Medium —Get a tub of Artists’ Medium. This seems only to be sold at art stores, so you may need to make a special trip or search the Internet. I use “matte” Artists’ Medium.
Acrylic Paint —I use very limited amounts of acrylic paint for special effects. I don’t like acrylics because they never seem to dry completely and leave paper feeling like shower curtain material. They also smell horrible. Make sure you pick up Gold and Silver, as we’ll use these for the “silk-technique” (page 38).
From the Market:
Paint Cups —There’s no need to buy paint cups as many products you purchase come packaged in them. Asian food comes with plastic dishes of sauce. These dishes work well. Granola that comes with yogurt is packaged in one of the best painting cups I’ve ever found. And some drink mixes come with individually packed cups.
Chopsticks —Chopsticks are useful for holding paper down while you paint. I rely on them, especially for working with smaller flowers.
The Project Folding Symbols
Writing an origami book presents many challenges, but there is one challenge that surpasses them all: books are two-dimensional, and Origami Bonsai is three-dimensional. In other words, the paper you are reading right now has essentially two dimensions, length and width. The flower you want to make has three dimensions, length, width, and height. How do I convey a three-dimensional subject when I only have two dimensions to work with?
I need ways to convey the third dimension when necessary. You will see the folding symbols presented in this chapter repeatedly throughout this book. On more complex subjects, you will not only see these symbols, but pictures with symbols as well. I have tried to diligently create folding diagrams that are easy to read, and ensure your success.
You may not fold the perfect flower the first time. You might even get stuck. But be patient, and approach Origami Bonsai as if it were a puzzle to be solved. The solution is here on the pages, but sometimes it’s a good idea to put down the book and pick it up again in the morning.
You’d be surprised how many Origami models I’ve had to ponder overnight only to discover a simple resolution the following morning.
This beautiful Origami Bonsai Columbine has multiple leaf and flower sizes for heightened realism.
The symbol in the middle means “flip.” The green side facing down now faces up after the flip symbol.
The double-ended arrow is my fold, and then unfold symbol. In this case it means you should fold the square diagonally, forming a triangle, and then unfold it.
Notice how the fold has become a thinner line in the square on the right. Also notice that the edges of paper are always a thick line.
Remember, previous folds are a thin line and paper edges are a thick line.
This means fold the bottom left corner to the upper right corner and leave it there.
This means fold the bottom left corner to the upper right corner while watching the alignment on the right carefully, and leave it there.
This means fold the square diagonally, from lower left to upper right, forming a triangle, and then unfold it, and then fold the square diagonally from lower right to upper left and unfold it.
This means cut the thin line with scissors. In this case the paper will be cut in half forming two rectangles.
A Three-Dimensional Collapse
So far I’ve only presented folding symbols in two dimensions. Yellow folding symbols indicate movement in the third dimension. This is how we “collapse” a square into a more complex square one quarter its original size.
Each yellow dot will follow a yellow arrow to the center of the piece of paper.
Notice that the tips of the longer diagonal folds are migrating upward and toward the center, while the shorter horizontal and vertical folds are migrating to form the sides.
Now, all four corners (marked by yellow dots) are in the center of the square. The collapse is complete.
This is what the original folding diagram for a collapse will look like. Whenever you see a yellow arrow it means you lift its associated point up.
Reversing the Direction of a Fold
Whenever you see a red line, it means to reverse the direction of the existing fold under that line. Sharp, clearly-defined folds are easy to reverse. Dull, obscure folds are virtually impossible to reverse. You need a tool to sharpen your folds. If you do not have a wallpaper roller, you can use your fingernail to sharpen folds, but a better alternative is to use a wooden paint-mixing stick, a plastic putty knife, or a plastic spatula. Do not use metal tools, as you could rip your paper. Use of anything other than a wallpaper roller may damage your paper’s painted surface.
Performing a Book Fold
A book fold is almost always required at some point following a collapse. A book fold mimics turning the pages of a book.
Folding Leaves and Impatiens
At first glance a leaf seems to be a simple thing, however many plant species produce leaves of complex points and curves. Sometimes it is hard to get a square piece of paper to conform to these natural designs. After all, we’re taking a two-dimensional piece of paper, with four corners, and “convincing it,” through origami, to mimic natural species that have depth and multiple points. I have developed three basic leaf forms, standard, thin and oval, and a multitude of variations of these models.
The first leaf we’ll explore is my “standard” leaf. I consider it the most beautiful when folded in
