Few modern origamists are as prolific and inventive as Jeremy Shafer – he seems to be creating new models constantly, and most importantly, his designs are fun to fold:
This is his Pyramid Tessellation field – each molecule has pre-creases that have easy landmarks, meaning you could expand this field in any direction as far as you have patience for.
This version is a 4×4 field of 16 separate square-based pyramids – a lovely thing in itself but when you start playing with it it starts to do wonderfully weird things.
Using just the existing creases, the model flexes diagonally and also horizontally/vertically. When you flex it diagonally it turns in on itself and COLLAPSES down to a hexagonal stack – this initially broke my brain until I noticed the pre-creasing actually formed pyramidal faces that are equilateral triangles – the collapse then is just one state it can be arranged into.
When I bought the book “Potential Origami Collection”, there were a few models in it I slated as “yeah, you are not good enough to fold that, yet” – this model was one of those:
This is Jeong Jae Il’s glorious horse, and it may be my new favourite origami horse (bumping Dave Brill’s triangle-based horse off the top spot – sorry Dave)
The exacting and unforgiving early pre-creasing is difficult (I did not photograph it because I was so lost in what I was doing) – and challenging to be accurate as it involves a LOT of constructing angles on long diagonals – with my chosen 90cm square those diagonals were really long (leading to a little inaccuracy). A 90cm sheet led to a finished model that stands, rearing, just over 30cm high.
The actual collapse and folding is different to most diagrams – once the BASE of the model is arrived at – a roughly horsey shape with flaps for heat, tail and 4 legs articulated more or less where they need to be in the final model, the designer then COMPLETELY develops each feature before moving on to the next. Head, front leg, the other front leg, tail, back leg, other back leg.
Other designers scatter finishing details (do a little here, move somewhere else and do a little, return here eventually to do a little more etc.). Some models have inter-area dependencies I know, but it was refreshing to see each bit refine in my hands – very satisfying folding indeed.
I will fold this again, and use nicer paper, but, in my opinion a GOOD model looks good with plain paper – this one does – it is just so “horsey”.
I really enjoyed folding this model, just got lost in the process. I decided not to wire it to a base internally as it would disrupt the lines too much, so stabilised the open seams and then added a central clippy-stand thing that grips the internals up near the neck, allowing the model to balance in the rearing pose pretty naturally.
A model that has been on my “must fold” list for ages is the best origami Giraffe there is, designed by Bodo Haag:
After test-folding this model with a 90cm sheet, I decided to get closer to the recommended 50cm square by using a 70cm square of duo Kraft paper (part of my last roll of Ikea black/natural stash).
Some designers combine brilliant design with delightful fold sequence and this model has both. It is challenging, but entirely followable – some amazing moves strategically position the edge of the sheet towards the centre of the pleat bundle that will become the neck, body and legs – this affords an intricate set of edge-crinkle colour changed for the spots – just so clever.
The paper was a little thick, but I persisted and managed to complete the shaping pretty well. The long spindly legs needed help, so I added wires to allow it to stand on a base, I posed the legs so there was a slightly irregular stance.
This is my presentation fold of 1ctzH8jmON2’s Delicious “Bone Dragon”.
The CP and photodiagram guide for shaping appears in Orifancy6 (my late Halloweeny post).
Folded from a 65cm square of grey Unryushi with black, grey and white accent fibers.
grok.com made this AI animation of the fold – not quite sure how I feel about it but there you go:
I love this model – to mee if feeeels like a proper dragon. It has a wire armature, allowing it to free-stand and it can also be posed. 65cm is quite small (for me) for this model, due to layer build up, but from it’s many horned head thru its lovely rib cage to the tip of it’s tail it was lot of fun to figure out.
One of the many models I have had on my “to fold” pile for ages is Chen Xiao’s “Walking in the Rain”:
This box-pleated model seems to have taken me an age to complete for many reasons (including what I consider a weakness of box pleating), but finally I committed a square of pre-prepared Wenzhou paper to a rendering of this design.
The paper was previously Eco Dyed: Sandwiched between each layer of the folded up sheet was various vegetative matter – onion skins, tea leaves and other tannin-based plants. This bundle was boiled for a few hours in a “dirty pot” containing red cabbage and purple carrots. The cooled bundle was then carefully washed to remove all the bits of vegetation leaving subtle stains. This paper I called “Cherry Blossom” Wenzhou because the dappled pinks and muted browns reminded me of blossom trees.
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.
One of the privileges of being on the edit team for Origami Shop is that I get to see new designs before they are in the wild:
Part of the edit process, often, is test folding the model. I do not need to do this, usually, because there is also a team of test-folders, but I like to check the instructions and how they work – it can inform better diagrams.
I have a recent stash of hand made (from plant to sheet) Kozo tissue I was itching to try on a fold.
