Today we are going to continue with our ocean science-themed activities for kids, with a fish printing activity based on the Japanese art form, gyotaku.
Gyotaku is wonderful because it incorporates both art and science into a combined learning experience. While making colorful prints, children observe the fish closely. In the process they learn about fish external anatomy, and also details useful in identification of individual species. See this index for an extensive list of examples of gyotaku fish prints by artist Joe McAuliffe.
Gyotaku started in Japan as a way for fishermen to record their catch. Traditionally, gyotaku prints were made by applying inks to an actual fish and then pressing thin, but tough paper onto it. Today you can buy rubber or plastic replicas to use for printing. You can print on paper or cloth as you choose. The fish example above is printed on cloth.
You will need:
- Fish or fish model
- Block printing inks
- Cloth or paper
- Plates or trays for holding the ink
- Brayer (hand roller for loading and applying ink)
- Newspapers, old tablecloths or sheets to cover printing surface
- Fish external anatomy illustrations, such as at South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
The process is relatively simple, but may require practice to achieve the desired results. If you are using actual fish, you will need to wash it with water to remove mucous/debris from the surface. Dry the fish. Place some block printing ink into the plates or trays, and ink up the brayer by rolling it through the ink. Apply the ink evenly to the fish. Now you may either press the paper onto the fish or press the fish onto the paper, as evenly as possible. Play around with the technique to see which way works best for you and how much ink is needed. Set the paper or cloth aside and allow to dry.
Traditionally not much else is added to the print, but you can use your imagination. This gyataku print includes seaweed.
There are loads of places to learn more about gyotaku on the Internet, just load up your favorite search engine and go.
Where to get supplies:
Acorn Naturalists sells a number of gyotaku supplies.
Models to use for printing are also available on Amazon (photo is affiliate link).
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This post is part of our ocean science series. Visit the landing page for links to all the related posts.
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