Origami - The Basics

It is important to remember that origami is simply about folding paper. There are only two ways to fold paper: mountain folds and valley folds. These refer to the direction of the fold when keeping one side of the paper facing up. A mountain fold is created by folding the ends of the paper away from you so that a crease is formed pointing up at you, hence mountain. A valley fold is just the opposite, fold the ends of the paper upward so the crease is formed pointing away from you. These folds are the basis of all origami models.

The easiest origami models are diplayed in pictured diagrams. They are a step by step instruction on how to fold a model beginning with a square of paper. Each step shows the model in its current state and displays lines that indicate the required mountain and/or valley folds to complete the step. There are also various symbols that indicate basic folding techniques. These symbols are based on the Yoshizawa-Randlett system and should be reviewed. I won't provide a link as I have learned this system from various places and a simple search will be adequate.

Some origami models are based only on mountain and valley folds. What I mean by this is there is no order of folds or pictures of steps. These models are folded by crease patterns or CPs. A CP is a drawing of the folds required to finish the model. The picture to the right has both a crease pattern and a diagram of an origami crane. Most crease patterns are not this descriptive and only provide instructions for the base of the model.

A base is a stepping stone for any origami model. For some models like the crane, a base is a starting point to save time. An author might say, "Start with a bird base." This allows the model creator to focus on the specifics of their model instead of basic folding instructions. When folding a crease pattern, the base is an intermediate step that represents the completion of the CP. The base will not necessarily look like the final model, but it can be shaped into it. This allows for some creativity and personalization of the model.

The below two images are two ways of demonstrating the bird base. The left is a diagram showing the instructions in a specific order of folds. This method is easiest for beginners, but leaves extra creases on the final model. The right image is the crease pattern for the bird base. Don't believe me? Fold the model with the instructions on the top and then unfold it and look at where the main creases are. Crease patterns are used to save space and time when explaining a model. The challenge is getting the folds on a CP in the correct location and figuring out how to collapse it. More on this as I learn how to fold them.