Frequent Posting: Origami For Your Information
Zachary Brown
Origami For Your Information
Last Modified November 20, 1996
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Maintainer: Zack Brown zbr...@lynx.dac.neu.edu
The most up to date version of this FYI sheet should always be available at
http://lynx.dac.neu.edu/home/httpd/z/zbrown/origami
This FYI sheet is released under the terms of the GNU General Public
Licence, which basically means you can modify and distribute this document
as you wish, but you cannot restrict others from doing the same, and you
have to take credit for your modifications, and tell the reader how to find
the GPL. For a copy of the General Public License, see
ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu/pub/gnu/GPL
Don't hold me responsible for the accuracy of the material in this document.
I'm doing my best, but we all make mistakes.
None of the products or companies mentioned in this FYI sheet should be seen as
being recommended by me. They are simply known products that claim (or have
been claimed) to answer certain problems. There may be other, better,
cheaper products out there that just haven't come to my attention.
Table of contents:
0) Introduction
a) Some of what has changed since the last posting
b) Some of what is needed (post or send to zbr...@lynx.neu.edu)
1) What is origami?
a) A basic definition
b) Landmarks
c) Purism
d) Pureland folding
e) Wetfolding
f) Foil backed paper
g) Tissue foil
2) How can I get started with origami?
a) Folding
b) Tips for beginning folders
c) Tips for intermediate folders
d) Teaching
3) Invention
a) Why is invention so hard?
b) The base
c) Stealing
d) Practice
4) Doing calculations on paper
a) Folding any proportion (Robert J Lang's words)
b) Folding sevenths (Robert J Lang's words)
c) Folding fifths
d) Dividing the edge of a square piece of paper into M equal parts
where M is an integer (close to Jeannine Mosely's words)
e) Trisecting an angle
5) I'd like to
a) cut a perfect square
i) A simple method
ii) To get more accuracy
iii) Perfectionist
b) preserve a model
c) make jewelry
6) Paper
a) Where can I get origami paper?
b) Where can I get large origami paper?
c) Paper dimensions
d) Appraising
i) for dry folding
ii) for wetfolding
e) Making paper
7) Origami culture and legends
a) The "thousand cranes"
b) The Shinto religion
c) Who's who
d) Erotic origami
8) What origami resources exist on the Internet?
a) the origami mailing list and archive
b) usenet
i) alt.arts.origami
ii) Why doesn't my site get alt.binaries.pictures.origami?
iii) How can I post/retrieve/view a binary (diagrams)?
iv) How can I deal with all the spam (unrelated postings)?
c) origami home pages
d) articles on the history of origami
e) other resources
9) Books
a) What are some great books?
i) for children
ii) others
b) What books have dollar bill folds?
c) What books have models made from 8 1/2" x 11" paper?
d) I think the diagrams in my book must be wrong
e) I'm looking for a
i) crab
ii) turtle
iii) heart with an arrow through it
iv) waterbomb, or one piece cube
f) Relative sizes of paper to model
10) What origami groups exist?
11) Origami diagrams in ascii art
a) Yoshizawa's mouse
b) Yoshizawa's rabbit
12) Credits
------------------------------------------------------------------
0) Introduction
a) Some of what has changed since the last posting
Rewrote most of the section on inventing.
Expanded the section on what is origami.
Reorganized the location of a few sections.
b) Some of what is needed (post to alt.arts.origami or send to the
origami-l mailing list or zbr...@lynx.dac.neu.edu)
Any corrections or additions you want to send.
1) What is origami?
a) A basic definition
Origami is the art of paper folding. Contemporary masters of origami
share a wide range of creative outlooks, which result in a tremendous
diversity of styles. Traditionalists like Yoshizawa tend to focus on
simplicity, while more modern approaches, such as those of Montroll,
Lang, Engel, and Kawahata can involve intricate details, extensive
mathematical calculation, and really wierd subject matter.
b) Landmarks
A landmark is a line or point used to precisely locate a fold that
is to be made. Most models use a combination of landmarked and
unlandmarked folds. The traditional crane, for example, uses
landmarked folds to get the bird base, but the angle of the head and
neck are usually unlandmarked.
Some people call landmarked folds, "shared" folds, because they are
easily communicated (shared) via diagrams; and they call
unlandmarked folds, "artistic" folds, because they rely on the
folder's artistic sense for their placement. This is a source of
controvercy, because many people feel that "shared" origami is just
as artistic as "artistic" origami.
Some argue that a work of art is a work of art no matter how it was
made, others argue that the word "artistic" in this case is meant to
refer to the folder's ability to direct the model toward one
appearance or another. Still others reply that landmarked origami
can also be directed in that way, through the choice of paper, etc.
c) Purism
Different people have different definitions of purism. Generally it
means dry folding an uncut square of paper, I believe.
d) Pureland folding
Pureland origami is origami that is made only from mountain and
valley folds. No sinks or other complex constructs. Oddly enough,
most if not all of those complex constructs can be done using only
pureland folding.
e) Wetfolding
This is when you make the paper damp while you fold. Wetfolded
models generally look much more three dimensional than dryfolded
models and keep their shape better. Generally a thicker paper is
used for wetfolding. Either a spray bottle, a damp rag, or a direct
stream of water can be used. Portions of a model can be re-dampened
during the folding, allowing the model to develop piece by piece.
Wet folding can take much longer than dry folding, as selected areas
of the model are dampened, altered, and dried before beginning on
the next area.
f) Foil backed paper
This is paper that has been glued to foil. Like wetfolding, models
made with foil backed paper are durable and capable of great
delicacy. Unlike wetfolding, foil backed paper is unforgiving.
Creases remain visible even when unfolded, and reversing a crease is
often difficult and can significantly weaken the paper, none of
which is true with wetfolding. The shininess of the foil can be
used to great effect.
g) Tissue foil
This is similar to foil backed paper, but it is usually home-made,
and involves gluing tissue paper to one or both sides of a sheet of
foil. Generally glue is sprayed on the foil, and the tissue paper is
carefully applied. Some see this as the most durable material to
use, and it is considered different from normal foil backed paper.
2) How can I get started with origami?
a) Folding
Most art stores will carry origami paper, which is white on one side
and a bright color on the other, and which comes with simple
instructions you can start from; or you can cut your own squares out
of typing paper (see Question 3-a (I'd like to cut a perfect
square)). Even if you don't know someone who can teach you, a lot of
books are available. Either go to the store or a good library and
pick one out you like. Look at the explanations of how to read the
diagrams. Sometimes people who try to understand the diagrams
without reading the instructions find them opaque, although really
they are very simple and easy to understand, once they've been
explained. Choose a book that has simple models, so you won't get
discouraged.
b) Tips for beginning folders
If you are learning one on one from a teacher, don't only think
about what the paper is doing. Look at the teacher's hands, where
the fingers are on the paper. Try and imitate them as closely as
possible, and you will find that certain folds that stumped you,
seem to happen almost automatically. Also, try and keep your model
oriented the same way as your teacher's. If your teacher points to
some part of her model, make sure you can find the same point on
yours.
