created by solvingorigamitessellations.com  I've been attempting to expand my creativity in regards to my original origami tessellations . While I find it pretty easy to design new flagstone and collapse based tessellations, I do not so easily conceive of fully twist based ideas.  Many of my ideas incorporate multiple techniques including twists. But exclusively twist based tessellations do not come as easily. So I have been experimenting with that. Trying to expand my repertoire.  I've solved many twist based tessellations designed by other artists. This provides a good foundation.  created by solvingorigamitessellations.com So, recently, I've created a few new models that are all twists. They're a little simpler than my usual modus operandi. Anyway the Wind Blows is an easy tessellation , but I figure if I hone that skill, I can soon expand to more complicated ideas with them as well.  Some of it, I think, is just the nature of how a person thinks and perceives things

created by solvingorigamitessellations.com  Here's an interesting flagstone tessellation that I recently created. The concept isn't very complicated, but the pattern is pretty cool.  It begins with trapezoids twisting around a small closed hex twist on the reverse side. Then I add more trapezoids connected to the tops of the central ones. But those trapezoids face the opposite direction.  That allows the second set of trapezoids to then repeat the central pattern.  In the remaining gaps you can fit double wide triangles.  Small triangle twists on the back side rotate around the front double triangles in a star like pattern.  design by solvingorigamitessellations.com It's an elegantly simple structure.  For a flagstone tessellation it's not too hard to fold. It's not easy either, but it's probably only an intermediate level of difficulty.  My crease pattern follows.  created by solvingorigamitessellations.com Filed under: September 2024 Tessellations

Collapsing Vortex by solvingorigamitessellations.com  This tessellation is a variant of my ' Rocket Ships ' tess. While Rocket Ships used trapezoids and rhombuses, in this case, I used wider trapezoids which allowed me to use small triangles instead.  Whenever I come up with a general pattern for an original origami tessellation , I  often like to explore the different ways it can be altered using rearrangements and switching out sizes, distances and shapes.  Geometrically speaking, altering the sizes of some shapes directly impacts what other shapes can be paired with them. Changing distances can have the same effect. Everything is connected. It's always a kind of equation that you must work out if you want a workable flat fold. That's the fun and the challenge.  created by solvingorigamitessellations.com This tessellation is a difficult one. Everything collapses into everything else. Collapsing so many small triangles can be quite challenging. There are a multitude o

Kaleidoscope Tessellation by solvingorigamitessellations.com  This tessellation is a variant of my ' Wheel of Fortune' tessellation . Kaleidoscope  actually came first. Then I later, decided to try the same idea, but spacing things further apart and that became 'Wheel of Fortune. Kaleidoscope is a dense configuration of small and 1.5 triangle twists all precariously overlapping each other.  On the other side there are open back hex twists and small right triangles.  It's a very tight fold. My paper wasn't really too keen to cooperate, but it was mostly successful nonetheless.  It's an advanced tessellation to be sure. It requires sturdy paper.  It's not the prettiest of  origami tessellations , but it's interesting with all abundance of triangles smothering and banging into each other.  I knew that before I started it wouldn't be a showy, ooh and ahh design, but I like the concept and wanted to see if I could pull if off. Layered tessellations are s

Flower Tessellation solved by solvingorigamitessellations.com I actually solved this tessellation before I solved her 'Bouquet' tessellation . Both are designed by gatheringfolds. This one is a little simpler. Straight up repeats of the central pattern. In 'Bouquet' it takes that central idea and gets a little more complicated by adding small hex twists.  This one is just the 'house' shapes and some large triangle twists.  I'm pretty sure she called if 'Flower'. Although, I'm not 100% certain.  I can't seem to find the post again on her instagram.  The center was easy enough to figure out. It did take me a minute or two or more to realize how the  'houses' connected to each other. I simply didn't suspect that she would use that technique in what appeared to be a mainly twist based tessellation. I think that I'm just out of practice for solving other people's designs. I've been doing so many of my own lately that my ski

