YES, here we are! So you've mastered the anatomy of the body but now when you try to clothe the figure it looks like a complete mess! Yeah, unfortunately (or fortunately) people are clothed most of the time so you have to know how to actually draw or sculpt the different types of folds... Look no further as this quick guide will teach you about each of the folds and how to draw, sculpt and construct the different folds... And i'll also give you some quick tips and tricks here and there. So lets get to it!
content:
Just a quick reminder that this articles 3d info is still being updated but the rest (2d info) is up and running!
some quick things to remember
Before we get into the folds, i just want you to keep these few things in mind whenever you are dealing with folds. Think of them as the foundations on which your folds are built. These things are:
RESTING AREAS: These are the areas on which the fabric rests on; these areas, like most areas under the fabric, will influence what the fabric does; is it round, square, a person, furniture etc. This is the big picture on which your folds rest.
TENSION POINTS: These are the points of tension from which the folds actually stem from. These can range from one to countless and they will dictate a good deal of where your folds are going aka the direction.
GATHERING AREAS: These are the areas at which the fabric gathers, usually but not always, at the opposite end of the tension point. These areas will give life to the folds you are trying to create. This is usually the area you will exaggerate or simplify if that's what you are going for.
MATERIAL: The material itself usually wont dictate the type of fold but will often soften or add more folds depending on the type of material; leather acts very differently from silk and cotton for example.
GRAVITY & ACTION/MOVEMENT: Luckily for us Earth doesn't vary wildly with its gravity from hour to hour but if your character is flying through space or falling from a 10 story building or just walking the drapery needs to reflect this action. It might seem obvious when you're drawing from reference but people forget this when drawing from imagination so be sure to represent it!
A few of those points i mentioned
Okay, on to the folds!
(1) the Pipe fold
Definitely the easiest fold to remember and draw/ sculpt: the pipe fold is characterised by the obvious pipe-like shape and simple to understand tension points. The tension points are either a simple single point like hanging a piece of material from a hook, a simple set of repeating points like curtains or a mix of multiple points from one end to the next like the pipes you see on shirts or cloth when pulled taut... The folds can flow over the resting areas and if they gather will form a collection of pipes hanging down when still or pushed away during movement or a breeze...
drawing Pipe folds:
These folds are drawn using either alternating concave and convex pipe shapes as a base and then connecting then to form a continuous string of folds or starting off with some ellipses and then constructing pipes from that. You could also draw them radiating out from a single point (as seen above) or as a series of mixed pipes moving from a single point to many.... Whatever the scenario, pipes really help to show direction and simplicity or even elegance.
Quick Pipe Construction
Quick breakdown of the shading process (discussed in further detail below)
Probably too much on some of the highlights now that i look at it...
Elegant Dress using pipes on purpose (The Bridal Company)
sculpting Pipe folds:
Okey doke. Here is the first part on actually sculpting cloth. And given that its the pipe fold this will be relatively easy...
First up (step 1) we have an area that pushes out (convex) and two adjacent areas that push in (concave). This is really the mentality im using with all folds and you can see the result below. Another thing ill keep in mind (step 2) is how big, how much convexity, the direction and how long the pipe will be in this context. Given that info i will start off with a relatively low mesh and work my way up in density as i progress. This is it really; as long as you keep to the rules i laid out with the 2d pipe folds (and given that you actually know how to sculpt) the rest is quite easy.
Using convex and concave shapes to sculpt out pipes from block in to refining.
A quick cross section (you can exaggerate the pipes as shown if you want).
Another thing to keep in mind when sculpting any kind of fold is that you need to be very careful with the lines you sculpt; things can get super bumpy in 3d when you dont know how to control your pressure sensitivity and cant make use of your observation skills! So this is why you should start with fewer polygons then move up as you go...
The final render
quick detour #1 - shading folds
Ahh, so here we are on the first detour; detours, in this article anyway, are parts that will give you extra info on cloth and in some cases you can skip them depending on what you want to learn... In this case its a quick rundown on how i shade folds!
Like with anything art related you will want to start off with the big picture; simple but informative. And thats what i do in the first step (the Line work). To be fair this spiral fold is a little detailed so i kind of added more in the first step than i should have.