If you are learning from diagrams alone, be sure you are familiar
with the different types of folds as described in the front of the
book. Don't guess at the meaning of the symbols. Go back and look
each one up that you don't know by heart. Also, while you're
folding, don't just look at the diagram you're on. The next diagram
or so may show you how the fold you're working on should look when
it's done. That should make it easier to do the fold properly.
c) Tips for intermediate folders
An interesting paradox is that many folds are identified in diagrams
and by teachers as being made by lining up things that are far away
from where the actual fold will be made. For instance, folding a
square in half diagonally, you would very naturally bring two
corners together, and flatten. But this is usually a mistake because
of tiny irregularities in the properties of the paper. Either it is
not perfectly square, or previous folds have altered certain angles,
so the result is that the crease winds up being very slightly in the
wrong place. The secret is to ask yourself what the actual crease
you are making is attempting to do, what points it is trying to
connect. In the case of folding a square diagonally, the crease is
supposed to go from one corner to the opposite corner. In other
words, the two corners you so carefully lined up had nothing to do
with where the crease was actually supposed to be made. Once you get
used to making the creases where they are really supposed to be, you
will immediately be able to make more complex models that look much
better.
Another problem many beginners face goes hand in hand with the
previous one: while making a model, the paper may begin to bulge out
as creases and layers press against each other. The first impulse of
the beginner is to flatten the model by `fixing' the bulges. This
actually has the effect of creating many creases near the same
folding line, or what might be thought of as a single very loose
crease, not to mention ending up with a very two dimensional model.
The secret in this case is to resist the natural temptation to
completely flatten the model with the palm of your hand after each
step. Wait until the model is nearly finished, and then feel free to
alter whatever creases you need to to make it look good. The reason
it's okay to do it at the end but not in the middle is because in
the middle, you still have no idea of what the final corrections
will need to be. By refraining from loosening the creases when the
only effect will be to flatten the unfinished model, you maintain
the ability to make real changes later, ones that will affect the
way the finished model looks---and that's the whole point.
Origami is like buying a paint-by-numbers Mona Lisa. Diagrams are
very difficult to do well. The folding sequence the inventor uses
when she invents is probably nothing like the diagrams she writes
down. As she invents she is encountering physical problems and
working around them. In order to diagram, the solutions to those
problems must be broken down into steps of relatively simple folds.
A sequence of ten diagrams may have no other purpose than to invert
an intrusive dollop of paper. It is that purpose that is important,
not the series of ten diagrams. If you look at the diagrams of any
model, you will find that certain diagrams are resting points. They
are the ideas, they are what the inventor was trying for. The
diagrams between them are simply the necessities of the drawing
medium. In fact, in many cases a poor folding sequence is chosen
because it is simpler to diagram. So there can be a lot of extra
creases or inexactitudes that the inventor would rather not be
there, but which make it easier to communicate the model. Therefore
it is not always best to rigorously follow the diagrams and make
each fold as precisely as possible. Even better is to try to fold
along the spirit of the model, and keep the diagrams in the
background.
d) Teaching
Teaching is a very personal thing, and there is no way to explain
how to do it properly. The following are a few things I've learned
over the years, trying to teach origami to friends and relatives:
If you are teaching beginners, you will notice that certain types of
folds (squashes, swivels, etc) just don't make sense to them, try as
they might. In this situation, one thing you may be forced into is
to break the fold up into parts (``first I put my thumb under this
flap, then with these two fingers I open out this thing here as far
as it will go -- farther than that, keep going -- see how the sides
are coming in automatically? Now start pressing them down gently,
and line them up next to each other. Okay, now press the whole thing
flat.''), while holding your model very close to theirs, and making
sure theirs is oriented the same way yours is. If you take the time
to actually position their fingers and tell them exactly how to
move, you may meet with success.
One element that is the same no matter what skill level you are
teaching, is that people don't like to be told more than they feel
they need. The more advanced someone is, the less they want to hear
and the more they want to rocket forward as soon as they understand
what to do. In some cases, people will fold several steps ahead of
you just because they have understood the deeper idea behind the
sequence of folds. If you know this is going to be a mistake in a
particular situation, preempt it before they get the idea, because
they will be very frustrated to have to undo their work and be stuck
with the creases they created. You have to know when the obvious
idea behind a sequence of folds is not going to be correct. For
instance, in a lot of models, everything is repeated symmetrically
on the bottom, or the other side or whatever. If you come to a spot
that will be more complicated than this, you should say, ``now don't
repeat this next step behind, because...'', or something like that.
The main idea is to pick up on what they know and what they don't,
and fold at that speed. They don't want you to be two folds ahead of
them while they're still struggling, or explaining a mountain fold
when they know very well how to do it. If you see they don't have
knowledge, give it to them; if you see they have it, assume it.
3) Invention
a) Why is invention so hard?
I believe the main reason people find invention so difficult is
because they are afraid to try it, or else they get discouraged when
their attempts don't work out right away. It can be pretty scary.
For one thing, very few inventors have described the process in any
great detail. Certainly the most prolific folders like Yoshizawa and
Montrol have very little to say about the actual process of
invention. So anyone who wants to invent their own models basically
has to start from scratch and make their own discoveries. It's also
commonly believed that you have to be a very good folder already,
before you can start inventing, as if inventing were a natural
offshoot of folding skill. I don't believe any inventor would agree
with that. I think they'd say that the skill of folding from
diagrams, and the skill of invention, are completely distinct, so
that you can have very skilled folders who can't invent, and very
skilled inventors who can't fold. Still, the belief persists.
The fact that early attempts at invention can be very unrewarding
does a lot to explain people's reluctance to try. I'm sure many
folders have at one time or another tried to invent, and just ended
up with something that didn't look like anything at all, and felt
helpless to direct their attempts toward anything in particular.
It's a very humbling experience.
The main thing that goes into this is, without doing an ink-blot
test at every fold, it's hard to know where you're headed. You end
up just folding randomly, hoping that something will suddenly
emerge. This may be fostered by only having experience folding from
diagrams: because you've always been told exactly what to do at each
step, it doesn't occur to you to think between folds. Always before,
the act of folding has been the most important element, while with
invention, it is the time between the folds that is the most
important.
Looking at it from another angle, you could say that you haven't
developed a feel for the potential that's inherent in each step. At
each step there are many options, each of which will send the model
in a different direction. Each fold changes the situation in some
way, opening up some possibilities, precluding others. It's true
that there are many ways of operating on a given type of flap in
order to get more flaps, and so on, but when you consider that each
flap is connected in certain ways to the rest of the model, that
model being in just about any configuration, it becomes clear that
each situation is unique, posing its own set of problems, and
offering its own unique opportunities. How you pick up on these
opportunities, and what possibilities of finished creations you see
flickering behind the paper, determines how successful you'll be. So
it's no wonder that, with our clumsy random attempts, we get
disappointed and scared to try again.
It can also be scary to think from the previous paragraph, that we
have to somehow be aware of all this "potential" in each step. This
mysterious "potential" may seem like the sort of thing you need a
lot of experience to pick up on. It might not occur to us that the
"potential" in the paper is actually our own imagination. It doesn't
occur to us that we already have everything we need. We think there
is some elusive secret to be learned.
It's also scary to see some of the accomplishments of other
inventors, which is exactly what we're seeing in all those books.
How could we possibly come up with anything to equal those models,
Especially now that many published models are calculated
mathematically before any folds are even attempted, allowing a
control over proportion and detail hitherto unknown in the history
of origami?
Not to mention the fact that the diagrams in books only cover the
finished model, and have nothing to say about previous attempts or
revisions.
The diagrams also break the folding sequence down into such small
and easily explained parts that it is inconceivable for the person
folding from them to imagine how the inventor thought of them.
