Visual Elements of a Design

There are four basic visual elements in a figurative origami design: 

1. Outline

2. Surface Lines

3. Hierarchy of Layers 

4. Visible Creases

Here, I would like to delve a little deeper into each element using my 22.5 degree based pig design to illustrate. But first I have to acknowledge that this is by no means comprehensive, nor is it the only way to appraise a design.

Outline

The first element is the outline of the folded figure. It refers to the physical space that the model occupies. The outline should match up with the outline of the actual figure. This element includes the configuration, placement, and proportions of body parts.

It should be easy to identify the subject of the model solely from the outline.

Below is the outline of my pig. Notice that the bulk of the area lies within the body and head which makes it look more “fat”. This is aided by the pointiness and shortness of the legs that bring the body close to the ground. Additionally, the lines are strictly based on multiples of 22.5 degree angles. 

Surface Lines

The second element is the lines—edges of layers, flaps—on the surface of the model that mark out the subject’s anatomy—specifically muscles, body parts, or color changes within the outline. 

A great design avoids unnecessary or misplaced lines—ones that don’t represent a specific characteristic of the subject. It utilizes its lines in an efficient manner, accurately depicting the visual aspects of the subject—nothing more, nothing less.

Again, looking at the first image below, one can see that the lines are strictly based on multiples of 22.5. The hind leg line defines the distinction between the torso and the leg. The combination of lines around the front leg forms a shoulder as well as a lower section for the fore leg. 

In the image below, notice the symmetry between the front and hind leg sections. Utilizing symmetry can make a design more interesting. 

In the next image, one can see that the marked 22.5 lines (edges of folds) radiate from a single point.

In addition, there are surface lines that emphasize “fatness” through layers in the belly and neck area. The line on the belly angles up, which shifts the weight toward the front.

Hierarchy of Layers

The third element is the hierarchy or direction of the layers. In other words, how are the model’s layers arranged? This is again based on the anatomy of the subject.

Below is a figure of the different layers in the pig design. The lighter the color the higher the layer is relative to others.

Here is another perspective. The arrows show the direction of the gaps between the layers.

The hierarchy of layers should be relatively intuitive, but also based on the designer’s preferences and on what the design of the model allows. In the pig example, the belly layer is lower than the torso, and the torso is lower than the hind leg.

Visible Creases

The fourth element is the visible creases in the final model that are not folded. They are either left from precreasing or added in after. In the pig example shown below, there is a vertical crease running down the front leg. The top was created during precreasing, and the bottom added in. The two near the ear were created during shaping.

In general, a model looks cleaner with fewer visible creases, so folders should try to limit unnecessary creases, especially during the precreasing process. However, there are times when adding creases helps to enhance or show certain geometric relations, such as the 45 degree crease near the ear. The vertical crease near the ear was unnecessary; I eliminated that crease in later folds of the pig.

Final Thoughts

While there can be other important design aspects, efficient and effective display of these four fundamental elements form the basis of a great model.

Patagotitan Design Notes

While researching sauropods, I was drawn to a specific form of the long necked dinosaurs: a 45 degree upright position that fully displayed the elegance of an outstretched neck. The Cedarosaurus met this condition, as well as some of the titanosaurs. 

My design switched back and forth between the shorter tailed Cedarosaurus and the longer tailed sauropods. Eventually I had to settle with the Cedarosaurus form based on how the paper was distributed. During this time, I tried to create a different version with a longer tail, but I could not figure out a satisfying design at the time. There was one image of a patagotitan online that I really liked and saved. Several times throughout the year, I kept going back to that image and doing several attempts. 

In 2023, I attempted the design again and finally created a 22.5 degree configuration that captured the form that I was inspired to make. It had a long upright neck that was balanced by a long tail. 

Some of the most important features in this design are the subtle angle changes from the neck to the back to the tail, the super minimal front legs, and the lack of folds or crimps in the neck. This enables the design to look clean and elegant. The 22.5 shapes are enough to capture the look I was aiming for. Compared to the Cedarosaurus, the model retains a more minimalistic style. There are less visible layers. The back legs are similar, but shaped slightly thicker. 

The completed model is 20 inches long and 10 inches high. There are inner wires reinforcing the model. The folding took longer than I expected, particularly the shaping. It is more complex than it looks.

