Origami Ryujin 3.5 Tutorial

To help you get started on your folding journey, let me know: Have you already selected your ?

focusing on specific sections (head or scales).

The CP allocates the center of the paper for the dense, repeating scale molecules. The corners and edges are reserved for the highly complex, non-grid structures of the head, legs, and tail.

This is the "Box-Pleating Abyss." You will locate the central rectangle that will become the torso. Using the CP, you will push the paper down so that the grid forms a series of "towers." You are not folding a dragon yet; you are folding a flat, spiky caterpillar. The horns, legs, and tail are currently locked inside the middle layers. origami ryujin 3.5 tutorial

The Ryujin is built on a grid. Before you do any "real" folding, you must spend dozens of hours pre-creasing.

To help me tailor advice for your specific project, tell me: What do you have with box-pleating? What paper type and size are you planning to use for your attempt? Share public link

Follow Satoshi Kamiya’s diagrams or verified CP breakdowns for the specific stretch-folds required. To help you get started on your folding

Fold the 96x96 grid. This is not hyperbole. You will fold the paper in half 7 times (2^7 = 128, close enough). You will then fold every single diagonal. When you unfold, the paper should look like a mandala of diamonds and squares. If you see a wrinkle that isn't a perfect 45-degree angle, throw the paper away and start over. A single misplaced crease at this stage will turn the dragon's spine into a spiral.

Minimum 100 cm × 100 cm (39.3 inches). Experienced folders prefer 120 cm to 140 cm.

An unshaped Ryujin looks like a thick, zig-zag accordion. The magic happens during the shaping process. The corners and edges are reserved for the

Before you begin, it's vital to understand what you're up against. The "Ryu-zin" (Dragon God) is Satoshi Kamiya's magnum opus.

You will collapse the neck and the upside-down head base from the paper. This involves connecting them to the body's scales via a series of baffling level-shifters and hinge lines. If your CP has been pre-creased perfectly, the model will eventually collapse into a flat-ish bundle of paper that holds the promise of a dragon.

The collapse brings all elements together into a singular, raw dragon shape. However, a raw collapse looks blocky and lifeless. The magic happens during the shaping process.

Do not try to fold the whole model on your first try. Practice the scale-locking unit on a smaller piece of paper first.