How to fold a Turtle

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Wordgames
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How to fold a Turtle

Post by Wordgames »

Well after being disappointed with the turtle in the LaFosse book I started thinking I could design a turtle that looks just as crappy as his does when its not wet folded, folded from foil, duo foil, foil backed MC coated paper glued to 1inch steel plate or 1000 year old papyrus purchased from origamido etc etc and after a grand total of 20 minutes I have managed it.

No diagram but it’s very simple and has both sides of the shell.

1. Fold both diagonals and book folds.

2. Fold the middle of the left and right sides down to the middle of the bottom forming a waterbomb base /

3. Rabbit ear the left hand front flap up, NOTE while it should start from the middle of the bases bottom and head up towards the tip of the triangle top it should be offset from the top by about 1cm.

4. Repeat step 3 but this time have the rabbit ear pointing down (the gap should still be at the top.

5. Turn the paper over.

6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 but this time fold the right side up and the left down.

7. Fold the front right flap over to the left and the back left flap over to the right.

8. Outside reverse fold all the points till the stand out far enough to be flippers.

9. Crimp the top layer of each flipper close to the end to make them look more flipper like (this is more of a swivel fold).

10. Decide where the shell should end then crimp sink the point to form a head

11. Shape head and if you have a straw you can blow the turtle up in a manner which will entertain most 5 year olds... alternatively you can shape the shell a little too.

12. If turtle has not been blown up perform a similar manoeuvre to 10 at the bottom with a smaller amount of paper to form a tail.

Ta da, as promised you are now the proud owner of a turtle that looks just as crappy as a La-Fosse model sans wet folding.
Last edited by Wordgames on August 5th, 2006, 10:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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origami_8
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Post by origami_8 »

Very nice turtle!

Here are Gerwin (pink) and my (yellow) first attempts:

[img]http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/7554/p8050004fn5.jpg[/img][img]http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/6514/p8050005ay4.jpg[/img]

Thank you for the good instructions :D
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malachi
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Re: How to fold a Turtle

Post by malachi »

Wordgames wrote:Ta da, as promised you are now the proud owner of a turtle that looks just as crappy as a La-Fosse model sans wet folding.
Did you expect simple and easy things from a book called Advanced Origami: An Artist's Guide To Performances in Paper?
Wordgames
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Post by Wordgames »

Thanks Anna, glad you liked it and I have to say the yellow one looks better than mine does!

I will write a review of the LaFosse book when I get a chance, in truth it was not the book for me but not for the reasons you infer Malachi. The models in his book are very simple indeed the problem is that the models are not formed so much by the folding as they are by the sculpting once the folding is finished. I will concede I ignored the warning on the tone of the book in the phrase 'Artists Guide to Performances in Paper'.

Well Im off to try and fold a turtle that looks like Anna's.
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origami_8
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Post by origami_8 »

I´ve drawn a diagram of how I´ve done it:

Image

Thanks again for the instructions.
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wolf
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Post by wolf »

Wordgames wrote:...the problem is that the models are not formed so much by the folding as they are by the sculpting once the folding is finished...
Why is that a problem? That's been Michael LaFosse's style for years now.
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Post by Wordgames »

I refer to you the start of that quoted paragraph Wolf, it was simply not the book for me. It was purchased after several responses to a query that stated the models would look fine folded from normal paper but would look better wet folded, with one or two exceptions I disagree.

If you enjoy wet-folding or have an interest in making your own paper then this is likely to be a very good book for you, otherwise stay clear.
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful"
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Post by origami_8 »

Wordgames, please check your private messages!
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Post by malachi »

Wordgames wrote:It was purchased after several responses to a query that stated the models would look fine folded from normal paper but would look better wet folded, with one or two exceptions I disagree.
Are you talking about this thread?
viewtopic.php?t=1540&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc
Wordgames
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Post by Wordgames »

Among others Malachi yes, most people I have spoken to seem to be very enthusiastic about this book so despite my doubts I bought it.

It was not the right book for me, but this is not to say it would not be the right book for others.

I can say hand on heart that LaFosse's book inspired me to create a turtle of my very own.
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful"
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Post by origami_8 »

With Wordgames kind permission I´ve made computer drawn diagrams for his turtle and put them (together with a diagram for my bat) on our Origami Austria homepage.

Special thanks to Gerwin for his help.
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Post by Wordgames »

A very nice job with the diagrams Anna, could I ask what you used to draw them or are they hand-made?
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Post by origami_8 »

They´re made with Macromedia Freehand MXa. It´s a very good tool for diagramming, also if I´m a very bad diagrammer.
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Post by Turtle13oi »

pretty nice turtle actually.thnx for the diagram anna. im better at images then words
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Post by Wordgames »

On a multi-national and thus multi-lingual board such as this I cannot contest that diagrams are definitely the preferable linga Franca... but I while I can type at 60 wpm with ease diagrams take a little longer.

I’ve been playing about with Freehand MXa and while I’m not upto Anna’s standard I may have to try diagramming something, once I finish trying for a 10 level Fujimoto Hydrangea (7 is my best so far).
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful"
Seneca the Younger 4 b.c.- 65 a.d
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