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Essential Origami

How to Build Dozens of Models from Just 10 Easy Bases

By Steve & Megumi Biddle

Published: 1991 by St. Martin's Press
Pages: 192
Binding: Paperback
Language: English
ISBN: 0312057164

Buy from: Amazon.com

Skill Level : From simple to complex
Clear diagrams? Very clear
Tinted diagrams (to show 2 sides of paper)? Yes
Photos of completed models? No
Is there indication to the model size resulting
from size of starting paper? 		No
Are the models "Pure" origami (From square - no cuts)? Not all are pure
Overall Impression

This book is very good for beginners.
The diagrams are very clear and carefully drawn, showing in many places the actual position of the hands while folding.
In the beginning of each chapter, a new base is taught, and several models which employ this base. Most of the models are known, traditional ones,
but there are also modern designs included.
There is an excellent variety of subjects, which introduces the various styles of origami to beginners, and helps them choose their path in the art.

The Models
Model Creator Notes Photo (click for larger image)
House Traditional
Organ Traditional
Hat Traditional
Fox puppet Taichiro Hasegawa
Crown Traditional
Happi coat Traditional
Purse Traditional From 3 squares
Baby's shoes Katsushi Nosho Very nice - uses a string to tie
the shoes.
Pig Traditional
Flower Fumio Inoue A flower made of 20 pigs!
Rabbit Steve Biddle
Double heart Steve Biddle Very nice, with color change
Magic boat Traditional
Pajarita Traditional
Butterfly Traditional
Pendant Traditional
Stars Traditional
Mosaic decoration Traditional
Cup Traditional
Cap Traditional
Sombrero Traditional
Puppy Steve Biddle Cute
Samurai helmet Traditional
Goldfish Traditional With cuts
Stalk and leaf Traditional
Decoration Traditional From 2 squares
Yacht Traditional
Wild duck Traditional Nice
Cat Steve Biddle Cute
Scottish terrier Yasuhiro Sano Simple
Koala Kazuo Choshi Very nice
Tato Traditional
Dragon Kenji Jinbo From 3 squares, needs a cut to separate the ears
Mask Traditional
Propeller plane Seiji Nishikawa From 2 squares. Very nice
Box Traditional
Partition for a box Traditional
Box and purse Traditional
Fancy box Traditional
Yakko-san Traditional
Camera Traditional Action toy with noise
Sumo wrestling game Traditional
Waterbomb Traditional
Church Traditional
Spinning top Steve Biddle Nice
Kabuto wrapper Traditional From an A size rectangle
Crane wrapper Traditional From an A size rectangle
Gorilla mask Miyashita Atsushi Nice
Fat Sparrow Traditional A variation of the traditional crane
Father Christmas Steve & Megumi Biddle Very good. Based on Steve Casey's model
Panda Steve Biddle From 2 squares. Very nice
Flower Traditional
Basket Traditional From a square and a strip
Iris Traditional
Frog Traditional
Carnation Mitsunobu Sonobe
Snail Traditional
Crane Traditional
Flapping bird Traditional
Congratulations Crane Traditional A fancy crane variation
Hermit crab Shozo Ishida Nice
Apatosaurus Seiji Nishikawa Very nice
Wallet John Cunliffe Good. From an A size rectangle
Basic unit Steve Biddle
Octagonal box Tomoko Fuse From 8 squares
Senbazuru Traditional Connected cranes - with cuts
Crab Traditional With cuts - complex