Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Volume 1 Issue 1

Volume 1 Issue 1

October 1, 2009

Origami Bonsai E L E C T R O N I C M A G A Z I N E

“We have only just begun.”

In this issue: Dark Green for Leaves Folding the Ivy Leaf Hybrid Origami Bonsai

Copyright 200 C 09, Benjamin John Colemaan, All Rights R Reserved.

Clickk‐On n Conten nts

Click on th C e page num mber to jump to the article.

Freq quentlyy Aske ed Que estions Origami Bo onsai Updatte How w to Create aa Realiistic Darkk Green Colo or for LLeavess Folding the Ivy LLeaf Hybrrid Oriigami Bonsaai

Origami B Bonsai Electro onic Magazinee Vol. 1 Issue 1

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Copyright 2009, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved.

Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Copyright 2009, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved. This is a collaborative production so your stories and suggestions are an integral part of this publication’s success. Please submit articles and input via email to: [email protected] For advertising rates and information, please click the link above. Our current circulation is approximately 3,000 readers, however this document will remain on the internet into the foreseeable future, so actual long‐term readership is more significant than the existing number of subscribers. “Origami Bonsai” is a registered trademark of Benjamin John Coleman.

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Click here to buy either of our books!

Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Vol. 1 Issue 1

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Benjamin John Coleman’s Paper Craft Books Click the book cover 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.

Origami 101 includes more than 40 fun and interesting models from every genre of origami. This book is written for the absolute beginner with strategies to go from beginner to expert in one book! Origami 101 is the first origami book with glow-fold diagrams and videos making learning origami easy!

Advanced Origami Bonsai teaches how to make branches from newspaper using the Makigami technique. Also teaches how to create intricate branch networks for Origami Bonsai sculptures. 182 pages on DVD or through Scribd.com

Artist-inventor Benjamin John Coleman guides you with stepby-step instructions in how to make over 30 durable, wearable jewelry projects. Learn how to recycle ordinary newspaper into intricate, complex natural shapes. Instructions for making earrings, bangles, pendants and much more! 132 pages with 14 videos in full HD

Origami Bonsai Accessories teaches how to make durable Makigami jewelry, accessories, bangles, planters and other items. Make virtually anything you can conceive of from paper. 152 pages on DVD or through Scribd.com.

Books ordered through OrigamiBonsai.org ship the same day they’re ordered!


Frequently Asked Questions What is Origami Bonsai? Origami Bonsai is a new art form developed over the past three years by artist, author and inventor Benjamin John Coleman. Origami flowers and leaves are attached to branches to form dramatic, visually complex sculptures. These sculptures are either free standing (can be placed on top of tables), or wall hanging (attach to walls with a hook). Origami Bonsai is revolutionary. For the first time origami enthusiasts can assemble their work into sculptures. These sculptures are appealing and have both artistic and commercial value. While it could be argued that origami is a craft and not an art form, it is clear that Origami Bonsai is an art form as color, shape, and plant interactions can be used to convey thoughts, meanings and even emotions. We do not attempt to duplicate nature, as this would be impossible. Instead we mimic nature and use natural forms as inspiration for our works. The world of plants seems chaotic and complex, and it is in human nature to try to add order to that world. However, it is that chaos that is the source of much of the beauty of our work. Origami Bonsai artists aspire to express this chaos in a coherent manner in their work, using it to convey a message, or simply to create something beautiful. What is Makigami? Benjamin John Coleman invented Makigami to complement Origami Bonsai. It allows artists to make trees (networks of branches) from paper. Makigami means “roll‐paper” in Japanese. Newspaper is saturated in a solution and then rolled, much like the “snakes” you rolled as a child from clay. These wet Makigami strips are then attached to cylinders and allowed to dry. When dry, the solution the strips were rolled in acts as glue. The resultant paper product is stiff, durable, and easy to work with. Recent advances in Makigami have led to the ability to make items like bonsai planters, jewelry, and other items from the material. Do you use wires inside the branches? No. Origami Bonsai is about testing the limits of paper as a medium (material) and about discovering new applications for paper in our work. What is the difference between www.OrigamiBonsai.org and www.Benagami.com? Benagami.com is a web site featuring the work of Benjamin John Coleman. OrigamiBonsai.org is a web site dedicated to further developing Origami Bonsai. At OrigamiBonsai.org you will


