Materials

* A very fresh fish. If you catch the fish yourself, keep it cold and print it within 24 hours.
Otherwise freeze the fish; it will print well when thawed.
* Linoleum block print ink, speedball, or any thick water soluble ink
* A stiff half inch paint brush, a small brush for painting in the eyes
* Modeling clay and straight pins (for shaping fins and tail)
* One or two lemons
* Old newspapers and paper towels
* Cotton balls

METHOD

1. Clean the outside of the fish by squeezing the lemon juice on its body and then gently wiping to remove the slime.
Be careful not to dislodge scales.

2. Shape pieces of modeling clay and place them under the fins for support. Arrange the fins so they are spread out and
look natural. You may also use the straight pins to keep the fins in place. Push them through the fins from the back, so the
head won't show on the prints.

3. If the fish has been gutted, stuff its insides with paper towels so that the belly is firm. If it is still in tact, plug the anus with
a small piece of paper towel or cotton so that it won't "leak."

4. Remove the fish's eye or cover it with a small piece of cotton.

5. Let the fish dry completely. You may use a hair dryer to hasten the drying. To check for dryness, remove some of the pins
from the fins. If the fins stay in place you are ready to ink. If they move, let the fish dry longer.

6. Cover the entire table with newspaper. Place a stack of half sheets of newspaper under the fish. After each child paint the fish,
you can gently slide the top sheet out so that the underlying sheet is clean when the print is made.

7. Brush a thin coat of ink on the fish, using a 1/2 to 1 inch brush. The ink should be thick, not runny. First, brush on the ink from
head to tail. After the whole fish is covered, reverse the direction of your strokes, going from tail to head. This will put ink under
the edges of the scales and spines and will improve the print.

8. Use a small brush to coat the fish's lips and the tips of the fins and tail. Leave the eye blank and paint it in later.

9. Once the fish is completely inked, carefully remove the clay. The pins can stay in if they are placed so that they will not show
on the print. You may put a stack of clean pieces of paper under the fins to support them.

10. Now slide the top sheet of newspaper out so that the surface beneath the fish is clean.

11. Take a sheet of paper and hold it several inches above the fish. Position the paper so the print will be made in the location and
angle you desire. Let go of the paper and let it fall. Do not move it once it has touched the fish, or you'll have smudges.

12. An adult should hold the head of the fish so the paper will not slip around as the child rubs the fish. The child should rub the fish
gently, try to touch all parts of the fish so there won't be any blank or faint spots on the print. Remember to rub all the fins, too. Do not
move the paper around, this will cause smudges. Take your time. The paper will wrinkle a little bit, but that is alright. Try not to press
the same spot twice or you'll get a double image and smudges.

13. After you have pressed the entire fish, carefully peel off the paper. There is your fish print!

14. Look closely at the print. If you see a smudge, that means you probably let the paper slip. If there is a blank spot, you probably
forgot to press that part of the fish.

15. Paint in the eye using a small brush. You should probably practice making the eye on some scrap paper first.

16. If you want to make prints of different colors, begin with the lightest color first. You may gently clean the fish with lemon juice between printings.