Origami dragon

The dragon is a very popular character in mythology. Especially in the east, there are entire festivals dedicated to this hero. Therefore, it is logical that in the traditional Japanese art of origami there are more than a dozen variations on how to make a dragon out of paper. There are simple schemes that a child of 7-9 years old can cope with. And there are modular crafts, labor-intensive, voluminous, but with an impressive result in the final. It is better to start with a simple one, as you gain skills, moving on to a new level of comprehension of paper technology.

It would seem that the paper does not really matter: the main thing is to bend it correctly a certain number of times so that the figure is recognizable. But no: even school colored paper can be thin, thick, double-sided, coated, printed, etc. You can also use corrugated paper. The latter is more often used in the twisting technique, which would be a very suitable option to create a cute dragon. But still the dragon will look more like a snake.

If you didn't find one, or you don't want extra spending, a couple of tips will help you find a worthy alternative.

• Double-sided or metallized colored paper look much more interesting than usual, because the resemblance to the character's skin is more noticeable. But there is also paper with a print of reptile skin - this option provides even greater opportunities.
• A4 office paper good because at first the required pattern can be printed on it, and a print under the dragon scales will be a good choice.So the dragon will turn out to be more naturalistic (if this can be said about a character that does not exist in reality).
• Plain white paper also suitable for origami. After the dragon is ready, you can paint it, which is what the children like.

Creative experiments are also not prohibited: wallpaper, wrapping, gift paper, velvet. In theory, you can try everything, but the result will have to be evaluated in practice.

The Easy Dragon variant is a circuit with no more than 20 steps. Children 6-9 years old will cope with this task. Adults may need help (coordination).

Step-by-step plan for creating a little dragon:

1. you will need a square sheet of paper (the color and appearance are chosen by the master himself);
2. the basic shape "bird" is formed from it;
3. the upper right, as well as the lower part of the upper layer must be folded towards the center;
4. bend the lower right layer to the left;
5. lift angle A up;
6. tuck corner B back;
7. turn corner С to the right;
8. turn corner D to the right and back;
9. raise the angle F up so that a vertical line forms with E;
10. do the same on the other side;
11. wrap the lower elements up on both sides;
12. form the head and neck from the left side with internal folds;
13. build a tail from the right side;
14. form folds on the wings.

The dragon is ready.

If this option seems difficult, there is a simpler description suitable for young and beginning origami masters.

A very simple dragon in stages:

1. the beginning is the formation of the same basic "bird" shape;
2. free sharp corners need to be parted to the sides (taking into account the difference in levels), for which internal folds will be used;
3. on the right side of the fold, it is required to fold down on both sides;
4. the tip is bent upward with an inner fold;
5. on the left side, do the same with the tip: it bends upward, forming a horn;
6. all that remains is to form the wings.

For such a simple MK, bright dragons are especially good: the color brightens up the simplicity of the lines, brings attention to itself, which makes a fiery red or deep blue relatively simple craft brighter and more interesting.

The mobile dragon will turn out to be very cool. This Chinese character delights children. And if they can make it themselves, it will only increase the admiration. Consider a diagram of how to make a movable dragon using the origami technique.

1. Find a sketch, download, print. The sketch shows exactly how the workpiece should look at the beginning: the corners of the square are bent along the arrows.
2. You will get an envelope with the corners inward, towards the middle.
3. Turn the square upside down and proceed as shown by the arrows in the figure.
4. Make a twist of the upper corner, the movements should be precise, and the folds should be clearly visible.
5. Mentally, a square (rather, already a rhombus) is divided into sectors (they can be drawn with a pencil). Bends are made along three arrows.
6. You will get a "frog" shape.
7. Next, you need to follow the arrows in three directions.

And then you need a sheet of bright orange paper, it will have to be folded like an accordion. It is attached with glue to the head and tail of the dragon. This will create the effect of movement. It remains only to take thin wooden sticks, fix them under the edges of the paper. Once the glue hardens, the dragon can be used in business.

Modular technique is the compilation of a figure from numerous elements of the same type.... This is a rather difficult job, children under the age of 10 rarely take on it. But it is in this technique that it is easier to make both an ancient monster and a sea one, and the figure will actually turn out to be a 3D object.

The creation of the module looks like this step by step.

1. Take an A4 sheet of the color that the hero will be. It needs to be folded in half several times, as in the illustration.
2. Then the sheet must be unbent to indicate the middle, and then turned by bending towards you.
3. The edges of the workpiece are bent towards the center of the sheet.
4. The module must be turned over.
5. Raise the edges of the sheet up.
6. Bend the corners of the module, bending them over the large triangle.
7. And then straighten it back.
8. And again make small triangles along the lines, lifting the edges up.
9. The entire sheet is folded in half.
10. One module is ready. Now you need to make several of these in order to connect with each other (as in the photo).

Always for such a beautiful dragon with your own hands you will need 251 blue modules, 264 yellow modules, and also PVA and red paper.

Let's take a look at how to build a dragon.

1. It will start from the head. You will need 55 blue elements and 2 yellow ones. It is necessary to collect according to the scheme (as in the photo). Step by step, you get a bright head with yellow spots.
2. A tongue must be attached to the finished dragon head (simply cut out of red paper, for example, velvet).
3. It's time to take care of the hero's body. You will need 2 blue elements, 1 yellow between them. This is the first row.
4. The second row is the same, only there will be 2 yellow elements.
5. In the third row, there are already 3 yellow ones, and there will be 2 blue ones along the edges.
6. Now a long chain is being made, which will become the dragon's body. And all the previous steps are repeated until 88 rows are formed. Landmark - in the photo.
7. The assembly is carried out as follows: take the head from the back, and 2 blue elements are inserted next to the place where the eyes of the snake are.
8. After that, you can insert the head into the torso. And for a greater guarantee of adhesion, you can attach it with glue.
9. For the legs, you need blue modules (5 pieces), which are connected as shown. 4 legs are made.
10. A wavy bend is made, the legs are inserted into it in one corner from the front and back (from different sides in a pair). The craft is ready!

One of the most beautiful master classes is the three-headed dragon (author of the development - G. Tikhova).

To create such a figure, you need to do:

• green modules - 712;
• orange - 98;
• yellow - 109;
• white - 11;
• red - 3.

The colors can be replaced with your favorite, but the author's choice is also very good.

The features of creating a three-headed dragon are as follows.

1. The first row will have 35 elements. Each dragon's neck contains 19 rows of modules.
2. The work will begin with assembling the body. Please note: 3 triangular elements extend from the body, and they will form the basis for the hero's neck. At the ends of all necks there will be monster heads. They are decorated with red modules - this is a flame, because the monster is fire-breathing. The eyes in this case are plastic, but other options are also possible.
3. Then the wings and legs of the three-headed one are made. The paws are attached with glue to the base, and the wings are attached to the lateral parts of the body. Each wing is represented by two green rhombuses with orange inclusions.
4. The glue will be needed again: the head of the creature should be firmly fixed on the neck. Otherwise, no glue is required, since all elements will be firmly attached to each other. But if you get the impression that you need to glue something, it is better to insure yourself.
5. The figurine is stable because it stands on the base of the body, round and large enough. The paws of the creation are rather decorative.

If we talk about step-by-step instructions, then it is very voluminous - several dozen photos. And they need to be followed, checking the element received in the hands (more precisely, their combination) with the author's.

The work can be collective, which will speed up the production time of the mythological hero.

Next, see a master class on creating a simple dragon using the origami technique.