Gyotaku Fish Rubbings by Chesapeake Bay Fish Prints

Original gamefish art from popular freshwater and saltwater sport fish.

 Gyotaku fish rubbings from Chesapeake Bay Fish Prints
Welcome to my Gyotaku internet art gallery.

If you want to learn more about Gyotaku fish rubbings or are looking for original Gyotaku art, you can find it here. A while back I met a traveling Gyotaku "fish rubbing" artist. I wasn't all that interested at first but a couple years later decided to try printing a fish i'd caught one morning. It turned out better than I expected and a few fish later friends were bringing me their fish to "print". Since then i've been making sport fishing trophies for people wherever I live and travel.

Unlike marine taxidermy, Gyotaku fish art is easier to display and when properly matted and framed a fish rubbing will work with most styles of interior decoration. In keeping with Japanese art tradition I print the majority of my fish on rice paper and all of my rubbings are done with water based ink. I can make an original Gyotaku fish rubbing from your trophy catch or you can choose on of the original fish rubbings that are available in my Gyotaku Gallery.
* PROFESSIONAL CUSTOM FRAMING NOW AVAILABLE - Less than $100 for most rubbings *
Original art gyotaku fish prints - Red Drum Original art gyotaku fish prints - Red Drum
                  Portsmouth attorney Bart Tuthill brought me this 12lb 12oz - 33" Speckled Trout in November of 2008.

What is Gyotaku?

Gyotaku basically means 'fish rubbing' in Japanese. Gyotaku is the same type of rubbing art more commonly done with monuments and tombstones but a Gyotaku rubbing is a ink on paper print taken from a fish. The fish prints (commonly called fish rubbings) are the EXACT mirror image of one side of the fish, each characteristic of the fish is recorded - every scale and fin's reflection is transferred to the rice paper.

The most popular form of Gyotaku fish art is called the direct method. The fish print is created by rubbing a piece paper on the side of an inked fish. The fish eye is painted by hand after the rubbing is made. A well painted eye can give the Gyotaku image motion, life and personality.

Only a few quality Gyotaku fish prints can be made from each fish and all rubbings are unique.

How can I get an original fish rubbing?

In addition to the original gyotaku art in my Online Gallery, I usually have a number of new rubbings on hand that only need to be colored and detailed. If you would like a Gyotaku fish print from a fish species you don't see in our Gyotaku Gallery or you would like me to make a rubbing from your trophy fish - Contact Me. I travel between Costa Rica and Virginia and make Gyotaku rubbings in each location.
Original art gyotaku fish prints - Red Drum Original art gyotaku fish prints - Red Drum Original art gyotaku fish prints - Red Drum Original art gyotaku fish prints - Red Drum Original art gyotaku fish prints - Red Drum


Chesapeake Bay Fish Prints
Gyotaku - Japanese-style fish art & sportfishing trophies
1-757-285-3091 or E-Mail



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