How to Draw Origami Diagrams page 4

 

Step No1 will be a blank square.
To draw this, take another piece of paper (Which we will call Sheet No3), at this scale approximately 70mm square. Lay it on the first page and very carefully mark the corners. Join these corners up, in pencil, using a ruler.


Make the first fold in Sheet No3, unfold it, lay it on the drawn square and mark the beginning and end of the fold line.
Then, using a ruler and pencil, draw the fold line with valley dashes or mountain dots and dashes as appropriate.
Then add directional arrows if required.

For the next step, take Sheet No3, refold as per Step No1, lay it on the page and, once again, very carefully mark the corners and significant points. Remove Sheet No3 and join the points up with pencil and a ruler. Double check you have everything correct by looking at Sheet No3.

Then, using your rough sketch as a guide, fold and unfold Sheet No3 as per step No 2, lay it in place and mark the beginning and end of the fold line(s), remove Sheet No3 and draw with pencil and ruler the valleys and mountains and add directional arrows as appropriate.

Continue in this fashion until you reach the point where Sheet No3 has become too small for clarity.
Take another sheet of paper (Sheet No4!) that is twice the size of Sheet No3 and, following your diagrams, fold it up to this point. Then continue as before. If you again reach a point where the paper you are drawing round has become too small for clarity take another sheet, twice the size and so on to the end.


You should now have the complete diagrams for your model neatly drawn in pencil with a ruler.
Before you go any further, proof fold the diagrams.

This step is probably the most important part of the whole process, because everything drawn so far can be rubbed out quite easily and changed.

When folding try to forget what you already know and only do what it says in the diagrams. Even better get someone else to proof fold them. Mistakes are very easy to make and, hopefully, this should bring them to light.

Once you are satisfied that the diagrams are correct, now is the time to pick up those drawing pens.


When I am diagramming I find it useful to use the different sizes of drawing pens for different things, eg, 0.7mm for the edges of paper and folds, 0.3mm for valleys and mountains and 0.1mm for crease lines and directional arrows.

Remember to use the ruler for all straight lines, there is nothing worse in my opinion in slightly wiggly lines which should be straight.


Once you have inked in the whole diagram leave it alone for a while to ensure that the ink is dry before erasing all the pencil marks. You do not want to smudge any ink!

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