36323679 origami bonsai electronic magazine vol 2 iss 4

8/8/2019 36323679 Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Vol 2 Iss 4

1/26

The Long Narrow Leaf

Braiding Makigami


2/26

Table of Contents

The Copyright Barrier 5

Braiding Makigami 9

Introducing Glow-Fold 16

Folding the Long Narrow Leaf 17

Design Considerations for the Long Narrow Leaf 24

Origami Bonsai is a registered trademark of Benjamin John Coleman

You are free to adapt and share Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Volume

2 Issue 4 as long as you attribute the material you use to Benjamin John

Coleman. Glow-Fold is a patented technique and must be licensed

separately. Contact [email protected] for details.

Web-Enabled!Click on any highlighted item or

text in this document and you will

be taken to a link on the web.

Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Volume 2 Issue 1

2
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/


3/26

Origami Bonsai Resources on the WebClick on the thumbnail to be taken to the corresponding web site.

www.OrigamiBonsai.orgOrigamibonsai.org has tips, books you can buy, free

folding videos, photos of Origami Bonsai created all by

people living all over the world, and lots more.

www.Scribd.com/BenagamiYou'll find Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine here along

with less expensive electronic versions ofAdvanced

Origami Bonsaiand Origami Bonsai Accessories.

FaceBookWhen you become a "fan" of Origami Bonsai on

FaceBook you will be notified when new issues of this

magazine are released. You'll also find craft show

schedules where Origami Bonsai artists will be present,

along with other announcements.

www.YouTube.com/OrigamiBonsaiForumA lot of Origami Bonsai folding videos.

www.Etsy.comSearch "origami bonsai" and "makigami accessories" to

see lists of items for sale in these categories from artists

and craftspeople around the globe.


3
http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=origami+bonsai+OR+makigami&search_type=handmadehttp://www.youtube.com/origamibonsaiforumhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Origami-Bonsai/309983322004?ref=tshttp://www.scribd.com/benagamihttp://www.origamibonsai.org/


4/26

Origami Bonsai Books and Instant Flowers

Click the thumbnail 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.

Advanced Origami Bonsaiteaches how to make

branches from newspaper paper using the Makigami

technique. Also teaches how to create intricate branch

networks for Origami Bonsai sculptures. 182 pages on

DVD or through Scribd.com.

Origami Bonsai Accessories teaches how to make

durable Makigami jewelry, accessories, bangles, planters

and other items. Concepts presented can be applied to

other crafts, hobbies, and art forms. Make virtually

anything from paper. 152 pages on DVD or through

Scribd.com.

Origami Bonsai Instant Flowers are the first mass

produced origami flower in the world! They fold

instantly into 12 flower varieties with videos on YouTube

to guide you. Each package comes with 6 red, 3 blue and

3 yellow instant flowers.


4
http://www.origamibonsai.org/instantflowers.htmlhttp://www.origamibonsai.org/books.htmlhttp://www.origamibonsai.org/books.htmlhttp://www.origamibonsai.org/books.html


5/26

The Copyright Barrier

Mary buys a book and learns how to make sculptures. Betty sees her sculpture

and offers to buy it. Is Mary violating the book's copyright by selling Betty her art

work?

This article discusses the relevance of copyright law as it would be applied to a book which

teaches someone how to create something. Some areas of copyright are clear; for example,everyone would agree that scanning and electronically distributing a copyrighted book would

be a violation. Other areas are not so clear. The question posed above is an example of a grey

area within the law. A grey area is a topic for which there is no clear resolution.

Before copyright law existed, work created by an author could easily be taken over by

unscrupulous publishers and individuals. If a writer approached a publishing house with a new


5


6/26

book, the publishing house could publish it without paying or acknowledging the author. To

make matters worse, other individuals could claim they were the originators of the work. The

fact that there are doubts about whether Shakespeare really wrote Hamlet is testament to the

need for copyright law.

Copyright provides the copyright holders

with an assurance that their innovative

work won't be duplicated, usurped, or

transferred without proper attribution and

compensation. This allows them to share

work that would otherwise be kept

confidential. Copyright law facilitates

access, while at the same time protecting

the rights of the copyright holder. New

markets get created, thus stimulating

economic activity. It is this resultant

economic activity that represents the grey

area.

One answer to the question posed at the

beginning of this article can be easily

obtained. Does the original copyright in

the book allow readers to sell their work

based on the book? Many books clearly

define what rights the reader has with

regards to their work, and will stipulate

these, usually within the first few pages of the publication. But if the book just says "copyright

2010," does Mary have the right to sell something she created based on the book?

According to Kevin A. Thompson, an attorney with Davis McGrath LLC in Chicago, USA, Mary

needs to get permission. "If it were a play, and someone performed it, for profit, then they

would need permission. The same is true for a diagram (in an origami book) and the resulting

folded piece. It's a derivative work from the diagram. So they should get your permission if the

work is being sold," Thompson said.

