Motonobu's works are notable for melding the Tosa school style of Yamato-e painting onto the ink-wash painting method of the Kanga style (typically monochrome, Chinese style paintings), and establishing a particularly Japanese style of partition wall painting, suitable for the decoration of buildings of the traditional Shoin-zukuri architectual style.
元信の作品は、漢画（大和絵に対して中国風の画を指す）系の水墨画を基礎としつつ、大和絵系の土佐派の様式を取り入れ、書院造建築の装飾にふさわしい日本的な障壁画様式を確立した点に特色がある。