The Origami Forum

Ok. Since there is a topic on what you have folded lately, I thought it would be a good idea to add a topic on work in progress. Here you can post photos of work in progress. Others can then add advice and criticism to help you to "better" or "fine tune" the design.
This is meant to be positive, so keep the insults and negative criticism out of this post please.

So I will start. I was thinking of designing a 3D model for the PCOC centerpiece challenge. What can be more 3D than a ball? So ball.... Too simple. Earth... Ok, how about that guy who carries the world on his shoulders? Yes, Atlas.
So I got the base and it's got all the parts and stuff. I used really thick paper to "sculpt" the earth. So after many hours of folding, my fingers are bleeding and the result is a disappointment.
So in this topic, you can, by advice, help me to improve it.
Thank you in advance.
PS. I'll have to fold something else for that challenge then...

Quentin

I don't have anything to post yet, but hopefully I will soon.

The Atlas you have is a good start. The following suggestions are probably easier said than done.

-The earth is small and legs/arms short with the head rather large (so it seems from the photo anyway). I'd alter the proportions a bit.

-Atlas would be rather muscular, the chest is nice, but I'd make use of the layers in the arms and legs to form muscle by fluffing them out in a Joisel or Hojyo sort of way (they both tend to make good use of pleated layers well). The face is good as is, but some slight Joisel styling here wouldn't hurt.

-The hands and feet could use some more definition.

Hopefully thats not too harsh.

It looks like you're focusing too much on the details of the man. There's nothing wrong with that of course, but you need a much larger earth. Start with a simpler man, and work out the whole thing. Then work on the details.

What you should do is make the man from a smaller area of the paper. If you can, some color changes would be really nice.

With a man that detailed, you're going to need a huge sheet of paper!

I'd like to make an origami version of Atlas. If I were to do it I would probably make the man from section of about 1/8 x 1/8 of the square,(but not grid-based) either in the corner (and color change the earth) or in the center of the square (no color change). Another option would be to make the earth be composed of two "hemispheres", each coming from one hand. Or even split the globe into 4 parts.

Okiedokie. That helps alot. So consencus definitely to have the earth bigger! I'll have to change the base then.
There is enough paper to fold a "Joisel-like" face, as the face is from one corner. I can work on that. The paper was very thick, so thinner paper would help to get the layer detail in the legs and arms.
The only thing is to make the earth bigger.
I'll have to work on that.
Thanx very much guys!

Hope to get some other people's stuff on here too!

<Pedantry>

Atlas carried the sky on his shoulders, not the Earth. Early interpretations had him holding a 'Celestial Sphere' rather than a planet. Current 'general ignorance' (the opposite of general knowledge) has him holding a planet.

</Pedantry>

My personal feeling it that you don't really need fingers at toes for this model, and by incorporating pleats to form them, you are sacrificing detail in the rest of the model. For the hands, a simple block for the fingers and a single flap for the thumb should suffice.

Atlas is all about shoulders, massive chest, massive forearms. If you twist the forearms and open them out a bit, the layers will form pleats similar to the extensor muscles on the forearms. That way, you can use internal layers, rather than having to trap them.

Fold the model from black paper. When finished and set (if you are wet-folding), get an old paintbrush, dip it in some silver paint, and wipe most of the paint off. They brush it lightly over the model, emphasising the detail. Then do the same with some gold / bronze. This will make the piece look like a classic bronze statue, and will make it look worthy of a museum piece.

For the face, make a crimp fold halfway down the chin. Ruffle or loosely pleat the rest of that flap to fom a beard, and the flaps above become a nice moustache. Make a small mountain fold on the flaps at the top of the eyes to form eyebrows.

Anyway, superb model - I like the direction it is going in!

Fishy

Thanx Fishy.
Well, I was hoping to keep this topic running, but I'm back to regular schedule now (was off after a knee operation), so I can't see that I'll work on this in the near future. Time, time, time!!!

But anybody else, please continue this topic with some of your own work that you need some help with!!