Folders like Montrol, who devote a lot of time to finding a
particularly good way of diagramming their models, paradoxically end
up hiding more and more of the process of invention that lies behind
them.
b) The base
A base is that stage in the design that has apportioned the entire
square into flaps, but has not yet shaped or positioned those flaps.
A base also tends to be general enough to be used in the design of
more than one model. According to Yoshizawa, for example, the
traditional fish base can be used to make any vertebrate animal. A
base does not necessarily have to have as many flaps as the number
of limbs in the finished product, if these limbs can be derived from
the flaps that exist. The ears of Montroll's zebra, for instance,
don't appear until the very end. Taking this idea further, it's
possible for a single model to have several bases along the was
toward its creation. Many of Montroll's creations, such as those in
_Prehistoric_Origami_, begin with a bird base, and derive more flaps
from it, leading to bases useful for four legged animals. So it's
possible to have an arbitrary number of bases leading to the final
model.
Not all models have even one base. If a base can be thought of as a
moment of simplicity along the path to the model, then some models
keep the tension of complexity clear through to the finished model,
so that at no point are creative possibilities easier to see than at
any other point.
It's possible to approach the problem of invention by examining what
kind of base you will need for the finished model, and then figuring
out how to make that base. In fact, certain kinds of bases, called
"uniaxial bases" (bases whose flap-edges lie along a single plane),
are known to be susceptible to an algorithmic approach. Robert Lang
has written a Macintosh program called TreeMaker, that computes the
crease patterns of uniaxial bases from tree diagrams supplied by the
user. His package also comes with a fascinating article on the
method his program uses to design the base. This article is a
must-read, even if you don't have a Mac.
A similar process can be used by humans to design bases of any kind.
The basic idea is that the distance (measured along the paper)
between the points of two flaps, must be greater than or equal to
the straight line between those points on the unfolded square. To
some extent this is common sense, but it allows you to get an idea
of where the flaps must come from and what to expect from the paper.
Designing models in this way can be very rewarding, because bases
tend to be very efficient in terms of paper usage, detailed
anatomical features can be arranged to any depth of complexity, and
the inventor does not have to be as familiar with actual methods of
folding, in order to progress.
This method of invention is, in a sense, backwards from what one
might consider the "normal" way, since one starts with a base and
works back to the square. This also relates to the other idea of why
people find invention so difficult: the diagrams of models designed
in this way, convey nothing of the invention process, and thus
appear even more mysterious to the person folding it from the book.
c) Stealing
This is one of the best ways to gain experience and understanding of
origami. Most inventors will readily assert that they get a lot of
their ideas from other people. In _Origami_Insects_And_Their_Kin_,
Robert Lang in the introduction urges the readers to steal what they
can from his works. In _Origami_Museaum_I:_Animals_ (and all his
other books), Akira Yoshizawa urges the reader time and time again
in innumerable ways to search for creative variations on his
designs. To my knowledge, only one person actually holds a patent on
an origami design, and she regards that entirely as a joke. Of
course, if you plan on publishing a model, you should be careful to
cover your tracks, and not take so much from one model that the
connection is unmistakable. Generally theft is regarded by inventors
as good practice in private, but you should only publish your own
original contributions.
d) Practice
Doodling is an excellent way to practice inventing. There is no
pressure to come up with anything in particular, and you become
fluent in the ways of acting upon the paper. But when a good idea
comes along, don't pass it by. Do it on a few sheets, use it as a
jumping off point.
Or you can set yourself a goal. Try and get four legs and a head.
Sometimes the direct approach is the best. Move the paper into
position, and try to get clean creases. There is a lot to be learned
by these kinds of attempts.
Don't try to avoid repeating previous efforts, or parts of previous
efforts, in fact, exploring interesting themes over and over again
is the only way to really get to know the paper.
Keeping an open mind is also helpful. Just because you are the one
acting upon the paper, doesn't mean you will understand what you're
doing. Let the paper teach you by what it does, so you learn that
the things it does can happen elsewhere too, in different attempts.
The only way a model is finished is because you see where to lead
it. It may be that you see that it already looks finished, or it may
be that you spot some hidden resemblance it has to something else.
But it is always you that brings the paper into the living world,
and makes it into a finished model. So exercise your imagination
too, to be able to see resemblances between things. As a challenge,
you can say to yourself that whatever shape the paper is in after a
fold, it is never more than three folds away from a finished model.
4) Doing calculations on paper
a) Folding any proportion (Robert J. Lang's words)
Write the fraction as a "decimal" in binary notation, e.g.,
5/8 = .101
1/Pi = .010100011...
Three step process for translating a fraction into binary:
A) Write down a decimal point.
B) Multiply the fraction by 2. If the product is less than 1,
write down a zero. If the product is more than 1, write down a 1
and subtract 1.
C) Repeat step B until the fraction ends, you get bored, or your
reach the limits of accuracy of your calculator.
(If the denominator's not a perfect power of two, the fraction won't
terminate, so you'll have to truncate at some point. 7 digits gives
better than 1% accuracy. Drop any trailing zeros.)
Beginning at the RIGHT, for the first 1 you encounter, fold the top
of the paper down to the bottom and unfold.
For each successive digit as you move left,
For every 1, fold the top of the paper to the crease you just
made and unfold;
For every 0, fold the bottom of the paper to the crease you just
made and unfold;
The last crease you make divides the square in the desired fraction.
For example: 5/8=.101. The folding sequence is:
1) Fold the top down to the bottom and unfold.
2) Fold the bottom up to the crease you just made and unfold.
3) Fold the top down to the crease you just made and unfold.
The last crease is 5/8 of the way from the bottom of the paper.
b) folding sevenths (Robert J Lang's words)
Suppose you don't want to have to measure *anything*, and want to do
it entirely by folding. In this case, we can use the fact that 0.101
is, for all intents and purposes, 1/10 of the side of the square,
which leads to the following sequence. Sorry it's words only, but I
think you'll be able to follow it.
1. Begin with a square, white side up. Crease the diagonal that runs
from lower left to upper right and unfold.
2. Fold the paper in half vertically and unfold.
3. Bring the upper right corner to the middle of the top edge, make
a pinch along the top edge, and unfold.
4. Make a crease that runs from the pinch at the top edge to the
lower right corner of the square; make this crease sharp only where
it crosses the diagonal.
5. Fold the right edge to the left so that (1) the top and bottom
edges line up, and (2) the right edge hits the intersection of the
last crease with the diagonal. Make the crease sharp along the top
edge of the paper and unfold. This pinch will be the reference point
for crease #4.
6. Fold the top edge of the paper down to the bottom edge.
7. Connect the middle of the new top edge to the pinch made in step
5 with a crease (i.e., fold and unfold), folding through both
layers. This is crease #4.
8. Bring the right side of the upper edge to the crease you just
made, fold and unfold. This is crease #2.
9. Bring the right side of the upper edge to the crease you just
made, fold, and unfold. This is crease #1.
Filling in the rest of the creases is left as an exercise for the
reader.
c) Folding fifths
_______________ _______________
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
|---------------| |--------------.|
| | | .-='` |
| | | .-='` |
|_______________| |.='`___________|
_______________
| | 1/5
|~~~~~~~~~/\~~~~|
| /' `\ |
|-----/' `\|
| /' .-='`
| /' .-='`
|.='`
d) dividing the edge of a square piece of paper into M equal parts where
M is an integer (close to Jeannine Mosely's words)
Here are two simple, exact methods of dividing the edge of a square
piece of paper into M equal parts (M is an integer). Both methods
require the same number of creases, and are mathematically correct
for any M, but for a given M, one method will be easier to perform
accurately than the other. The different methods are complementary.
