I was thinking, Just about anybody can be taught to fold a model (monkey see monkey do)
So why can some of us fold models while others cannot, Is it to do with how we interpret diagrams? or something else
We are all skilled equally
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Starscream
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- Joined: June 27th, 2009, 11:57 pm
We are all skilled equally
I fold therefore I unfold therefore my paper is creased
I have to disagree, not everybody can be taught to fold a model, there are also hopeless individuals out there that don't even manage to align two sides of a paper.
A lot of skills can be achieved by practice. You can also learn how to create a model with design techniques like circle packing or boxpleating but you can not learn to be creative, either you are or you are not.
A lot of skills can be achieved by practice. You can also learn how to create a model with design techniques like circle packing or boxpleating but you can not learn to be creative, either you are or you are not.
I think it's just not so black-and-white... Yes, anyone can learn to do it, but there are major differences such as:
- how fast you learn (and how willing you are)
A friend of mine is getting married tomorrow and wanted a ton of folded CD cases... I found something simple with few cuts and folds and showed the volunteers (read: volunTOLDs
) how to do it.
- one person got the hang of it right away
- a couple people screwed up a few before getting it
- one person just gave up cause 4 our of 5 tries would end up wrong. She also didn't want to try it at first and expected herself to fail from the start... I'm sure that made a big difference as well.
- Self discipline
Discipline to keep trying isn't too hard if you enjoy origami but can be hard on people who don't really care for it.
At the same time if you do enjoy origami it can be hard to gradually pick harder designs without rushing it.
After that I guess it just comes down to wanting to fold, enjoying it, gaining experience and finding good sources for patterns/diagrams.
In the end everyone can do it, just like anyone can complete a puzzle. Just everyone has their own speed, habits, quirks, accuracy, ...
That and like Wizmatt said... patience... loads of it!
That's my 2 cents worth anyway
- how fast you learn (and how willing you are)
A friend of mine is getting married tomorrow and wanted a ton of folded CD cases... I found something simple with few cuts and folds and showed the volunteers (read: volunTOLDs
) how to do it. - one person got the hang of it right away
- a couple people screwed up a few before getting it
- one person just gave up cause 4 our of 5 tries would end up wrong. She also didn't want to try it at first and expected herself to fail from the start... I'm sure that made a big difference as well.
- Self discipline
Discipline to keep trying isn't too hard if you enjoy origami but can be hard on people who don't really care for it.
At the same time if you do enjoy origami it can be hard to gradually pick harder designs without rushing it.
After that I guess it just comes down to wanting to fold, enjoying it, gaining experience and finding good sources for patterns/diagrams.
In the end everyone can do it, just like anyone can complete a puzzle. Just everyone has their own speed, habits, quirks, accuracy, ...
That and like Wizmatt said... patience... loads of it!
That's my 2 cents worth anyway
I agree with a lot of what both of you said. Though I do believe there is (in some people) an inherent talent, or aptitude to understand and fold origami models. And I don't think that it's simply a matter of 'monkey see monkey do'. If a folder sat side-by-side with Lang, and folded one of his complex works, they would not end up the same. Even if the folds are put into place correctly, they will still be different, and simply because Lang has decades more worth of experience, his would be 'superior'.
When I was at OUSA this year I made an interesting observation. I was in a class and when everyone started folding the first step (fold in half) you wouldn't believe the amount of different ways people folded a sheet of paper in half. Although we all ended getting to approximately the same end result, they all looked slightly different. That's called style. Or artistic interpretation, what have you.
If anyone could do origami then a lot more people would be folding origami
When I was at OUSA this year I made an interesting observation. I was in a class and when everyone started folding the first step (fold in half) you wouldn't believe the amount of different ways people folded a sheet of paper in half. Although we all ended getting to approximately the same end result, they all looked slightly different. That's called style. Or artistic interpretation, what have you.
If anyone could do origami then a lot more people would be folding origami
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Two observations:
A few years ago, Robert Lang remarked that Brian Chan can sometimes fold a Lang model better than the creator.
Because of the thickness of paper and the limits of using 2D instructions to represent 3D motions. A lot of folding (in fact most skills) have to do more with technique after you learn to read the diagrams or CPs. I think most folks have said this in different ways.
For example, I believe that most Origami folks can fold a square into 16ths or 32ths. But I also believe that these same folders would not not fold the paper in half, then again, and again... realizing that the thickness would interfere with the accuracy. Similarly, some of us have trouble with a closed sink or with the patience of the Kawahata Stegosaurus; while others think it is fun to mash a sink or to repetitively collapse a set of back plates.
And that's the "something else" that I think some skillful folders from others. Plus some of us sculpt more fluently with words than with paper...
- Hank Simon
A few years ago, Robert Lang remarked that Brian Chan can sometimes fold a Lang model better than the creator.
Because of the thickness of paper and the limits of using 2D instructions to represent 3D motions. A lot of folding (in fact most skills) have to do more with technique after you learn to read the diagrams or CPs. I think most folks have said this in different ways.
For example, I believe that most Origami folks can fold a square into 16ths or 32ths. But I also believe that these same folders would not not fold the paper in half, then again, and again... realizing that the thickness would interfere with the accuracy. Similarly, some of us have trouble with a closed sink or with the patience of the Kawahata Stegosaurus; while others think it is fun to mash a sink or to repetitively collapse a set of back plates.
And that's the "something else" that I think some skillful folders from others. Plus some of us sculpt more fluently with words than with paper...
- Hank Simon
I think all the sugestions are factors in how well someone performs, in this case with origami.
Another thing that popped into my mind when trying to teach a friend, is how each persons brain works. For example, the majority of 'folders' brains will be used to using the right side of the brain, which "excels in visual, spatial, perceptual, and intuitive information" therefore helping them to understand diagrams and cps. Whereas, 'non folders' may be dominated by the left side which whould find understanding diagrams more difficult. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Another thing that popped into my mind when trying to teach a friend, is how each persons brain works. For example, the majority of 'folders' brains will be used to using the right side of the brain, which "excels in visual, spatial, perceptual, and intuitive information" therefore helping them to understand diagrams and cps. Whereas, 'non folders' may be dominated by the left side which whould find understanding diagrams more difficult. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
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