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Showing posts from April, 2021

Paper Jaws

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I've been struggling to find a new flat fold design, but I did land on a three dimensional fold that I really like. Three dimensional tessellations aren't my usual modus operandi, but I do occasionally fold them. This is one such instance. The idea is simple. Open back hexagons are surrounded by triangles.  Normally they'd be situated in a twist or flagstone style that allows for flat folding. In this case they kind of bang into each other creating a pretty interesting end result.  No crease pattern is really needed. It's just open back hexagons and the triangles point at the flat edges. Repeat as often as the grid allows. Both the hexagons and the triangles face up to the front of the paper. On the back side the triangles have little 'flaps' almost folding over on each edge that can't quite be flattened. 'Bridges form between the triangles' shared edges.  It's a pretty easy fold. Finished model looks like it was way more difficult than it was. .

Syncopation Origami Tessellation

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I've been playing with certain shapes lately and how they fit together using a few different techniques for nesting folds. This is another variation on combining different shapes around hexagons using the classic flagstone method of nestling shapes closely together so they almost touch.  I've put this model up for sale on etsy. See the listing I started out using some flimsy paper and quickly aborted.  I've done many similar tessellations with not too thick, not too thin printer paper. So it's definitely possible. It simply can't be too thin.  However, since I recently acquired a bit of kraft paper I decided to see how that would do. It actually made it somewhat more difficult to fold, but resulted in a much cleaner/crisper completed model.  Folding the reverse side of these types of tessellations is sort of tricky. Once you get into the thick of the process it becomes quite clear what needs to happen.  A crease pattern was drawn and photographed. It should illustra

Twelve Sided Cogs Origami Tessellation

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So I finally bought some kraft paper to see what that's like for tessellations. It certainly made the folding process less intensive.  On the one hand, it made folding the grid slower. I'm not sure why. However, once I had all the folds in place, the actual collapsing took no time at all.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  The tedious process of slowly coaxing all the shapes into place is both my favorite part and my least favorite part. .  This is dodecagons and rectangles. I originally wanted to do open back hex twists with the same rectangles, but it didn't work with the grid. The main round shape follows the same pattern as the bullet shape I've done previously. One cross grid, one with grid until a circle is formed. Both shapes are connected by flagstone style arms.  The reverse side generates a weird trapezoid type shape. I didn't pre-crease the reverse folds. I figured the front would sort of force them to behave. That proved true for the most part.  T

One Way Streets Origami Tessellation

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 I've been kind of short on origami tessellation ideas lately. I've done so many tessellations over the years that the well begins to run dry. Creativity is part of it. But geometry imposes its own limits.  I know there are many variations that simply don't occur to me. I discover it all the time in the work of others.  A single mind has its limits. Especially mine. There might be thousands or more undiscovered possibilities, but I can only ever hope to ever find a small fraction of them.  Still I persist and found this one.  A bullet shape that forms around hexagons. Some rectangles were required to make it work. Although not a true flagstone, it is folded in the same sort of way. All the shapes are connected by those angular arms that allow them to nestle closely together.  In order to fold it successfully you'll need to work both the front and the back simultaneously. Still, overall, it's not super difficult for an experienced folder.  I don't have a crease p