The first step is the same for both methods. Start by finding N
equal to the largest power of 2 smaller than M. (Note that M-N is
less than N.) It is easy to divide the edge into N parts by dividing
in half repeatedly, because N is a power of 2. Do this to find the
point that divides the edge into (M-N)/N and 1- (M-N)/N. If (M-N)/N
> 1/2, use Method 1. If (M-N)/N < 1/2, use Method 2. If (M-N)/N =
1/2, either method will do.
Method 1:
For example, suppose that we are dividing the edge into 7 equal
parts. Then N = 4, (M-N)/N = 3/4 and 1- (M-N)/N = 1/4. Divide the
lower edge into 3/4 and 1/4, but don't make any of the creases all
the way across the width of the paper, just nick the bottom edge.
Make a crease from the point at (M-N)/N to the upper left hand
corner.
_______________
|\ |
| `\ |
| `\ |
| `\ |
| \ |
| `\ |
|__________`\___|
3/4
Now bring the lower right hand corner up to touch the upper left
hand corner, but don't make the diagonal crease all the way across
the paper, just make it in the region where it crosses the diagonal
crease you just made.
_______________
|\ |
| `\ |
| `\ |
| `\/' |
| /'\ |
| `\ |
|__________`\___|
Now make a vertical crease through the intersection of the two
diagonals. This crease divides the bottom edge in (M-N)/M and
1-(M-N)/M.
_______________
|\ | |
| `\ | |
| `\ | |
| `|/' |
| /|\ |
| | `\ |
|______|___`\___|
3/7
Method 2:
For example, suppose that we are dividing the edge into 5 equal
parts. Then N = 4, (M-N)/N = 1/4 and 1- (M-N)/N = 3/4. Divide the
lower edge into 1/4 and 3/4, making this crease across the width of
the paper. (The previous folds need only nick the bottom edge.)
_______________
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|___|___________|
1/4
Now bring the lower right hand corner up to touch the crease and
move it up and down, until you find the point where folding it will
make a crease through the lower left hand corner. It is not actually
necessary to make this fold across the width of the paper. It is
enough to just nick the right hand edge.
_______________
| | |
| | |
| | .-'|
| | .-' |
| | .-' |
| .-' |
|.-'|___________|
Fold the lower left hand corner to touch the right hand nick.
Again, do not crease the paper all the way across, just nick the
lower edge. The nick divides the edge into 4/5 and 1/5.
_______________
| | |
| | |
| | .-'|
| | .-' |
| | .-' |
| .-' |
|.-'|_______`\__|
4/5
e) Trisecting an angle
Here is how to do it. Start with an arbitrary angle:
| / |
| / |
| / |
| / |
| / |
|/___________|
Now make two horizontal lines in equally long pleats from the
bottom.
| / |
| / |
|____/_______|
| / |
|__/_________|
| / |
|/___________|
Now fold the lower left hand corner up to the first horizontal, such
that the left point of the second horizontal meets the line of the
angle we are trisecting.
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| / |
| / |
\ / |
\`\ / |
\ `\ / |
\ `\ / |
\ `\ / |
\ `\ / |
\ `\ / |
\ ,\ |
\ ,-' `\ |
\' `\~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
\ ,-'`\ |
\ ,-' `\ |
\' ,-'~~~~~~~~~~|
\ ,-' |
\ ,-' |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The point where the lower left hand corner meets the first
horizontal marks the third of the angle.
5) I'd like to
a) cut a perfect square
i) A simple method
Starting from a rectangle, fold one corner down into a triangle so
that two sides match evenly. Carefully cut or tear off the end
that hangs below your triangle shape.
|~~~~~~~~| |\ |~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~|
| \ | | `\ | | | |
| `\ | | `\ | | | |
| `\ | | `\ | | | |
| `\| |--------\ |--------| "---------"
| | | | | |
|________| |________| |________|
ii) Very accurate
Measuring carefully and cutting with a razor is one way. Another
is to get an inexpensive paper cutter with a descending handle
that slices the paper.
iii) Perfectionist
More expensive is a papercutter with a non slip rolling blade,
available from photographer's catalogs, good craft stores, and
elsewhere. It is extremely precise.
b) preserve a model
The following page has some tips:
http://www2.gsu.edu/~gs01yyj/origami/oritip.html
There is a product called "Superglaze", a spray-on coating that puts
a layer of colorless glaze on various plastics and paper. A drawback
is that the glaze bleeds the paper, so color change models will not
work with it. Spray acrylic has the same problem.
The NOA club in Tokyo sells a special paper and "varnish" for making
long lasting models. They also have a "setting paper" which is
coated with a polymer that sets in the sun (UV light) to a hard
shell like plastic.
In the back of Gay M. Gross's book
_Origami:_New_Ideas_for_Paperfolding_, she mentions using Krylon
clear acrylic spray to help preserve new models, also clear nail
polish, Joli Glaze, and Sculpey Glaze.
c) make jewelry
[mainly in progress]
The traditional crane is a popular one with earrings. Also spiders,
turtles, faces and animal heads, blow up balloons, the traditional
fortune teller/candy holder, lizards, horses, complex insects,
spirals and other abstract shapes, and really almost anything.
6) Paper
a) Where can I get origami paper?
`Standard' origami paper in packs of 100 sheets, white on one side
and brightly colored on the other, is available in most art stores,
and even some normal stationary stores. It will do for dry folding
most things of any complexity.
For higher quality paper (though not specifically origami paper), a
list of paper stores is maintained at
http://www2.gsu.edu/~gs01yyj/origami/paper.html
b) Where can I get large origami paper?
Pearl Paint (and probably other art stores) sells something called
`Fadeless art paper', which is white on one side, and a different
color on the other. It comes in rolls of 24 feet, 24 inches wide,
for a few dollars. Don't mention origami or they won't know what you
want.
Some have had success with solid colored wrapping paper, but these
tend to be difficult to find.
c) Paper dimensions
The dimensions of money internationally are (ratios unless stated):
US Dollar All 7: 3
UK Pound All: 49:20 (i.e. nearly 2:1)
French Franc 20 Francs 74 x 138 mm
50 Francs 78 x 123 mm (new bill)
100 Francs 84 x 159 mm
200 Francs 92 x 172 mm
500 Francs ?
Dutch Guilders 10 Hfl 76 x 141 mm
25 Hfl 76 x 141 mm
100 Hfl 76.5 x 154 mm
250 Hfl ?
1000 Hfl ?
Finnish Marks All: 69 x 141.7 mm
The paper formats defined by ISO in the A, B and C series are used
today in nearly all countries apart from North America.
The formats have been determined according to the following rules:
- A0 has an area of one square meter.
- The aspect ratio of all members of the A, B and C-series is
sqrt(2) = 1.41421...
- You get the next higher format by cutting the paper in two equal
pieces parallel to the shorter side. This results again in a 1 :
sqrt(2) format (that's the big advantage of this format).
- The size of a B-series paper is the geometric mean between the
size of the corresponding A-series paper and the next bigger
A-series paper. E.g. B1 is between A1 and A0.
- The size of a C-series paper is the geometric mean between the
size of the A-series and B-series paper with the same number.
