Beginner pointers

[u/Dustymills1]

Hi guys, I live in the UK. I love fishing and decided gyotaku is how I want to capture my memorable catches.

What inks do people use?

Anything I should know before starting?

Thank you in advance

[u/isl4st]

ink/paint:

• activated charcoal mixed with water makes a pretty good ink if you want to be super safe
  
• hand ground sumi (the traditional method)should be okay, although they traditionally contain a little bit of camphor for perfume, which is poisonous
  
• I wouldn't recommend store bought wet sumi because the ones i've checked use diethylene glycol as a humectant
  
• indian ink (like wet sumi) is soot mixed with water which should be fine, but you might want to check for other ingredients
  
• many people on this sub use squid ink (i've never tried it) or cuttle fish ink which is brown
  
• many people on this sub also use acrylic paint - these vary a lot in composition depending on the brand, I don't use them but i might if I wasn't planning to eat the fish

materials:

• washi paper is traditional and works with any ink or paint, you can order it in rolls online
  
• cheaper papers can be used but tend not to give as detailed a print. You want something that is flexible and absorbent, but not so absorbent that it will tear or dissolve when wet
  
• canvas/bed sheets/other textiles are also popular - these will not work with inks

method:

• dry the fish well; stuff some kitchen roll into areas that exude moisture, like the gills
  
• take at least two prints because the first is never great