Origami Classical Dragon

The next dragon in the book is Classical Dragon by Kyohei Katsuta. Like the previous HJ Dragon, this one offers a decent balance of difficulty and effect. I should say, if I haven’t already that all the models in this book are advanced so this balance is somewhat relative. Regardless, I really like this model and it may very well end up being my overall favorite.

The model has many little details that make it great. The little nose horn and lower jaw give the face some personality. The wings are really nice and I include an overhead shot to show the detail below. One of the weaknesses of the HJ Dragon were its plain, flat wings and this model scores highly there. It can also free stand pretty reliably. I do think that it looks like a juvenile dragon hatchling, more than a full grown threatening monster, but I like that cute aspect here.

Wing detail

Overall, this is an excellent model that I would definitely make again!

Origami HJ Dragon

The next dragon in the Japanese book. This one is designed by Jason Ku. I do not know what HJ stands for; maybe it is some reference I just am not familiar with. Regardless, this model was not much harder than the gentle dragon but much better looking in my opinion.

The head is well detailed with a crest, open mouth and multiple horns/ears. The pose is more dynamic, although you can tell I did not get the balance right for it to free stand. (A birthday card is propping up the tail. Admittedly, the wings are a little simpler, but I think the overall effect is better. This model is not easy by any measure, but for an experienced folder it is a good balance of difficulty to effect.

Origami Gentle Dragon

I have returned! My brother gave me an origami book of dragons for Christmas and I have been meaning to post some of the models from it for some time. First, the book is Origami Dragons Premium by Yamaguchi Makoto, although the designs inside are by a variety of people. It is worth noting that the whole thing is in Japanese except for some of the names and titles and that I don’t read or speak Japanese at all. Luckily, origami diagrams are universal. This is the second model in the book: Gentle Dragon by Hideo Komatsu.

This model is nice-looking and relatively accessible. Again, the whole thing is Japanese, so you have to be comfortable working from the diagrams only. I found it to be pretty easy to do, but I have a lot of experience. The wings are particularly good and the feet have toes. The models are going to get a lot more complicated, so stay tuned.

Origami Kingfisher

The kingfisher has a special place in my heart due to the beer that shares its name. Regardless, this is a complex model that I think works well. The open mouth is nice and the complicated array of folds on the head sell the idea of a feather crest. Maybe he is a little chubby for a kingfisher and his beak is oversized, but I like it anyway.

This one was harder to fold, but I was pretty successful, with the worst part being the tail. You can tell in the photo that it is a bit smashed. The model is also top heavy and so really needs to lean on something to stay up.

Origami Sparrow

Bit of a blurry photo here, but I had some trouble with this one, so maybe that is a blessing! In some ways, this model is like the previous crow, but it has a few differences too. The feet have three toes, as opposed to just a single foot. The `wings’ are actually a connected flap on the back, with a crease to suggest the separation. The head is rounder and the tail is simpler.

On the whole it is not a bad model, although I strongly prefer actually separated wings to this kind. The toes are a nice touch, but I don’t think they are quite worth the extra work. I personally found it harder and less effective than the crow, so maybe it suffers a little from that comparison.

Origami Crow

Although called a crow, like many birds, this could substitute for any number of similar birds. Which is good, because it is one of the best overall models that I have ever folded. The head and feet are simple, but effective, and the wings and tail are perfect.

This model isn’t too hard to fold and doesn’t waste time on intricate details. It creates a solid and somewhat stylized bird quickly. I recommend it very highly as an intermediate model that can be learned rapidly and is really quite stunning compared to other models of similar difficulty. The three-part tail is really its unique feature, so here is a shot from above to see it better.

Origami Peacock

Peacocks are showy birds that make for showy origami models. This one is no exception. The use of the white side is effective and the pleats in the long tail sell the feathers well enough.

It turned out find, but I don’t personally like peacock models very much. Maybe I feel like it is overdone, but I just don’t look forward to them. Like many such models, the body and head are particularly small to make up for the tail and there isn’t much to see there. Also, with the dragging tail, it is essentially impossible to stand unless you balance it perfectly on some perch. None of this is unique to this model, just a general list of complaints about peacocks I guess.

Origami Seagull

Seagull is an uncommon subject for origami, but nonetheless just as deserving as a peacock or eagle. This is the first model in the book with truly large wings and probably could be adapted to any bird. Like many birds, it doesn’t really stand on its own well hence the presence of my goofy hand in this shot.

This model turned out decent and it does look good from this angle. The legs look a bit messy and splay out to the sides under close examination and this is probably all a part of the author’s insistence on using glue to keep the model together. Again, I am being unfair by not using glue when clearly instructed to, so results may vary. Overall a good model, but there are better ones later.

Origami Swallow

When I showed my mom a picture of this, she said, “Oh! It’s a dead bird!” I admit that sometimes birds folded to be in flight can look dead when photographed on a surface, but I assure everyone that no birds were harmed in the folding of this model!

This model is not very hard and the scissortail look is nice. Especially because it is the state bird where I live. This model doesn’t feel exceptional to me, but is solid enough and accessible to fold.

Origami Swan

The next model in the book is a swan. The swan is a classic origami subject and beginners often learn to make a simple swan very early. This model is much more detailed than those without being a lot harder.

When viewed from the right angle, it looks quite good. This one has too small a head, which is mostly my fault, but again it is given as an approximate fold so it is hard to get it right the very first time. The thing that is a little odd about this model is that it actually doesn’t have much of a body behind the big wings so that it looks strange from some angles.