This means that the following formulas give the dimensions in
meters:
Width Height
A-series 2 ^ (- 1/4 - n/2) 2 ^ (1/4 - n/2)
B-series 2 ^ ( - n/2) 2 ^ (1/2 - n/2)
C-series 2 ^ (- 1/8 - n/2) 2 ^ (3/8 - n/2)
Larger sizes have smaller numbers. Sizes larger than those with n =
0 are written as 2 A0 and 4 A0 rather than A(-1) and A(-2).
The following table lists the official definitions of the paper
sizes which are the values from the above formulas rounded
more-or-less to an integral number of millimeters:
4 A0 1682 x 2378
2 A0 1189 x 1682
A0 841 x 1189 B0 1000 x 1414 C0 917 x 1297
A1 594 x 841 B1 707 x 1000 C1 648 x 917
A2 420 x 594 B2 500 x 707 C2 458 x 648
A3 297 x 420 B3 353 x 500 C3 324 x 458
A4 210 x 297 B4 250 x 353 C4 229 x 324
A5 148 x 210 B5 176 x 250 C5 162 x 229
A6 105 x 148 B6 125 x 176 C6 114 x 162
A7 74 x 105 B7 88 x 125 C7 81 x 114
A8 52 x 74 B8 62 x 88 C8 57 x 81
A9 37 x 52 B9 44 x 62 C9 40 x 57
A10 26 x 37 B10 31 x 44 C10 28 x 40
The most popular sizes are perhaps:
A0 technical drawings
A4 letters, magazines, documents
A5 books
C4,C5,C6 envelopes
B4,A3 supported by many copy machines, newspapers
There are also strip formats possible, e.g.
1/3 A4 99 x 210
2/3 A4 198 x 210
1/4 A4 74 x 210
1/8 A4 37 x 210
1/4 A3 105 x 297
1/3 A5 70 x 148
etc.
All these formats are paper end formats, i.e. these are the
dimensions of the paper delivered to the user/reader. Other
standards define slightly bigger paper sizes for applications where
the paper will be cut to the end format later (e.g. after binding).
The ISO DL envelope format has the dimensions 220 x 110 millimeters.
(The values have been copied from DIN 476 (Dec 1976) which is the
German version of the ISO 216 standard).
American:
Letter size 8.5 x 11 inch
d) Appraising
i) for dry folding
Flexible paper that can take a crease without splitting is very
good. Avoid thick paper.
``The best origami paper I have found for general-purpose
folding that is widely available is Hallmark foil wrapping
paper, because it is thin and tough. It is also expensive as all
get-out, but I have found large sheets of comparable gold and
silver foil at my local art store. Of course, all of this must
be cut to shape.'' -- Robert Lang
ii) for wetfolding
``In general, the thicker types of paper are best, such as
artists' Ingres paper. The only true test is to wet-fold it!'' --
Nick Robinson
``The larger the square you start with, the thicker the paper you
can use. A weight of 170 gm/m is probably an upper limit until
you are sure of yourself, but for smaller folds, 100 gm/m is more
effective. Try experimenting with different weights to see which
you find easiest to work with.'' -- Nick Robinson
``You need to use a heavy enough paper. How heavy is enough? If
it's barely too thick to fold comfortably when dry, that's just
about right. I use a Handi-Wipe, soaked in water then wrung out,
to dampen the paper. "Wet enough" is damp enough so that it's
sorta floppy and leathery, but not so damp that the surface is
shiny. Also, if your creases get fuzzy, that's also too damp. I
keep the rag and a bowl of water handy to re-dampen the paper as
I fold to keep it at the optimum consistency. I've tried a spray
bottle, but I find that with the heavily calendared papers that
I prefer (uncoated paper with a very smooth surface and dense
texture) the sprayed water doesn't soak in very well and wiping
gives a better distribution. Also, with wiping you can
selectively dampen parts that dry out quicker, like corners.''
-- Robert J. Lang
``The best wet-folding paper I have found is calligraphy
parchment, available from most artist's supply stores. However,
the color selection is pretty much limited to pastels, primarily
beige.'' -- Robert J. Lang
e) Making paper
Articles on how to make your own paper from recycled material
http://www2.gsu.edu/~gs01yyj/origami/recpap.html
http://www.he.net/~inveresk/makingRecycledPaper.html
http://auntannie.com/paper/paper.html
http://www.nbn.com/youcan/paper/paper.html
Article on the history of papermaking
http://www.he.net/~inveresk/history.html
http://www.ncb.gov.sg/lhh/workshop/paper.html
7) Origami Culture and Legends
a) The `thousand cranes'
`Tsuru' the crane, is an ancient Nippon symbol of long-life, hope,
good luck and happiness. An ancient Nippon myth says that if you
fold a thousand paper cranes, they will protect you from illness.
A young girl, Sadako Sasaki, tried to make this myth come true in
1955, when she developed leukemia at age 11 as a result of the
radiation she received from the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6,
1945, when she was 2 years old. In the hospital, a friend taught her
how to make paper cranes, and she decided to try to fold one
thousand, and cure herself of her illness. She died on October 25,
1955, at age 12, after having folded 644 paper cranes.
After her death, her classmates folded the remaining 356 for her,
and through their efforts, erected a statue to her in peace park in
Hiroshima, in 1958. Sadako, holding a golden crane, stands over the
inscription, ``THIS IS OUR CRY, THIS IS OUR PRAYER, PEACE IN THE
WORLD''. Each year near and on the anniversary of the bombing of
Hiroshima, millions of cranes are folded and strung together by
people all over the world, at first hung from the statue, and then,
when there is no more room, placed around her and on other statues,
the piles in places rising fifteen to twenty feet high.
Sadako's story is told in _Children_of_the_Paper_Crane_ by Masamoto
Nasu, and _Sadako_and_the_Thousand_Cranes_ by Eleanor Coerr.
b) The Shinto religion
Paper is regarded as sacred by the Shinto religion, and the word for
paper, `kami', is a homonym for the word for 'spirit'. Paper folded
in particular ways is used to adorn and wrap objects for rituals and
offerings, or to adorn shrines in honor of the tree spirit.
For more information on the Shinto religion, see
http://www.easc.indiana.edu/pages/easc/curriculum/eastasia
/1995/general/JAPAN/SHINTO.htp
c) How can I learn more about a particular origami artist?
Please read and contribute to the budding biographical resource at
http://www.csz.com/paper/whoorig.html
Send all origami biographies (maybe typed in from the inside cover of
your books) to sa...@fascinating-folds.com
They currently have biographies of:
Michael LaFosse
Robert Lang
Peter Engel
Akira Yoshizawa
d) Erotic origami
Erotic origami thrives in the private circles of inventors
everywhere. Unfortunately, because origami is still regarded largely
as a children's activity, this aspect of it is not given much
recognition. Origami USA, for example, one of the largest origami
organizations in the world, will not allow erotic origami to be
shown or taught at its conventions, even in special convention
areas. While this may be upsetting, it is perhaps not for them to
make the first move, but for the origami community to express its
desire that erotic origami find more acceptance in the main stream.
I maintain the Underground Origami Page at
http://lynx.dac.neu.edu/home/httpd/z/zbrown/origami/underground
Please send me (zbr...@lynx.dac.neu.edu) any diagrams of erotic (or
generally "objectionable") origami that you would like placed on the
web site.
Apparently the first reference to erotic origami is from Gershon
Legman (born 1917) and Cyril Enfield. They found a paper bow-tie in
a magic book in the 1930's, when Gershon was in high school. The
model features the `lover's knot' move, which has an unfolding
action known as the `lotus'. Gershon supposedly had looked into the
erotic symbolism connected with this fold.
