This quarter's issue of Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine includes a new origami flower assembly, a color study, an...
In this issue: Double‐Dip Color Study Origami Bonsai Chess Sets
Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
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Frequently Asked Questions Origami Bonsai Update Double‐Dip Color Study Origami Bonsai Chess Set s An Origami Bonsai fern plant (pictured right)
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved. This is a collaborative, quarterly production so your stories and suggestions are an integral part of this publication’s success. Please submit articles and input via email to:
[email protected] For advertising rates and information, please click the link above. Our current circulation is approximately 40,000 subscribers, however this document will remain on the internet into the foreseeable future, so actual long‐term readership is more significant than the existing number of subscribers. “Origami Bonsai”® is a registered trademark of Benjamin John Coleman.
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Click here for more Information on Origami Bonsai books.
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Benjamin John Coleman’s Paper Craft Books Click the book cover to order or preview.
The first book in the Origami Bonsai (2010, Tuttle Publishing) series is available at bookstores worldwide. This book teaches how to fold the basic flower form from which many varieties of flower can be folded. Comes with folding videos on DVD. 112 pages.
Origami 101 includes more than 40 fun and interesting models from every genre of origami. This book is written for the absolute beginner with strategies to go from beginner to expert in one book! Origami 101 is the first origami book with glow-fold diagrams and videos making learning origami easy!
Advanced Origami Bonsai teaches how to make branches from newspaper using the Makigami technique. Also teaches how to create intricate branch networks for Origami Bonsai sculptures. 182 pages on DVD or through Scribd.com
Artist-inventor Benjamin John Coleman guides you with stepby-step instructions in how to make over 30 durable, wearable jewelry projects. Learn how to recycle ordinary newspaper into intricate, complex natural shapes. Instructions for making earrings, bangles, pendants and much more! 132 pages with 14 videos in full HD
Origami Bonsai Accessories teaches how to make durable Makigami jewelry, accessories, bangles, planters and other items. Make virtually anything you can conceive of from paper. 152 pages on DVD or through Scribd.com.
Books ordered through OrigamiBonsai.org ship the same day they’re ordered!
Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Frequently Asked Questions What is Origami Bonsai? Origami Bonsai is a new art form developed over the past three years by artist, author and inventor Benjamin John Coleman. Origami flowers and leaves are attached to branches to form dramatic, visually complex sculptures. These sculptures are either free standing (can be placed on top of tables), or wall hanging (attach to walls with a hook). Origami Bonsai is revolutionary. For the first time origami enthusiasts can assemble their work into sculptures. These sculptures are appealing and have both artistic and commercial value. While it could be argued that origami is a craft and not an art form, it is clear that Origami Bonsai is an art form as color, shape, and plant interactions can be used to convey thoughts, meanings and even emotions. We do not attempt to duplicate nature, as this would be impossible. Instead we mimic nature and use natural forms as inspiration for our works. The world of plants seems chaotic and complex, and it is in human nature to try to add order to that world. Ironically chaos is the source of much of the beauty of our work. Origami Bonsai artists aspire to express this chaos in a coherent manner in their work, using it to convey a message, or simply to create something beautiful. What is Makigami? Benjamin John Coleman invented Makigami to complement Origami Bonsai. It allows artists to make networks of branches (i.e. trees) from paper. Makigami means “roll‐paper” in Japanese. Newspaper is saturated in a solution and then rolled, much like the “snakes” you rolled as a child from clay. These wet Makigami strips are then attached to cylinders and allowed to dry. When dry, the solution the strips were rolled in acts as glue. The resultant paper product is stiff, durable, and easy to work with. Recent advances in Makigami have led to the ability to make items like bonsai planters, jewelry, and other items from the material. Do you use wires inside the branches? No. Origami Bonsai is about testing the limits of paper as a medium (material) and about discovering new applications for paper in our work. What is the difference between www.OrigamiBonsai.org and www.Benagami.com? Benagami.com is a web site featuring the work of Benjamin John Coleman. OrigamiBonsai.org is a web site dedicated to further developing Origami Bonsai. At OrigamiBonsai.org you will
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
find the latest techniques and folding diagrams, and can submit your ideas for possible inclusion on the site. How do I get started making Origami Bonsai? All you need to begin is some small squares of paper (to learn how to make squares, visit www.OrigamiBonsai.org/Videos.html). If you would like to build a sculpture you will need either the printed book “Origami Bonsai” (Tuttle Publishing, available in April 2010 ) or “Advanced Origami Bonsai” an electronic book available through www.Scribd.com or on DVD at www.OrigamiBonsai.org via the clickable advertisement on the second page of this document. What is the difference between the books “Origami Bonsai,” “Advanced Origami Bonsai,” and “Origami Bonsai Accessories?” “Origami Bonsai” is the first book in the series. It is published by Tuttle Publishing and will be available in book stores in April of 2010. The book teaches how to fold many varieties of flowers and leaves and then assemble the flowers and leaves onto real tree branches. This is largely an origami book. “Advanced Origami Bonsai” is the second book in the series. It was published electronically on June 1, 2009. It teaches how to fold a few different types of flowers and leaves, but more importantly, it teaches how to make branches from paper using the Makigami technique. While there is some origami in this book, it is mostly about Makigami. “Origami Bonsai Accessories” is the third book in the series and is still in the research and design phase. This book teaches how to make bonsai planters, jewelry, and other items from paper. It will be entirely Makigami.
