Table Of ContentOrigami Masters
Nick Robinson
TUTTLE Publishing
Tokyo Rutland, Vermont Singapore
Contents
Introduction page 6
Folding Tips page 8
Notes About Origami Paper page 8
A Guide to Origami Folding Symbols page 9
TWO-FOLD SANTA
Paula Versnick
page 13
PAULO’S DISH
Nick Robinson
page 15
FACES
Thea Anning
page 18
LAZY SUSAN
Traditional Design
page 21
LOVE BOAT
Francis Ow
page 24
RABBIT
Akira Yoshizawa
page 28
PENGUIN
John Montroll
page 32
SMILING FROG
Román Díaz
page 35
SCALLOP
Michael LaFosse
page 39
ONE THIRD CUBE
Jun Maekawa
page 45
FOX
Kunihiko Kasahara
page 49
SIX-POINTED STAR
Francis Ow
page 53
MOUSE
Akira Yoshizawa
page 57
FORM
Philip Shen
page 61
TRISKELION
Robert Foord
page 65
STAR TATO
José Meeusen
page 68
UNSTABLE
David Brill
page 72
PANDA
Ted Megrath
page 76
ELEPHANT
Paul Jackson
page 80
ROSE
Toshikazu Kawasaki
page 86
What Else Can You Do After Completing This Book? page 91
The Artists page 93
INTRODUCTION
The Japanese word origami—composed of ORI, “to fold,” and KAMI, “paper”—literally
means “to fold paper” (or “folded paper”). It alludes to the possibility of using one or
more sheets of paper to create a folded paper representation of a given subject. With the
art of origami you can reproduce practically anything, whether it belongs to the realm
of the abstract or instead involves a form of figurative representation, be it a living
form, an inanimate object or a machine: there are no limits to creativity!
This collection—curated by internationally renowned origamist Nick Robinson—
presents a selection of twenty impressive models from all over the world, created by
some of the most important contemporary origami masters. As with all original works
of art, these pieces vary greatly in style and form, as each embodies an original vision of
origami and depicts each particular subject as it is interpreted by the individual artist:
from the charming Two-Fold Santa to classic animals such as the Smiling Frog and the
Penguin, and from organic forms to geometric shapes, each subject is developed based
on the very personal interpretation of its creator.
To create these models, it is essential to read the instructions carefully before
starting. Do your best to envision the process in advance, step by step. Whenever you
approach one of the models in this book for the first time, it is advisable to fold it using
regular origami paper: you should use this kit’s special paper only when you are able
to fold it to perfection. Indeed, once you have learned the folds of a model, it is fun to
experiment, for instance using new types of paper to determine which color, pattern or
texture work best. Then, start to fold again from the beginning with your favorite paper.
Work slowly and with great precision, starting over with a fresh sheet if you make a
mistake. Depending on the skill level and experience of the individual folder, it is normal
to find oneself having to perform the same sequence several times before mastering it to
the point of making the model really satisfying and expressive. But the effort will be well
repaid by the variety and originality of the ideas provided in this book.
Once the model is mastered, you can start looking for faster folding procedures for
the models presented here, which are designed for beginners and require several addi-
tional steps that an expert folder could ignore.
Once you have a good understanding of the models, it will be fun to experiment.
Get creative by changing angles and folds to give your models a touch of originality.
Don’t worry about the challenge represented by the projects collected in these pages: the
book also contains a very useful introductory section that contains all the symbols and
terminology to help even the absolute beginner to quickly learn the language of origami.
Have fun experimenting, reduce or enlarge the models according to your taste and if
you manage to create new models... well, share them with me: you may be published in
my next collection!
6
folding TIPS
Folding paper neatly and accurately isn’t always easy to origami newcomers. How-
ever, there’s no reason why you can’t improve your folding skills, no matter how
little confidence may you have. Here are a few simple tips.
• Fold slowly, it’s not a race. You will get much better results.
• It’s generally better to fold the paper away from you rather than toward you (where
your hands can get in the way).
• Set aside plenty of time to fold, distractions will interrupt your concentration.
• Fold at a well-lit table, with enough space for your elbows to move freely and for
this book to lie open for easy reference.
• Make all creases sharp, and be sure to precisely position the paper before flattening.
• Practice each model at least three times using cheaper paper before using your
best paper.
• If you make your own squares from a larger sheet, use a sharp blade to cut the
paper very accurately. A rotary trimmer is a good investment.
• Working in a small group of folders is fun and it will also enable you to learn many
different techniques in a short amount of time.
• Teaching a model to other people will really deepen your understanding of the
folding sequence.
7
Notes about origami paper
The paper supplied with this kit has been specially selected and prepared to enable
you to produce amazing origami models. But sooner or later, this supply of beau-
tiful sheets will become exhausted, and you will need to look elsewhere for folding
paper. There are lots of options for “proper” origami paper (which can be bought
cheaply on the Internet, and in craft stores), but you can also choose from many
other types of paper, particularly if you want to fold a large version of a model. The
paper should be crisp and capable of “remembering” a crease (so it doesn’t begin
to unfold on its own). Craft and art shops have a wide range of beautiful papers, so
try to choose a pattern that really suits the final design. It will be a better value to
buy a large sheet, and then cut it down to make several smaller squares. The steps
below show a simple method for cutting a rectangular sheet into a perfect square.
1 2
Fold a short edge to a Fold the surplus paper
long edge. over the edge, crease and
unfold.
3
Unfold the paper 4
Cut off the surplus
fully.
paper along the crease
to leave a square.
8
A Guide to Origami Folding Symbols
Valley fold
Fold the paper in the
usual way.
Valley fold and
unfold
Make a crease, and then
unfold it.
Mountain fold
Fold a flap or layer behind. This can usually be made as a
valley fold by turning the paper over.
Turn over
Lift the paper up and turn it upside down, like flipping a
pancake.
9
Repeat arrow
Whatever move you have made is repeated elsewhere on
the paper. The arrow may give you specific steps to repeat
and / or show how many times to repeat the step.
Rotate 180
degrees
Turn the paper so the lowest edge becomes the upper-
most edge.
Rotate 90
degrees
Turn the paper a quarter turn in the direction indicated by
the arrow.
Fold to dotted
line
A dotted line denotes an imaginary crease or edge as guid-
ance for a fold.
10