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find the latest techniques and folding diagrams, and can submit your ideas to be included on the site. How do I get started making Origami Bonsai? All you need to begin is some small squares of paper. If you would like to build a sculpture you will need either the printed book “Origami Bonsai” (Tuttle Publishing, available in April 2010 ) or “Advanced Origami Bonsai” an electronic book available through www.Scribd.com or on DVD or CD on www.Etsy.com. There is a clickable advertisement for this book on the second page of this document that will take you directly to the books. What is the difference between the books “Origami Bonsai,” “Advanced Origami Bonsai,” and “Origami Bonsai Accessories?” “Origami Bonsai” is the first book in the series. It is published by Tuttle Publishing and will be available in book stores in April of 2010. The book teaches how to fold many varieties of flowers and leaves and then assemble the flowers and leaves onto real tree branches. This is largely an origami book. “Advanced Origami Bonsai” is the second book in the series. It was published electronically on June 1, 2009. It teaches how to fold a few different types of flowers and leaves, but more importantly, it teaches how to make branches from paper using the Makigami technique. While there is some origami in this book, it is mostly about Makigami. “Origami Bonsai Accessories” is the third book in the series and is still in the research and design phase. This book teaches how to make bonsai planters, jewelry, and other items from paper. It will be entirely Makigami.


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Origami Bonsai Update for October 1, 2009 by Benjamin John Coleman Copies of “Advanced Origami Bonsai” have been shipped to countries around the world. People in Brazil, El Salvador, Italy, Germany, Australia, Indonesia, the United States, and Chile are participating in this creative synergy of Origami and Bonsai. On August 21, 2009 “Advanced Origami Bonsai” became a “featured” document on the electronic book site Scribd.com. The next day it graduated to the “hotlist.” Finally, on September 2, 2009 my account was put on Scribd.com’s suggested subscriptions list. Since then thousands of readers have subscribed to Origami Bonsai publications. Peoples’ desire to stay informed on Origami Bonsai’s progress is an indication that this may become a very popular art form. I also received some disheartening news from Tuttle Publishing. The printing of my first book in this series, “Origami Bonsai” has been delayed. The publisher says the book will be available in April of 2010 rather than November of 2009. However, they plan to include a DVD with folding videos in the book. Of late I have been working with my cousin, Gretchen Anderson, a curator with the Carnegie Natural History Museum. She is an expert in the field of both adhesives and paper; who better to consult on developing a more durable form of Makigami? Together we developed a new type of Makigami that is approximately four times more rigid than the existing material. While this new Makigami is not good for making branches, it does open the door for Makigami to enter the consumer products market. The finished product is now strong enough to make things like one‐time‐use chopsticks, toothbrush handles and many other consumer products. When you consider that Makigami is easily recycled and requires far less energy to product than plastic, this represents a windfall for the ecology of our planet. Ben Coleman Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Vol. 1 Issue 1

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How to Create a Realistic Dark Green Color for Leaves by Benjamin John Coleman One of the most frustrating obstacles I have encountered in my work is obtaining colors that look natural. My first attempt at creating dark green was a disaster. I started out using the darkest green in the set of water colors I had purchased. After three coats of paint my paper was still light green. This is a problem that can be overcome by an understanding of both our materials and how color is perceived by the human eye. Our eyes interpret color based on the spectrum of reflected light (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_vision) a colored object emits. When white light hits a piece of white paper, it appears white. If red light is directed at a white piece of paper, it will reflect back as pink, yellow light reflects back as light yellow. When we add a coat of green paint to the white paper it reflects a stream of light into our eyes that is a mixture of white and green. It is this whitewashed green that isn’t particularly desirable. You can repeatedly add more coats of green, improving the color somewhat, but you will never achieve a dark, lush and natural looking green in this manner. The reason is simple; white is a color, not the absence of color. To create a real looking dark green we have to overcompensate for the white color of our paper. We do this by limiting the reflected light spectrum of the paper with blue. It should be noted that using black watercolor is a mistake. Black water color paint actually appears to be dark purple when applied to white paper, and tends to diffuse any existing or subsequent colors, making them look less distinct. To obtain a good dark green, the first coat of paint applied to white paper should be a mixture of equal parts of dark blue (Prussian or Ultramarine blue) and dark yellow (Yellow Ochre) along with a half‐part of dark brown (burnt umber) water color paint, another equal part of artist medium and about 10 parts water. For the darkest possible leaves, apply a second coat, or for lighter leaves add some bright yellow (lemon yellow) to it. Allow your leaf sheets to dry completely before continuing to the next step. The final step to obtain a natural looking leaf color is to add a mixture of water (10 parts), acrylic paint (1 part) and artist medium (1 part). This mixture will provide a glossy yet natural coating to the leaf that is also dust resistant. To make your leaves look even more interesting, you can use an acrylic color from a different color family. I find using burnt sienna, a dark orange‐brown, looks natural. I have also used dilute acrylic black, water and artist medium to darken the leaf color as a fourth coat. Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Vol. 1 Issue 1

