Huge month, so much happening and some awesome folds contained within:
“simpler” models are now nearly all used up (unless you can suggest some interesting ones), got the ball-breakers left so some interesting and time-consuming models ahead I guess.
Who would have thought I would actually make 7 months of this insane project … that leaves only … 5 *sigh* more to do…
End of another month, thought I would wrestle with a dragon to celebrate and found David Brill’s interpretation of the theme:
I like this a lot, for a bunch of reasons – it has a lovely head and tail, well placed wings and when photographed flat (hey, another model suited to a card) it looks like the Welsh Flag.
Some fiddly flap rearrangement and some folding by eye (rather than to landmark) makes this model interesting, my guess is each time it is folded it’s posture is subtly different.
Tidy use of plain paper, I was concerned the media would let me down but it was fine, meaning the model is well designed in my opinion (models that demand tissue foil are less so). There is an accompanying figure (Saint George – you know, “George and the dragon” fame) but it is a composite figure, so might hold off on him for the mo.
Folded from the aptly names “Brilliant Origami” by David Brill, I really like that book, and there are still LOTS of things in there for me to fold.
If I were asked to pick a stringed instrument that I love the sound of, it would have to be a Cello:
The tones and resonance from it’s timber soundbox are lovely, soulful and evocative if played well
I have had this design for a while, and thought it wise to try it out on a larger format paper (as the creasing to suggest shape, wooden workings etc are quite difficult to place) and am happy with this as a first fold.
The trick is to try to keep the front face as crease-less as possible so the shape creases stand out, fairly happy with how this turned out, hope you like it too, (if there is anyone actually keeping up and reading this junk that is)
Being a fan of Harry Potter, I am glad I have finally seen the last part of the saga at the movies.
It is late, I am tired, this is my first fold for a Hippogriff – there is promise and I will try again with thinner paper as I think the model has a good basic shape:
Hectic day, you get that.
When I bought “Selected Works” by Neil Elias, I was delighted with teh collection of box pleating models from the founder of this technique
After watching masterchef tonight I thought “What a lot of bull” – judges and contestants sprouting such a lot of false sentimentality the model I decided to fold was really obvious (at least to me)
there is much to like about this model – it looks stroppy, like it is readt to charge – head down, horns to the front, nice. The hind quarters are also good except the back legs seem an odd proportion to the rest of the model. Knowing how hard it is to plan and design a mode however I will forgive Mr Elias.
Very happy with this as a first fold – I must explore more of Elias’ work, many amazing figures from an origamist before his time. Not a good sign that the wife could not pick what the animal was (I think it is relatively obvious – maybe that is just me)
Now I am not an experienced modular folder, but this is relatively new to me and yee gods it is interesting. Having Parent-torture interviews tonight I got home in time to do the final assembly for this little beauty:
Designed by Jorge Pardo, it takes 60 – yes children, that is right SIXTY squares of paper in delicious and bendy ways.
Each module is fairly easy (if a little fiddly) to make, coupling them takes nimble fingers and a bone folder to lock the layers – bunches of 5 make stars of a spoke, each spoke unit connects to each adjacent one via 2 arms, it more or less forms itself.
This has taken me ages, literally hours – over the last few days inbetween other models but it is hoopy. My FIRST FOLDS were white, but I decided a while into the model that it had to be done in colour, using small Washi paper squares provided by Mary Cassidy made the job easy (thanks Mrs Cass!).
You may applaud now.
This delightful cat is a David Brill model worth folding – so much character and a smug expression on it’s face:
It is said that dogs are people pets and cats are place pets – this one certainly looks like it owns the place.
Busy afternoon – happy with this first fold, my subsequent attempts will be much more refined – duo colour paper has the head, feet and tummy a different colour to the body – nice.
This week is Catholic Education Week – now I am not a Catholic, nor ever religious but I know that at my place of work there are a number of important ecumenical symbols – one of which is a Celtic Cross:
This model takes a preliminary base and distorts it in interesting ways – designed by Tadashi Mori it is an interesting geometric form that has its roots in ancient UK cultures.
Our school has one in it’s quadrangle, and our school crest has one as well – appropriate symbology I thought.
The idea behind this model is fascinating (and a little difficult to explain in a white only fold) – use half a sheet of paper to fold a landing bird and leave the other half unfolded to be the pond it is landing on:
Quite difficult to achieve using copy paper, the finished model if done with 2-colour paper has the water one colour and the bird the other – very neat.