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Origami Bonsai Update ‐ March 1, 2010 by Benjamin John Coleman “Explosive Growth on Scribd” Whenever I begin writing an issue of Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine, I review and update the number of subscribers on Page 2. If you refer back to previous issues you will see a trend. The first issue says “3,000 readers,” the second “10,000.” As I prepare to release this issue, the current number of Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine subscribers is over 40,000. That’s an amazing number, especially when you consider that this magazine debuted only nine months ago! One of my goals in launching Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine was to bring origami into mainstream America. While virtually everyone in America is familiar with origami, many consider it too complex, have had a bad experience with it, or have some other excuse not to take up the art form. Of the subscribers that read this magazine, only a handful actively fold paper. Most people who read the magazine simply enjoy seeing the art form ‐ and that’s fine, but I’d like to afford everyone the opportunity to experience the joys of folding. Origami Bonsai® Instant Flowers I believe I have a tool that will reintroduce origami to people that have been intimidated or discouraged by an earlier experience. I’ve introduced the first mass‐produced, pre‐ folded origami flower in the world. I call it the “Origami Bonsai Instant Flower.” These pre‐folded flowers offer instant gratification, and the opportunity to be creative. It is my hope that adults that became frustrated with folding in their childhood will discover these flowers and be reintroduced to origami in a positive and satisfying manner. Ben Coleman
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Double‐Dip Color Study by Benjamin John Coleman The double‐dip flower is a new flower assembly based on the “Droopy” flower folding pattern (included on the DVD that comes with “Origami Bonsai” from Tuttle Publishing, April 2010). It is composed of one large Droopy, and four smaller ones. The four smaller flowers are made from squares exactly one quarter the size of the large square. I call it the double‐dip because it looks a little bit like two scoops of ice cream. The larger flower, with its droopy petals looks like melting vanilla, while the spherical shape composed of four red flowers, looks like a scoop of strawberry. This flower assembly affords us the opportunity to explore interactions between colors. Because the four smaller flowers and the larger flower are all painted separately, we can pursue combinations that attract the eye. For this article I prepared paper for four double‐dip assemblies. Two sets were painted with an orange shading pattern. The other two sets have a dark red shading pattern. Each set was then painted with two coats of a final color; teal, dark blue, lavender and yellow. The sets of paper are shown on the following page.
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
For the sake of clarity, I shall letter the sets. Large squares are denoted by a capital letter, while the smaller ones are denoted by a lower case letter. This will help identify the combinations.
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Colors I Used: Set A “Teal”: I painted the highlights with a mixture of water, burnt sienna and vermillion water color paint. Then I painted two final coats of a mixture of water, acrylic dark blue, acrylic white, yellow ochre water color and cerulean blue water color. Set B “Dark Blue”: I painted the highlights with a mixture of water, rose and black water color. Then I painted two final coats of a mixture of water, acrylic dark blue, and Prussian blue water color. Set C “Purple”: I painted the highlights with a mixture of water, rose and black water color. Then I painted two final coats of a mixture of water, acrylic dark blue, acrylic red, and crimson water color. Set D “Yellow”: I painted the highlights with a mixture of water, burnt sienna and vermillion water color paint. Then I painted two final coats of a mixture of water, acrylic yellow and yellow ochre water color.