Marine Origami

Artist Joseph Hwang has harbored a deep fascination with marine biodiversity since he was a child. Alongside this passion was an interest in folding origami that transitioned from folding traditional models into a singular focus on designing his own models. Inevitably, these two passions collided in his first series of figurative designs, which comprise this book.

From innovative locking techniques to refined shaping methods, Marine Origami presents, through photography, essays, and step-by-step diagrams, twenty-six original models inspired by the diversity of coastal marine life. Ranging from minimalistic squid to lifelike dungeness crab, this carefully selected collection of models elevates the standard of contemporary origami design.

Introduction (from the book)

Twenty feet under the surface of the ocean, I was holding my breath, floating between the kelp. Suddenly, a large outline of a massive sea creature emerged from the depths. A fish, weighing at least three hundred pounds, swam towards me. Fear changed into awe. And as quickly as the fish appeared, it was gone. That was my first encounter with a giant sea bass, a large endangered fish native to the California coast. As a child, I spent numerous days at the beach exploring tidepools and piles of kelp that washed ashore. I loved catching shore crabs, prying open kelp holdfasts, and lifting algae-covered rocks to see what interesting animals dwelled underneath. As the years went by, this fascination for marine biology grew, and by high school I became an avid ocean diver. 

Compared to urban areas where animal life is scarce, the ocean is bursting with abundant biodiversity. A single shore dive can reveal dozens, if not hundreds, of unique species: crustaceans, fish, mollusks, and more. These experiences have opened my eyes to the amazing complexity of marine ecosystems. However, they have also allowed me to witness firsthand the alarming changes that have happened and continue to happen within our generation, from kelp forest loss and sea urchin barrens to coastal eutrophication. As a diver, I am profoundly appreciative of the beauty of life in our oceans, but also deeply concerned about how our various activities are affecting it and the planet. 

Folding origami has been a pastime throughout my childhood. In the early years, I mainly folded simple traditional designs or paper airplanes. Later on, I came across books such as Animal Origami for the Enthusiast and Origami Sea Life, which introduced me to a variety of figurative animal designs. But while I enjoyed folding, origami was just one of many activities I participated in. 

In the summer between fifth and sixth grade, my family went to Australia to visit my grandparents. It was during those two long months that I discovered the world of super complex origami from designers such as Satoshi Kamiya. With a lot of time to spare, I spent numerous hours each week folding models with whatever paper I could obtain. It was there that I also designed my first figurative models. After the trip, my passion for folding and designing origami continued through middle school. However, once high school started, I took a long hiatus from folding. It was not until my senior year that I rediscovered my love of origami. Inspired by my experiences in the ocean, I began designing the series of sea life models which comprise this book.

The models in Marine Origami were designed and diagrammed in a four year period between 2015 and 2018. There are twenty-six designs, many of which are based on species I have encountered in the ocean. I hope that the models are worthwhile to fold. My goal is to inspire more people to appreciate the art of origami, and to bring attention to the beauty and importance of the natural world that we depend on. 

About the Book Design

In creating Marine Origami, I aimed to produce a book that portrayed origami, not as a childish activity, but as a form of fine art. I designed the book as high quality as possible: hardback 10 by 10 inch with a dust jacket and full color pages. It contains photos throughout the book and short sections on folding and designing topics. 

One benefit of having a large square hardcover book, is that folders do not need weights to keep the book pried open—this can be an issue for many origami books.

The models are diagrammed in a traditional format with the step descriptions displayed in a side column. I did this to make the diagrams look cleaner. When I folded from diagrams as a child I usually did not pay attention to the step descriptions. The symbols and diagrams should be intuitive enough to follow in most cases. The diagrams are also larger than average, so they are easier to view.

Near the end of the book, I included a section on the general design method I used to create the series of models. 

I do not plan on releasing an ebook version. This is due to the massive problem of piracy in the origami world.

About the Models

The theme of the book is sea life. I tried to create a diverse collection of marine species I directly encountered while exploring the local waters or that have a special meaning to me.

Aside from the models I designed as a child, the designs in the book represent the first series of figurative designs that I created. They were designed from senior year of high school though the first year or two of college. During this time, I produced a steady stream of designs which I test folded with members of the origami club in college.

