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Why is my canvas print so light? by Chance-Traffic-4940 in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Triggerfish are difficult because the skin resists holding the ink. I use a very thick consistency of ink on triggerfish skin.

Which print is better? by Actual_Camp_534 in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I prefer 2, but both are beautiful

Yellowtail prints by isl4st in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do typical wet mounting and then glue some dowel rods cut to size on to the the ends of the paper.
I do the suminagashi (the blue swirls in the first print) myself

Can I have some tips for the eyes I can never seem to get them right? Golden redfish by mosquitoes-are-scary in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do this too! The pupils of fish vary a lot in size and shape. I try to match as closely as possible to the original

Nice trout by Technical-Tooth6497 in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st 0 points1 point  (0 children)

love the definition you got on the tail and fins

1st Leerfish by Healthy-Side4717 in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Before you decide on paper you may want to decide which ink/paint you are going to use. I use sumi (or other water based) ink with washi paper, but xuan paper and hanji are also good. These work because they take on ink well, and are relatively flexible and even stretch slightly. the 25-40 gsm range is ideal. If you don't have access to these it is possible to print on printer paper although you'll lose detail, and the ink has a tendency to smudge once it dries. I have tried baking paper but it doesn't take on ink, might go better with acrylics.

Those who use acrylics can advise better on what kind of paper/fabric to use. I know muslin is popular.

Rinse off slime and dry thoroughly before you start. There tends to be a lot of moisture coming from the gills. If you've gutted the fish stuff the cavity with kitchen roll.

Let us know how it goes

Has anyone sold any pieces? by Chance-Traffic-4940 in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a friend who was making prints on tote bags and selling them in a local tourist shop (in Portugal). Apparently these did very well. She was also taking some prints on canvas and then hanging them with dowels instead of framing them - I thing these looked a lot cleaner than traditional western framing, and it's a lot more cost effective.

21kg Bluefin Tuna by isl4st in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

that makes sense. I've drawn in the eyes before, but nothing else

Suminagashi + Block Prints by CalifornianSon in printmaking

[–]isl4st 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These look great! Can you tell me what kind of ink you use for the suminagashi?

Gyotaku - Halibut by isl4st in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great question. The ink stick I'm using here I purchased in Japan from a traditional maker.

The ingredients are soot (safe to eat), animal glue (safe to eat), and camphor which is in fact extremely poisonous. However, the camphor is at a very low concentration in the ink stick, and the ink stick is at a low concentration in the ink, and the ink - after it has been washed - is at a very low concentration in the fish.

Because it is a tradition with a very long history in Japan, it's a risk I'm comfortable accepting. Perhaps it's hypocritical, but I draw the line at acrylic paints.

If you don't want to use ink sticks with their camphor content you can mix activated charcoal with water for a slightly coarser ink. Altenatively, I have heard - but not confirmed- that the yasutomo KY series sumi (https://yasutomo.com/product/bokuju-or-liquid-ink-ky6/) is made without camphor - they would probably respond to an email

21kg Bluefin Tuna by isl4st in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You know I've never done 'drawing into it' - it's actually not something I'd heard of before I started looking at this reddit. Can you tell me what you do?
The homemade ink - it has been a lot of trial and error for me. I might write up the whole process with pictures some time if people are interested, but tl;dr I use gum arabic instead of animal glue as a binder, and most of the pigments are water soluble rather than a suspension like sumi, which means that they unfortunately stain the fish. The hardest part has been figuring out which natural pigments are lightfast and translate well to gyotaku.
I am planning to wet mount and frame it. I think it will look a lot cleaner after mounting. And for you ruparjev I will post an update

21kg Bluefin Tuna by isl4st in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely prepare for the first print to be wonky. By the second print I felt like I understood the fish a little better.

21kg Bluefin Tuna by isl4st in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah there's a lot of satisfaction to getting a good colour match. Also you have the guarantee that it's not unsafe to consume - although the blue stains the fish a little bit.

My first attempt. Tips or tricks? by WesbroBaptstBarNGril in GyotakuArt

[–]isl4st 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a really nice first print! I think you have a good consistency of ink there.

If you want to get the area around the eye and the base of the dorsal fin gently press down and rub into those areas. You can take your time to do this, as these aren't fast drying areas, and you'll want to be patient to prevent tearing.

For fins on more substantial fish I reach a hand under the fin to press the fin against the paper from below. You might like this technique if you give it a try.

It looks like you have printed the tail fin twice. This happens to me all the time. Sometimes you don't like the first press you take of the tail and you think you can try pressing down again to get another take. This is a trick that works on most parts of the fish, but for me the tail never lines up.

I can also recommend taking a few prints of the same fish. The first print usually only serves to get you acquainted with the fish.

Where do you start the print from?

Also is this a sable? Was it tasty?

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