Bad at folding from diagrams

[Sroge4]

I'm not sure why, I've been folding for a few months now, but I can't fold anything above simple models from diagrams. I've made a few more advanced models using videos (little shout-out to Tadashi Mori), but I always get stuck on one diagram or the other (the comment "open this flap here" usually does me in ). Is it just experience, or what? I'd love some help on this.

-Sroge

[Joe the white]

Are you very familliar with the origami basics such a mountain fold, valley fold, reverse fold, rabbit ear, etc? If not, Dr. Stephen O'Hanlon has a decent section on origami basics on his website (http://www.fishgoth.com/origami/basics1.html). It may possibly be due to bad diagramming as well, or a mix of the two.

Personally, I didn't pay attention to the names of the folds so much as the pictures when I was starting out, and I found internet diagrams and "simple" books to be fairly hard to follow vs books like those by John Montroll (or other professional artists, who usually have their diagrams proof-read).

Experience definately plays a role though, you can usually see certain moves coming up in a diagram if you fold alot of one person's style. If one were experienced enough, you could probably point out which models were Robert Lang's and which models were John Montroll's in "Origami Sea Life" with ease, just by looking at the model menu. Some people can even reverse engineer models just by looking at a photo of it, with no crease pattern or diagrams.

[the modern einstein]

I am surprised- most folders start out from diagrams. Check out the first chapter of R.Lang's Origami Design Secrets for a comprehensive overview of origami diagramming terminology, symbols, and suchlike. Just about every origami book has all you need to know about diagrams at the start - check it, and read it thoroughly to fully understand the diagrams. Nothing more can be said to help you. just be observant of what is in front of you and you should be able to pick it up easily enough.

[Sroge4]

I'll give it a shot. I've been thinking about getting Lang's "Design Secrets" book anyway (I love the treefrog). And yes, I am familiar with the basic folds, I'm just not sure what it is about diagrams. I'll just keep working at it

[ahudson]

I am surprised- most folders start out from diagrams. Check out the first chapter of R.Lang's Origami Design Secrets for a comprehensive overview of origami diagramming terminology, symbols, and suchlike. Just about every origami book has all you need to know about diagrams at the start - check it, and read it thoroughly to fully understand the diagrams. Nothing more can be said to help you. just be observant of what is in front of you and you should be able to pick it up easily enough.

Actually a growing number of people are learning to fold on youtube these days-- we've got a couple kids in our local origami group that have folded Lang insects from youtube videos, but can't read diagrams at more than a high-intermediate level. As a result, they're used to folding from fast videos with the repetition edited out, and they don't understand the purpose of slowing down when learning or teaching a model. It's been an interesting challenge to keep them busy without the rest of the group falling behind.

I don't think ODS is a good introduction to reading origami diagrams. It's a huge book, and most of it is devoted to other topics. You should look for a book with a lot of diagrams at a range of levels, with a consistent and up-to-date diagramming style-- "Brilliant Origami" by David Brill, "Genuine Origami" by Jun Maekawa, or most of John Montroll's books.