Tag Archives: David Brill

Book “Origami”, Taschen, 1991 + dolphin by David Brill

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My mother recently found this in her basement, and of course she gave it to me. It’s a huge book (36cm each side) with 8 sheets of printed paper to fold 5 models (one coaster, the others are boxes, with or without lids) and a few pages of explanation on how to fold the pre-marked pages. The models are mostly not traditionnal, but no author is mentionned – if anyone knows them, please let me know :)

I wanted to keep the deliciously vintage papers, so I tried to retro-ingeneer the models on other papers. Below is my most convincing attempt. It took me hours, because you’re supposed to fold following the lines on the pre-printed papers, so the references had to be found out by trial and error.

This box is folded from one sheet of double-sided kami, 35cm.

The dolphin is from David Brill, with diagrams on his website (this model is not in his book, which you should have nonetheless for all the other amazing models!).

Double compartment box by David Brill

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David Brill published only one origami book, but it’s one of my favorites : “Brilliant Origami” (ISBN 0870408968). The diagrams are fabulously drawned, the models are varied and interesting to fold.

Papers: top left, 20cm nuinui box “motifs japonais” ; middle left, Showa Grim washi chiyogami 15cm ; bottom left, double-sided kraft from schoenepapiere.de ; center, Djeco 20 cm ; top right, Daiso Modern pattern washi chiyogami ; center right, japanese chiyogami ; bottom right, Daiso metallic chiyogami paper gold and silver.

This model, however, is not in the book. I had folded most models of it by then, so I was looking at his website – hoping he had published more. He hasn’t, sadly, but I saw the photo on the gallery of his website, and commented to ask if the diagram was published (sometimes authors publish models in obscure booklets that can be found with a little search).

I checked his website regularly in the next days, hoping for an answer to my comment, but there was none, so I moved on.

But then, a few months later, I checked again, and there it was! Turns out, the model was not diagramed, but he drew it after I asked – which of course took some time. I was so happy to have the diagram, and touched that he made it for me – I jumped happily around the house for a few days, and spent quite a while folding a lot of them, as you can see.

So on his website you can find the diagram!

Enjoy! (and don’t hesitate buying the book, whatever your favorite origami is, there’s some in it :))