Origami And Folded Paper | Origami And Folded Paper Guide

Without glue, scissors or fasteners, a simple square of colored paper can be transformed into a bird or butterfly through the traditional Japanese art of paper folding known as origami.

A skilled origami artist can combine a small number of basic folds to create intricate designs. It's more like sculpting with paper. As you might expect in any Japanese art form, each simple step and each basic component has its own character and name, and origami is no exception. Origami artists combine the "valley" and "mountain" folds, pleats, reverse folds, squash folds and sinks to create animals, flowers, boxes, and toys. More complicated designs will use a standard "base" element and add more technical folds to create something more elaborate. The basic crane shape, for example, is beautiful on its own but becomes an animated work of art with flapping wings and bobbing head when embellished by an experienced artist.

Although small squares of kami (paper) -- usually colored or patterned on one side and white on the other -- are typically used for learning the art, origami can be created from any material that can hold a crease. Modern kami is somewhat lighter than standard writing paper, and is best to use for base sculptures and more advanced pieces that require additional sheets of paper to be added. The folding is usually done on a flat surface, but more experienced artists can do it in the air with no tools so that the artful folding becomes part of the presentation. Some origami purists believe that tools should never been used, but most artists rely on specialized tools to help shape intricate pieces more precisely. Common paper clips and tweezers can act as extra fingers to hold paper or make small folds, and a ruler can score creases for precise pleating in complicated fold patterns. To avoid the fate of early origami which have turned to dust, contemporary origami artists seal their work with a spray or painted resin to preserve the pieces to last through generations.

Origami has become a popular art form in the last few decades both in and outside of Japan. In busy sight-seeing districts and at festivals throughout Japan, street artists will fold money bills into clever shapes and animals for the tourists. Fabric can also be used if treated with a stiffener before folding. In Japanese hotels, housekeeping staff will fold tissues and towels into whimsical designs to indicate that the room has been cleaned -- this practice has been copied on cruise ships and resort hotels outside of Japan, where elaborate animal shapes greet guests as they return from the day's activities.