Cloth Folds
How fabric wrinkles and drapes
Also known as: Fabric folds · Clothing wrinkles sculpt · Pipe fold zigzag · Cloth folds reference · Drapery sculpting
Definition
Cloth folds are the wrinkles and creases that fabric forms when it hangs, stretches, compresses or is held by the body. Common types are pipe folds, which hang from a point like tubes, zigzag folds from compression at a bend, spiral folds around a limb, half-lock folds at a bend, drop folds from a hanging point, and diaper folds between two supports. Gravity and tension decide where they appear, and the thickness and stiffness of the material decide their size and softness.
In production
Study real fabric references, and decide what holds the cloth, such as the shoulders, belt or knees, then create folds that start from those points and flow away. Keep folds in a hierarchy of large drapes and smaller wrinkles, and avoid even, repeating shapes. Cloth simulation in Marvelous Designer or Blender gives realistic base folds that artists refine in a sculpt.
Learn Cloth Folds in
Tools that use Cloth Folds
See also
Cloth Simulation
Physical simulation of fabric
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Forms
Working from big shapes to small details
High-Poly Model
The detail source for baking
Normal Map
Per-pixel surface detail
Baking
High-poly detail → low-poly texture
Anatomy Landmarks for 3D Artists
Bony points and muscle groups that guide a sculpt