Some of the models were based on each other or variations on a base. For example, the cuttlefish came soon after the squid, followed by the octopus. The sperm whale and beluga were derived from the orca base. The angelfish was an attempt to simplify the original fish design by making the body a square. The sea turtle shell graft was an addition to the sea turtle base design. 

A few of the models are not what I consider to be exceptional designs today, but I decided to keep them in the book because the series represent a complete body of work during that design period. They show the development of my designing skill over time.

Four Models

Now, here are four models from the book:

Cuttlefish

This model is derived from a modification of the squid base. The body locks with a folding sequence similar to wrapping a gift box, the pleats are twice reversed so that the tentacles point down, and the extra flaps around the body are folded out to create the side fins. The cuttlefish is one of my favorite models in the series; all the parts come together in a way that seems so satisfying to fold.

Green Sea Turtle Hatchling

The green sea turtle hatchling is one of my most successful and favorite models. Several features highlight this design: the distribution of layers in the body allows the shell to be lifted from the belly, and the hind flippers are folded with a triple interlocking flap sequence. Interestingly, this model requires almost no precreasing at the beginning.

Bull Shark

It is a good challenge to attempt a subject more than once. In this case, I had already designed a great white shark, but felt compelled to design a new species in a different style—22.5°, instead of grid based. 

The bull shark is an excellent choice for a subject, with its uniquely aggressive, streamlined form. This model is loosely based on a kite base. I closely focused on the hierarchy and placement of the layers to best mimic the form of this shark. Each edge is positioned to define the muscle structure of the body. Careful observation of this piece will reveal additional hidden symmetries and repetitions within the lines.

Giant Sea Bass

Ever since I encountered the giant sea bass on a dive, I have always wanted to add this species to my collection of designs. I was able to design this fish by forming the tail first, then progressing toward the front of the body. For this model, I maintained a consistent boxpleated style and made sure all the angles and proportions were as accurate as possible. Sometimes strict boxpleating in design can make certain models look unnaturally gridded, but in this case, the angles helped emphasize the bulkiness of this fish. 

The presentation of this fish design is what makes this piece stand out. I folded two models and positioned them over a section of manzanita wood. The wooden base contributes greatly to the balanced, natural look of the artwork.

Many Thanks 

I have to thank a number of individuals, whose contributions made this book a reality. I could not have done it without them. First is Mai Saito who helped begin the design and layout of the book in the early stages. Second is Dang Chau who carried on the graphic design work through publication. He had the patience to work with me through the many drafts. I cannot thank him enough. In addition to my graphic designers is Kendall Younglund, who was willing to take some of the photos when I was inexperienced at taking photos. I still am. Bruce Gemmell who supported me and test folded the designs every week at the local origami club. And my close friend Michael Wibowo, who helped catch a significant number of errors.

Natural Origami

“What attracts me to the 22.5° style of design in origami is the aesthetic beauty of simplicity. Unlike many new pieces today, these designs are created not with the intention of adding more to impress, but rather with the understanding that great beauty can be found in the most basic geometric forms. While simple in visual appearance, these pieces can be surprisingly technical in structure and detail. Lines, creases and angles are arranged in a display of geometric complexity, forming abstract representations of the subjects.”

-from the introduction of Natural Origami (2021)

I do notice that this post is quite late after publication; however, I would still like to write about it for the blog. Since beginning the series of models in this book, I had an ambition to publish my designs, but the thought of devoting significant time and effort to produce traditional diagrams stopped me from making any progress. It was only until I developed condensed diagramming that I decided to make this book a reality. There are more details about the method in a previous post. Unlike traditional diagramming, which breaks down each folding movement into one or more individual steps, condensed diagramming groups several steps together without compromising too much information. It is best described as a fusion between a crease pattern and a set of diagrams. As such, it is targeted towards experienced folders who are familiar with crease patterns. 

Like what was stated in the introduction of the book, the models are not designed to be overly complex in look, but rather to be minimal in appearance by efficiently utilizing 22.5° angles to mark the subtle shapes of each body form. The models are by no means simple to fold, however. Some of them can be quite difficult to fold, especially from the condensed diagrams which require significant folding experience to follow.

There are 15 models in Natural Origami: pig, goat, sheep, rat, rabbit, cow, dog, chicken, bird, horse, panther, wolf, orangutan, dragon, unicorn. The list is partly inspired by the Chinese zodiac. The book was first published on September 25, 2020. It is available on thebookpatch.com in paperback; and origamishop.com and my online digital store in an ebook version.