Lately it has been uncovered that erotic money folds are commonly
used to tip dancers at strip clubs.
The story behind `The Lonely Man', in Alasdair post-Quinn's own
words: ``One day a couple years ago, my mother drove me (for those
who don't know, I'm 17 years old...I didn't have a license then, and
still don't :)) the 6 hour trip from VT to New York City for a
Folding Fun Fest or something like that... At the fest, I got
talking to someone who called himself "Riff" about the topic of
pornogami (or orgygami, erotigami, origasmi, etc) and Riff told me
about this model he was on the verge of creating. This model, of
course, was the Lonely Man. He said he had the base from when he was
trying to make a two-headed dragon, but it didn't come out right
(indeed, the base has four long appendages and two short ones, but
the two short ones are on opposite sides of the base, which does not
work for a two-headed dragon. Gee, I wonder what we can do with this
appendage that's in the wrong place? :)) Anyway, Riff taught me his
base, and showed me a rather blocky, ugly prototype of the model.
Later, I worked on the base and turned out a much more human-like
model. I don't know if Riff ever honed his model down, indeed, I
have not been able to contact him. So I say now, if asked, that the
model is mine, although the base and idea were not necessarily. This
also relieves me from telling this story each time someone asks me
about the Lonely Man.''
Published Models
Booklet 19 of the _Selected_Works_ of the British Origami Society
nude woman with color change genital area. Inventor: Anthony
O'hare, mid 1970's.
A book by Akira Yoshizawa (I don't know the english name)
An erect penis, under the title, `Lighthouse'.
_Kokigami_, by Burton Silver, illustrated by Heather Busch
Pseudo-origami models designed to be worn on the erect male
member during foreplay. The book comes across as if this were
some sort of ancient tradition, but it is really just a joke.
There's a web page about it at
http://www.lumpen.com/cgi-bin
/search/235422/:issue/issue-4.9/third
_Origami_Omnibus_ by Kasahara
stylish Adam and Eve
_Brilliant_Origami_ by Dave Brill
moving exhibitionist
Unpublished Models
(available at the Underground Origami Page)
"The Missionary" by Marc Kirschenbaum. Two people having sex.
The "ASSC Seal Of Aproval" by Earendil. a seal with an erection.
The "Eyefull Tower" by Nick Robinson. An action penis.
"The Lonely Man" by Alasdair post-Quinn. A man masterbating.
"Drop On the Tip" by Pentheus. A penis with a drop of cum.
8) What origami resources exist on the Internet?
a) the origami mailing list and archive
There is a very active origami mailing list on the net. To
subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help from the listserver, send email
to
with a line in the body of the mail saying one of the following:
subscribe origami-l "your name"
unsubscribe origami-l
help
Where you should replace "your name" with your actual human name
without the quotes. (Not your username or email address.)
Once you have subscribed, if you don't want to be inundated with the
lists mail, you can choose digest form, by sending another message
to the same address, with the following line in the body:
set origami-l mail digest
The mailing list archive (with programs, diagrams, etc.) is at
ftp://rugcis.rug.nl/origami/
ftp://ftp.uu.net/doc/origami/
b) usenet
i) alt.arts.origami
This is the origami newsgroup on usenet. Don't be discouraged if
it is empty. The mailing list is active.
ii) Why doesn't my site get alt.binaries.pictures.origami?
A lot of sites don't carry that group because of the pornography
that fills the alt.binaries.pictures.* hierarchy. The whole
hierarchy is simply banned at many sites. One thing you can do,
if your site doesn't carry it, is send a tastefully worded
message to your sys admin, explaining what the group is about,
why it is needed, and asking nicely if they would carry it.
iii) How can I post/retrieve/view a binary (diagrams)?
The alt.binaries.pictures utilities archive, maintained by Jim
Howard, can be found at
ftp://infolane.com/pub/picutils/index.html
http://www.dsms.com/pub/mirror/picutils/index.html
(or ftp://ftp.dsms.com/pub/mirror/picutils/index.html)
http://mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu/~deej/index.html
http://spodbox.linux.org.uk/~abpu/
(or ftp://spodbox.linux.org.uk/pub/picutils/index.html)
http://harley.pcl.ox.ac.uk/~ABPics/
(or ftp://harley.pcl.ox.ac.uk/pub/picutils/index.html)
Unfortunately the archive does not address PostScript, the
standard (though not the only) means of transmitting origami
diagrams via the internet. The following resources may be useful
for that:
http://elaine.ssc.wisc.edu/irp/howtops.htm
ftp://www.cdrom.com/pub/simtelnet/msdos/postscrp/
iv) How can I deal with all the spam (unrelated postings)?
If you're using a newsreader that supports killfiles (trn is one
such), a line similar to the following may help. It will junk
all files that are crossposted to more than four groups:
/^Newsgroups:.*,.*,.*,.*,/h:j
Aside from that, all you can do is ignore it and do not respond
to any threads that don't belong at all. Send a private note to
them, because they may be new and not know the rules yet.
Explain the rules to them. If it is not someone new or someone
that you have spoken to send the post back to their own mailbox.
If they get ignored or bombed with their own garbage they will
stop.
c) origami home pages
Andrew P. Anselmo
http://thermsa.eng.sunysb.edu/~anselmo/origami.html
Alex Barber
http://www.mrc-cpe.cam.ac.uk/cpe/jong/agb/origami.html
Alex Bateman
http://alf2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk:1500/
Edward Crankshaw
http://dubhe.cc.nps.navy.mil/~ejcranks/origami.html
Fred Curtis
http://www.zip.com.au/~fred/Origami/index.html
Yusri Johan
http://www2.gsu.edu/~gs01yyj/origami/origami.html
Gretchen D. Klotz
http://www.ogi.edu/~gren/origami.html
Anne Lavin
http://www-japan.mit.edu/users/lavin/origami.html
Juancarlos Londono
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/5456/ORIGAMI.HTM (spanish)
Bradley Minch
http://www.pcmp.caltech.edu/~bminch/origami.html
Diana Moore
http://www.engarde.com/~dmm/diana/origami.html
Mark Morden
http://www.eskimo.com/~marmonk/origami.htm
Jay Nolan
http://www.dhr.com/staff/nolan/origami/gamihome.htm
Bob Shuster
http://www.newtech.net/webwerks/origami.html
Joseph Wu
http://www.datt.co.jp/Origami
d) articles on the history of origami
by William R. Dawes
http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/~wdawes/History.html
by Thomas Hull
http://www.csz.com/paper/arthull1.html
by Jose Tomas Buitrago Molina (in Spanish)
http://maxwell.univalle.edu.co/~buitrago/historia.origami.html
by Barbara Pearl
http://www.csz.com/paper/artmim1.html
by Pam Stephens
http://www.art.unt.edu/ntieva/artcurr/japan/origami.htm
by Joseph Wu
http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/jwu/Info/history.html
e) other resources
Unpublished, original dollar bill folds complete with diagrams
(perpetually in progress) by Clay, cl...@mail.msd.si.net
http://www.msd.si.net/~clay/money/
An origami FAQ
http://www2.gsu.edu/~gs01yyj/origami/faq.html
Origami records, compiled by John Smith
http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/jwu/Info/records.html
Jim Mockford `How Big can a Paper Crane Be'
http://www.csz.com/paper/artmock.html
Geometry problems relating to origami
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~eppstein/junkyard/
Interactive origami in VRML
http://www.neuro.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~aly/polygon/vrml/ika/
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes - World Peace Project '95
http://pages.prodigy.com/WA/dream/
Fascinating Folds
http://www.csz.com/paper/index.html
SSD's annotated origami bibliography
http://www-mae.engr.ucf.edu/~ssd/origami.html
Origami USA
http://www2.gsu.edu/~gs01yyj/ousa/ousa.html
British Origami Society
http://alf2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk:1500/bos.html
IBM
http://www.ibm.com/Stretch/EOS/pages.html
9) Books
a) What are some great books?
