Recreating a Japanese Ukiyo-e Print

The final print in candlelight. Maybe these were the conditions Kuniyoshi worked in?

When presented with the brief for this project, I thought it might be fun to carve my own template for a woodblock print. Still, it took me a few days to decide I wanted to attempt a Japanese-style print. I was a bit intimidated, but more than anything, I just wanted my very own Ukiyo-e style print! Contrary to most European style prints, the Japanese Ukiyo-e style prints include a lot more complexity and colour. I was a bit intimidated, but I thought I could pull it off.

One of the most famous Japanese prints by Katsushika Hokusai. “The Great Wave” (in english), showcases the beauty and complexity of this era of printing in Japan. I think I’ll need to keep practicing to make something like this!

Another piece by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, “Miyamoto Musashi Killing A Giant Nue”.

After researching for a few hours, I discovered an incredible series of Ukiyo-e prints by the Japanese master Utagawa Kuniyoshi. He created many pieces in varying styles, but I loved his depiction of what appeared on the surface to be samurai frogs in the midst of battle. The original work was pretty big, so I decided to focus on just one of the scenes from this larger piece.

“Famous Heroes of the Kabuki Stage Played by Frogs” by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. (1798-1861).

Having never created a print before, my next stop in research was Opus Art Supplies. Here, I was lucky to meet an artist who had created linoleum prints before. They helped me understand the process better and suggested I paint the print by hand after laying the outline. That solved my concern that I wouldn’t be able to create my print in color because of the complexity and cost of materials needed to complete multiple layers. I gathered the required materials and got to work at home.

Early on in the process. Slowly realizing how much detail there is and how difficult the thin lines are.

I have to shout out to my colleague Ava who suggested I create my print with easy cut linoleum. If I had tried to carve this in wood, I wouldn’t have completed this project in time. Even with lino, I vastly underestimated the time it would take to create the outline template for this print. It took me eight hours to carve the template in easy-cut linoleum. I can’t say I have ever experienced such a tedious process in my life. It was painful at times, but after a few days, it was complete. I felt triumphant—time to print.

Luckily, printing was a breeze! After a few quick test prints, I prepared my chosen parchment paper for the final print. I decided on a textured, cream coloured printing paper that fit the era of the piece I was recreating. Afterward, I applied gouache to fill in the colours. I wasn’t quite satisfied with my first attempt painting in the colours, so I decided to create a second print and try again. I’d come this far I thought; I might as well go all the way. After several hours of painting, I finally held the object of all my hard work. It was beautiful! There are undoubtedly little details I would have liked to improve on in a third attempt, but I must say I am incredibly pleased with the final piece. I put a ton of hard work and love into this print, and I’m going to hang it by my desk.

Comparing the two finished pieces, I decided to repaint the background on the first and use that as my final print.

Last on the list was completing my museum label and tabletop photo. I hand-painted the title for the museum label and printed the original artist’s name in Japanese in the bottom right-hand corner. For the photo, I assembled some props I had lying around the house that fit the scene: paintbrush, paper scraps, print pressing tool, and of course, the gaiwan for brewing tea and a teacup. I intentionally lit the photo, so it looks like the artist was painting by candlelight and used a table with a period-appropriate natural wooden finish.

The artifact project was my favourite school project so far. Not only did I discover a new art form I love, but I also learned a ton about a period of history and a culture I admire. Japanese prints are incredibly challenging and time-consuming to make. I can’t imagine what it was like for the original artists, and I’m extremely grateful I had the opportunity to create a print.

I spent over 16 hours on this project from start to finish and can honestly say I’d give myself a 9/10. There’s always a little room for improvement. Still, considering the amount of effort, execution, commitment to quality (creating two prints to get it right), and a well-thought-out stylized photo representing the work and the period befits the grade.