Byobu, folding painted screens DIY?

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

So has anybody ever made byobu?

My Google-fu is failing me, I'm turning up stuff from a high-level art historical context, but not a hands-on, DIY perspective.
I'm starting to get obsessed with them, and am thinking a set of two at six panels each, with a traditional subject matter of one a tiger and the other a dragon, would be awesome under my day-shade bliss-pit at Pennsic. (EXtremely appropriate considering this year's alliances.)
Some examples of the theme:
Dragon

Tiger

Another set:



From a couple nights of research, I have a basic concept of how these were made, some type of light weight bamboo/wood internal framework/lattice, with washi paper stretched over it. But I don’t know if it was basically something like shoji screens inside with a paper covering, or something… different. I understand the concept of the paper hinges, and have found this video on their construction:


m.youtube.com/watch?v=wlyyiFC7CoY

Right now, I doubt I will be venturing into the creation of the interior lattice. Instead, will probably use foamboard or gatorboard, hinged it with some washi, and then airbrush the artwork.

But of course this is still in the brainstorming phase, so any input from folks who may have tried this in the past would be very appreciated. 

Or if someone knows of a resource on the underlying craft of artistic screens and scrolls, something akin to Cenino Cenninni's Craftsman's Handbook for pre-modern Japanese arts, that would be particularly awesome.

My searches are turning up zilcho so far.

[Ki no Kotori]

There are a few modern books on making shoji screens, which can be adapted to free-standing screens. I think I have a book about screen paintings around here somewhere, although I don't think it went into detail on how to construct the screens, just the dimensions IIRC. My library room is being rearranged right now, so I'll report back once I get my hands on the book I'm thinking about!

[solveig]

I think that you will find that byobu will not work very well at camping events. Historically, they are an in-doors sort of thing. I suggest that you make jinmaku instead.

[Please Delete]

I'm nominally with Solveig-hime on this.

Byobu and kicho are meant to divide space indoors, and are occasionally used outdoors to define spaces, but they aren't meant to be barriers, per se, and aren't made to stand up to wind and weather. Jinmaku are much better as "walls" while Byobu and kicho define temporary "spaces" within an enclosed area.

-Ii

[Lash]

or you could cheat a little by using sterner materials but still get the ''look'' like using faux bamboo slats and a good resilient material for the screen . you could even use fiberglass sheeting like Saionji-sensei uses on her lanterns for screening. don't know how it would take paint or ink but it would be stout enough .

[solveig]

Although bamboo is a fun material and is used a lot in Japan, I believe that byobu, fusuma, and shoji were all made using wooden ribs and not bamboo.

[Lash]

I know what the traditional material was but the new faux bamboo is really nice but a lot of the faux woods not so much .

[Saionji Shonagon]

Mar 15, 2015 16:14:50 GMT -5 Lash said:

or you could cheat a little by using sterner materials but still get the ''look'' like using faux bamboo slats and a good resilient material for the screen . you could even use fiberglass sheeting like Saionji-sensei uses on her lanterns for screening. don't know how it would take paint or ink but it would be stout enough .

The Synskin shoji fiberglass would NOT be a good choice. It was never designed for that.

[Lash]

I saw something similar at home depot will have to scope it out and see what they are calling it

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

Mar 8, 2015 8:54:03 GMT -5 Please Delete said:

I'm nominally with Solveig-hime on this.

Byobu and kicho are meant to divide space indoors, and are occasionally used outdoors to define spaces, but they aren't meant to be barriers, per se, and aren't made to stand up to wind and weather. Jinmaku are much better as "walls" while Byobu and kicho define temporary "spaces" within an enclosed area.

-Ii

So, I suppose I should explain my plans more.

I'm planning on using the faux-byobu to define a central space, about 100 sq ft, under a dayshade consisting of 2  10x20 blue and white striped canvas tarps and one 10x10 striped canvas tarp. My working sketches are quite rough right now, will try to post something legible soon.