Here are my 3 favorite models and their descriptions from the book:

Pig

“One of the first pieces I designed in this series, the pig is a rare example of a model that beautifully merges 22.5° design with an 8 x 8 grid. The distribution of paper flows naturally through the model forming a hierarchy of layers. The design is full of subtle details from the emphasis of fat in the belly and neck areas to the pointiness of the limbs under the body. Careful observation will reveal the underlying symmetries hidden within the 22.5° angles. As a result, this model will remain one of my most successful and favorite models.”

Cow

“The domestic cow, an often unappreciated mammal in modern society, is a beautiful animal that exudes both strength and gracefulness. The model presented here is a celebration of this animal. From the carefully designed linearity of the frame to the 22.5° styled details, the features come together in a balanced display of minimalism. The arrangement of paper naturally produces a minimally shaped layer structure that imitates the body of this subject. The geometric shapes and angles of the neck form a clean, graceful transition to the head. The 22.5° shaping of the limbs completes the aesthetic look. The cow is one of my favorite subjects to admire and design in origami.”

Horse

“The horse is challenging, but exciting to design due to the high standards set by existing models. My intention with this design was to represent the horse in a bare minimum form consisting of 22.5° shapes, yet communicating a stately and almost uplifting quality. Numerous features were chosen to accomplish this. The taller rectangular body segment juxtaposed above the shorter midsection layer shifts the weight upward. The angled top of the hind legs enhances the uplifted quality of the back end while emphasizing distinction from the main body. The bent front leg continues this stylistic look, and the shaping of the legs is intentionally maintained at a bare minimum. In contrast to the rigid structure of the body, the mane and tail introduce fluidity and organic movement, adding further refinement to the design. Throughout the entire design process, my goal was to perfect an abstract interpretation of the horse. I cannot say I achieved perfection, but I am satisfied for the time being.”

Looking back after publishing, I think the book has a few really great 22.5° models, but there are also things I would have liked to change. A few of the models can also be improved. Overall, the book is decent, given that it is my first self-published solo book.

Stegosaurus Design Notes

The third piece for my dino trio, the stegosaurus was a model I really wanted to design. But due to the complex shape, this was put into question. I wasn’t sure if I could design a good enough model. 

In terms of body structure, this dinosaur features several distinctive characteristics such as 4 spikes on the tail, 6+ pairs of slightly overlapping back plates, 4 smaller non-overlapping plates along the neck, bent front legs, and an arched back to name a few. The combination of these characteristics makes this model especially challenging to design. On top of that, an already existing stegosaurus model (the one by Kaede Nakamura) is considered one of the best and well known 22.5 designs in the origami community.

Inspired by existing stegosaurus designs, I based my model on an 8 x 8 grid with 22.5 structures. The model is symmetric along the diagonal, except for some shaping for the plates.

Unlike previous model progressions, this time I aimed to complete an end design that would not likely require much, if not any, future improvements to the shaping and structure. This required folding significantly more iterations for each body part in order to have multiple design options to choose from. This was mainly done for the head neck portion, the front leg, and the tail. This method ensured a high quality result, but demanded more folding and more time commitment.

The head took the longest and was the most difficult; not only because the neck plates had to be hidden in the neck, but also the specific shape which had to be based on 22.5 angles. I spent a significant amount of time arriving at an acceptable design only to completely change it after. The head could be thinner. I chose to leave it in its current state because I liked the 22.5 shape.

The front leg required distributing paper from the side to produce additional layers for the leg in order to maintain the tallest front leg possible using existing paper. This paper distribution posed a complicated puzzle that resulted in an interesting and slightly difficult collapsing sequence. At first I used a gridded boxpleat to achieve the basic idea. However, this was not ideal due to 22.5 rules; it would be better to figure it out using 22.5 instead. After randomly folding creases and attempting to collapse it unsuccessfully, I landed on a strange structure that worked. I drew the structure on inkscape to confirm the design.

The tail was completed on the first try without much thinking, so curiously, I decided to test different ratios and configurations. One thing I noticed in some skeletal drawings is that the end of the tail is very short for stegosaurus, much shorter than the last pair of spikes. This is different from other stegosauridae species. At the end, I concluded that the tail needed no changes.

