I have been eager to try Gyotaku for quite a while, and saw the occasional workshop advertised at the DCA, but it always seemed to be on days which I just could not make it. I decided to have a go myself, and found a tutorial video on youtube which made it look really simple.
My first stop was Tesco, and as chance would have it, I spotted an ex-student working behind the fish counter, so I didn’t feel quite as embarrassed when I asked him if he had any out of date fish! He gave me a Sea Bream and some fish tails, and told me to come back late on evenings, when he may possibly have more.
I really wanted to print an octopus, but Tesco didn’t have any in stock, so I tried Morrison’s next. I was in luck, and although it was not out of date, I decided to buy it, as I could not resist the tentacles!
In the privacy of my studio, I carefully wiped the fish down, and as suggested in the video, I tried with acrylic paint using a brush. The results were not great, so I decided to use some Lawrence water-based relief printing ink, and I used a small roller to apply it.
As you can see, the results weren’t bad for a first attempt! I might even invite my students to have a go next week!
Antidotal Recall 