Advanced Origami: An Artist's Guide to Performances in Paper [Hardcover]

Michael G. LaFosse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2005

Advanced Origami provides unparalleled instruction in how to create master-class level paper folding projects. The origami designs are challenging-they require considerable folding experience-but the results are more art than craft-you'll create projects that you can display or give as gifts.

Sophisticated origami or paper crafts fans will appreciate the ten unique origami designs included in the book--with complete how-to instructions and photographs.

The book also features information on paper selection and preparation, advance techniques such as "wet folding," and making your own paper.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Creating origami art takes more than perfecting folding techniques; it also takes an understanding of the quality of paper and a vision of what can be done. This is an excellent book for advanced high school students, as well as students working at the college or university level."—Art & Activities

About the Author

Michael G. LaFosse has been an origami artist for over 40 years, and is considered a leading authority and master of the art. He is cofounder of the Origamido Studio in Haverhill, MA.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing; Hardcover with Jacket edition (July 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804836507
• ISBN-13: 978-0804836500
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael G. LaFosse is widely regarded as one of the top masters of the art of origami. Together with Richard L. Alexander, he co-founded the Origamido® Studio, a commercial design and fine art studio. They have authored over 50 origami books and kits, and have produced over a dozen video DVD lessons for the paper folding enthusiast, and hand paper making for the origami artist.

LaFosse has taught origami in schools since 1972, and continues to work with teachers, artists, designers and performers who incorporate origami into their profession. He has lectured and demonstrated origami around the world, and has produced significant exhibits for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the Peabody-Essex Museum, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, and Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo.

LaFosse is a biologist by training, and his best known works are realistic origami animals and plants, folded from special, archival papers developed and produced at the Origamido Studio. Michael also designs origami projects for beginner and intermediate level paper folders. He is a seasoned and highly sought after presenter and origami teacher. Visit the Origamido® Studio's web site at www.origamido.com to learn more about Michael and Richard's programs for schools, libraries and museums.

Michael & Richard appear in the award-winning film, "Between the Folds", a documentary about modern origami artists and scientists. Visit www.betweenthefolds.com to see video clips, stills and interviews.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another dimension, if you will..., January 8, 2007

By 

I am I am, I say (Rural Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Advanced Origami: An Artist's Guide to Performances in Paper (Hardcover)

Since learning how to fold fortune-tellers in second grade, I've fallen in love with origami. Until this book, I mostly made cranes and boxes, and avoided books because they all seemed to have variations of the same 10 or 15 shapes.

This book was, however, intriguing at first sight. The hummingbird on the cover looked almost impossibly complex to me, and even the comparatively simple butterfly is more impressive than your average paper crane.

Enough background: what about the actual content?

If you're looking for a quick-and-easy origami book, you're going to encounter a few difficulties:
-As with many step-by-step origami books, there's a complex notation that is sometimes vague. For example, the first hummingbird I made from this book took two hours from start to finish - a combination of misreading the instructions and miscreasing very small folds.
-Many of these shapes simply don't work with standard "printer paper", which tends to miscrease or tear, especially with the more repetitive folds.
-There is a large section of this book devoted to making (e.g., mixing, pressing, and drying) origami paper, which some might find unnecessary.

However:
If you're ready to challenge yourself, and perhaps drive yourself crazy rereading instructions (well-written but never-the-less complex) in pursuit of some really astounding origami, this is THE book you want. From wet-folding (wetting the paper for softer/ sturdier folds) to making very, very small toes on a frog's leg to sharpening a hummingbird's beak to a needle point, the attention to detail is unsurpassed. I haven't tried the origami papermaking myself, although I have made paper in the past, and the instructions in the book seem to be a good quality.

A one-sentence summary: Although frustrating at first, this book has allowed me to appreciate origami on a new level, and the finished pieces make WONDERFUL gifts.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great origami guide for serious folders with excellent tips on producing paper, December 17, 2007

By 

Colin Morell (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Advanced Origami: An Artist's Guide to Performances in Paper (Hardcover)

I ordered this book expecting a collection of fairly advanced diagrams. I was particularly interested in the Cattleya orchid model and the frog, two of my favorite subjects to fold. I was very pleasantly surprised with the book for a number of reasons. The quality of the printing and binding is superb. The diagrams are easy to follow and very thorough. The information on how to produce your own paper to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing results for any model is very nice.
I do have a few very minor issues with the book. The first is that the models designed to be folded with duo colored paper do not have two-tone diagrams. Even though you may be folding with duo paper, it makes folding easier to have a diagram with a two-color scheme. The second issue is more of a personal one. To really achieve the best results from any of these models they need to be wet folded from handmade paper. Standard origami paper or paper foil simply will not produce the results you are looking for. That being said, I am very happy I purchased this book and would recommend it to any origami enthusiast.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 'must-have' in your origami book collection!, June 7, 2009

By 

Ancella Simoes (GA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Advanced Origami: An Artist's Guide to Performances in Paper (Hardcover)

I bought this book this past week, not really sure whether the "advanced" in the title of the book would put me off folding any of the projects within it. I tried the "Koi" as a first model from this book, and even tried my hands at wet folding! The result was great!!

The author has taken pains to explain the steps in detail and has even jotted down points for tweaking the end result and coming up with your own perfect little model.

This book has easily become one of my favorites and I enjoy folding the designs in it. It even has a section on making your paper. Tips on the sizes, colors as well as type of paper to use for folding each of the projects are clearly mentioned. The expected size of the final model is also given, which makes it a lot easier to choose.

The book contains instructions (in the form of diagrams) to fold the following models - north American cardinal, origamido butterfly, koi, sea turtle, squirrel, toco toucan, frog, ruby0throated hummingbird, goldfish, horseshoe crab, cattleya orchid, happy good-luck bat, big brown bat, praying mantis and the panther mask.

My favorite out of these is the cattleya orchid which is a dead ringer for an original, and with the right kind of paper and wet folding, you can do wonders with it!

This book is one for experienced folders and beginners should first try their hands at folding other models / easier stuff before attempting models from this book. The designs in this book range from intermediate to complex.

If you love origami and are keen on having an origami book collection or for that matter want to try your hands at some amazing life like deisgns, this book is a definite 'must-buy'. The designs in this, when combined with the right kind of paper can produce the most captivating models which will leave you satisfied after all the effort you have put it.