9. Drawing Folds in Material

Folds and creases in material can look very effective in a picture and like the curves and overlapping of a ribbon all you need to do is consider which areas of material are nearest you and which are going away. Areas that go behind another bit of material are darker than those nearest and billowing towards you. Consider the light direction so that the right side of a fold reflects the light.

Some folds have soft shading as they curve away, but others have sharp edges if there is weight causing them to form a crease.

If you look at the old masterpieces done by Rubens, Gainsborough and Titian you'll be able to look at the material reproduced in paint and know if its satin, velvet or cotton. How do they do that?

Get a piece of satin, velvet and cotton and look at how they reflect the light! It's all to do with the edges of the reflection and shadows.Some materials have creases with sharp edges, others just hang in folds with soft reflections.