The clothed figure and folds: tasks of the month
Sessions on the clothed figure: where the fabric is pulled tight, where it hangs loose, and how to draw drapery without losing the form underneath. Marathon live stream recordings and sketch reviews.
Tasks
28 June — 4 July
Folds from the points of tension
A figure in simple clothes — a T-shirt, a shirt. Find the points the tension comes from: the shoulder, the elbow, the waist, and build the folds out from them. A fold isn’t drawn from memory: it has a beginning, a direction and a fade. Random marks "to look like fabric" show immediately. Pencil or tablet.
5–11 July
One figure, three fabrics
The same person in three different materials: a heavy jacket, a light fabric, a knitted sweater. Heavy fabric has few folds and they are large, light fabric has many small ones, and knitwear has soft edges and barely hides the form of the body. That is where the difference is, not in the pattern. Three drawings on one sheet.
12–18 July
The body under the clothes
First draw the figure as a nude construction, then the clothes over it. That way the clothes sit on the form instead of living a life of their own. Leave both stages visible — don’t erase the lower layer. Any medium.
19–25 July
Folds in movement
A figure mid-step or mid-turn. The fabric has to lag behind the body: the hem and the sleeves move with a delay. Better to take the reference from video — pause it in the middle of the movement. One drawing, 40–60 minutes.
26 July — 1 August
Costume and character
Come up with a character and dress them so that the clothes tell you the trade and the personality. The silhouette matters more than the details. The check: fill the figure in black. If you can still tell who it is from the silhouette, it worked. Any format.