Anyway, this central area will have a 2' square irori, or recessed inground hearth, dug maybe 8" deep, bottom filled with a couple inches of sand, and edges lined with wood. Ground in this area (and maybe a bit more of the area under the dayshade) will be covered with wood-grained foam interlocking tiles, covered with faux-tatami grass mats. One side will be open, one side will have a sheet hung to hide mundane camp cooking equipment. The other two sides will be my faux-byobu.

For this project, I'm thinking of making byobu out of gatorboard, or some type foam board made for outdoor signage. (We have a family friend with a sign shop, so I'm hoping for a good hook-up here). They will be well under the protection of the dayshade, and there is a possibility to anchor them to the dayshade poles. Should a serious storm roll through, they could of course be folded up and covered. The byobu would not be A&S quality recreations, by any means, they will be airbrushed for goodness sakes.

Basically, I am hoping to create a Japanese-feeling interior space, within the dayshade. A place I wouldn't be too ashamed to invite folks over from some sake and yakitori. But I would like to know as much as I can about how these SHOULD be done, both to improve the quality of counterfeit, and because I can see attempting a more serious recreation for other purposes in the future.

[Deleted]

Mar 16, 2015 23:54:41 GMT -5 Mega Zenjirou Yoshi said:

But I would like to know as much as I can about how these SHOULD be done, both to improve the quality of counterfeit, and because I can see attempting a more serious recreation for other purposes in the future.

That's the main problem I have with this plan. Most people, once they have screens to use, will probably never make better ones unless the first ones are somehow destroyed. Maybe you're different, but I'm still using the same shoji I made six years ago, because they're still "good enough" even though I made them in a real hurry with only the vaguest idea what I was doing. My advice is to spend a little more time and money and make something you'll be more proud of. You're going to spend all this time painting them in any case.

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

Mar 18, 2015 17:03:37 GMT -5 @ishiyama said:

That's the main problem I have with this plan. Most people, once they have screens to use, will probably never make better ones unless the first ones are somehow destroyed. Maybe you're different, but I'm still using the same shoji I made six years ago, because they're still "good enough" even though I made them in a real hurry with only the vaguest idea what I was doing. My advice is to spend a little more time and money and make something you'll be more proud of. You're going to spend all this time painting them in any case.

That's a reasonable prediction.

Some other considerations... I'd give the product of the currently proposed faking it method a life expectancy of less than a year. I'll be using them to decorate our basement, also known as our kids winter play-ground, in the off-season.
Before I attempt a more involved replica, I'd like to have a better idea of how the real ones were made, which is still eluding me. 
Even if I knew the traditional construction techniques, I suspect  the first couple attempts at assembly would take significantly longer than the painting. 
Also, for the current usage, I'd prefer to not invest too much time and money. If the day comes that I can build a modular Japanese house, or say a Nihonjin wins the crown of the East, priorities would certainly change.

[Saionji Shonagon]

You're probably way ahead of me, Mega-dono, but had you seen this? The gallery includes some photos on the mounting of paper hinges: www.restorient.com/

And this one shows the lattice frame to which layers of washi paper are applied: www.japanesescreens.net/making_of_byobu.html

[Deleted]

Mar 19, 2015 7:03:43 GMT -5 Mega Zenjirou Yoshi said:

Before I attempt a more involved replica, I'd like to have a better idea of how the real ones were made, which is still eluding me.

One of the videos related to the one you linked goes into some detail on the layers of paper.

Also, for the current usage, I'd prefer to not invest too much time and money. If the day comes that I can build a modular Japanese house, or say a Nihonjin wins the crown of the East, priorities would certainly change.

I keep thinking I need to hire one of the "tiny house on a trailer" companies to work up a design. I'd love to make such a thing myself, of course, but if it were possible to just buy one...

[Mega Zenjirou Yoshi]

So this may be only peripherally relevant, but I suspect at least Ishiyama-dono will get a kick out out it. Nice details of the construction of kumiko for shoji screens.

The Woodwrights Shop Japanese planes episode