This Koi Carp, designed by Yery J. Astroña, will be part of a forthcoming book – it is a 182 step sequence, so I thought (rather naively) … why not?
I had no idea how the paper would take folds – there are 3 pages of pre-creasing before collapse, but I figure I would fold until I finish or it failed – either outcome I can learn from.
To my delight, my paper (a 28cm square liberated from an A3 deckle-edged sheet) was completely stable – no sign of fatigue at the end. It takes creases pretty well, reverses those creases nice and accurately. It is crisp, thiiiiin, and softer than Kami, but I found it completely foldable. It wet-shapes beautifully – very satisfying experience indeed.
My previous folds were with plain Kraft paper, but I decided I wanted to show off the clever colour changes implicit in the design, so re-folded them with White/Natural Kraft paper over the last week or so.
Having released only Crease Patterns (CP), part of the delicious challenge of this pair of models is working out what becomes what. Although related, the 2 models use CP variations that both allow for the formation of a box head, one attached to shoulders, the other not.
One of many issues with long-term storage/display is the nature of the material itself – paper.
Most origami paper is not acid-free, meaning that over time the colours change as oxidation and UV damage take their toll on what is essentially a fragile material. Moisture and humidity conspire to “unfold” folded paper, causing it to want to return to the flat state, unless wet-shaping has been used to change the “memory” of the sheet fiber orientation.
Many models are not self-standing, so stands or other tricks are necessary to allow them to present upright – I have used both plastic clip stands and more permanent wire armature bases.
For the presentation/display model of Sampreet Manna’s beautiful new Peacock, I have used a few techniques to stabilise it in readying it for display (September – December I typically have display cases of my work in Suburban libraries).
This model is top-heavy – although the legs are pretty life-size in terms of the body proportions, they are spindly and the claws are not wide-spread enough for the model to self-support. I took some heavy gauge anodised aluminium armature wire, covered it with paper offcut from the sheet I was working with (“Earth” Tapa Duong Vietnamese fiber paper from @oritube_master ‘s shop) using PVA glue. Covering the wire with paper first makes adherence to the main model much more securely.
Once the wire segments had dried I then buried them deep in the pleats that made up the legs, closing the layers as I did using PVA glue dabs and then clamping it all in place whit it dried. The result is now that the model is help up by the leg wires, allowing me to permanently pose the “knees and ankles” without compromising the model stability.
Additionally, adding small PVA glue dots inside seams stops them from opening back up and greatly contributes to the long-term stability of the pose. I do not think this is as “cheaty” as bathing the model in MC and wet-sculpting it, like many origamists do. I have employed wet hands while shaping as a more gentle (and authentic) wet-folding technique and indeed some of the nice organic smooth curves achieved on this model were done that way. By wetting the paper, positioning it and then letting it dry the more subtle shapes become permanent,
The base this time was a white plastic lid from an empty container that was being recycled. I covered it with hand-made Kozo/cotton/day lily blend paper I made a few years ago – a lovely contrast that was interesting but not too busy as to distract from the already visually striking paper the model is folded from. Selecting a suitable base – be it a round lid or a plinth made from foam core can greatly enhance the stability of the model and give it a “finished” look.
The wires are punched through the top of the lid, bent tightly underneath and held with layers of gaffer tape and self-adhesive foam-core to make it feel “solid” and stable.
I am really happy with this piece, another model I am happy to display.
Currently I am editing a new book by Sampreet Mana, and when I saw his Peacock, I knew I wanted to test-fold it:
As a kid, one of the first models I committed to memory was Adolfo Cerceda’s Peacock, folded from a 2:1 rectangle.
Sampreet’s design starts as a square, and you begin with the head plume, then form the rest of the model around this. I followed one of the suggested paper recommendations (50cm Damul Kraft), but wish I had a better colour (ideally blue/green) – I may source more appropriately coloured paper and re-fold this – we shall see how time works out.
With supercomplex models, my fold philosophy is “fold until you finish or fail” – knowing full well that either way I am learning – every fold teaches you something.
There are LOTS of complex steps, and some really interesting manipulations that isolate the tail, elongate the body and separate wings, lefts etc – I am really impressed with the structure of the model. The resultant model eats paper like crazy, but most of the bulk ends up in the middle of the body, giving it a natural weight and thickness and making final shaping and layer stabilization easier.
Being an active member of an online community has many benefits. Origami communities often share diagrams, and this model was shared this morning on fakebook:
This is Ryosuke Sakurei’s “Dragon Baby”, a gorgeous little flapper that is pretty clever in it’s design. I searched for published sources, but it seems the Fakebook poster must have shared diagrams from a source I cannot identify.
I used one of my old-stock thick Shadow Thai sheets – green/black duo, a 40cm square, and the design allows that quite heavy paper to be folded neatly.
