Like many paper folders, I have a list of models awaiting folding, and this one has been on it for years:

This is Kyohei Katsuta’s delicious design of a “Blakiston’s Fish Owl”, an endangered species and one of the largest owls around.

I took a 90cm square of Kraft paper and, using my usual mantra of “fold until it is finished or it fails” I set off. After a 12 grid, with partial 24th is set, a few strategic diagonals, you then embark on a really fun collapse sequence to arrive at the base.

This model is a study in strategic deployment of layers – the feathers, body volume, features – all of it comes form considered deployment of the accrued layers from the collapse. It is nothing short of a masterpiece.

I am happy with my fold – I will probably return to refold it at some time with nicer paper but it stands an important test for me – a “good” model in my opinion looks good rendered in plain paper. I could have spread the chest feathers a bit more I guess (although I tried and did not really see a way to achieve this), but the overall morphology if the model is pleasing.

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