The ocean and marine life are popular subjects in Japanese woodcuts, paintings, pottery and fabric design. If you live in a small country made up of many islands, such as Japan, the sea is an important part of your life, whereas many people depend on the ocean for their livelihood, food and recreation.

     

     Gyotaku (gee-o-taku) is a fascinating Japanese art form which uses fish to create prints.  At first gyotaku was used as a way of keeping records.  Samurai warriors in Sakai Province, as part of their training, were required to record the fish they caught by inking them and pressing paper to the inked fish.  Often the weight, length, place caught and the year were written on the print.   Archives of gyotaku prints record fish caught over 200 years ago.

     Many fishermen still use gyotaku to keep records, but the process has also become an art form in itself.  There are two methods of making the prints:  indirect and direct.  In the indirect method, moist paper is placed on the unlinked fish and pressed to fit all its contours.  When the paper is dry, ink is rubbed gently over it, much as one takes a rubbing from an engraved stone.

The direct method is much easier and gives better results for beginners.  In the direct method, ink is painted on the fish and then paper is carefully pressed over it to take an impression.

To try gyotaku at home, you’ll need a fish fresh from the market or freshly caught on the day of printing.  Use a fish with a distinct scale pattern.  Wipe it carefully to remove mucus or excess moisture, and place the fish on a pad made of newspaper.

Although many artists nowadays use acrylics to make gyotaku prints, India ink will make the best prints for beginners.  India ink  is indelible, so wear old clothing.  Brush ink over the fish lightly, being careful to cover every part of the fish including the fins.  If the fins have closed up against the body, you can fan them out and pin them to the newspaper in an open position.

Put a sheet of thin paper over the fish and gently, but firmly, press it to the contours of the fish.  Prints can be made with newsprint, but imported paper from Japan (such as rice paper or similar papers) will make better prints because it is more pliable and will conform better to the contours of the fish.  After you have pressed the paper onto every part of the fish, lift the paper off carefully and sign the print.  Let it dry thoroughly.

You can make multiple prints using this method, but replace the newspaper under the fish frequently.  Any ink that spills there will make spots on the paper used for printing the fish.

Fish prints are fun to do, and those done on beautiful papers and framed make unique and interesting home decorations.

For more information, see: http://gyotaku.com or contact Naoki at his studio in Kaneohe, MI at: 808.330.2823.

About

About 100 years ago in Japan, fishermen created gyotaku prints to record their prized catches. Gyotaku is created by pressing rice paper onto a fish covered with ink or paint. Artist Naoki Hayashi began making gyotaku prints at age 11. Since then he has refined and mastered his unique gyotaku process. Each of Naoki’s gyotaku pieces is created using non-toxic acrylic paints and Japanese shoji paper. As an avid diver and fisher, Naoki views each gyotaku as a window into the underwater world he sees when diving in Hawaii’s beautiful ocean waters. His art features fish in true life color and in compositions that reflect how they are found in nature. Naoki has a deep respect for the ocean and its creatures. Thus, he will only create gyotaku art from fish that will be eaten. Each of his gyotaku pieces is both a record of a fish and a meal shared with friends and family.