Modular and advanced origami: units, kusudama, tessellations and wet-folding
TUREFF• •0
Once you can fold a crane without looking at the diagram, origami opens up in several directions. This guide introduces four of them: modular origami, kusudama, tessellations and wet-folding. Each asks for a different kind of patience, and each produces work that looks very different from a single-sheet animal.
Modular origami
In modular origami, you fold many identical pieces, called units or modules, from separate sheets, then slot them together into a larger shape. Usually there is no glue: each unit has pockets and tabs that lock into its neighbours.
The best-known unit is the Sonobe unit, a simple parallelogram with two tabs and two pockets. Its origins are debated among origami historians, but it is associated with Mitsunobu Sonobe and appeared in Japanese origami publications in the late 1960s. With Sonobe units you can build:
- a cube from 6 units
- an octahedral shape from 12 units
- a larger star ball from 30 units
Tips for modular work:
- Use paper the same size and type for every unit. Small differences make the model loose.
- Fold all units first, in a batch, with the same precision. Line them up to compare.
- Assemble slowly. The last few units are the hardest, because the model is tight and curved.
- Smaller paper, such as 7.5 cm squares, makes compact, sturdy models.
- A tiny dot of glue is acceptable if a model must survive being handled, but most folders try without.
Kusudama
Kusudama means "medicine ball" in Japanese. The name goes back to balls of herbs or flowers once hung up for their scent. Today it is used for decorative paper balls made from many folded parts.
Strictly, a traditional kusudama is made of units that are sewn or glued together, for example a ball of folded paper flowers stitched together with a tassel hanging below. Many people now use the word loosely for any modular ball, including the 30-unit star balls built from Sonobe-type units. Both make excellent decorations and gifts.
A simple flower kusudama is a good first project: fold a set of identical flowers, each from a few squares, then glue the flowers together into a ball and add a string and tassel.
Tessellations
An origami tessellation is a single sheet folded into a repeating pattern of twists and pleats, often designed on a grid. Held up to the light, many show beautiful patterns where the layers overlap.
The usual approach:
- Pre-crease a grid: often a square or triangle grid of 16, 32 or more divisions, folded very precisely.
- Collapse twists: each twist rotates part of the paper and pleats the surrounding area, and the pattern is made by repeating that twist across the grid.
- Work from the centre outwards, flattening as you go.
Tessellations take time, mostly in the pre-creasing, but they need only one sheet. Thin, strong paper helps, and so does patience: an inaccurate grid gets worse with every twist.
Wet-folding
Wet-folding is a technique developed by Akira Yoshizawa, one of the most influential origami artists of the twentieth century. Instead of sharp geometric creases, the paper is slightly dampened so it can be shaped into soft curves, which suits animals and figures with rounded bodies and expressive faces.
How it works:
- Use thicker paper than for normal origami, so it does not tear when damp.
- The paper should contain sizing, a water-soluble adhesive added during manufacture. When the damp paper dries, the sizing helps it keep its new shape and become stiffer.
- Dampen the paper lightly with a slightly wet cloth or sponge, not soaking it. It should feel cool and flexible, not wet.
- Fold and shape while it is damp, then hold the shape with clips or masking tape while it dries.
If you are not sure whether a paper will work, test a scrap: dampen it, and if it becomes easier to shape and holds a curve when dry, it will probably suit wet-folding.
Moving on from here
- Fold from origami books or diagrams by recognised designers, and work through them in order of difficulty.
- Try crease patterns: diagrams that show only the creases on the unfolded sheet, with no step-by-step instructions. Many advanced models are published this way.
- Join an origami society or club. Many countries have one, with meetings, conventions and diagrams shared among members.
Which direction are you trying, modules, tessellations or wet-folding, and what has been hardest so far? Share your projects or questions in the comments below.