esato wrote:how does one learn to fold from CPs ? Is this an ability one can only learn with experience ?
Hi
thanks for your kind words but I don't deserve them. I consider myself just an intermediate forlder.
There are several threads that mention cp's in these forums and they probably will give you a better answer than I can do.
Ok, anyway I think you are right on your assumption. CP's are learned only through experience and after that, you have to have a lot of imagination for they do not show the finishing, only the base and many times there are over 100 steps from the base to the finished model.
Take Miyajima for instance. I've solved many of his cp's, I mean taking them to the base, but I've only been able to get to the final model about 3 or 4 times.
Check Elaine's (Wolf's) cp's tutorial
http://www.spinflipper.com/origami
Anna mentioned that a good beginners cp is a dobsonfly at
http://web.mit.edu/chosetec/www/origami/dobsonfly
My advice is: start with the side that has the lines up. Mountain fold all the lines on the cp. Then start from the borders. 99 % of the times the fold closer to the border will be a mountain fold. Then most of the other creases will alternate valley, mountain but of course is not that easy. And don't make the mistake that many do (I included) of trying to solved the mega complex models of Miyajima, Kamiya, Hojyo, etc. They are difficult models in themselves even with the diagrams so let alone the cp's.
Good luck