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World, meet flower. Flower, meet world. Plastic
Introducing the world’s first mass-produced, pre-folded Origami flower. The Origami Bonsai® Instant Flower ships flat, but with two simple movements, opens to reveal a beautiful flower.
Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Color Combinations
Aa
Ba
Ca
Da
Ab
Ac
Ad
Bb
Bc
Bd
Cb
Cc
Cd
Db
Dc
Dd
For simplicity I combined the flowers above in columbine flower assemblies. As you can see, there are 16 color combinations. When I’m working with color I try to look for interactions. Dd is an excellent example of how orange interacts with yellow. I like Dd, but I want a more dramatic change in color between the top and bottom of my flower assembly. Look at Da. Da is a combination of teal and yellow. Yellow is one of the components of teal, and the flowers share the same orangish shading color. This is an example of the interaction I’m looking for. Cb is another example of this interaction, although not as apparent as in Da. Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Vol. 2 Issue 2
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved. I also like Ad and Ac. Notice that both combine very different colors. Ad, a large blue flower with a small yellow one is a color combination I have used in the past that I know works. I have never used Ac, a large teal flower with a small purple flower, before.
Assembling the Double‐Dip Flower Hot melt or wood glue can be used to secure the four smaller flowers to the large flower. I’ve used wood glue, but because of the long drying time I found I had to check my assembly repeatedly to ensure the smaller flowers didn’t move while the glue set. For this reason I prefer to use hot melt glue for this assembly. If you use hot melt glue, make sure your glue gun is set to “high” and that you wait until the gun has warmed up fully. When you smell the odor of melting glue, the gun is ready.
Step 1: Apply a small drop of glue to opposite sides of the bud of one small flower.
Step 2: Insert the bud of the flower between two of the pleats of the large flower. One petal of the small flower should be inserted into the indentation of the corresponding petal of the large flower (not visible in this picture).
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Step 3: Apply glue to a second flower and insert it into the opposite side. Hold the flower until the glue sets (approximately 20 seconds).
Step 4: Apply glue to a third flower and insert it into one of the remaining gaps. Hold it in place while the glue sets.
Step 5. Apply glue to, and insert, the remaining small flower. Hold it in place until the glue sets.
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Origami Bonsai Chess Sets Perhaps there is no greater challenge for an Origami Bonsai artist than to be asked to create a chess set. At first glance it seems a minor task, simply make small plants that fit within the confines of a small square. However, upon closer examination the task is far more complex. Yes, each piece needs to fit within a standard chess board square, but now consider that each piece’s height needs to reflect its power. King and queen are tallest, pawns are shortest, with the other pieces at various height intervals in between. Don’t forget that you need a low center of gravity so chess pieces don’t fall over. Not to mention that each piece needs some area where it can be safley picked up and moved during a game. And if you want a chess set with curving stems that are not symmetrical about their height axis, you’ll have to deal with mirroring shapes to conform to the symmetry that makes a chess set beautiful. To this mix add color, and individual piece design. Yes, there are 16 pawns in a set and they’re all the same shape, but a castle can’t look like a knight or bishop. And the king and queen should share some attributes, but be distinct as well. This means that a typical set will be composed of 6 designs; pawn, castle, knight, bishop, queen and king. Of these, the castles, knights, and bishops should be mirror images of themselves. In other words, if a knight’s stem curls to the right on one side, it should curl to the left on the other. Frankly, it’s a time consuming and anxiety producing undertaking. However, a well designed chess set is something to marvel over. People enjoy these sets immensely, whether they play with them or not.
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Origami Bonsai Chess Set I When I began to build this chess set I wasn’t sure it could be done. I used a wide base of pebbles on each piece. This allowed me to add pebbles to any piece that was off balance.
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Origami Bonsai Chess Set II While making the first set, I developed some ideas I wanted to try on a second set. Rather than a base of pebbles, I added a planter to the bottom of each piece. I also included some dramatic curves and twists to the stems of the castles and knights.
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Origami Bonsai Chess Set II (Cont’d)
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Origami Bonsai Chess Set III This set pushed my limits as an artist. I wanted a more complex appearance. I developed a technique for making mushrooms from Makigami, resulting in neat looking pawns. The flowers in this set are about one third the size they were in the previous two sets, allowing me to create more interesting designs. I really like the look this set achieved.
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
Origami Bonsai Chess Set III (Cont’d)
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Copyright 2010, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.
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