But it seems there is not a consensus of opinion, because attorney Rachel Stillwell of Gladstone

Michel Weisberg Willner and Sloane, ALC, Marina Del Rey, USA stated "While a diagram can be

protected under the copyright act, infringement of the copyright in such a diagram can occur in


6
http://www.davismcgrath.com/http://www.gladstonemichel.com/http://www.gladstonemichel.com/http://www.gladstonemichel.com/http://www.davismcgrath.com/


7/26

the form of copying only ifwhat is copied is the diagram itselfrather than the idea conveyed in

the diagram."

To resolve her dilemma with certainty, Mary will need to ask for permission. This creates a

barrier between Mary and a market for her work. By the time Mary obtains permission fromthe author, her market, Betty, will probably be gone. And if the author is dead, Mary might

never resolve her predicament.

"Some companies choose to publish their work under a Creative Commons license,"

(www.CreativeCommons.org) stated Sarah Feingold, an attorney who specializes in intellectual

property rights and author ofCopyright for Artists. "You can choose to allow people to make

commercial use of your work with attribution." Feingold should know. She also works with

www.Etsy.com, a major outlet for handmade arts and crafts. "Some other companies also

have disclaimer language accompanying patterns and art, either with Creative Commons

symbols or with text."

Creative Commons is a not for profit corporation that facilitates the sharing of copyrighted

material. They do this by allowing authors, artists, and other creative people to specify what

attributes within a copyright they wish to protect. By using a creative commons copyright

artists can specify how their work gets used by others. This is an important advance in

copyright protection as it allows other artists to build upon the work of others without worrying

about whether they're violating copyright. It could be argued that Creative Commons

copyrights open new markets and stimulate economic activity.

To further stimulate those markets, Creative Commons has a search engine on their web site so

you can search for art, photos, videos, music, or just about anything else you might want to

incorporate into your work. When you find something you want to use, you just read the

Creative Commons license associated with it, comply, and you don't have to worry about

copyright infringement. The site, the licenses, and the search engine are all free. It is an

amazing resource.

You will notice that the copyright at the beginning of this month's issue is different. It is a

Creative Commons copyright. I wish I had known about Creative Commons before the Origami

Bonsai series of books were published. Sadly, the copyright inside my books is the old standard.

If I haven't made myself clear in the past, I shall now. I grant my readers the right to sell theirsculptures based on my publications.

Regards,

Benjamin John Coleman


7
http://www.etsy.com/shop/attorneysarahhttp://www.clickbank.com/buy_products.htm?dores=true&includeKeywords=sarahlawhttp://www.clickbank.com/buy_products.htm?dores=true&includeKeywords=sarahlawhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/attorneysarahhttp://www.clickbank.com/buy_products.htm?dores=true&includeKeywords=sarahlaw


8/26

Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine - Volume 2 Issue 3 June 1, 2010

www.OrigamiBonsai.org

Makigami Accessories are durable, wearable and biodegradable. To see a list of

Makigami accessories available on Etsy,Click here.

Origami Bonsai artists and craftspeople, make sure to include the keywords "makigami" and "accessories" when posting your work to Etsy

so it will be included when readers click this advertisement.


8
http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=makigami+accessories&search_type=handmadehttp://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=makigami+accessories&search_type=handmadehttp://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=makigami+accessories&search_type=handmadehttp://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=makigami+accessories&search_type=handmade


9/26

Braiding Makigami

The other day I asked my niece if she would

teach me how to braid. I've wanted to

investigate braiding Makigami for some time,

and she agreed to teach me. I rolled three

narrow strips, and then she attempted to

braid them. She was successful. We molded

her work and allowed it to cure. The finished

bracelet, with only three narrow strands of

Makigami, was more flexible than I had

envisioned.

I decided a six strip braid would be

more appropriate. Initial results were

mixed. I didn't know how to braid, and

I struggled to keep up with a videotutorial on braiding (here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22

p3wIHLupc). I was successful,

although my finished work bore the

marks of an inexperienced craftsman.

Because I had tried, failed, and tried

again repeatedly with the same set of

strips, the Makigami flaked and some

areas were delaminating. But I knew

that with experience this could beresolved, and became excited at the

potential.


9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22p3wIHLupchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22p3wIHLupchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22p3wIHLupchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22p3wIHLupchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22p3wIHLupc


10/26

My next attempt involved a

different technique which required

five Makigami strips. The resultant

braid is quite beautiful. What I find

of particular interest is the visual

effect tapered Makigami strips add

to the complex beauty of the braid.

I think this bracelet is exquisite.

The combination of the complex

braid and tapering strips is

wonderful. My inexperience at

braiding is still visible in the small

flakes of paper which can be seen.

I trimmed them off, and the

finished bracelet is pictured below. I painted it with in a faux walnut finish (Origami Bonsai Accessories

P. 70, and a final coat of black).


10


11/26

How to Make a Braided Teardrop Makigami Assembly

1. Roll five dual-tapered Makigami

strips (using recipe 3 on P. 141 of

Origami Bonsai Accessories).

2. insert one end of each strip into a clip.

3. Braid the strips (watch this video to learn

how to braid).


