Motonobu assumed the Yamatoe painting style in Kanga and ink painting (in which his father Masanobu specialized); he specialized in large decorative paintings such as a Fusuma (Japanese sliding door) and a folding screen, and built a foundation for the style of the Kanoha group.
元信は父正信の得意とした漢画、水墨画に大和絵の画法を取り入れ、襖、屏風などの装飾的な大画面を得意とし、狩野派様式の基礎を築いた。