Traditionally gyotaku prints were created using rice paper and a carbon-based sumi ink. Today most gyotaku is printed on a variety of paper and cloth materials, and artists often substitute the sumi ink for non-toxic acrylic paints. Artists may also incorporate other mediums such as color pencils, watercolors and pastels, to create colorful renditions of the original species. In places such as Maui, Hawaii gyotaku artists have begun to incorporate collage art, layering differently colored/textured papers, which offers a unique and stylish way of present the gyotaku piece.
There are two methods for creating gyotaku, with the most common being the DIRECT method (Chokusetsu-ho) where the artist applies paint directly onto the surface of the fish. The fish is then covered with the paper (or fabric) and carefully pressed to produce an imprint, or rubbing. The second, or INDIRECT method (Kansetsu-ho), has the fabric or paper being pasted onto the fish, and the artist applying the paint to the fabric (rather than the fish).