solved and folded by solvingorigamitessellations.com  Another interesting origami tessellation by gatheringfolds. Utilizes an unusual shape. Looks like a house. But in origami/geometric terms it's an open back hexagon with the bottom sliced off. Or you could say it's a rectangle with an isosceles triangle on the top. Whichever way you wish to classify it, it ultimately means new possibilities for origami designs.  The center pattern didn't give me any trouble figuring it out. However, I did get blocked for a bit on how the small hex twists connected to the rest of the pattern. My stubbornness prevailed though. And after more time fiddling than I care to admit, I did come up with the solution. I really should have figured it out sooner than I did, but we all have off days.  solved and folded by solvingorigamitessellations.com The back side of the tessellation is exclusively small triangle twists. When I was stuck on how to connect the small hexes, I used the triangles on th

an original tessellation by solvingorigamitessellations.com  This is an original tessellation idea that I had that I really like. It's somewhat complex and therefore difficult to fold.  This is my first attempt. While I was able to complete the design, it was not as successful as I would've liked.  I don't know if it was the weather or some other factor. But for whatever reason, the paper became very weak half way through folding it.  created by solvingorigamitessellations.com I had hoped to be able to re-orient some of the folds to create a more consistent design, but the paper was just too far gone by the time I'd gotten everything into place.  At some point, I would like to give it another go and see if I can execute it more to my satisfaction.  The idea itself, is one that I really like, so I figured that I'd share it now.  It's an intense array of trapezoids and triangles all collapsing into one another.  It's a lesson in expectations. Especially when

created by solvingorigamitessellations.com  I actually conceived of this tessellation backside first. It was all about the overlapping triangle twists.  This is the less dense version. I also have one that I came up with prior to this that is the same basic concept, but much more tightly packed.  For this one, I changed the spacing from my original idea to make it less intense and this is the result.  Thanks to the altered spacing this version photographs much nicer.  I created simply by combining two different sizes of triangle twists overlapping around open back hexagons.  But the really interesting pattern showed up on the other side.  created by solvingorigamitessellations.com I do have a diagram, I just need to upload it.  Will add that sometime soon.  Update: added crease pattern. created by solvingorigamitessellations.com Used 28 lb. white printer paper and 32 crease triangle grid.  This is a hard tessellation , if only because of the overlapping nature of the folds.  Filed und

solvingorigamitessellations.com  This one is a little bit different than my usual. It's got several different shapes all working in conjunction. There are open back hexagons, trapezoids, rhombuses, tall isosceles triangles and natural triangles.  Interestingly, there are no small triangle twists at all. Which is somewhat unusual.  It looked rather complicated when I mapped it out on the grid paper, but it wasn't that big of deal when I actually folded it.  It's an interesting study in how many different geometric shapes can be combined into a single cohesive origami tessellation.  I'd say it's an intermediate difficulty tessellation .  It uses both twist folds and collapse folds. There are a lot of creases and a lot to fold, but executing the folds is not too tricky.  I used 28 lb white printer paper and a 32 pleat triangle grid.  solvingorigamitessellations.com solvingorigamitessellations.com My diagram is included for those that may want it.  Filed under: Septembe

  solvingorigamitessellations.com It's been a little while since I've solved someone else's tessellation . So, I've worked on a few of those.  This first one is 'Barnacles' by gatheringfolds.  I kind of have a love/hate relationship with reverse engineering tessellations. It's fascinating, frustrating, and fulfilling.  This one in particular, gave me no trouble at all. As it shouldn't. It's not anything very tricky. Just some trapezoids around hexagons with a some open back triangles in the mix.  solvingorigamitessellations.com I reverse engineer a lot of her tessellations because she always comes up with ideas very different from anything I would probably think up. She's a master of twist based designs. While I am pretty skilled with flagstones and collapse based tessellations, my twist skills could use some work. And the best way to improve is to learn from those who are more advanced. I also reverse engineered another tessellations of hers j