Customer Reviews

Origami Insects (Dover Origami Papercraft)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Origami Insects and Their Kin is absolutely my favorite origami book. All but the first model are extremely challenging, and the first one would be given a "complex" rating in any book. I can't stress this enough: if you are bored with the origami books you have because they are too easy, THIS is the book you are looking for. The only downside is that everything else pales in comparison afterwards! The insect models in this book are what one expects of Robert Lang, and then some. They are all beautifully rendered, and amazingly, they're simple enough in design that it's hard to imagine taking any of the details away. The models are so difficult because Lang chooses great subjects, from the exotic-looking Black Pine Sawyer, Samurai Helmet Beetle, and Long-Necked Seed Bug, to the common (but still beautiful) Pill Bug, Dragonfly, and Ant. It's difficult to continue elaborating on Origami Insects and Their Kin, because after several years it still makes my jaw drop, leaving me speechless. This book stands head and shoulders above any other origami book I have seen, for complexity and model quality. If you can't stand insects, perhaps this isn't the book for you. If that's not a problem, then why haven't you already put a good fifty hours into this book?

In my opinion, the books to date containing the most complicated and outrageous origami models are the following: Kawahata's Dinosaur, Issei's Supercomplex , and this CHAMPION , Lang's Insects. Every model here needs a lot (really a lot) patience and many-year folding experience. Or you MUST fail in folding over half of them. There are lots of unexpected and new technics, every model is in a neatly calculated mathematical proportion and with the exactly right number in every part (eyes, legs, antennas, etc.) In Facing such a book, I completely, deeply, adore the art of origami.

An awesome book! Contains some of the most beautiful folds I know, as well as some of the hardest. Here's what you get:

1. Treehopper: A rather simple bug, good introduction to the book.

2. Spotted Ladybug: An AWESOME exploration of color-contrast! Looks great when folded from the right paper even though it is not 3D.

3. Orb Weaver: What should I say, well it's a spider...

4. Tarantula: Another spider but with ten legs. If you do it right it looks much like the real thing.

5. Tick: This comes as a hungry and a sated tick. Easy to fold and looks good.

6. Ant: This is absolutely my favourite origami model! The ant is so awesome, I can't find words for it. You just have to fold it to believe it plus it's pretty easy to fold too.

7. Butterfly: Well folks that's a real butterfly with legs and it's really hard to fold.

8. Scarab Beetle: Egyptian bug.

9. Cicada: Looks GREAT when folded well but is probably the hardest model in the book.

10. Grasshopper: Green, long legs.

11. Black Pine Sawyer: Has really long antennae and looks really cool.

12. Dragonfly: Not very realistic, has a "cartoon" style look.

13. Hercules Beetle: A fat bug that looks good when folded well.

14. Long-Necked Seed Bug: I had never heard of this bug before. Doesn't look bad though.

15. Pill Bug: Not easy to fold but a great-looking and unique model.

16. Praying Mantis: Very hard.

17. Stag Beetle: Good looking and fairy easy.

18. Paper Wasp: Requires you to do something I would have thought impossible before reading this book. Extremely hard.

19. Samurai Helmet Beetle: Beautiful model but hard to fold.

20. Scorpion: Comes out pretty thick but can look nice too.

After all, a great book, if you are an advanced folder buy it!

I see I'm in the minority on this book, and I'm sure I'll get a bunch of "unhelpful" votes from people disagreeing with my opinion, but I found this book really frustrating for the amount of steps that are just so difficult to get through. To be honest, until I got this book, I'd never really had major difficulties with any origami I've done, I've been folding for over 30 years, I had even folded Lang's previous monster the Cuckoo Clock from The Complete Book of Origami, Montroll's Stego and other such complex models. I've done plenty of insects before (I loved the mantis in his Origami Zoo book) but a fair number of the ones in this book just drove me nuts. There just is not enough explanation of quite a few of the intermediate steps. He often has very nice, detailed explanations of some of the later steps, but just skims over earlier ones that end up being rather inexplicable as a result. There are just a lot of places where I just totally had no idea at all how he was getting from one step to the next. I'd try such models again and get stuck in the middle again, and I personally just do not find that enjoyable to put so much time into something only to get totally stuck and unable to continue. Sure, it happens once in awhile regardless...but with this book it became commonplace. Are the models in this book top-noptch, highly detailed and realistic insects? When successfully folded, absolutely. But for me, what makes an origami book great is the ability to take extremely complex, interesting models (which this book most certainly has) and diagram them in such a way that a reasonably competent folder can accomplish them with a concerted effort 90+% of the time. And this book definitely missed that mark, so I simply cannot give it as high a rating as I had hoped.

