Clothes hang on a body the way cloth hangs from pins in Folds in Cloth. The body is the support. So the order matters: first the gesture and the forms, then the clothes on top.
- Draw the line of action and a light mannequin first.
- Find the points of support: shoulders, elbows, waist, knees. Folds start there.
- At a bent joint, folds bunch up on the inside of the bend and the cloth pulls smooth over the outside.
- Loose clothes hang away from the body in long folds; tight clothes follow the forms underneath.
Key idea
Draw the gesture and forms first, then hang the clothes on them. Folds pull from the shoulders, elbows, waist and knees.
Why it works
Clothes have no shape of their own. They take their shape from the body and from gravity. If you know where the body is, you know where the cloth is held up and where it hangs, and the folds make sense.
Worked example: A person sitting with a jacket on
What order do you draw in?
- Line of action and the mannequin: the bent hips and knees, the arms resting.
- The outer edge of the jacket, a little outside the body forms.
- Folds where the jacket bends: inside the elbows and at the waist.
- Shade the folds like small cylinders; add buttons, pockets and seams last.
Answer: Gesture, forms, outer shape of the clothes, folds, then details.
Common mistake
People draw the clothes first and the body underneath comes out the wrong size, with arms too short inside the sleeves or no room for the hips. Draw the mannequin lightly first, even when only the clothes will show.