It has been years since I last folded Komatsu's Panda, and it was more difficult than I remember. I went in expecting a casual fold. I thought most steps would take no more than a few seconds to figure out. Komatsu's designs can be very hard, and I chose this design to fold one afternoon specifically because it seemed manageable in one sitting. It was, but it was a longer sitting than I expected. But not only was the Panda harder than I expected, it was also more fun and satisfying.
Komatsu's designs are so precise and thought out. Difficult sequences have clear points of reference and the Origami House written instruction is well composed. Some sequences (like 38-50) are not straightforward and I had to study them for a little while before finalizing the folds. But once I understood the sequence, I more often than not felt that satisfying snap-into-place. That feeling is one of the best feelings in origami, especially with difficult folds. The fold sequence uses the tension in the paper to fold flat neatly. Without that feeling, I go into the next steps questioning whether I did something wrong.
If I were to fold it again, I would use a larger square of kami. 6x6 is just barely large enough to successfully fold the more intricate moves. Other than the size, kami works well here. Komatsu is a master in incorporating duo-color paper. The panda uses the dark side of the paper to make the eyes and ears stand out. The body also uses the dark side to suggest the panda's characteristic two-toned fur. The strength of ordinary kami holds up, and thickness gave no problems. There are a few finishing folds at the end that lock the model in place, which helps the low-memory kami paper retain the 3-D aspects of the model.
The design journey of Smile was surprising. It began with the Mooser Train. I enjoy the 3D effect of the train cars, and thought that if the connector segments and wheels were removed, I could fashion a block-like row of teeth. Below is a picture of a Mooser Train I folded in 2014:
The first attempts at such a 3D mouth model looked monstrous, even when fabricated with methyl cellulose treated, correctly colored (white and red) tissue paper.
I would have abandoned the idea if it weren't for an attempt at simplification. The design process is borderline impossible if the model's base is not flat-foldable. I tried to adapt the 3D train to create a new object, but iterating off Mooser's design without thinking about flatness let to dead-ends. Instead of boxes, I simply used crimps to form long rectangles for the teeth. They are contiguous, but the folds serve to suggest the space between teeth. Similarly, perpendicular crimps above and below the center line suggest the opening of the mouth. This base is flat, and very simple. It is a 64 x 64 grid, with 6 vertical divisions devoted to each tooth. The final model has 6 upper and 6 lower teeth, so they occupy 18 divisions on each side of the vertical center line, leaving 28 divisions to work with for the lips.
This leads to the next, more difficult challenge: how do I form smooth lips. In other words, how can I flip the colored side over the white teeth, while avoiding the crimps of the teeth. After a bunch of experimentation, the solution I found was to split the point of paper along the horizontal center line outside of the 36 tooth divisions. Then, swivel the exterior portions towards the vertical center (easier done than said). Luckily, this created a nice, flat frame with a polygonal window through which to view the teeth.
The last trick is a quick fold of extra paper to create a handle in the back, which allows one to hold the model in front of one's face. Doing so hides some of the extra paper from view, cleaning up the shape of the lips. It also preserves a bit of boxiness to the model. In the beginning, I thought this model would be much more organically curved. It turned out pretty geometric.
The end product was completely different from the idea from which it sprung. The model is the Mooser Train's most distant of cousins, too distant to be named Mooser's Mouth.
In the midst of the 2020 Covid quarantine, hobbies are rampant. Some, like sewing, have catipulted from hobby to borderline essential business. Origamists have contributed as well: facemask, facemask_pattern. While I will be folding them after writing this, facemasks are not the subject of this post. Rather, I will speak briefly about the minor dopamine boost of an accidental creative act. Any good feels are welcome to someone limited to three rooms of an apartment for 95% of a month.
This is not a long story. A week ago or so, I was in the third or fifth or seventh Zoom meeting of the day, one which active participation was not required. My camera was off. My hand landed on a 17 x 10 tangerine colored rectangle lying on my table. It resulted from cutting squares from a piece of A4 TXT paper I purchased from Paper Source some time prior to every retail shop in Chicago shutting down. If you cut four squares from an A4, you get two 17x10 scraps left over. I started doodling on the scrap: book fold, fold to center, mountain fold, reverse fold, etc, etc, etc. Eventually I hit on some interesting patterns. I stared at the shapes and considered their natural corellaries - butterfly, elephant, face with Hapsburg jaw - but nothing really rang true. As it usually happens, by a casual rotation, the sky-turned gaping maw of a baby-bird suggested itself, and felt right.
I've tried to approach design from the bottom up. I fell in love with Origami Design Secrets, and it still may be the book, among all of the books I've ever owned, whose pages I've stared at the longest. I aspire towards consistent conceptualization of patterns from the principals of the crease-pattern. But I'm not there yet.
The other traditional avenue to novel design is experimenation with the patterns practice has educated into the fingertips. I think my rate is about one clear model per-year, if I just doodle and hope for success. At times that cadence gets me down, but what a good feeling it gave me to have something small go right when everything outside is in disarray.
Stay well, my friends.
In the spirit of writing for writing, I have decided to blog about origami without frills. I regret not buying the domain name "nofrillsorigami.com", but no going back. It will be a pleasure speaking to you virtually, whomever you may be. Given my audience will no doubt be small and limited to my tight social circle, whomever you may be might be not too hard to deduce. Hi Mom. Love you.