Next (Step 2) ill add in the basic shadows, this includes both the cast and core shadows combined as one wash of value. BTW both step 1 and 2 shouldnt take more than 10 - 15 mins; if you are taking more time than this its either that the cloth you are drawing is super complex or you are overthinking and over drawing the cloth (its probably the latter if you're a beginner)... Oh, and also if the cloth doesnt look like the image/ cloth you are trying to draw at this point then just do yourself a favor and start over!!!! TRUST ME ON THIS. Theres no point in building on a wonky foundation; everything standing on top will just add to the instability....
After that ill add the secondary details in the shadows (Step 3). Of course im assuming you actually know how to shade here but if you dont you can go up to step 2 and leave it at that because after that you're just copying what you see to try and hide the fact that you dont know how to shade!
Aaaand finally step 4 will be adding the secondary details in the light areas and final details all around. This step seems like the most complex but as long as you understand planes and shading it should be the easiest and one of the quickest steps. All im doing here is adding the mid tones to the light areas and also adding highlights which both really help to round out and finish off the forms. Technically the highlights would be part of Step 5 - the polish phase; here is where we go into any hyper detail and creases on the cloth if we want - but in this article I decided to combine steps 4 and 5 into one... Im only telling you this because it might make more sense to break some steps into two to make it easier to draw for you.
And here is the finished product! Just as a benchmark, this particular cloth took around 50 - 60 mins from start to finish - the drawing was done digitally on a 4k resolution canvas. In fact most of the drawings you see done in this article took around 60 mins, give or take 10 mins, to complete.... Except the pipe fold drawing in the first part - that took around two and half hours!!
(2) the diaper fold
Basic Diaper fold
Some repeating Diaper folds (aliexpress)
Yes, the aptly named diaper fold. Like the diapers on babies or like a bridge, it spreads across (dia); this fold actually only has two tension points (or more to create multiple folds) and creates a very distinct pattern of folds that set it apart from the rest.
So for this fold to actually work you need to have a bit of fabric between the two tension points. Oh, and also if the tension points are too taut then the fold wont be too apparent. Now, assuming the points are relatively close to one another you'll see the distinct two sides of the fold occur and then taper down as the fabric gets less and less... You'll also notice the pattern repeat downwards and also the most robust shape is on the top after which it will drop down and sag more the further down you go.
Another note is that its rather symmetrical but if you lift one tension point higher the first fold will start from the higher side then alternate in an asymmetrical pattern. And yes on the sides, depending on how much fabric there is and the tension points, you might see some pipe folds...
Asymmetry VS Symmetry; both create a "bridge" of folds.
When drawing the fold ill use the sides - one horizontal and one diagonal - as a guide and divide them into 4 planes (2 for each side). I'll then make sure to sag and make the folds less prominent the further down you go. After this make sure to soften the folds so they dont look like metal plates. If this is too technical for you you can just draw some curved lines from the sides across and join them with a line at the bottom to complete the "diaper" and shade as necessary... And if you want extra flare you can add the pipe folds at the ends.
Visualise planes but dont make them as sharp
drawing Diaper folds:
Start with lines and sag them the further down you go
Diaper folds occur on casual clothing all the time around the chest and back area when you reach up with both arms or along the sides when one arm is raised... These folds aren't actually too common on purpose on modern casual clothing but if you want to add that extra flare to a dress, headdress, scarf etc this fold will certainly help with that.
Yeah, i really couldn't (i was just lazy) find anything else...
Clothing with some purposeful diaper folds for flair
Another quick rundown of the shading; (1) Starting of simple with the linework then (2) moving onto the basic shadow layin after that its on to the details (3) in the shadows and then finally (4) we end off on the light side with half tones and any highlights needed on the light side, we can also finish any areas we didnt tend to in the shadows and add any polish we feel is needed aka Step 5 which like I mentioned Ive combined with step 4 so there's less steps to worry about.
sculpting diaper folds:
All right. Sculpting the diaper fold! As you might have guessed, as long as you know how to sculpt the pipe fold, this will be the same but with more dynamism.
Is this case (step 1) ill pay attention to the direction of the folds; with this hoodie the tensions points are at the top of the scapula (shoulder blades) and the bottom of the pecks (chest). After establishing this i can start (step 2) to connect the tension points using asymmetrical drooping pipes like i showed in the drawing section. You can see them alternate and vary in size and thickness. After that all im doing (step 3) is refining the shapes to show the dynamism of the cloth and pose, thats it, really!