i) for children
Steve and Megumi Biddle:
_Amazing_Origami_for_Children_
Margaret W. Campbell:
_Paper_Toy_Making_
Isao Honda:
_World_Of_Origami_ (1960's edition)
Neale:
_Bunny_Bill_
ii) others
Jay Ansill
_Mythical_Beings_
At least four dragon models in this book
Peter Engel:
_Origami_From_Angelfish_To_Zen_
Contains complex models, and an amazing long introduction
Robert Harbin:
_Origami,_The_Art_Of_Paper_Folding_
Good intro, 100s of models including classics, flapping
bird, sampan, frog
_Secrets_Of_Origami_
Features pictures of the creators before each section
Fumiaki Kawahata:
_Origami_Fantasy_
Mainly dinosaurs of extreme difficulty and intricate detail
Kazuo Kobayashi:
_Origami_for_parties_
games, place settings, puppets and planes, push and pull
animals / Kazuo Kobayashi, Makoto Yamaguchi ; [translation
by Shinji and Nicole Nakamura].
Robert Lang:
_The_Complete_Book_of_Origami_
Complex and difficult models including sections on three
dimensional folds and action folds.
John Montroll:
_Prehistoric_Origami_
Lots of complex dinosaurs including Stegosaurus,
Triceratops, and Tyrranosaurus Rex
_African_Animals_In_Origami_
Includes a zebra and tiger with real stripes, and a giraffe
with real spots, among others.
Akira Yoshizawa:
_Origami_Museum_I:_Animals_
Simple models of incredible depth and beauty.
_Sousaku_Origami_
_Dokuhon_II_
b) What books have dollar bill folds?
Caruba, _Magic_Of_Folding_Money_
12 folds including
pistol, gun, ring
Carceda, _Folding_Money_Book_
9 classic models
Peter Engel, _Origami_From_Angelfish_to_Zen_
Not dedicated to money folds, this one does have
boat, bowtie, crab
Frenkil, _Folding_Money_Volume_2_
Alphabet and numbers, plus 20 other models by various creators,
including
ring, church, shoe, elephant
John Montroll, _Origami_Sculptures_
Not dedicated to money folds, this one does have
walrus
Neale, _Bunny_Bill_
bunny in a hat
Origami USA collection, _Making_More_With_Money_
38 models by various creators, including
Fred Rhom's sniffing bunny, Alice Grey's snake
Stephen Weiss, _Wings_And_Things_
two gliders
c) What books have models made from 8 1/2" x 11" paper?
Robert Lang and Stephen Weiss, _Origami_Zoo_
irish setter
d) I think the diagrams in my book must be wrong
Dave Cunningham maintains the ``Origami Book Errata And Hints''
sheet, posted occassionally to alt.arts.origami and mirrored at
http://lynx.dac.neu.edu/home/httpd/z/zbrown/origami
e) I'm looking for a
i) crab
Peter Engel: _Origami_From_AngelFish_To_Zen_
Robert J. Lang and Stephen Weiss: _Origami_Zoo_
Isao Honda: _The_World_Of_Origami_ (1960's edition)
John Montroll: _Animal_Origami_For_The_Enthusiast_
John Montroll and Robert Lang: _Origami_Sea_Life_
Akira Yoshizawa: _Sousaku_Origami_
ii) turtle
Akira Yoshizawa: _Origami_Museum_I:_Animals_
Robert J. Lang and Stephen Weiss: _Origami_Zoo_
iii) heart with an arrow through it
Peter Engel: _Origami_From_AngelFish_To_Zen_
iv) waterbomb, or one piece cube
Margaret W. Campbell, _Paper_Toy_Making_
f) Relative sizes of paper to model
Books covered below:
Peter Engel, _Origami_From_Angelfish_To_Zen_
a.k.a _Folding_The_Universe_
Robert Lang, _Origami_Insects_
Robert Lang, _The_Complete_Book_Of_Origami_
John Montroll, _Origami_Inside_Out_
John Montroll, _Mythological_Creatures_and_The_Chinese_Zodiac_
Nolan, _Creating_Origami_
Peter Engel, _Origami_From_Angelfish_To_Zen_
Angelfish:
10" side square --> 10" tall
Butterfly fish:
10" side square --> 6 5/8" tall
Discus fish:
10" side square --> 6 5/8" tall
Hummingbird:
10" side square --> 6" wingspan
Penguin:
10" side square --> 6" tall
Giraffe:
10" side square --> 4 3/4" tall
Kangaroo:
10" side square --> 3 7/8" tall
One-dollar yacht:
one-dollar bill --> 6" long
One-dollar bow tie:
one-dollar bill --> 5" long
One-dollar crab:
one-dollar bill --> 1" wide
Eight-pointed star:
10" side square --> 7" diameter
Valentine:
10" side square --> 5 1/2" long
Crab:
10" side square --> 2 1/4" wide
Centipede:
10" x 40" rectangle --> 13 1/2" long
Octopus:
10" side square --> 3 1/2" long
Squid:
10" side square --> 6 3/8" long
Scorpion:
10" side square --> 2 1/8" long
Rattlesnake:
10" side square --> 2 1/4" diameter
Alligator:
10" side square --> 6 1/2" long
Tiger:
10" side square --> 5" long
Reindeer:
10" side square --> 3" long
Elephant:
10" side square --> 2 3/4" long
Knight on horseback:
10" side square --> 2 3/4" tall
Butterfly:
10" side square --> 5" wingspan
Robert Lang, _Origami_Insects_
Treehopper:
10" side square --> 7" long
Spotted Ladybug:
10" side square --> 2.75" long
Orb Weaver:
10" side square --> 3.5" long
Tarantula:
10" side square --> 3.75" long
Tick (hungry):
10" side square --> 3.75" long
Tick (sated):
10" side square --> 5.5" long
Ant:
10" side square --> 5.5" long
Butterfly:
10" side square --> 4" wingspan
Scarab Beetle:
10" side square --> 3.5" long
Cicada:
10" side square --> 5" long
Grasshopper:
10" side square --> 3.5" long
Black Pine Sawyer:
10" side square --> 4.5" long
Dragonfly:
10" side square --> 3.75" long
Hercules Beetle:
10" side square --> 5" long
Long Necked Seed Bug:
10" side square --> 4.75" long
Pill Bug:
10" side square --> 3.5" long
Praying Mantis:
10" side square --> 5" long
Stag Beetle:
10" side square --> 3.75" long
Paper Wasp:
10" side square --> 4.5" long
Samurai Helmet Beetle:
10" side square --> 4.5" long
Scorpion:
10" side square --> 3.5" long
Robert Lang, _The_Complete_Book_Of_Origami_
The Bassist:
23" x 27.761" rectangle --> 7" tall model
The Piano Player:
14" rectangle --> 3" long, 1.5" high
The Coocoo Clock:
7'x1' rectangle --> 13" top to bottom, 7.75" clock face
John Montroll, _Origami_Inside_Out_
Chess board:
36" side square --> 9" side
John Montroll, _Mythological_Creatures_and_The_Chinese_Zodiac_
Rooster:
10" side square --> 4" high
Sea Serpent:
10" side square --> 8" long
Pegasus:
10" side square --> 4.5" long
Chimera:
10" side square --> 2.5" high, 4.5" long
Three-Headed Dragon:
10" side square --> 3" high, 4" long
Nolan, _Creating_Origami_
It's Magic:
5"x10" rectangle --> 3.75" tall
Unicorn:
10" side square --> 4" long
Squrrel on a Log:
10" side square --> 5" long
Full Rigged Ship:
10" side square --> 3.75" long
Kangaroo:
10" side square --> 3.25" high
Horseshoe crab:
10" side square --> 3" diameter
Wolf Spider:
10" side square --> 4" across
Octopus:
10" side square --> 4" across
Andreas Rose:
10" side square --> 5" side square
Tarantula:
10" side square --> 2" across
Australian Leaf Bug:
10" side square --> 6" long
Dragonfly:
10" side square --> 4" across
Hydra:
10" side square --> 5" long
Taarakian Dragon Glider:
10" side square --> 7" wingspan
Natasha's dragon:
10" side square --> 6" long
Cerberus:
10" side square --> 4" long
Stylized Pegasus:
10" side square --> 5" long
Loch Ness Monster:
10" side square --> 6" long
Braided Paper:
10" side square --> 3.75" side square
Frost Dragon:
24" side square --> 16" long
Clown Fish & Sea Anemone:
36" side square --> 6" across, fish is 2.5" long
Diving Duck:
10" side square --> 5" high
Leaping Lizard:
10" side square --> 8" long
Fairy:
6" side square --> 3" long with 4.5" wingspan
10) What origami groups exist?
