My First Post

[b00m13]

Hi, I'm Steve, and as you can prob guess from my post count, I'm a new guy. Until about a month ago, I've never folded anything that took more then 20-30 steps. I had no idea wtf a mountain fold or a valley fold was; I've only ever folded "puff-open turtles" from those small 5x5 cm paper that came in those small boxes (mainly to pass time). And I thought that was pretty much as complicated as it got to origami. But damn, was I wrong. I don't remember how I ran into it online, but I somehow ran into an image of Kamiya's Divine Dragon and I really wanted to fold it for some reason (most likely 'cuz it looked so cool). So I went down to my local Korean store to pick up some larger sheets of generic folding paper (30x30 cm), and I thought that was enough. I was wrong and wasted 6 days all because I didn't read instructions and rushed into it. So I trained a bit more by folding other models (slightly easier ones to get a better understanding of certain kinds of folds; I'm still pretty bad at it).
I started with the simpler stuff then got onto a 'lil more complicated stuff like a 'lil 3-D birdy, and recently an angel playing a lute



When I finished that one, I felt I was more experienced now, and that I could take on the Divine Dragon again,... but a major problem, the shops didn't sell any folding paper larger then 30x30 cm...
I knew I wouldn't be able to do it w/o larger sized paper w/o tearing the paper apart. So I settled with using gift wrapping paper (76x76 cm). The model got really hard to bend near the end (mainly with the leg/feet area). So this was with it came out to...



It obviously can't compare to most of those I've seen already on this forum or on Google image search, but it's not TOO bad for novice folder... right?

Here's an URL link to my facebook album that displays my other previous models

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... =669655603

If anyone can send me link(s) to some online stores that sells really large sized sheets of good quality folding paper (preferably ones that don't tear after 200+ steps); or things you recommend I should use for/while folding, that would be much appreciated. (Thank you in advance)

Also, a few questions.

That Ryu Zin model, is that REALLY from just one large sheet of square paper? (if it is, what size and kind of paper is recommended?)

I read on some posts that some people use glue sticks and other tools; and some use cuts... are those really considered zhe zhi/origami if you use them?

Where can I find the diagrams not CP's (I have no idea how CP's are read and highly doubt I'll ever be able to read them w/o have a seizure... I'm epileptic...), for the models by that Hoyjo Takashi guy:
the one with the Angel standing tall with his arms crossed (that's what it looks like to me);
the one-winged/one-armed Icarus;
and the popular green colored violinist.
I tried searching for places to buy the Tanteidan magazines but not even Barnes and Noble's have them... please share your experience(s) with me.

And thanks for anything~

[origamimasterjared]

Welcome to the wonderful world of origami!

That's not bad at all. The Tanteidan Magazines must be purchased directly from JOAS: http://origami.gr.jp/JOAS/subscribe-e.html

As for good paper that won't tear... You're pretty much on your own for that. You generally have to prepare the paper yourself. This even goes for the very expensive paper some of us choose to use. Some inexpensive papers you can make are tissue-foil and double-tissue. Search the forum for more information about making these. Also, some people are successful with things like kraft paper and tracing paper.

And gluing is often used to attach two sheets of paper, before any folding begins, in order to get desired color combinations or paper consistency/weight/folding properties. It's called back-coating.

There is a wealth of information about this on the forum, especially in the Sticky Topic at the top of the General sub-forum.

[ahudson]

check out Nicolas Terry's store, he has a wide selection of papers suitable for origami: http://www.origami-shop.com/

[mike352]

As for good paper that won't tear... You're pretty much on your own for that. You generally have to prepare the paper yourself.

You don't need to make your own paper. There are many great papers that you can buy that are suitable to very complicated origami. Search online for kozo, unryu, or mulberry tissue papers. Many good quality papers can be found at art supply stores (not craft stores in general).

On the other hand, many of these papers won't crease very well unless you add extra sizing (internal glue that holds paper fibers together) to the paper. This is usually in the form of spreading methylcellulose (MC) onto the paper and letting it dry, or white glue and water. More information on MC (the most popular) is found many places in this forum.

[b00m13]

Thank you all so very much guys. I searched the forums and googled many of the terms and links you posted and they were very informative; and I especially liked the youtube vid that showed the guy making a foil-tissue paper in under 5 minutes.

Here's the link of that vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiD22cDNND4

time to go out and pick up a paper-cutter

[mike352]

Paper cutters are expensive, unfortunately, unless they're less than 12 inches long. If you live in the US, you can go to the Fedex/Kinkos stores across the country, and walk in anytime to use their large, 42 inch paper cutters.

Otherwise, for a cheaper alternative to paying lots of money for a large paper cutter, you can buy a knife or rolling cutter, and some molds or rulers, etc.

[b00m13]

@ mike

Yeah, I checked last night, and they're pretty pricey for the good stuff, but an alternative was to fold the paper vertically, then horizontally, and finally diagonally (until it's an isosceles right triangle); cut it once on the long side, and you'll have a nice perfect square (with a 12 inch cutter, you can get a nice < 24"x24" square sheet ^_^)

and again, thanks guys. I tried making that tissue foil paper today and made one on the first try!! Then used I spent 20 minutes looking through different models to make with it (I didn't want to just give away my tissue-foil paper viriginity to just anything; like a "Crane", lol), and I decided to attempt to make the model that I failed at every time I tried with origami paper... the Blue Whale by SK.

It felt weird folding tissue-foil paper, the smooth non-friction texture, the fact that it stays the way you fold it, unlike some paper where it decides to unfold itself just because it has too many layers, etc.

Here's what it came out to look like...



It's not perfect, but most of my stuff aren't anyways, and I've accepted that (SO, SO SHOULD YOU!! heh). The whale took 7 hours to make, and I actually like it~ (very rare, b'cuz I usually end up disappointed).