Clothing folds

[Saigokarasu]

No matter how hard I try, I can never get these down. I understand the whole "using reference" thing, but no one has ever provided a decent demonstration on how to draw realistic folds from the mind or even provide the steps. There are no visuals, no instructional guides, nothing. Can anyone help me out here? I have a lot of character concepts I'd like to finalize.

[XanaChama]

Hang up some clothing with similar features to what you want to draw and draw from observation. You can't rely on tutorials for everything. Have you tried Googling before asking here?

[MephistoLV]

Try Burne Hogarth's "Drawing Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery". That should get you started.
Drawing fabric folds from imagination is really the same as drawing any other type of soft surface from imagination: a combination of observation and practice using real world objects, combined with an understanding of how to build organic forms on top of organic forms.

[Max Challie]

Isn't there a drapery section near the end of Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing From Life? Says so in the contents anyway

[kev ferrara]

Famous Artists Course on drapery right here parts 1 and 2: http://sevencamels.blogspot.com/2008/02/famous-artists-course-folds-part-one.html

http://sevencamels.blogspot.com/2008/03/famous-artists-course-folds-part-2.html

That hogarth book is awkward, IMHO. Not good for the eyes.

[mir]

Fredflickstone tutorial (http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14739&highlight=drapery) and a thread for masterful drapery studies (http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=129496&highlight=drapery) from some time ago.

[Atlantis]

The trick to drawing folds is being able to identify what you're looking at and simplifying, instead of just copying what you see. There are 7 types of folds according to Bridgman: pipe, zig-zag, spiral, half-lock, diaper, dropping, and inert, and which of these appear depends on how many points the fold is falling from and what the shape of the form underneath is.

Folds are like anatomy; if you understand what you're looking at, they're really pretty easy to draw.

[Collywobbles]

Yeah, the Bridgman stuff is a good start, but I struggled with folds until I started using my drapes or a towel. Just hang a bunch of shirts and bedspreads all over the place, infinitely better than a photo and you can make whatever configuration you want. Throw on a fan or an open window and you have a posemaniac clothing factory.

[Ilaekae]

One important thing to keep in mind is that different types and weights of material act differently when they're allowed to follow their natural tendency to fold/gather/etc. 10-pound levi material does not allow for as exciting a wet T-shirt contest as a silk blouse does...

Basically, mentally imbed what material your scene/figure involves so you don't go screwing around with folds or "patterns" that are just impossible for that particular material to form.

[Felicia]

Check out J.C. Leyendecker. His drapery (among other things) was beautiful and has a simplicity that is easy to understand.
http://jcleyendecker.blogspot.com/2007/08/leyendecker-scans.html