Production of the Ukiyo-e

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Roles

The production of a ukiyo-e is centered around artistic collaboration and division of labor. The Western notion of the isolated artist and individual artistic genus is less culturally relevant in 17th–19th century Japan. Painters, print designers, woodcarvers, writers, publishers, and more form the network of consciously interweaved participants in the ukiyo-e art world.

The "hanmoto" is the publisher of the ukiyo-e. Because the ukiyo-e art world is a more commercial, accessible one as opposed to segmented into the high art society, the production of the ukiyo-e is highly influenced by market demands and needs. The hanmoto is the player who commissions the work and oversees its completion and subsequent distribution. Often times, the hanmoto also brokered for apprentices for aspiring ukiyo-e painters. This is particularly important because ukiyo-e painters are stylistically distinct from each other and separated from schools. By knowing which artist to commission according to the school they are identified with, the hanmoto could expect a certain stylistic consistency.

Once the hanmoto decides to commission a profitable artwork, the "eshi," or the painter, would design the artwory. They would create a series of sketches known as the "gako" until they arrive at a final sketch of the design, which they would render in black ink on a piece of paper as the preparatory drawing for the woodcarver to follow, along with notes on the colors to be used; this sketch is called the "hanshita-e." The eshi is the central figure in the production of the ukiyo-e and is generally the one to achieve fame and prominent status. Ukiyo-e artists like Utawaga Hiroshige would be an example of the eshi.

The woodcarver, or the "horishi," would use the hanshita-e to carve out the design on a piece of wood (usually cherry wood), creating the key block known as the "omahan." Depending on the skill of the horishi, varying levels of detail could be achieved. For instance, delicate and precise renditions of hair requires a high level of expertise, carved in one-millimeter widths. A number of printed proofs off the omahan would then be returned to the eshi, who would indicate their choices of colors. The horishi, based on the eshi's response, would carve individual color blocks based on the printed proofs. In total, then, the horishi would have created a key block and multiple color blocks before transferring the materials to the next artist.

The printer, or the "suroshi,"

Woodblock Techniques

Polychrome printing

"The delineation of shapes or areas of colour is possibly the most important function of ukiyo-e line"

Distribution

The ukiyo-e was a highly accessible and consumeristic product in Japanese society at the time. Prints and books were sold not only by shops themselves, but also traveling sellers and merchants.

"for publishers then, as now, ukiyo-e images were, before anything else, a marketable commodity."

The hand-printed book developed alongside the emergence of the ukiyo-e world, and illustrations often make their way into the book form rather than merely as individual prints. Collections of ukiyo-e into the book form are called the "ukiyo-zoshi," or floating world books. The "gafu" as instructional books