Hokusai’s Method

An omnibus edition collecting fifteen volumes of Hokusai’s dedicated drawing manuals, also known as e-tehon.

Best known for woodblock prints such as The Great Wave off Kanagawa, the ninteenth-century artist Hokusai was prolific in other media. Of the three hundred or so printed books Hokusai created in his long lifetime, a huge proportion were dedicated drawing manuals, known as e-tehon. They display not only Hokusai’s great proficiency as a draftsman, but also his wealth of ideas and his sense of humor.

Hokusai’s Method collects fifteen volumes of Hokusai’s e-tehon, featuring over eight hundred illustrations ranging from 1812 to 1848, faithfully reproducing every page. Showcasing his playful approach to drawing using songs and poems, pictures composed of letterforms (a forerunner to today’s emoji), modern designs for craftsmen, and even dance moves, this volume illustrates the rich spectrum of his talents and achieves his aim to “preserve everything I’ve learned.”