Project - Z, Flag, and Inert Folds
Project - Z, Flag, and Inert Folds
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Project - Z, Flag, and Inert Folds
courseDrapery FundamentalsFull course (37 lessons)
$125
assignments 92 submissions
Bohn Myint San
Here's my assignment for this week. Now that I've learned all 7 folds, I actually see them in the references instead of getting overwhelmed by random wrinkles. And when I study from the masters, I notice how they just simplify these folds with their own artistic choice. Now, I believe I just need to practice a lot and keep observing.
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ASSIGNMENTS

Using the images provided, draw the drapery of 7 to 10 figures. Make sure you show all 7 fold types in your drawings.

Follow this consistent process for each drawing:

  1. Start with the mannequin: build the figure underneath first.
  2. Pause and map the silhouette: outline the overall shape, and place a small marker wherever you spot a fold.
  3. Wrap the folds: go back in and draw each fold where you marked it, focusing on shape, gesture, perspective, and how each fold connects to the anchor points on the mannequin beneath.

The goal is to build good habits, keeping a structured, repeatable approach to drapery so these steps become second nature.

T. Alan Newton
I've fallen behind with work and other projects, but I'm working to get caught up!
@purpleart
I thought I was racing through this course too much after I fell behind so I decided to do all the examples here. I found the z folds in particular and also pipe folds the most difficult as I’m not sure what to do with the shadow areas when using line only.
Steven Michael Hampton
Looking good!
@wonkbunny
17d
I’m late because life got in the way, but catching up to the course now.
@purpleart
24d
Fallen behind due to non-art summer tasks and as I have been away from drawing for a while I need to revisit previous lessons and draw regularly again. But I have completed three figures and I think I understand the goal, simplify and use every line to convey the underlying form of the mannequin.
Angelica
26d
This was challenging but I finally managed to finish this. All the pants was so confusing and the last one when she is on her knees was really hard. Anyway I find the z folds tricky both to identify and even more tricky to interpret.
Steven Michael Hampton
Great work on these!
@on_nicha
27d
Late submission! Been a little unwell lately 🤕 I will try to catch up. People are improving so much 😭💕
Daniele Patti
Woah!! These are awesome!! Your line quality is so damn good! I really like the details and how super clean these are!! :D Also your understanding of the folds is very clear! Keep it up! <3
Steven Michael Hampton
Great sketches!
Neringa Pipirė
My submission
Josh Fiddler
great editing. nice and clear
Maxime Scheder
I couldn't do it within the deadline unfortunately, but here is my assignment ! It was challenging to avoid getting caught in all those tiny details so I tried to put as little marks as possible and aim for the motion rather than the likeness...
Josh Fiddler
These are fantastic. Great editing. Goals!
Josh Fiddler
Okay. Wow. So much to think about.
Josh Fiddler
Another one
Toosh Shtoosh
You make it look so easy and yet it's so challenging
Ash
1mo
These are so cool! I love seeing the progression pics
Daniele Patti
Here's my assignment! I saw the video critique where Michael talked about design and it was super helpful with these new ones. The Z folds were very difficult for me. I understand how they work, but it's hard to put them into practice. I tried to think of the them as compression folds stuck one on another, but with no good result... i think. I really would like some feedback, because i like them as folds. Meanwhile flag and inert folds were pretty much easy. The only thing that i was wondering is: since inert folds are random and chaotic, is it possible to give them a logic? While i was designing inert folds, i thought of them as a mix of some of the other folds together and i tried to composed them like they are connected one on another, is it a good way to edit, compose and draw them? Last thing, now that we have all the folds, i have one thing that is troubling me. That is stiffness in drawing clothing and folds... i always feel like my drawings of folds lack something that i cannot properly see and i don't know how to avoid this. Since i want to convey with just lines first, i was thinking if it could be a problem of line weight or the way i draw the folds. Or maybe since is relatively a new subject i am still learning how to properly draw folds and clothing. But i cannot figure this out :/ Aside from some of these doubts, i like most of these drawings i did :) I'm happy that i finally started to learn more about drapery, so i can design better characters! :D
@on_nicha
25d
These are very nice and clear 😍 Unlike you, I don’t get inert folds 🫠
Ash
1mo
