Here are six types of folds that every artist should know when drawing drapery and clothing

George Bridgman Drawings

1.PIPE FOLD

• Pipe folds are found in situations such as dresses and curtains.
• A series of semi-tubular shapes form as the material hangs free at the opposite end.
• The folds themselves are usually cylindrical in nature.

2. ZIG-ZAG FOLD

• These occur when pants bunch up at the bottom of the leg or behind the knee due to compression of the material.
• These folds also refer to folds that alternate one another in a zig-zagged way.
• They are found in your sleeve when you bend your elbow or in the folds when you bend your knee.

3. SPIRAL FOLD

• These occur in sleeves that have been bunched up.
• They also occur in material that is being wrapped around and bunched up on a tubular form such as a arm or leg

4. HALF-LOCK FOLD

• You will see these in the Upper part of the pants where the body is bending forward.
• You will also see this fold on the sides of the knees when a person is squatting or seated, causing a change in the direction of the material to pop out on the sides .

5. DIAPER FOLD

• These are seen on scarves and handkerchiefs.
• These types of folds also happen when material is sagging between two support points.

6. DROP FOLD

• These occur when fabric drops off a form to hang freely.
• The look of these types of folds is determined by the form the material is hanging off of and gravity.

TRY TO IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOLDS

Looking around your home or studio, try to identify examples of the pipe, zigzag, spiral, diaper, drop and half-lock folds. You may need to look at yourself or other people to find the folds most common to clothing.