The effect of ukiyo-e on illustration and a contemporary application

Reaching Japan via China, the woodcut was originally used to reproduce religious texts. In the Edo period, when the merchant class was on the rise, these prints broke off from the religious illustration and began to appeal to the public. Ukiyo-e, which emerged in the Edo period in Japan and was one of the important elements of traditional Japanese art, is one of the leading folk arts of the period. Considering the various social, political, historical and cultural factors that prepared the ground for the emergence of this tradition in order to be able to grasp it better, the artistic perceptions of Japan in the historical process were examined. Then, how the production process of ukiyo-e is and the techniques and styles developed in the process are mentioned. As ukiyo-e reflects the spirit of the period, information was provided on the subjects the artists deal with. Afterwards, the effects of ukiyo-e, which was popular in the country until the middle of the 19th century, were discussed in the artistic arena. With Japan, which had a closed policy for many years from Edo period to Meiji Restorations, opening its ports to the West, other societies encountered this artistic expression for the first time. It influenced the modern art movements and artists that emerged in various parts of the world, especially the Impressionists. Likewise, Japanese artists learned about the artistic styles of the West and adapted them in their works. In today's art, the effects of ukiyo-e art understanding continue to be felt and continue to be reproduced with various techniques, materials, styles and experimental methods. This study has been prepared in order to examine the effects of ukiyo-e on illustration and to reveal the reproducibility of traditional techniques, which were mostly made with wood printing in the period, with digital techniques. Also, contributing to the literature about Japanese art is another aim of this study. The data revealed in the research was carried out by scanning and comparing written and visual sources. In the application study, a digital illustration series was created with experimental models by using descriptive research techniques.