Hey! I love these :) I don't really see any stiffness in your drawings, actually. There is movement and I see your understanding of fabric in relation to what the body is doing. Maybe the stiffness comes with parallel lines instead of a curved line and straight line. (Mike Mattesi's Force theory) and that can add even more gesture and movement.
Tina
1mo
The fourth assignment!
Ash
1mo
Nice work, Tina!
Chazz President of Birds
I worked through 1-2 of these per day since the assignment video was posted. The overall practice of seeing and wrapping is definitely getting easier and the rendering was clicking more this time as well. I feel like on a few of these (especially the last one) I'm losing the ideas of the design by not spending enough time and attention on the line hierarch (and so focus isn't landing in the right places). For the folds, the flag fold is the one that I find the trickiest. My question for flag folds is how to capture the billow and edges of the fold without going overboard with detail?
Chazz President of Birds
I think my strongest entries are the profile walking with the cloak thrown back where the motion of the flag fold really clicked and the guy sitting on the ladder where I think I was able to execute the design idea with better simplification.
Trevor B
1mo
Here is my submission.
@robertg
1mo
man, everyone's submissions look so good! i feel super out of place in this class lol but i did me bes. still struggling to find the right brush settings for these kinda studies, i still can't quite get the line quality that i want.
CharmLotta
1mo
Haha, same here! I do my best, and I’m so proud of the progress… then I see all these submissions and get the feeling that my drawings are worse than those of the other participants. Even though I know the rule: “Don’t compare to others; compare to you in the past.” But somehow, this feeling is also motivating to practise more.
Chazz President of Birds
I think the line quality, simplicity, and sense of form are all really strong here. What makes you feel out of place? I suspect we all have our sense of imposter syndrome with something like this. I know for me, it's line quality, simplicity, and form where I feel I'm lagging (which is part of what makes those stand out specifically for me looking at your work).
@underthecarpet
These are f*** well done. Loving the cape in there. Keep going!
Norm Lanting
Here’s my z,flag, and inert folds assignment. This is fantastic. I ever could draw wrinkles with just lines without being distracted by the shading. Mr. Hampton (don’t know whether to call you Steven or Michael), in the critique could you give tips in using seams? When is it useful to include them or leave them out? Do you havetips on drawing them?
Chazz President of Birds
I love the line work on these!
@underthecarpet
I really dig how you reinterpreted the flying cape into a running posture. You have an incredible eye for detail. And patience 😆
Lyla
1mo
I made it! (barely). I started my first job recently (yay!) so haven't had as much time for drawing (boo) but I wanted to be consistent and submit before the deadline, even if it's only 2 drawings. I have a question about how fabric types impact fold. In the flag fold photograph, the model is wearing different layers of varying fabric. I feel like in my drawing they all sort of look...samey and that it's difficult to tell the layers apart. I tried to convey the stiffness of the cape material but for some reason it just doesn't feel heavy to me like it does in the photograph. I feel like Micheal touched on this briefly in a previous lecture but I would really appreciate a demonstration on how to draw distinctly different materials layering on top of each other but still having them read cleanly! Thanks a lot!! I'm really enjoying this course :)
Chazz President of Birds
My understanding for materials is that it affects how big and how soft/hard the edges of the folds are. There's an added complexity of texture, which Michael mentioned mainly showing in the half tones. I know you can also establish texture at the edges when rendering (which would be particularly effective for the cloak in this example I think).
Adrian Potato
I tried to show the form this time with ink. I did a style study of witch hat atelier and apply it at my last drawing. There is definitely more work to do. Any feedback is appreciated :3
Ash
1mo
That last one is my fave! The drawing is very soft and feels balanced
@underthecarpet
Nice job on the hatchings.
Adrian Potato
reference used for the witch hat study
Christopher Corbell
I completed 5 of the images for this week's assignment - I'll continue doing more later this week but wanted to get these in for the critique deadline.
Bryan Krauss
I've done my homework for this week's assignment. I find doing these studies quite a lot of fun and really quite intuitive once you finally grasp the fundamentals of drapery. I'm still not perfect but being able to see a mess of drapery and to be able to communicate the figure and form thru my drawing is great. Whereas before this course I'd just be trying to copy every little fold while not communicating anything.
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