The model requires hundreds of tiny creases, and thin paper prevents the model from becoming too thick, while the foil provides the "memory" needed for the scales to stay in place.
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.
The tail is a long, tapered structure that requires precise reverse folds to taper down to a sharp tip. 5. Shaping and Finishing
A collapsed Ryujin looks like a flat, compressed accordion. The final magic happens during the organic shaping process. Sculpting the Dragon origami ryujin 3.5 tutorial
When you finally place the last scale, curl the last claw, and mount the 1.5-meter creature on a wooden plaque, you will not feel joy. You will feel quiet exhaustion. And then you will look at the pile of failed attempts in the corner, and you will fold a crane to honor the paper you sacrificed.
This is the defining feature of the model. The official "Red Book" ( Challenge to Kamiya-style Creative Origami! ) contains the CP for the head alone. Practice with a small square (including 4-5 rows of neck scales) to understand the structure of the:
The "Scale Lock." To create the dorsal spines, you must perform a repetitive series of open-sinks on every other row of the grid. There are 96 rows. You will do this 48 times. Do not listen to music; listen to the paper. It will tell you when it is about to tear. The model requires hundreds of tiny creases, and
✅ Practice on Ryujin 2.1 or Ancient Dragon first — both by Kamiya — to build skill.
This indicates asymmetrical scale folding. Check your scales row-by-row to ensure they are all oriented in the correct direction and collapsed with equal tension.
Due to the weight of the paper, you will likely need to insert wires into the legs and body to support the final pose. Lightly dampening the paper (wet-folding) and using a small amount of methylcellulose (MC) glue will help the paper hold its final shape. The horns, legs, and tail are currently locked
Standard origami paper will tear or become too thick to handle. Your choice of paper determines whether your model succeeds or fails. Recommended Paper Types
: A square of at least 1.5 meters (150cm) per side is recommended, though some attempt it with 1.2 meters.
| Resource | What it helps with | |----------|--------------------| | (in Works of Satoshi Kamiya 2 book) | Full 200+ step diagrams for base + shaping | | YouTube – Mariano Zavala B. (Ryujin 3.5 full series) | Step-by-step video of whole folding process | | YouTube – Tadashi Mori (Ryujin 3.5 head tutorial) | Detailed head folding from CP | | Origami Forum (e.g., “Ryujin 3.5 help thread”) | Problem-solving common mistakes | | CP + photo diagrams (online image searches) | Alternative visual aid |
There are over 1,000 individual scales on the Ryujin 3.5. You must fold these column by column, row by row. Keeping the paper flat while hundreds of scales compress the sheet requires constant use of paper clips to prevent unravelling.