer. Working from a reference frame propped on my tablet, I mix sunlit yellow-greens, mid leaf greens and deep forest tones to paint Totoro sleeping in a shaded forest clearing, surrounded by layered fern fronds and small yellow, white and purple wildflowers. More on the paint itself is in my HIMI Jelly Gouache review.
How I paint a Ghibli scene with gouache
A pattern repeats across the three spreads: the HIMI box open beside the paper, big washes for the sky or ground first, then the darker shapes and details built over them. Two start from a pencil sketch, and in my sunset Short every color is mixed on the palette before the first stroke. The step-by-step jelly gouache guide breaks that order down with each Short’s timestamps, and the five beginner tips in my gouache guide cover consistency and layering.
Why gouache suits this kind of scenery is a research note, not my own claim: Studio Ghibli’s background artists painted with poster color, a brand called Nicker Poster Color per Animation Obsessive. It is an opaque, water-based paint close to gouache, so it lays flat, matte color and lets light details sit on top of dark ones.
A Ghibli-style winter scene for Christmas
The same order works for snow. These steps carry my Ghibli method into a winter scene; they are instructions to paint from, not a painting of mine.
- Pick a quiet subject. A small house or a shrine gate under snow, a lone tree in a field, or a forest path: Ghibli scenery is about places, so a figure is optional.
- Mix the whole palette first. A pale winter sky blue, a warm cream for the low sun, two or three deep evergreen and blue-grey shadow mixes, and a thick, creamy white.
- Lay the sky. A wide flat brush and plenty of water, from pale cream at the horizon up into soft blue. Let it dry.
- Block in the dark shapes. Distant trees in a soft blue-grey, near trees and the building in the deep mixes, with less water so they cover.
- Paint the snow. Cover the ground in white, then shade where it dips and under the trees with the pale blue-grey, so it reads as soft drifts instead of flat white.
- Add the light last. Snow along branches and roof edges in thick white, a warm yellow window or lantern, and a few dots of falling snow.
For card-sized versions of winter scenes, see my gouache and watercolor Christmas cards guide.
Ghibli painting in other mediums
Not all my Studio Ghibli painting is gouache. I painted Jiji and the white cats from Kiki’s Delivery Service with acrylic paint markers, layering light and deep greens over dark purple foliage; that painting and its Short are in my LET’S RESIN 72 review, and marker sets like it are in my acrylic paint pens guide.
Researched pick: a smaller jelly gouache set
This one is research-based: chosen from HIMI’s stated color count, cup size and contents, and checked on its listing. Not tested hands-on.
Research-basedHIMI Gouache Paint Set, 24 Colors × 30 ml Jelly Cups
Best smaller set to start
Paid link · I may earn from it
- Colors
- 24
- Format
- 30 ml (1 oz) jelly cups with sealing lids
A complete gouache starter in one case: 24 colors in sealed jelly cups, a palette and three brushes. Open a cup and paint; nothing to squeeze or set up.
Twenty-four colors in 30 ml jelly cups with sealing lids, plus a palette and three brushes in a carrying case. HIMI describes the paint as thick and creamy with opaque, matte coverage that rewets with water. It is the same paint format as the box in my Shorts, in fewer colors.
Good fit if
- Beginners who want every color ready in one box, with palette and brushes included
- Illustration, journaling and small studies where many ready-made colors save mixing
- Gift buyers who want a complete, giftable set
Skip it if
- You want to learn color mixing from a few primaries; a small tube set teaches it better
- You need layers that stay put when painted over; gouache reactivates with water once dry
All maker specs
- Colors
- 24
- Format
- 30 ml (1 oz) jelly cups with sealing lids
- Includes
- Palette, 3 brushes, carrying case
- Finish
- Opaque and matte (per listing)
- Rewets
- Yes, with water once dry (per listing)
- Safety label
- ASTM D-4236 and EN71 conformance (per listing)
Worth knowing
- Close each lid after a session and do not leave water pooled in a cup; damp, sealed paint can grow mold.
- Gouache shifts slightly in value as it dries; test a mix on scrap before a large area.
