1. Gyotaku Fish Print 1st Grade February Art Project
Presentation modified and prepared by Alice Finch 2015
1st Grade February Art Project
West Mercer Elementary Art Enrichment Program

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3. Lesson Overview Vocabulary Print suggestions Lesson: printmaking
Time: 60 minutes
Volunteers: 4
Medium: tempera prints
Project Overview/Skills
This lesson allows the students to experiment with a form of printmaking and create a print from a painted fish. They can sign the print like a Japanese artist might and mark it with a “chop”.
Vocabulary
Gyo = fish
Taku = impression
Chop = signature stamp
Print suggestions
Sho-Son: White Birds in snow (for signature and symbol)
Toyohiko Keiban etc.: Deer, Pine & Bat
73 Koson: On the Wing
74 Koson: Birds in the Bamboo

4. Gyotaku Fish Print Materials
Rubber fish
Black and red tempera paint
Foam brush or large paint brush
Water color paper- 9x12 Scratch foam, precut into 1 x 2 in. blocks
Scratch paper from bottom shelf or butcher paper for work area, sink or tub to wash fish when needed
Scratch paper- 1”x2”
sharpies for practicing initials
Dull Pencils to make and clean impression channels in scratch foam

5. Display
Once the project is finished, student work should be mounted on colored paper and displayed either in the classroom or in the designated area in the hallway.
If there are some who have not finished, please check with the teacher on how they would like to proceed. Do not assume that it ok to continue the project after the allotted time.

6. Gyotaku Fish Prints Traditional Japanese print Gyo = fish
Taku = impression
Chop = signature stamp

7. Project Notes
Two students may print at a time (each of our two rubber fish should have a volunteer to oversee the printing.)
NOTE: You may purchase inexpensive whole fish from a fish market and use these in addition to the rubber fish (the kids love this!). Talapia work well, but make sure they are the right size to fit the paper (not too big).

8. Today’s Project
Fish print
Name chop
foam
red paint

9. Step 1 – Fish Print 2 students at a time
Everyone else will work on name chop while you wait your turn
Apply black paint to the fish; not too thick or thin
cover the fins well

10. Step 2 - Rub
carefully place the paper over the fish and rub gently over the entire fish, especially over the fins, mouth and edges
When they peel off the paper they will have a print of the fish

11. Step 3 – Name Chop
On scratch paper, write initials in big capital letters
Go over the letters in sharpie
you want the ink to bleed through the paper so you can see the letters in reverse
Use the reversed letters as a guide to write the letters on the foam
Make sure the impression is deep enough but not so deep that it cuts through the foam
Paint the entire foam piece with red paint and “print” their symbol onto their fish print