The Blockout is the most important part here; the rest is refining the form.
Slicing through the drapery
(3) the drop fold
Up next is the drop fold! And yes it sure looks a lot like the pipe fold; I would honestly say that there are really just 4 - 5 main folds with the other two/three being a variation/ combination of the other main folds... And the drop fold is one of those folds!
I like to think of the drop fold as the crazy-flamboyant-eccentric cousin of the pipe fold. I say this because the drop fold has a lot of the same characteristics as the pipe fold; the pipe like shape, a singular or set of running tension point/s, its somewhat simple to draw etc... It varies in the fact that this fold tends to radiate outwards for some variations, it can also taper out the further down you go and when it "drops" from a height the fold can vary more than your average PIPE fold. And also in design the fold can drop down to create a purposeful shape.
Some common tapering and radiating drop fold variations (walmart.com)
Some purposeful Drop Folds
drawing Drop folds:
As you might figured out by now, if you can draw pipe folds you can draw drop folds; all you need is a tension point(s) and after that you can radiate the fold out from there. You can be a little more flamboyant with it as well since we arent dealing with pipe folds. Another thing you might have noticed is that a lot of people will just cast off most drop folds as pipes and yeah a lot of the time drop folds will start off as pipes but due to other tensions points, movements, design etc. the fold will start to vary to such an extent to not be considered a plain ol' pipe!
Quick breakdown of the shading process for drop folds; yeah this drawing was really a combo of drop and pipe folds (more drop).
I know youre probably wondering, "Where the heck is the sculpting part for this?" And because im lazy i havent done one yet.... Thats because as long as you can sculpt/ draw the previous two folds you can sculpt/ draw this one! If i see a need to update it (or if you ask me to) ill be sure to do so!
the eye of the fold
I was actually going to call this a detour but i think its too important to relegate it to something like that!
So what is this all important "EYE OF THE FOLD"? Well its simply the point at which a fold is folded at.... And yes i get thats probably more confusing than clarifying so let me explain it like this; if you take a simple pipe fold, which you now know is formed from simple tension points, and fold that fold you will get an eye! On that second fold a tension point is created and that is called the "eye" of the fold. So its just another name for the point at which a simple fold, aka pipe, (quickly) changes direction!
Now that you know this you will see it appear in folds all the time and even though its called the "EYE" i like to think of it as an E.T. shaped head changing the direction of the cloth!
The E.T. analogy by the way isnt for fun; what i, and others, often do is exaggerate the eye to form this E.T. shaped turn; it really shows off the form and lets the viewer know the cloth is fluid and full of energy!
Some epic folds on our bad guy here... (RAUL MORENO COSLADO)
(4) the half lock fold
As you might have guessed the intro of the eye of the fold just before this fold wasnt a coincidence. Yep, this fold pretty much relies on eyes to really sell the form and structure of it.
As with anything fold related they have variations and this fold is no exception; I like to categorise this fold into two types: Tailored and spontaneous. As you might have figured the tailored ones are created on purpose for the design while spontaneous folds, of course, are formed from movement, tension and compression created by the person/ object the cloth is draped upon.
spontaneous half lock
Lets go through the spontaneous version first. This is definitely the easiest as any cylindrical forms that fold will cause the half lock to form. This is super easy to observe on elbows, knees and even at the waist; all of these are cylindrical forms that can easily fold, or bend in our case, to compress the cloth to form the half lock folds. Along with the main half lock fold you'll see secondary folds such as: pipes, drop, zig zag, spiral etc accompany it. Basically depending on the position and location almost any fold can accompany the half lock... A good bet would be the pipe/ drop folds radiating out from the tension point opposite the half lock.
Typical Spontaneous Half Lock
tailored half lock
The Tailored half lock, on the other hand, can be made to look like the spontaneous version and another way that people purposefully create a half lock is to twist the cloth on itself so it really adds some dynamic movement to the drapery. You're most likely going to see the spontaneous version on modern casual clothing but the tailored version is still good to know about!
drawing half lock folds:
Given all the info above, the spontaneous half lock can be drawn using the main half lock with an emphasized "eye" accompanied by some secondary radiating folds, usually pipes/ drop folds.
