A simple white cloth is the subject for this demonstration examining the subtleties of folds. Try your own cloth study setup by draping material on the seat of a chair and clipping it to the back of the chair so it doesn’t slip during your study session. The light for this demo is coming from the upper left.
10" × 8" (25cm × 20cm) medium-texture drawing paper
2B pencil
kneaded eraser
chair
white cloth material
bulldog clip
With a 2B pencil, sketch the outer form of the cloth with simple lines.
Sketch lines for the most noticeable folds.
Refine the overall form and add structural details and some shadow lines. Erase unwanted lines with a kneaded eraser.
With a 2B pencil, add the lighter values to the drawing.
Add the middle values by building up the pencil strokes.
Continue building up the pencil strokes to add darker values, giving depth and form to the subject. Use a kneaded eraser to lighten areas by lifting graphite. Date the back of your completed drawing.