This is the first model I have chosen to fold from the “Selected Works of Satoshi Kamiya” – not the easiest but an interesting one none the less. The thickness of the body made subtle shaping of the bird difficult (without accidentally creasing the pond area) but I am quite satisfied with this as a first fold of this model – I am now eager to get a large format bi-colour page and try it. I could imagine some nice serpentine crimps on the pond surface, or maybe come concentric ones based on where it has landed – there is paper enough to do that and it might look nice.
Surprisingly the page is essentially divided in half horizontally to make the pond/bird – I initially thought it would be easier to diagonally fold it (annoyingly my paper is diagonally creased because that is how I cut a square from copy paper which explains the extra crease on the pond surface) – since when has Satoshi chosen a simpler path tho.
I like the wings and can see much potential in shaping the bird with thinner paper
Now I am no fanboi of ANY operating system (they are ALL buggy, quirky and make little sense from a design perspective), and recommend NO hardware (it is ALL junk with 100% failure rate) but I thought some of my geekier friends might like this tribute:
A fairly faithful (at least from the front side of the model, it is fairly ugly at the back but might make a good card-mounted model) rendering of the Google Android mascot.
Apparently it should be green which is a little tricksey in a white-only first fold scenario but you get that. It features box pleating in TENTHS which in itself is interesting, but the initial collapse and shaping were interesting and I am happy with this as my first fold.
make me an offer, I might be convinced to fold one for you – you can have a go yourself here (be warned, it is not an introductory fold)
Pressed with something to make and tired and shagged out after a busy week I stumbled across this model and thought I would give it a go:
I have seen kids using a mini-skateboard (tech deck I think they are called) and am amazed that this model is a fairly complete imitation of one, including wheels, trucks and deck.
Originally (the dev shots) I used a square from an A4 page – this resulted in a deck that was nearly 20cm long, so re-made it (the other shots) with a 1/4 A4 square and it is perfect in scale
I like how the wheels are made from curls of flaps formed from side sinks, it is fairly faithful – nice work Mr Trollip. You should definitely try this – you will impress the teens no end with you leet paper skills.
When I was a kid, an old black and white telly series from Japan called “Samurai” captured my attention – corny stories of good guys in white versus ninjas in black:
They threw star knives as one of their many skills (jumping, film reverse, back up into corners roof corners was another). A year 6 student brought me a ninja star he had made for him (mum or dad folded it) after I inquired if he could teach me.
After a small amount of deconstruction, the elegantly simple construction was evident – strength and simplicity in what looks like an intricate machine. I liked it so much I made a coloured one, using some lovely little washi squares Mary bought for me (love your work Cass’)
Happy with this, particularly as the star moves upon itself and the “blades” retract into a lovely octagonal ring – very clever
Apparently, according to JJJ at least, it is LOVE WEEK – awwwww
So I folded Frances Ow’s winged Heart (partly because it is late, I am tired and sometimes a simple fold is ok – ok?
An effective fold, in duo paper the heart is one colour and the wings are another – nice.
Wow, 200 days down so I thought I would try something special:
Kade Chan is a design master, and this beetle is something I will fold again (only not with copy paper) – this lovely beetle is complete with lovely carapace and modeled mandibles, all in very few folds.
Simplicity and economy results in a rounded body and legs that are i the right position – I got a little paper fatigue along the top central axis, but that is copy paper’s fault, not the design I feel as the thickness of 80gsm paper makes the body very thick and quite difficult to work with.
200 down, that is …only … 165 to go – bugger, just when I was feeling on top of this thing, nvm , happy with this as my first fold of this model.
Now I like a good challenge, but this was a little beyond the pale:
I have seen photos of this model less than half as big and I am buggered if I can work out how you could fold it that small as I struggled at this scale.
A fascinating exercise in box pleating that makes the peggy things and the pitty things on the same surface of a page, then bending it into a self-locking box – wow!
I can see how this could scale infinitely, adding rows of pegs and pits but I am glad I chose only 2 of each as this alone took me an age to nut out – I had a practice with each component first (the site I found it suggested this was a good idea (well, at least I think it did, I cannot read Italian very well.
Why lego? Well, I have been playing with lego robots for a week or so in prep for a robotic unit with year 10 students – lots of fun.
You should have a go at this yourself here