The spontaneous half lock
The tailored half lock can either look like the spontaneous version (which, in the tailored versions case, was done on purposes of course) or it can consist of the aforementioned twisting and draping of the fabric to create a dynamic shape. Drawing the tailored version is slightly more complex as you need to understand how twists work... First (Step 1) ill get the drape points in. After that ill get 4 MAIN lines in; the two sides of the outer draped points and the diagonals that connect the drape points. Keeping the twists in mind (Step 2) we now need to give the illusion of one side twisting into the other. Ill do this by drawing line toward the drape points and also making sure to erase the areas that overlap. After this you can add any secondary folds (Step 3) IE pipe folds etc. to spruce up the overall image.
The Tailored half lock
sculpting Half lock folds:
Up next, we will sculpt half locks! Here im just making use of the model i made in marvelous designer (its a cloth simulator) but the theory is the same, start low poly and work your way up using the 2d theory... In this case the main idea is to use the primary fold at the lock and reinforce it using drop and zigzag/ spiral folds.
For this fold (step 1) ill establish the primary form which is the main fold at the back of the knee in this case. Ill also be sure to add those good ol' eyes of the fold to this. After that ill add the drop folds and zig zags/ spirals (step 2) to further the believability of the overall fold... And hey thats it really! Just get the 2d theory in and make sure to actually pull the folds out in 3d so they actually look 3d.
(5) the zig-zag fold
Pants with Zig Zags at the bottom
Just like the other folds, this fold doesnt need much explanation as the clue is in the name!
Zig zag Folds are best observed at the bottom of pants with extra material or, most commonly, when you pull your sleeves up. This type of fold is not usually tailored BUT like with most things it can be done on purpose if the designer wishes!
With all that info you can guess that this fold mostly occurs between tension points where there is an excess of material usually on the arm or leg forming a hard-to-miss zig-zag pattern. The Zig-Zags themselves have eyes which are caused from the compression of the material above and the objects/ material below. These shapes are triangular just like all the fold shapes you will see throughout drapery.
Another funny, but important thing to note is the fact that the triangle shapes look like drunk triangles barely able to stand! This is important as it will make you cloth more believable; making them too rigid will make the cloth look too plastic!
Zig-Zags and drunk Triangles
Drawing Zig-Zag Folds:
As with the last fold, this fold relies on a cylindrical resting point and compression. So here (Step 1) I will draw out a tapering cylinder as a base and then near the bottom (Step 2) we can add some varying Zig-Zag patterns. You can either start with Zig-Zagged lines or you can use varying triangles/ diamonds to start the pattern; i prefer the triangles and diamonds as they give a more solid start from the get go; dont forget that they need to be "drunk" triangles/ diamonds so you cant draw them too rigid!
After that i will try to close up the Zig-Zags by giving them a bit of volume (Step 3) by getting the outside areas drawn in; dont go crazy here as they should be simple shapes, simple lines with some overlap not a hodgepodge of zigzagged lines! Finally (Step 4) you can add some pipe folds above to show the transition from a simple to complex fold. As a BONUS you can add some half tones and straps at the end to really sell the fabric.
Quick setup of the Zig-Zag Fold
Shading the Zig-Zag Fold:
Nothing new here of course, its pretty much the same things as before just with the added info of the construction of the folds... One thing you will note, though is that my triangles are a bit too stiff in some areas which makes the overall drawing seem really stiff, so watch out for that!
Zig-Zag Shading
(6) the SPIRAL fold
We're in the '80s again! (I was actually born in the '90s, though...)
Just like with the drop fold the spiral fold is the crazy cousin of another fold. And this time its the Zig-Zag fold! Yep thats right, the spiral fold is pretty much the Zig-Zag fold but with a twist! It has a twist... haha, c'mon i had to! Just like the Zig-Zag fold the spiral fold, usually, lies on a cylindrical object squished between two points of compression. The only difference is that there is a twist to the fabric AND/ OR its squished tighter together, thats pretty much it!
Some of the shapes to look out for here wouldnt really be drunk triangles but drunk
snakes and "S" shapes! The triangles will still appear on thinner materials so do keep an eye out for that! Oh, and also the thinner the material the more sober the snakes will appear; in other words baggy clothing will have baggy, wonky looking spirals while thinner cloth will have tauter laser-precise-like folds...
