Charlie Weitzenberg is an origami tessellation artist with a degree in Computer Science from Montana State University in Bozeman.
Origami tessellation is a technique that makes it possible to create complex, repeating patterns on a plane by folding a single sheet of paper. Much of Charlie’s work focuses on how light interacts with the paper, highlighting the beauty of symmetry and geometry.
Follow him on Instagram @origami_tessellations.
How To Get Started
The first step to creating a tessellation is folding the grid. Most of the tessellations I create are made using 2 grids, a right triangle grid and an equilateral triangle grid. There will be videos included below that detail how to make these grids. Next, you must decide the amount of divisions you will have in your grid. The more folds you put into the grid to start, the more complicated your tessellation will be. Because the process of making these grids consists of folding the paper in half and then folding those divided sections in half, and so on, the possible size of each grid on a square piece of paper will be in orders of two (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, etc). I recommend starting with a 16-division grid for your first one, and then moving on to 32 once you are comfortable with the process. I also recommend using the right triangle grid to begin with, as it requires fewer folds overall and it can be easier to understand what the paper is doing using this method. However, creating this grid without messing up the first folds can be a bit tricky, so take the first couple of steps slowly.
The next step is to choose a pattern. Some of my favorite patterns that helped me understand the mechanics of origami are the spread hex tessellation and the triangle twist tessellation. Both can be made on an equilateral grid, and the process of creating each is relatively simple. I will include a tutorial for each below.
Once you understand the basics, the best way to learn is by experimentation! Most of my favorite patterns I have made have come from me asking myself “If I changed this part of the pattern, what would happen?” I would also highly recommend looking at the work of other artists and trying to recreate some of the patterns they have created. Micheal Kosmulski has an excellent website where he showcases his favorite patterns, this was a huge inspiration for me as I started because it showed me how there is really no end to how complex this art style can get.