Definition and History
Origami (ori meaning "folding" and kami being a translation of "paper") is a traditional Japanese folk art of paper folding. Its was created in the 17th century and has evolved into the modern art it is today. It consists of transforming a flat sheet of material (that is typically paper) into a sculpture.
Technique
The only material needed for origami is paper. It should be thin, able to hold a crease, and not tear easily when folded a number of times. Some origami paper is colored on one side, with white on the other. Paper should always be folded on a hard, flat surface, and the folds should be as straight and precise as possible, with all corners and edges meeting evenly. The standard folds are categorized into the following:
- Valley Fold – The paper is folded downward, or toward you. When unfolding the paper, the crease should always be on the bottom, resembling a valley.
- Mountain Fold – In this case, the paper is folded backwards, or away from you. When the paper is unfolded, the crease will be on the top, causing the paper to look like a mountain.
- Crease – This is the line that remains as a result of a fold.
- Top – The corner or edge of the paper that is pointed away from your body is considered to be the top.
- Bottom – This is the corner or edge of the paper that is pointed toward your body.
- Front – This is the side of the paper that is facing you as you work.
- Back – The side of the paper that is facing the table is considered to be the back.
- Right – The parts that are lying to the right of the middle of the line.
- Outside – This is the back and the front of your work.
- Inside – This is everything that is between the front and the back layers of paper.
- Unfold – This is the process of opening up a previous fold.
- Turning – This is when the paper is turned (while still flat on the table) so that the corners are aligned.
- Turning the Model Over – The paper is turned over so that the front becomes the back.
- Outside Reverse Fold – The front and back layers of paper are spread apart and wrapped around the outside of the model, causing the edges that were originally valley folds to become mountain folds.
- Inside Reverse Fold – An edge that is a mountain fold is pushed down between the front and back layers of the paper. By doing this, the edge has become a valley fold.