For the back plates, there were a few different options for the shape. I decided on a symmetric spade shape with a 90 degree angle top, in contrast to Kaede’s more sharp triangular shape. The neck plates are also symmetric, in 45 degree triangles. Based on the skeletals, there should be at least 6 pairs of back plates, but I was only able to squeeze in 5.

One of the main problems I ran into was the shape of the body in proportion to the length of the legs. The legs were slightly too short relative to the bulky body. So in order to make the proportions more accurate without drastically changing the existing structure, I had to design shaping that kept the legs as long as possible. More paper was distributed to the front leg so it didn’t end in a sharp tip that needed to be folded in, and the back leg was left as long as possible, with the front faces representing the knee and different leg parts. The lower layers connecting the head and neck to the main body were sinked to maintain a straight 22.5 angle all the way to the tip of the head. They also served to thin the body and create the illusion of longer front legs.

There is very little shaping apart from the existing 22.5 structures. A crimp at the belly creates depth while maintaining the 22.5 profile. 

For the paper, I used a 24.5in by 24.5in sheet of metallic paper (similar to tissue foil) that was given to me by the owner of Paper Tree in San Francisco during a convention years ago. The first time folding with this paper, I thought the metallic paper was surprisingly pleasurable to fold with, given that I generally avoid tissue foil. Unlike tissue foil, the metal backing of the metallic paper seemed to be sprayed on as a very thin layer, which doesn’t crinkle easily. This enabled the model to look especially clean.

Overall, the model is fairly well designed and relatively efficient. I could not be more satisfied with this being the third piece to my dino trio.

Condensed Diagramming: A More Efficient Way to Diagram Complex Models

Every origami designer who diagrams knows how tedious and time consuming it is to produce them. In fact, the amount of effort required is the reason why there is a lack of diagrammers in the origami community. That is why I propose a new method of diagramming complex models called condensed diagramming.

Unlike traditional diagramming which breaks down each folding movement into one or more individual steps, condensed diagramming attempts to group as many steps as possible without compromising too much information. In essence, it is a fusion between a crease pattern and a set of diagrams. As such, it requires familiarity with crease patterns and a high level of experience in folding.

The process of condensed diagramming follows the three steps of folding origami: precreasing, collapsing, and shaping.

Precreasing

Traditionally, precreasing is done with each individual crease displayed its own step. However, this is greatly inefficient, especially for veteran folders who can read crease patterns. Condensed diagramming streamlines the precreasing process by displaying sets of precreases in a logical sequence. In other words, it guides the folder through the crease pattern reading process by showing the general order of precreases. In each new step, previous precreases are grayed out, while new precreases are bolded. Folders should be able to figure out each crease based on existing references. Below is a photo of my goat design and its crease pattern, followed by steps 1 and 2 of 4 total steps in the precrease for the model.

As you can see, in two steps we condensed what would otherwise have taken at least 10 steps in the traditional method of diagramming. It is up to the designer to determine the number of creases per step in order to maximize efficiency without compromising clarity. It should be fairly easy to understand for the folder, but most importantly, it allows the diagrammer to eliminate a significant amount of time and effort.

Collapsing

The collapsing process adopts the same approach of condensing multiple steps into one. It uses different colors for mountain and valley folds to display one or more collapses in a crease pattern, supplemented with the collapsed base underneath. Below are steps 1 and 2 out of 6 total steps in the entire collapsing process for the goat. The method is not perfect as you can see in step 2; it leaves out some of the mountain and valley folds that are assumed to be relatively straightforward. But supplemented with the collapsed base, it should provide enough information for an experienced folder to accomplish the step. 

Shaping

Lastly, shaping is presented as a general guideline, allowing different interpretations of the piece. Multiple shaping details are suggested on each step; the extent of details depends on how much the designer wants to show. The folder can also refer to the model photo for shaping details. Below is the entirety of the shaping displayed for the goat.

The adoption of condensed diagramming has the potential to increase the output of complex model diagrams. For the designer, it can shorten diagramming to under 25% the time it would take to diagram traditionally, and eliminates a lot of tedious work few enjoy doing. Although not as detailed as traditional diagramming, it provides significant improvement over folding just from crease patterns. While condensed diagramming is still in its infancy, I plan on refining it, and possibly publishing a book using this diagramming technique. I also encourage other designers to contribute to its development.