11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlhTICwoRjohttp://www.youtube.com/origamibonsaiforum#p/u/8/puG3civ7ljQ


12/26


13/26


14/26


15/26


16/26

Introducing Glow-Fold

Glow-fold is a new diagramming technique I developed for a book I am in the process of

writing. I remember struggling with origami diagrams as a child. Often it was hard to discern

what effect a fold in one diagram had in the subsequent diagram, and it was often through trialand error that I successfully completed models.

I recently had the opportunity to meet Vanessa Gould (creator of the movie Between the Folds);

I mentioned my new book project to her, and she stressed the need for clear diagrams. I

developed this method for diagramming based on our conversation. Perhaps it will take some

of the trial and error out of origami. I have since patented Glow-Fold.

Glow-Fold Example

Conventional Diagram Glow-Fold Diagram

Step 1

The first diagram shows a square of paper,

bisected by a dashed line, along with an

arcing line with an arrow at its tip denoting

the direction of the fold.

Glow-fold would enhance this diagram by

adding a semi-transparent glowing triangulararea below the line to be folded.

Step 2

In a subsequent diagram, the paper is

shown as a triangle.

Glow-fold adds a semi-transparent glowalong the unfolded edges in the subsequent

diagram.


16


17/26

Folding the Long Narrow Leaf

Folding instructions for this leaf are

available in the following diagrams, or via a

video on YouTube. Click the image (right)to watch the video instructions.

Begin with the colored side of your square facing down.

Fold your square in half diagonally and then unfold it.

Fold the right edge to the center as shown.

Step

2

Step

1

Click for folding video.


17
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNRTmLC3oQM


18/26

Fold the top edge to the center.

Fold and then unfold the bottom edge up using the

left edge for alignment.

Step

3

Step

4


18


19/26

Fold and then unfold the left edge using the bottom

edge for alignment and then flip your paper.

Fold and then unfold the bottom left corner up and

to the right and then flip your paper.

Simultaneously fold both outside corners to the

center line as shown. The lower tip will move up to

the same point automatically.

Step

5

Step

6

Step

7


19


20/26


21/26

Fold the narrow tip of the uppermost layer

down and toward the left.

Narrow the stem by folding

the outer corners to the

center.

Fold the upper outside corner of the top layer

of paper down and to the right.

Step

11

Step

12

Step

13


21


22/26

Your leaf should look like this. Fold the top edge

down and to the right to narrow the leaf.

Fold the top edge down and to the right again to

further narrow your leaf.

Fold the top two layers up and to the left,

then repeat steps 14 and 15 on the right-

hand edge of your leaf.

Step

14

Step

15

Step

16


22


23/26

Your leaf should look like this.

Pinch the stem with one hand

as you curl the other end of

the leaf.

Step

17

Step

18


23


24/26

Design Considerations for the Long Narrow Leaf

Our arsenal of leaf styles has just grown

by one; the long narrow leaf. This leaf

shape is commonly found onhouseplants and often used in floral

arrangements of real flowers. I initially

thought that a narrow piece of paper

would be required to create this leaf.

However I am a fan of traditional

origami, and I developed a folding

pattern that can be completed with a

square piece of paper.

This long and narrow leaf will add some

drama to your projects. There are a few

issues that must be considered when

using this leaf style. Because the edges

are made up of six densely-folded layers

of paper, this is a heavy leaf. Both the

effects of gravity on the leaf stem and

the center of gravity of your sculpture

must be considered. With regards tothe stem, I suggest you connect the leaf

over a longer area of Makigami.

When it comes to center of gravity you

have two choices. The easiest choice is

to create a narrow sculpture, where the

center of gravity is directly over the

planter (pictured left). Another option

is to distribute the weight. Balance your

sculpture with weight and counter

weight; in other words, for every leaf

attached on one side, attach another on

the other side. If you choose to use this

method, every leaf on one side of your

sculpture should have a corresponding


24


25/26

counter-weight-leaf on the other side of the sculpture. An example of this strategy is pictured

on the facing page.

Another issue unique to this leaf is it's tendency to unfold.. To ensure the leaf remains folded

it should be curled. The curl provides tension which should keep the layers of paper in place for

many years.

While curling the leaf helps us with the unfolding issue, it creates a new problem. Most

Origami Bonsai leaves are flat, and mostly two dimensional. They require little planning in

terms of depth. This leaf has depth which must be taken into account. I suspect building a wall

sculpture with these leaves would be quite challenging.

The two sculptures I created for this issue of the magazine were a lot of work, but you can see

the dramatic touch this curled leaf adds to their overall shape.


25


26/26

Click Here to see a list of Origami Bonsai sculptures available on Etsy.

Origami Bonsai artists and craftspeople, make sure to include the keywords "origami" and "bonsai" when posting your work

to Etsy so it will be included when readers click this advertisement.

http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=origami+bonsai&search_type=handmadehttp://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=origami+bonsai&search_type=handmadehttp://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=origami+bonsai&search_type=handmade

36323679 origami bonsai electronic magazine vol 2 iss 4

Documents