Monthly Folding Challenge - August 2009

[juston]

Oh it's 30, following all the rules as well. And it's all reference folds (no guess work... I hate that stuff). The reason it looks more complex is because of the really tight twist it has. If you saw the twist a little more relaxed you'd see just how simple it is.

[legionzilla]

aces, the cerberus is really dang cute. juston, well done on the rose- can that really be done with 30 folds!!!

[juston]

Okay two more and I'm done for this month's challenge (I always get inspired near crunch time... usually too near crunch time to actually fold, photograph, and submit anything).

I've done a simple version of Kamiya's Barosaurus (the challenge is called Kamiya Satoshi in less than 30 steps after all). His has 104 steps, not counting repeated steps... mine has 23 steps total. It also has nearly all the anatomical features of his (I could have made the legs more accurate to his without exceeding the fold limit but I decided not to for some silly reason which I can't remember now). I even copied the pose of his model to highlight the similarities.



After folding this model I realized I could recycle the rather simple base and make a pretty decent looking Brachiosaurus. While this model isn't based on John Montroll's Brachiosaurus, it employs the same technique he did to get more mileage out of one base... simply flip the base around and use the longer flaps for the front legs rather than the back this time.

My Brachiosaurus has even fewer folds than my Barosaurus... coming in at a whopping 19.



PS: Excuse my terrible photographs, they were desperately rushed. The Barosaurus's neck looks too short and the Brachiosaurus's tail look too long due to the angle of the photographs (which I thought looked cool at the time but didn't realize until just now that they don't show off the proper proportions of the models).

[juston]

Ooh boy, anyone that's doubtful my rose is really only 30 steps is going to be downright incredulous now that it's 26 steps. I just realized that 4 of those folds are redundant and can be left out as they form naturally, as a byproduct of later steps.



Here's the new breakdown:

8 steps to get what I consider the "base" (which is just a bird base with all the flaps up).

4 more steps to get the shape of the what will become the spiral arms.

4 steps that impart the twist on the model (this step naturally achieves the 4 folds previously included in the preceding section of the breakdown ).

9 open sinks (this and the twist are what gives the otherwise plain spiral arms their complex look). You can do this before twisting the model but I find it easier to do after.

Final step, roll down the outer petals to give a more natural look.



The resultant model is identical to the one photographed so I won't be folding/photographing another one... I hope that's okay.

[Rdude]

Nice ones Juston! The rose is amazing, and I love the Barosaurus!

Andrew

[akugami]

Okay two more and I'm done for this month's challenge ...

have you thought about diagramming these beautiful dinosaurs? i think a lot of people in here would appreciate an instruction that reduces the quite complex original of kamiya san so drastic as you did ...
anyway - your dinosaurs are going to be my favourites for the august challenge!

[origamifreak_1.6180339889]

last minute entry!!!!!!! i designed this at the beginning of the month and didnt even think of submitting it until now. its a simplified version of robin glynns dracula. has about 25 folds( including the pleats on the wings. without the pleats theres about 12 folds)

[Zoraz]

I don't know if this counts or not, but I designed a model inspired by Giang Dinh's Nocturne. Its definetly under 30 folds, but the model was already minimalist...



If this doesn't count, disregard this entry.

[legionzilla]

juston, those sauropods are amazing!!! The shaping really gave it a wonderful look!!!
origamifreak. very funny design- I like it!!!
Zoraz, though I have never seen the piece before, your design is really Gianh Dinh!!!

[Sunburst]

OK, so the month has ended and with it, this challenge as well. There were a lot of entries that I liked (and wished to fold too) but alas, I had to choose only three. Here goes :

3rd place - Elephant by snowblue

2nd place - Thurberus by aces21

1st place - Octopus by cephalopod (congrats!)

Congratulations to everyone who participated.
The topic for September should be up soon and cephalopod shall be the judge for the next challenge.

[foldymole]

1st place - Octopus by cephalopod (congrats!)

I can't argue with that. Best of a great selection of folding.

[Cephalopod]

Thank you! Well done to everyone else also.

[Sara]

Congratulations, Cephalopod!

And congrats to everyone who met the challenge and designed a piece. I think there were many superb submissions. Keep on going everybody!

-- Sara

[legionzilla]

Congratulations to you, Cephalopod!!!

[Fishgoth]

Anyone else see the irony?

PS: For the non teuthologically minded, the octopus that 'Cephalopod' has folded belongs for the mollusc class of ... cephalopods.

PPS: The plural of octopus is 'octopuses' or classically 'octopodes', but never 'octopii'. The word derives from classical Greek, not Latin.