★★★★★ Advanced · 12 steps
Divine Dragon (After Kamiya, Simplified Path)
Published · By The Origami Desk
Satoshi Kamiya's dragon is the benchmark for complex origami: over 270 steps in the original, and every one of them on a single uncut square. This is the shortened path to the same silhouette, in twelve stages.
finished crease pattern
Fold sequence
1 / 12
Step 1
Square 35 cm, white side up. Fold both diagonals and both centre lines, then collapse onto the preliminary base.
The 22.5 degree system
Almost every fold in this model is a multiple of 22.5 degrees, which is why the crease pattern is a fan of bisectors rather than a grid. The practical consequence is that errors do not average out: a 1 degree error in the initial diagonal bisectors shows up at the head as a 4 cm misalignment on a 35 cm sheet. Fold the first four creases with a protractor if you have to.
Sinking the head
Steps 3 and 4 sink the head and neck. A closed sink at this depth has to be formed from the inside: open the model, push the point inward from underneath until it inverts, then close the layers around it. Doing this with the model held in the air rather than on the table is the difference between a clean neck and a torn one.
Scales and the finished object
Step 11 forms about forty scales along the body by pleating the outer layer. Each scale is about 9 mm wide on a 35 cm dragon. The finished model is 42 cm long from nose to tail tip and 11 cm tall at the shoulder, and it takes between four and six hours for a first attempt. Paper choice is not optional: 60 gsm double-tissue holds the pleats, 80 gsm copier paper cracks along them within a day.
Paper specification
| Sheet size | 35 cm |
|---|---|
| Sheet ratio | 1:1 |
| Paper weight | 60 gsm |
| steps | 12 |
| Difficulty | ★★★★★ |
| Base | kamiya-dragon |
35 cm square of 60 gsm double-tissue or thin kraft. Anything smaller and the scales in step 11 cannot be formed; anything thicker and the layered body will not close.
Crease symbol quick reference
| Crease notation used | count | first move |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain fold | 1 | Locate the line on the diagram; confirm the direction by looking at the adjacent valley folds. |
| Valley fold | 2 | Bring the edge or corner exactly to its target point and hold it there. |
| Reverse fold | 5 | Open the point along its existing crease, all the way to the base. |
| Sink fold | 2 | Identify whether the sink is open (no layers on top) or closed (layers pass over it). |
| Petal fold | 2 | Fold the cross crease where the new point will begin, then unfold it. |
What goes wrong
The neck tears at the sink
The sink was forced from outside. Open the model and invert the point from underneath instead.
The scales crack within a day
Paper too thick. Use 60 gsm double-tissue or thin kraft; copier paper cannot hold the pleats.
Making it hold
- Use a protractor for the first four creases; the 22.5 degree system does not forgive guessing.
- Sink the head with the model in the air, not on the table.
- Pleat the scales from the shoulder toward the tail so the overlaps run the right way.