Japanese Fish Printing

Objective:

The student will be able to create a Japanese fish print using a large fresh or frozen fish from the grocery store or seafood store.

Background Information:

The Japanese invented gyotaku (gyo=fish, taku=rubbing) in the 1800s as a means of recording their catch (a fish print always tells the truth!). Gyotaku (pronounced ghio-ta-koo) has since evolved into an art form.

Materials Needed:

• A large fish (preferably 8 inches or larger) that is fairly flat and has obvious scales.   This fish can be purchased from the seafood section of most grocery stores.  A fresh fish kept on ice is best; frozen fish should be thawed under cold water shortly before use.
• Newspaper
• Paper towels
• Newsprint paper and/or rice paper (stiff paper does not work well)
• Water-based paint or textile ink (dark colors work best)
• Wide, stiff-bristled paint brushes and several fine-tipped ones
• Modeling clay and pins

Activity:

Gently wash the fish with soap and water to remove the mucus, being careful not to damage the scales. This will ensure a clean, crisp print.

Dry thoroughly! Plug the mouth and gills, and any other openings, with paper towels so your fish will not leak onto the paper.

Lay fish on a newspaper-covered table. Spread the fins and put modeling clay under them for support. You may have to put pins in the clay. (This may be necessary with a very flat fish.)

Paint the fish, brushing from head to tail. Take care not to use too much ink or the result will be an indistinct blob of paint. Do not paint the eye. Paint fins and tail last, since they tend to dry out quickly. When you are ready to print, brush the fish from tail to head. Reversing the direction will catch ink under the edges of scales and spines and improve the print.

Carefully lay a piece of newsprint over the fish (rice paper is the nicest when you get really good at fish printing). Taking care not to move the paper, use your hand to press the paper to the fish. Use your fingers on the fins and tail. Be careful not to wrinkle the paper or you will get a blurred or double image.

Peel the paper off and let it dry. You may re-ink the fish and make up to 10 prints. When the print is dry, paint the eye with a small brush.

Result:

The finished print not only will teach students a new art form, but also will provide students with an entirely different way to study the body structure of a fish. Allow students to share prints. Invite them to write a Haiku poem about their fish print.

Reprinted courtesy of the National Aquarium in Baltimore