How to Draw Origami Diagrams
For clarity and legibility
Please, indulge me while I have a little rant.
There are, essentially, only 2 reasons for drawing origami diagrams:
- As a personal record to remind you how to fold a particular model
- To communicate to others how to fold a particular model.
The first of those reasons allows you to scribble down any old, scruffy, rubbish that you want - it’s just notes for yourself after all.
No-one else needs to understand or see it.
However, the second reason has an important word contained in it - COMMUNICATE”. To paraphrase Brad Guigar - if your intended readers can’t read your diagrams, your intended readers can’t read your diagrams.
People need to be able to read and understand your diagrams to be able to fold your models - if they can’t, you are wasting your time drawing the diagrams and their time attempting to fold the model.
So here are 10 tips for excellent, clear and legible origami diagrams:
- Know the model thoroughly. If you can, teach it a few times - it’s amazing what you can discover about the folding process by teaching a model.
- Unfold the finished model step by step while sketching the process. This gives you a first draft diagram.
- Refold the model using the sketches of 2 as a guide, correcting any mistakes and omissions as you go.
- If you are drawing by hand (which I would recommend until you know what you are doing) rough it out in pencil first.
- Allow 4 - 6 steps per A4 page.
- Use a ruler for straight lines.
- Test fold the steps before inking over the pencil.
- Use a different thickness of line for paper edges, valley/mountain folds and X-Ray lines - and be consistent
- Use a ruler for straight lines.
- Have someone else test fold the finished diagrams to check that everything is correct and legible.
- Redraw if necessary using the information gained in 10 above (It might be tiresome and I know you can’t be bothered but, it needs to be done).There are few shortcuts in diagramming by hand.
- Try to eliminate the need for words completely - you do not know the linguistic abilities of your future audience - so draw the diagrams without words. You do not need to write redundant instructions. If your drawings are clear and simple there will be no need. Origami is an internationally practised artform and the lines and symbols developed by Akira Yoshizawa and Samuel Randlett show everything you need.
- And use a ruler for straight lines.
I have started to colour code my lines recently - black for outlines, red for mountain folds and blue for valley folds. I like the way it looks but, only for hand-drawn diagrams. For digital diagrams that are destined to be published, the fold lines remain black.
After you complete your first origami diagram go and have a look at some super-complex origami diagrams and appreciate the amount of work that has gone into drawing the diagrams.
To illustrate my process for getting clear, legible diagrams by hand I put this little How-To together a few years ago. Everything in it is still valid today.
How to Draw Origami Diagrams - step by step
