What is your favourate paper for complex origami?

[cowburger13]

I love tracing paper

[OrigamiGeek]

my favorite is any kind of foil

I think I will go back on that statment ^ i do like foil but I think tracing paper is better more like tracing foil It has the same quality as foil but the foil on tracing foil doesn't split like on other foil paper

[smosher]

This might be a bit strange, but USPS Large Postage Envelopes. The paper is exactly like Origamido, it seems thick, but it is very light and thin and amazing to work with. The fibers from the paper is usable in papermaking too, and is ideal for most any type of model.

The second choice is my own blend of mystery fibers. I take about 20 percent unryu fibers and 80 percent envelope fibers to produce a very stiff paper I like to call Rigor Mortis paper. Willing to sell it to people who want to fold with it.

[Flame_Kurosei]

Kraft is the paper I usually turn to for complex folds. Thin, easy to reverse fold, good memory of folds, and can be painted with acrylic for a variety of colours.

[cowburger13]

Where would I find kraft?

[Flame_Kurosei]

Depends on how thick/thin you want the paper.
If you want the thinnest yet usable, Terry's kraft is the way to go: http://www.origami-shop.com/en/origami- ... e-products

If you want something that's thicker, most stores in the US sell gift wrap that's made out of kraft paper, usually a brown or white color. Prices range from cheap (I got a 3ftx10ft roll for $1) to a bit more pricey (I found thinner plain brown paper used to wrap packages at the post office for $3-$4 at the same length--still very strong and resilient though). Careful, because these might be a bit too thick for your needs, and might need some wetfolding to work. Also, small models (example: 6in square) might be more difficult since the paper's thicker.

Some forms of kraft paper also come in huge rolls, called banner paper (this is what I use the most). It's a kind of kraft paper that comes in a variety of colours (not thick though..has the thickness of copy paper, or thick parchment). I like it because it has a springiness to it that makes it a lot more forgiving (less paper splay and crumpling), but bigger sheets have to be cut since it is thicker.

30-65gsm is usually the range to stay in if you're looking for kraft paper though.

Hope I helped.

Flame

[cowburger13]

I got a big roll of the thicker brown kind. Could I still fold complex models with it?

[Flame_Kurosei]

Yes, depends on how complex you want to go though.

With thick kraft (about the thickness between tant and elephant hide), the most complex I've folded is Jason Ku's Nazgul 8.1. It held it's shape well and I didn't have to wetfold it due to its thickness/stiffness, so I'd say yes.
Here's what I'm talking about: http://flamekurosei.deviantart.com/gall ... 4#/d4nxxmq

I'd try to stray away from supercomplex though, because the small parts (example, scales) tend to get thick (hello SK Ryuzin 3.5)

[cowburger13]

Ah bummer I fold mostly insects XD

[Flame_Kurosei]

Oh, you fold insects? In that case...
Have you ever tried wrapping paper? The thin kind used for wrapping food--it's usually brown or white and waxy on one side. It's a form of thin kraft that you could definitely use for thin folds, like insects and their narrow appendages. It's usually around 40gsm (thin) and can be found in a lot of grocery stores or delis cheaply ($2-3, from what I've bought).
EDIT: Forgot to say--it's usually called sandwich paper or food wrapping paper. I'm not sure if there is any on the internet, but I just thought I'd let you know.

[cowburger13]

Oh yeah, I have seen that before Thanks for letting me know!

[Flame_Kurosei]

You're most certainly welcome.