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To Obtain a Dark Green 1. Mix equal parts of dark blue and dark yellow with one half part of brown and artist medium and about 10 parts of water. 2. Apply one coat of the mixture to both sides of a sheet of paper. 3. Apply a second coat of the mixture to the side of the sheet which will be visible after folding. Allow your sheets to dry completely before proceeding to the next step. They should curl a bit and feel rough and “crispy” when dry.


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4. Decide on a color scheme for your leaves. The final coats won’t greatly alter the overall color, but will add some variation and a nice finish. Here are some ideas:

1 coat of the mixture

2 coats of the mixture

2 coats and 1 coat of lemon yellow acrylic

2 coats and 1 coat of burnt sienna acrylic

2 coats and 1 coat of black acrylic

2 coats and 1 coat of orange acrylic

In this example I will add a coat of burnt umber acrylic, artist medium and water, and then add another coat of black acrylic, artist medium and water. The burnt umber mixture yields this resultant color:

The black mixture achieves the desired dark green final color. To see ivy leaves made from this sheet, turn the page.


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Folding the Ivy Leaf The Ivy Leaf is a useful and easy to fold design. Whether used as a component of a hybrid sculpture, or for creating ivy plants that wrap around other plants, the ivy leaf will add variety to your work. 1. Start with a square of colored paper, with the leaf color facing up. 2. Fold the square in half diagonally. 3. Fold the corner 1/3 of the way to the center. Watch the bottom tip to ensure you don’t over or under fold it. Flip the paper.


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4. Fold the other side the same way you did it in step 3. Make sure you align this fold to the one on the other side. 5. Fold the corner to the center line aligning the edge. Flip your model. 6. Perform the same fold on the other side.


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World, meet flower. Flower, meet world. Plastic

Introducing the world’s first mass-produced, pre-folded Origami flower. The Origami Bonsai® Instant Flower ships flat, but with two simple movements, opens to reveal a beautiful flower.

Copyright 2009, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved. 7. Fold “veins” in the leaf by folding and unfolding both pleats of paper repeatedly. Unfold the center of the leaf. 8. Fold the upper tip of the leaf towards the opposite tip. 9. Fold the tip you folded in step 8 in the other direction


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Copyright 2009, Benjamin John Coleman, All Rights Reserved. 10. Pinch the tip to form the stem.

11. “Crimp” the leaf stem into the base of the leaf by squeezing with the thumb and index finger of one hand while pushing into the stem with the thumb of your other hand.


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Hybrid Origami Bonsai While the press and the public are hard at work discussing the impact of genetic engineering on plants and animals, we are doing the same, but in the medium of paper. Hybrid Origami Bonsai plants combine either different plants or plants with animals to create unique interpretations of the resultant species. I have been having a lot of fun with this concept as you will see in the following pictures.

“Succulent” by Ben Coleman This is my interpretation of a mix of Christmas cactus and Ice plant. The resultant sculpture has long needles; the flowers are influenced by the colors of Christmas cactus flowers, and the leaves are oval, similar to those of an ice plant. This sculpture was donated to Rhode Island PBS and will be available through their televised auction in December, 2009.


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“Weeping Dragon” by Ben Coleman This sculpture is a combination of a weeping willow tree and a snap dragon plant. The snap‐dragon influences are reflected in two shoots that emit individual flowers at the top of the sculpture. The flower shape is also snap‐ dragonish.

The weeping willow tree is reflected in the droopy branches of the sculpture. Each branch droops earth‐ward, seemingly in response to their weight, just like a weeping willow tree.


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The “Squidrose” Challenge I made this “squidrose,” a combination of a rose plant and a squid by rolling a group of stems and then rolling two sheets of paper around the stems. Perhaps this concept could be improved upon?

I invite you to try to make a squidrose. If you do, email me a picture and I will include it in the next issue of this publication. Email me at [email protected].


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Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine Volume 1 Issue 1

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