描写 and 説明: depicting a scene or feeling and explaining a method
Compare a novel’s landscape and anxiety depictions with an explanation of machine use. Depiction is not limited to visible objects or exclusively written expression.
Depicting a scene or feeling
描写 (びょうしゃ) means description or depiction of a scene, appearance, or feeling. 「小説の細かな風景描写が印象に残った。」 says the novel’s detailed landscape depictions left an impression.
「作者は登場人物の不安を静かに描写した。」 says the author quietly depicted the character’s anxiety. The target can be an internal feeling, not only a visible landscape.
Explaining use or content
説明 (せつめい) concerns making content or a method understood. 「先生が機械の使い方を分かりやすく説明した。」 says the teacher clearly explained the machine’s use.
「詳しい説明は資料の二頁に載っています。」 says a detailed explanation appears on page two of the materials. Being written does not prevent it from being an explanation.
Purpose rather than medium
Compare conveying what a scene or feeling is like with telling someone how to use a machine. Speech, writing, and length alone do not determine the distinction.
A text can combine depiction and explanation. A novel is not required for every depiction, and page two is not a required location for every explanation.
Is the target in 「作者は登場人物の不安を静かに描写した。」 a visible landscape?
Show the answer and why
No. It is the character’s internal anxiety. The example shows why 描写 cannot be restricted to visual landscapes.