Drawing from Home: Drapery (Patreon)

On its own fabric makes a satisfying and challenging subject to draw, it can  add colour and decorative elements to a life drawing and in this blog we will look at how fabric typically behaves and interacts with the volumes of the figure, and how we can approach it in our drawing. In next weeks post we'll look at drawing clothed figures in more detail. 

Main image: Henri Lehmann - 'Standing Draped Female Figure'

How Fabric Behaves

In general, fabrics are floppy, and have no means to support themselves. This means they are subject to gravity, and any obstacle or physical support.

Fabric supported from one point.

Fabric suspended between two points.

Fabric will hang from any point of suspension. The most simple version of this is a single point, where the folds of the fabric will radiate out from this. As the forms supporting the fabric get more complex, it is important to remember that the fabric will still hang and radiate out from any point of contact.  If there are multiple points of contact, the fabric will hang between them. 

Fabric draped over a volume.

As we start to involve three dimensional forms, folds will originate at the top of the form – where the form is blocking the fabric from being pulled down any further by gravity – and wrap around it. Excess fabric will hang underneath

Fabric resting on the ground.

Obstructions to fabric, such as the ground, will cause it to bunch up. This will look different depending on how much fabric there is – a little excess may cause the folds to curve out, whilst more will cause it to fold in on itself. As the amount increases, the folds become more complex and random.

As we introduce the figure, the complexity of the drapery increases, but the same basic principles of gravity, support and contact points apply. 

Alphonse Mucha – 'Study of Drapery'

This example shows a more complex situation involving the figure and a fairly thin fabric. Where the fabric is tied around the torso, the folds wrap and then radiate out to hang down. On the legs, the contact points run along the top of the leg and a row of folds originate from this, pulled down by gravity. Note how they show the roundness of the body underneath.

Fabric wraps under the left leg and must be pinched up underneath, as the folds radiate out from behind it underneath. Once the hanging faric gets obstructed further down, it starts to buckle (creating curves) and bunch up, folding in on itself.

Tips for Drawing Drapery

When drawing drapery, is is easy to get overwhelmed by the details, especially when there are a lot of small folds.

In these gesture drawing examples, the figure is loosely laid in before the fabric appears – try to be mindful of what the body is doing.

Once the figure is laid in, the first step is to figure out the overall shape of the fabric. This is important for capturing gesture and shape in a short pose, and gives us something to work from in a longer pose. Once the overal shape is there, we can break down the mass of fabric into progressively smaller sections and reach a higher level of detail. In general, it is better work down in order of size instead of fold-by-fold, as it helps create a more cohesive gesture, and will keep you from running out of time.

If you have someone sitting for a long pose with multiple breaks, the fabric will change – there is no getting around this, but it is good to block in the general shapes early in your drawing. From here, try to work on an area of fabric within each sitting.

As you work on the folds, try to look at the overall 'flow' of the fabric. Some fabrics may fold in chaotic ways, so we need to concentrate folds showing the overall direction the fabric is draped in.

This satin had many 'noisy' little folds and creases – to simplify this I focused on the twisting ones most.

Once the direction of the fabric is understood, it is easier to make sensible decisions on how to simplify it. If there are too many folds, the smaller ones should be left out, especially if they don't compliment the overall flow of the fabric – if there is a lot of loose material, some of the smaller folds can form quite randomly. These random folds can break up the flow and look awkward.

As you draw, ask yourself what the folds are telling the viewer. Do they indicate the direction the fabric is being pulled in? Do they describe the volumes of the figure underneath? Do they compliment the drawing visually?

This blanket has a complex pattern – I cannot replicate these tiny details with my materials, but can imply them. Often it is hard to make details out in shadow areas – less light = less information. If you cannot see it, it doesn't neccessary have to be drawn!

Patterns can be a fun addition to a drawing, but often seem like a big challenge. They can be useful however, showing the undulation of the fabric.

When drawing patterns, avoid laying them in as if they were flat and regular – just because patterns repeat, we can't get lazy! Look for how the shapes change, as the pattern fits the folding of the fabric. Implying this is more important that perfectly replicating the pattern. Lines or stripes in particular track the volume of the fabric, so look for how they curve.

One useful trick for really complex patterns is to draw the negative shapes inbetween the patterns. Once these are in, you can often get away with simple indications of the pattern itself – look for how it breaks up into shapes of colour and tone.  

Over to You

A common approach to studying drapery is drawing fabric as a still life. This is a great exercise for understanding how the volumes of fabric work, and is definitely worth doing. 

Quick gesture drawings of draped figures.

However, I find doing quick, two to ten minute studies can be a really helpful way of learning how fabric changes with gesture, especially on figures. Try to find some reference material of figures posing with drapery, or very loose, flowing costumes. (Another option is to 'pose' your own fabric on top of objects.) Look for the big shapes created by the fabric, and how folds are created from its contact points.

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This is the first in a pair of blog posts  by Lancelot's focusing on clothed figures and commissioned using money raised here on the Draw Patreon. 

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