Painting Drapery and Fabric: Folds, Weight and Texture

Drapery — folded cloth, robes, curtains, tablecloths — is a classical oil painting subject that teaches volume, light and texture, fabric folds follow gravity: they hang vertically, form diagonal curves or bunch where pressed, different fabrics behave differently: silk falls in smooth flowing folds, wool forms heavy rounded folds, linen has sharp creases, oil painters render drapery by painting large fold shapes first, then defining highlights and shadows within each fold, the color of fabric changes in folds: lit areas are lighter, shadowed areas are darker and cooler, classical figure painters used drapery studies to practice before painting figures, contemporary painters use drapery in still life, portraiture and figurative work, painting drapery teaches value control, form and the relationship between light and fabric texture, mastering folds is a foundation of oil painting, because folds appear in every figure and interior scene.

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