Specs are the maker's own figures from the product listing, not my measurements. Listing checked October 12, 2026 for this exact variant: 24 colors × 1 oz (30 ml) jelly cups, green carrying case, with palette and 3 brushes.How I pick
Hands-on: the supplies in my Ghibli Shorts
What is on my desk in the Shorts above. The specs below are the listings’ own.
My videoHIMI Twin Cup Jelly Gouache, 48 Colors
$29.69List Price: $32.99Save 10%
as of Nov 3, 2026, 11:15 UTCDetails
Price and availability show on Amazon.
Paid link · I may earn from it
- Colors
- 48 × 12 g
- Format
- Jelly gouache in twin cups
The gouache set I use for most of my paintings: not a premium brand, but very good paint quality that is widely used by artists—as long as you air the box and mist the cups so they do not mold or dry hard.
The jelly gouache box I use for most of my paintings: my HIMI Jelly Gouache review.
My videoHIMI Gouache Wetting Spray, 100 ml
$10.79List Price: $11.99Save 10%
as of Nov 3, 2026, 11:15 UTCDetails
Price and availability show on Amazon.
Paid link · I may earn from it
- Volume
- 100 ml (3.38 fl oz) on this ASIN; 200 ml (6.76 fl oz) option on listing
- Format
- Fine-mist pump spray bottle
The spray I use on my gouache instead of plain water: it keeps the paint moist, helps prevent mold in the tray, and keeps the gouache's texture intact.
The spray in the first seconds of my Spirited Away Short: my HIMI Gouache Wetting Spray review.
My videoMEEDEN Ceramic Watercolor Paint Palette, 14 Wells
Paid link · I may earn from it
- Material
- Ceramic (glazed white porcelain)
- Wells
- 14 (12 smaller rectangular + 2 larger mixing wells)
I have a habit of mixing all the colors of a painting before I start, so this 14-well ceramic palette really suits me—and it is very sturdy and does not stain.
The palette I pre-mix my Only Yesterday sunset scene on: my MEEDEN ceramic palette review.
My videoFuumuui Watercolor Journal, 7.6 × 7.6 in
$16.99Typical price: $19.99Save 15%
as of Nov 3, 2026, 11:16 UTCDetails
Price and availability show on Amazon.
Paid link · I may earn from it
- Paper
- Cotton, 300 gsm (140 lb)
- Surface
- Cold press
The square 300 gsm cold-press journal I always choose for full-spread paintings: a gentle, natural tooth that is not overly bumpy, paper that holds water without warping, a thread-sewn open spine that lays flat at 180°, and a surface that holds pencil and paint well.
The square journal of my tree-by-the-field Only Yesterday scene: my Fuumuui watercolor journal write-up.
I use thisBAOHONG Academy Watercolor Journal
Paid link · I may earn from it
- Paper
- 100% cotton, 300 gsm (140 lb)
- Surface
- Cold press
The black hardcover watercolor journal from my Spirited Away paint-along: what BAOHONG says about its paper, sizes and surfaces, and what my Short shows of it.
The black hardcover journal of my Spirited Away spread: my BAOHONG Academy journal write-up.
Questions
What paint do you use for your Ghibli paintings?
HIMI jelly gouache. Most of my paintings use my 48-color HIMI Twin Cup Jelly Gouache set: HIMI is not a premium brand, but the paint quality is very good.
Are these official Studio Ghibli paintings?
No. They are my own fan-art paintings of scenes from the films. In my Totoro Short I work from a reference frame propped on my tablet.
What paper do you use for Ghibli gouache painting?
Heavy watercolor journals, painted across a two-page spread: a BAOHONG Academy journal for Spirited Away and a square Fuumuui journal for one of my Only Yesterday scenes. Both are listed as 300 gsm cotton paper; my sketchbook guide explains paper weight by medium.
Can you paint Ghibli scenes with acrylic markers instead?
Yes. My Kiki’s Delivery Service painting is made with LET’S RESIN acrylic paint markers; see my LET’S RESIN 72 review.