It is often that thickness of paper prevents you from completing models – well designed ones make allowances, and this is an example of one that is well designed.
The subtle use of colour change, the chunky volumetric body and the proportions are just lovely. I am very happy with how this turned out. The sequence is clear, fun and relatively straightforward, but it sucked me in so completely that I did not take any progress pictures, sorry.
Having folded Robert Lang’s masterpiece Cactus, when I saw Daniel Brown had designed a smaller version based on a 31 square grid, I knew I would be folding that sometime:
I have been really into time-consuming surface deformations, corrugations and tessellations lately – whether it is procrastigami or the need for a time-sponge, pushing paper into amazing regular shapes is just fascinating to me.
I threw a 50cm square of glossy duo green/natural Damul Kraft paper from origami-shop.com at this design, but the resultant fold is tiny – few tessellations eat paper like this one. The rows of prickles are raised via overlapping pleats in an astonishing collection of cooperating maneuvers where accuracy and thickness is everything.
My previous fold was rendered from a 90cm square of Kraft that I painted after it was folded. The thickness make point sharpening really challenging. This fold using Damul Kraft made the fold much easier because the paper was thin and tough. The scale of the fold here is also smaller – a real challenge for my nerve-damaged and clumsy fingers.
Digging through my stash, I found a large sheet of yellow Crumpled VOG paper. Remembering I had never done a presentation fold of Brian Chan’s “WALL-E”, I knew I had found the right model for the paper:
The original character – a (Disney) Pixar masterpiece is a lovely little character piece with one of the most expressive robots ever on film. The design is intense, eats paper like nothing else but results in features that are instantly recognisably “WALL-E”.
Squaring up the paper, I managed a 60cm square from the sheet, cleaving wisps of 3 sides and a strip off the bottom. The strip was later used to coat some armature wire to keep him in shape – the model has some lovely deep pleats that allow you to hide structural supports to give the model some longevity.
VOG paper is particularly great for super-complex models because it is really tough, takes creases well and the texture persists, even after extensive working.
Eric Joisel was a genius – his sense of fun and play was amplified by his seemingly accidental discoveries. He typified himself as a “bad folder”, but no one breathed life into paper quite like him. When cleaning out my display case, I chanced upon an ancient and beleaguered fold of an “adult” hedgehog, based on Joisel’s iconic design, and decided to fold a replacement:
Looking through notes Eric himself left about the “Baby Hedgehog”, I discovered his “design” was really an algorithm – do it on a 16 grid and you get a baby, do it on a 32 grid and you get an adult – it is an algorithm because the method of raising a quill is repeated along a row. The method of adding another rank of quills is the same. Baby hedgehogs have 5 ranks of quills, an adult had 9. The leg formation, head and tail formation on both models is the same … the instructions are algorithmic.
I set about using some of a red roll I bought off Amazon (for something else, then changed my mind) – it is a scant 60cm square. It is red both sides, and takes folds quite well. You lay a 16 grid or alternate mountain/valley folds. then Diagonal grids alternating mountain and valley – this has the side-effect of, mostly, orienting all the creases you need for the base correctly. Nice.
The first rank of quills to set is the middle line. You lay as many pre-rank pleats as the model dictates before forming the first row of quills, then, it is a simple zig zag squash/collapse. Raising subsequent ranks all use the same method – popping points by liberating an internal pleat and reversing a point that is hugging the previous line of quills.
I remember being bamboozled by the collapse back when I first did it over a decade ago, but with experience you can see the process, anticipate what needs to mode and achieve each point without stressing the surrounding paper- very satisfying. Once all ranks of quills are raised, the side fans are box-pleated in half to form front/back legs. You then do something Joisel terms “True 3D”, where the body is curved via gentle stretching of the points – this subtly alters the inner gussets and locks the body in a domed shape – it takes time and a gentle tough not to distort and damage the paper – the effect is lovely however.
The masters of 2D side-on imagery, Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics and associated artefacts have always fascinated me:
This is Peter Bucan-Symons’ design, represented as a 2D colour change model (a genre that has had a recent surge of popularity), and folded from a 25cm square of Green/Gold Washi Deluxe.
This design is part of Peter’s forthcoming book “Folding Fantasy 3”, a collection of stunning complex original works, coming soon to a bookstore online.
I have not folded many 2D colour change models, but love the angular geometry, truly reminiscent of all artefact representations. The Eye of Horus is a left eye in a pair of Wedjat eyes. The right eye is the Eye of Ra, and often in modern illustration presented mirrored, curiously.
This was a fun sequence, and would be easier on larger thinner paper. I found the pre-creasing folds on the Washi Deluxe disappeared, so it was harder than it would be on less textured paper.