I'd certainly recommend you avoid this book until you have quite a few years of experience folding and can easily handle any type of model, and advanced steps like reverse folded sinks, etc. But I'd also suggest you consider whether you are the type of folder that doesn't mind spending an hour or two on something and have nothing to show for it, but is able to move on and try again (and again and again...) Or if you mind having models that you really want to do, and just cannot figure out. It frustrates me to no end that this book of all the ones I own I simply am not able to figure out all the models in. I am used to messing up a model on the first try once in awhile but there are models in this book I tried several times and honestly felt like I just could do over and over and still not figure out. I personally just don't have quite that level of perseverance, so this book tends to sit on my shelf while I do other, not necessarily easier models, but ones that at least I know I will be able to complete successfully.

This marvellous book contains instructions for a range of origami insects most of which are very realistic. Most will take a minimum of 2-3 hours each to fold and will require large squares of fine weight foil, preferably Japan type, for initial practice pieces. The computerised diagrams are clear and concise and accurately drawn, though the models are advanced and will require some folding experience even to begin to attempt the techniques involved.

I enjoyed the grasshopper in particular and have made it several times. Writing this review has made me want to go and fold it again!

This book is a must for any paperfolder and is one you will come back to again and again.

This is like the pinnacle for all origami folders. If you can master all these origami figures in this book, then you are one high-powered origami folder! This book really gives you a challenge and hours of fun, or shall I say frustration! :) An absolute must, for any hardcore origamist! If you want a challenge, this is definitely the book for you. I've looked at Origami Fantasy by Kawahata, and ISSEI SUPER COMPLEX ORIGAMI, by Yoshino, and this insect book by Lang is in the same level as these books. I can't stress how good this book is! :)

This book is awesome! The insects in here are very advanced and if you dont have patience or experience then the only things you'll be showing off will be the pictures in the book. I for one have made many complex models such as Engel's Butterfly, Goubergen's Gecko and Fly on a Wall, Kirshenbaum's Biplane, Kawasaki's Rose, and I'm working on Kamiya's Bahamut, and I have to say that many of the models in there are very stressful and you get angry when you spend 3 hours and then you rip something. I've made about half of the insects in there including the Scorpion and they are extremely percise and look so real that a person would reach for the can of RAID when he saw one like the Orb Weaver. Over all yu must have experience if you want to put this fantastic book to use otherwise you'll be trying to amaze people with models that are equivalent to a balled-up sheet of paper.

HARDEST BOOK EVER this book is incredible a good number of models in this book are over 100 steps here are the number of steps for each model
Note this book is not this book is not for an origami beggener only get this book if you are a extremely complex folder
tree hopper 49 steps
spotted lady bug 72 steps
orb weaver 68
tarantula 70
tick 65 or 69 steps depending on which version you choose
ant 87 steps
butterfly 87 steps
scarab beetle 68 steps
cicada 95 steps
grasshopper 84 steps
black pine sawyer 93 steps
dragon fly 92 steps
hercules beetle 101 steps
long-necked seed bug 100
pill bug 97 steps
praying mantis 108 steps
stag beetle 118 steps
paper wasp 122 steps
samurai helmet beetle 140 steps
scorpion 159 steps
this book is overall the most difficult and complex (but fun) book i have everhad buy one now what are you doing just reading my review Buy this book now!!!!!!!!!!!

I aspire to be able to fold these models well. They are so cool, the ant has a segmented body, 6 legs, mandlibles and not a single cut in the single sheet of paper.

Get large sheets of good quality paper to start with. (The origami USA carries it) And take your time, breath deeply and try again. After all it's only paper. The results will amaze and astound your friends.

(Rating scale is 4 for difficulty but it really should be 5 or 6, on the "Montrol" model scale)

A one-word review like "wow" is not very helpful, but it's hard to find better words.

This is an advanced origami book. Don't even think about trying this book until you can fold, for example, John Montrol's stegasaurus or some equivalent. Even then, each model will stretch you, presenting some new technique you'll have to learn before you can complete it.

But the difficulty is not for its own sake. Each model is perfectly proportioned, anatomically exact, and aesthetically pleasing -- and could not have been created any more simply without compromising the quality.

In other words, Wow.