Swan
How to Download the Bonus Material of this Book.
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2. Click the link below or copy paste the URL to your web browser.
http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/origami-studio-kit-downloadable-cd-content
For support email us at [email protected].
Introduction
Nearly every day at our origami fine art exhibitions, somebody will begin a discussion saying how much they love origami, and how much they would love to fold, but simply can’t do it. Usually they find origami diagrams too frustrating to follow. We enjoy origami so much that it makes us sad to hear this. We appreciate that everyone’s interested in the art of origami, and so we created this kit to help beginners fold successfully. The lessons we included in this kit will short-circuit most of the frustrating obstacles experienced by beginners, and because diagrams seem to be a significant source of anxiety, we have augmented each step with actual demonstrations on the video. No matter your age, or the amount of previous paper-folding experience, these projects and techniques will help you become a better folder. We’re confident that by explaining what is going on we can remove the frustrating obstacles. We hope origami will provide you with a lifetime of joy as you share your favorite designs with friends, relatives and acquaintances.
Appreciation for origami shares some interesting parallels with that of music. Musicians are born in the audience. Something moves them to want to create beauty too. Music is created by composers, arranged by experts to maximize the instruments and talents at hand, executed by performers according to direction from a conductor—all for the enjoyment of the audience. With this kit, your interest in paper folding may move you from the audience to the stage. Perhaps you will someday create new designs, make your own papers, teach new students, or even orchestrate an exhibit.
How to Use this Kit
The following tips offer suggestions about how to maximize the value of this kit:
• Treat yourself to an overview of the whole program by watching the entire video before you begin folding.
• Follow the lessons in order, and try not to jump around—instructions are often presented simply, initially, and developed to greater complexity in subsequent lessons.
• Use the booklet along with the DVD, side by side, when first learning a new project.
• When starting a new lesson, watch each video segment before folding any paper, so that you can focus your attention on the demonstration. It is okay to watch a clip more that once, before following along while folding paper, just as you might listen to a song several times before you sing it.
• Use the “pause,” “play,” and “back” features of your DVD player as needed to control the pace of each video lesson.
• Some beginners find it helpful to fold a series of “step-folds,” from small squares, for each project—pasting a sequence of folds into a scrapbook.
• Master and memorize each project before moving on to the next. Try to pace yourself to a couple of projects a week.
• Practice each model using many different types of papers to gain additional insight about the importance of paper choice.
• The best way to cement your understanding is to pass it along, so teach each origami project to a friend soon after you master it.
A Word About Origami Bases
An origami “base” is a common beginning—a set of initial folds resulting in a form, from which one continues on to fold different models. For many years, experimental development from a small set of traditional bases was the most common method used to invent new origami models. As each base imparts its own particular style on the resulting form, it is not difficult to see that the origami crane comes from a “bird” base or that the star box is folded from the “preliminary” base. The effect is not unlike that in music, where the trained ear can easily hear the musical key in which a piece was written. Indeed, origami bases, like musical scales, are chosen for specific characteristics, yielding the best potential for any particular composition. You will soon be developing the ability to visualize design potentials in origami bases, which will aid you both in reading diagrams, and in developing new origami designs.
We will be presenting several essential origami bases throughout this book.
Whenever you encounter a new base, practice it, just as a musician practices scales, arpeggios and chords. This will help you develop not only your paper folding skills but also your understanding of origami’s inherent structure systems and language.
Kite Base (page 8)
Fish Base (page 23)
Blintz Base (page 29)
Preliminary Base (page 39)
Pinwheel Base (page 41)
Frog Base (page 60)
Lily Base (page 63)
Waterbomb Base (page 67)
Origami Symbols and Tips