A list of all known origami groups is kept at
http://lynx.dac.neu.edu/home/httpd/z/zbrown/origami
11) Origami diagrams in ascii art
-------------------- Akira Yoshizawa's Mouse ------------------
-1- -2- -3- -4-
________ ____ \. in progress
| | /\. | \`\. ________ \
| | / .'`\| \ `\. | \\. ./|
| | /.'_,-' \ `\. | \ `\./' | Rotate
|________| /,-' `--... `\.| \.. `\.| and turn
````` ````` over
Fold 2 adjacent Rabbit fold the long flap while
edges to center mountain folding the single layer
----------------------------------------------------------------
-5- -6- (A) -7-
/;
/' ) \.
,,--'^\, /-'^\,/' ( \`\ /-'^\,_---~(
,,--'' `, / ``,, | \ `/ ``,, \ Fold the
./__,.,,__.,,_.._..', /.,,_.._..__`\( \/.,,_.._..__`\( ear flaps
| / \ \ ~~(B) `~ ~~ up on both
| ./ `\ \ sides
| / `\ \ Reverse the head
|/ `\\ down again so (A)
`\ comes near (B)
Reverse fold the head and reverse the
up and the tail down tail up
----------------------------------------------------------------
-8-
(A)
\. ,,--^\,_ \~^~~^^~~^~^~~^^/|
\`\. /'' ``,\ /' (
\ `\. / \ /' (
\ / \ /' )
\ / \ /' ``,, )
\/,_.._..__ __,,_._._\/' `\.|
\_/ ~~ (B) `
Thin the tail. Outside reverse fold the nose,
bringing point (A) on both sides down near (B)
----------------------------------------------------------------
-9-
\-.
`\`\. ,,--^\,_ \-..
`\ `\. /'' ``,\ `(``--__
`\ `\. / \ ( '\.
`\ / \ ) \
`\/ \ ) \.
/,_.._..__ __,,_._._\|___.._,,_,,\
~~
Tuck the nose in, thin the jaw with
reverse folds, spread the ears, and
slightly reverse the abdomen to
indicate the legs.
----------------------------------------------------------------
-10-
\-.
`\`\. ,,--^\,_ /\
`\ `\. /'' ``,( )'``--__
`\ `\. / \) \ '\.
`\ / \ | \
`\/ \| ___.._,,/
/,_.._..--~~--__,,_._._\|
The Finished Yoshizawa Mouse.
----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------- Akira Yoshizawa's Rabbit -------------------
-3-
-1- open
/|\
/'\ -2- /' | `\
/' `\ /' | `\
/' `\ /\ /' | `\
/' `\ /' `\ \ | /
\ / /' `\ `\ | /'
`\ /' /'__________`\ `\ | /'
`\ /' `\|/'
`\,/' fold the two closed
side corners
fold in half up. sharpen the ears by
diagonally squashing the open end,
with two layers on each
side of each squash.
----------------------------------------------------------------
-4- -5-
. .
./|\. ./|
,`/ | \`, ,`/ |
.` / | \ `. .` / | ""--._
,` / | \ `, ,` / | "-.
.` / | \ `. .` / | `,
:`-._ / | \ _,-. :`-._ / | \
`: `~=,._ | _.,-=~' ;' `: `~=,._ | |
`: _,-'|`-._ ;' `: _,-'| \ | /
`:_,-' | `-._;' `:_,-' | \ /
`. | .` `. |
`, | ,` `, |
`. | .` `. |
`. | .` `. |
`:` `:
Mountain fold in half swivel the ears out on
both sides
----------------------------------------------------------------
-6- -7-
. D \ -,_
.'| `\ `-,_
base ,` | `\ `-,_ .'|
.` | `\ `-,_A ,` |
,` | `\ `-,_ .` |
.` | `\ `-,,` |
:`-._ | `\ ,` C |
`: `~=,._ | `\ .:` |
`: _,-'|^"~~=-.__ `\ ~~--,,__ |
`:_,-' | ^"~~=-.__ ,` `\ ~~--__|
`. |------------------" ear .` `\ /
`, | ,` `\ /
`. | .` `\ /'
`. | :`_________________`\/
`: nose B
rotate so the base is flat Fold along AB, bringing DB to
and the nose and ears aim lie on C. This raises the ears
up. and thins them out.
----------------------------------------------------------------
/| /|
/ | -8- / | -9-
/ | / |
/ | / |
/ | .'| / |
| | ,` | | |
| | .` | | |
| |` | | ,'\
| | | \` `\
.'| |_ | .' `\
,-~ | | ~~--,,| ,-\~~~~~|~~~~~~
,` | | / ,` \ |
.` | | / .` \ |
,` || / ,` \ |
.` || /' .` \ |
:`________________|/ :`_______________\|
squash the head so the tuck in the tip of the nose,
nose comes down part way double reverse fold the tail.
----------------------------------------------------------------
/|
/ | -10-
/ |
/ |
/ |
| |
| |
| ,'\
\` `\
.' /
,-\~~~~~|~~~
,` \ |
.` \ |
___| \ |
\ | \ |
`\|___________\|
Spread open the ears and shape them.
Open the legs a little. Voila!
----------------------------------------------------------------
12) Credits
I've gotten a lot of the information in this FYI sheet from many sources
on the web, usenet, and elsewhere, but the following people have
intentionally provided material that went to the formation of this FYI
sheet (if I've used something you gave me, and your name is not here,
drop me a line and I'll add it in the next release):
Rebecca Couture
Marc Kirschenbaum
Laurence Biederman
Wayne Ko
Steve Arlow
Patricia Gallo
Nick Robinson
Randy Dunbar
Namir
Tim Rueger