The left side has more of a twist to it but the right is also a spiral fold (at the bottom)
Another thing that will help you draw both zig-zag and spiral folds is the fact that you can use ellipses to guide the folds when you are drawing them. This helps because these folds occur on cylindrical objects so wrapping an ellipse to guide you is a great help. You can see the drawings above and below for more clarification.
(image: dmarge.com)
Some thinner materials showing off tighter spirals and zigzags. (realmenrealstyle.com)
Another thing to note from the pics above is the fact that the spirals cant always wrap around the arms; this is the case here as theres not enough material to go around.
Drawing SPIRAL Folds:
All right, the fun part! In this case (Step 1) you will need to decide how much twist and compression you want for the fold; the more compression and twist the more parallel the ellipses will be and the less comp + twist means less parallel lines. Next (Step 2) you can draw in 1 or 2 drunk snakes like ive outlined above to add some variation. Also make sure to keep the shapes unique; dont repeat the same pattern over and over and over and over..... and over. (Step 3) I'll add some volume to the shapes i drew out making sure to follow the curves of the ellipses i drew out in (Step 1). And lastly (Step 4) ill add some drop, pipe, zig-zag folds to flesh out the pants/ shirt.
Shading the SPIRAL Fold:
More shading? C'mon you know the drill by now!
(7) The Inert fold
ITS....JUST.....LYING THERE!?!?!
The LAST FOLD.... This time its a fold that pretty much combines and also throws out everything you've learnt about drapery 'til now; the Inert fold aka the Dead fold. As the name suggests, its dead, not filled with movement, not doing much... Put it however you want, this fold relies on no specific forms or rules but combines all the folds you've learnt to create a hodgepodge of folds atop of folds. Yeah, its a combination of compression, gravity and the material type to create a mix of folds that run wild!
Now, dont panic just yet! Because this fold isnt usually draped on a person/ object it means we can minus the zig-zag, spiral, diaper and drop folds from the mix (remember these folds usually need specific tension/ resting points to occur). We also know that the Inert fold turns, folds and entangles quite a bit so we can easily (well not that easily) create this fold from mainly pipes and half locks as the base. Yes yes yes, I know you can clearly see some of the other folds forming and if we need to we can add the other folds BUT we should first start simple then move on from there...
Drawing the inert Fold:
Starting off is actually quite easy with this fold. (Step 1) Draw out the big shape with some or a lot of overlap. For this we will need two things (sometimes three); (1) how much of the cloth will be seen on the floor? And (2) which way are we pulling the fabric towards? I know this seems kinda abstract but you'll see what i mean with the pics below. The (3rd) thing you sometimes might want to know is, where is the cloth coming from? In this case we just have a single cloth plopped on the floor so theres no need for option 3; youll use the 3rd thing, however, when you are drawing someone with a really long dress meant to drape onto the floor for example...
Over the top but it does make a statement!
After thats established we can move onto (Step 2) establish some basic folds according to the fabric type and length; here ill make plenty use of pipe and half locks to get a general feeling for the fabric in this environment. (Step 3) I'll now add some volume to the cloth but also keeping in mind that i might want to add more secondary folds such as zig-zags and drop folds (the folding drop type not the pipe drops). And finally (Step 4) you can add SOME keyword SOME zig-zags and/or drop folds to the mix. other folds might also occur depending on how the fabric is placed/ draped from a person/ object.
The above steps sound simple enough but given that the fabric needs a start and an end and needs to make sense means actually applying all of this and making it look believable is the hard part! Another thing is that the inert fold doesnt follow a specific set of rules you just have to put in the work to know how cloth reacts and draw/ construct it according to that
Shading the Inert Fold:
I Didnt use layers for this one (i forgot) but i think you get the point...
Drapery quick summary
a quick word on learning:
GOOD LAWD!!!! That was a lot of info! Now, dont think that just reading this article once or watching one video will make you an expert on cloth (it wont). What you need to do, for all your studies btw not just cloth, is study, analyse/ compare, draw, correct, REPEAT UNTIL DEAD. Yes thats how all of this works! You cant just randomly draw things and expect to get better you actually have to learn (STUDY) why it is the way it is, spot (ANALYSE/ COMPARE) what makes it this way, put into practice (DRAW) with the information you have just been exposed to and finally because you cant master something after one try you have to CORRECTÂ what you have just done by studying, analysing and drawing again....
the quick summary (for real this time):
All right, with that out of the way lets quickly go through what we learnt and ways to further improve on that!
