On Folded Wings (Origami)

I chose the Chapter One “On Folded Wings” project because ever since I was a kid I always loved using paper to make all sorts of things, including shapes, cards, airplanes, and boats. Creating and designing things is always fun, and when you are a kid paper is one of the most abundant materials you could have to make whatever you like. However, my motor skills were not up to the challenge of making complex origami designs, but now, I think I’m ready to give it a shot. I want to show in this project that even the simplest of materials can be turned into something truly spectacular with just a few creases, cuts, and folds. And what do we have to thank for this art? The Japanese, of course, but without geometry, the art of making art out of nothing wouldn’t exist.

Origami is based off numerous mathematical principles, including linear algebra, trigonometry, and geometry. Certain origami folds and operations are impossible to perform without a compass and straightedge, and concentric circles are frequently used on curved origami models. Therefore, a basic knowledge of geometry is needed for making origami and more advanced knowledge is required if one wants to make creative, original and complex …show more content…
Trial and error was and still is the primary method used to create original origami designs. The beautiful paper birds that we think of when someone mentions origami came from a person experimenting with different folds to achieve an image they saw in their mind’s eye. Using the paper from the previous experiment, making the simple shape of a dog’s face and a flower design was easy. After that, I got several fresh sheets of paper and tried my hand at original geometry. My first designs were shaky and clumsy, but as a general idea formed in my head, the creation came more naturally. This was my first original origami attempt at making the head of a bull: