Making Gyotaku requires paper, ink or paint, brushes and other tools. There are two methods of making Gyotaku: the direct method and the indirect method. The direct method refers to applying paint directly to the fish, and then using rice paper to copy the color, which is very similar to the printing process.
The general steps of the direct method are as follows:
※Place the fish flat on the chopping board or wooden board to stabilize the fish during the rubbing process.
※ Use clean water and refined salt to wash away the mucus on the surface of the fish. Be careful not to let the scales fall off when cleaning.
※Use paper or cloth to absorb excess water from the surface of the fish.
※Put the fish into the desired posture, stuff the paper into the fish's mouth to make the fish shape straight, and unfold and arrange the fish's fins.
※Make different shades or colors of paint according to the color of the fish, and use a brush or brush to apply different inks or paints to different parts of the fish.
※Move the fish to a clean newspaper
※Consider the composition of the fish on the picture, spread the rice paper paper on the painted fish, press, tap or evenly Use a brush to rub the paint on the fish body onto the paper, and then gently lift up the rice paper.
※On the paper, use a brush to outline the eyes of the fish.
※Record the type, length, weight, date of fishing, names of fishermen and witnesses on paper.
※You can put a red seal on the paper. The difference between the indirect method and the direct method is that the paint in the indirect method is not applied to the fish, but is slapped onto the rice paper close to the fish with a rubbing bag, which is very similar to the process of rubbing a stele.
The main step of the indirect method is to spray the rice paper with a sprayer and stick it closely to the fish, and then use a rubbing bag to dip the rice paper in different shades of colors and pat it on the rice paper.