First things to keep in mind with cloth is that there are, roughly, five things (CLICK HERE to jump to the top section) to juggle:
Resting areas: The areas that influence the cloths overall shape.
Tension points: The points that influence the folds and cloth direction.
Gathering areas: The areas of rest (usually) between tension points.
Material type: Thicker materials can have bigger and less overall folds.
Gravity/ Movement: This will affect the "movement" and rhythms of the cloth.
simplify!!
Another thing to keep in mind is that folds are super-duper complex. So to counter this you will want to come up some simple but clever ways of drawing them (luckily for you ive already done that above!) to quickly grasp the essence of that fold/ garment. This is the rule for all types of drawing: cloth, anatomy, cars, whatever it is just simplify to clarify!
A quick and easy way to understand the Diaper Fold
a quick note on perspective:
Something i didnt really talk about was perspective... Now this isnt an article on that subject but you should be aware that drawing flat shapes will give you flat folds. So to negate this i want you to make plenty use of ellipses wrapped around your forms to better aid you in the drawing and fold creation process. If you are struggling with this you can checkout my "Drawing Basics" tutorial here: https://youtu.be/FTVxfYCW6fs?list=PLWxTNbvVlvkQ-qLzJ5aH9Gi9NIXhf3h6O
Work them Ellipses!
Hey, what about creases!?!?!
As you might have guessed by now the reason as to why i didnt bring up creases and wrinkles is that they add an unbelievable amount of complication to the fabric and folds. These are things you will add at the very of the drawing/ sculpt, they are a texture on the form as opposed to the actual form itself so its not something important. But if you are still keen on creases just remember to simplify them down and make plenty use of triangular and diamond-like shapes...
These are hyper-details you dont need!
the folds:
Of course we now know that there are seven main folds and each plays off of the fact that a pipe fold (along with the EYES of the fold) can evolve, twist, collapse and crash into other forms creating the other SIX folds...
FOLDS:
PIPE FOLD: The simplest fold forming from simple areas/ points of tension or compression to form a pipe-like shape. Drawn using simple pipes moving and flowing from one tension point to the next.
DIAPER FOLD: A fold that spreads across (dia) two points to form a flimsy bridge-like set of pipe folds. Drawn with loose lines resembling flimsy pipes spreading between the points.
DROP FOLD: The crazy Cousin of the pipe fold, this fold can drop from multiple points to form some flimsy pipes that open up towards the end or it can spread out from one tension point dropping down.
HALF-LOCK FOLD: Another fold that changes depending on the scenario, it can form from folding via a cylindrical form or being purposefully draped by folding and twisting one side over the other to create a designed fold. Drawn either using lines folding into one another or twisting forms.
ZIG-ZAG FOLD: Caused by the compression of the fabric above and sometimes beneath it, this fold will form a succession of "drunk" triangles that create the characteristic Zig-Zags you will find associated with the folds name.
SPIRAL FOLD: Another "crazy cousin", this time of the zig-zag fold, the spiral is a compressed, twisted version of the zig-zag fold; we can draw it using drunk snakes instead while making using ellipses to guide our curves.
INERT FOLD: The last fold but also the most difficult to deal with due to its recalcitrant nature, this fold can be blocked out using basic shapes and then, using your knowledge of folds and movement, build up the fold using pipes and half locks. Finally, you can finishing it off by praying really really hard to a deity of your choice...
Putting it all together (under construction)
Aaaaand, yeah, thats about it for now; ill keep updating this article as i go (esp with more 3d stuff) but thats all i have right now! Dont forget to checkout my youtube content below and help others out by sharing this article with them.
Hey, it's me again!
Thivolan Moodley, 3d Artist from Johannesburg, SA. Currently working as a freelance character artist. Also creating free and paid tutorials for the clueless- i mean enthusiastic (yeah that sounds better) 3d artists out there!
Tutorials, socials and portfolio: https://linktr.ee/Thivolan3d
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