How can I draw believable fabric folds from a tight sleeve to a draped cuff?

[JohnJ]

I’ve been trying to get better at drawing convincing fabric folds in my character illustrations, but I keep getting stuck on how to handle the transition from a tight sleeve to a loose, draped cuff. My attempts either look too stiff or just turn into a muddy mess of shading when I try to add depth. I’m not sure if I should be focusing more on the underlying form or if my brush settings for texture are working against me here.

[NoraA]

I used to chase accuracy in the fabric and lose sight of the arm underneath. I finally watched how the sleeve wants to stay tight around the forearm and how a couple of big creases anchor at the seam. If I picture a firm tube turning into a softer puddle near the wrist, the crease line tends to follow gravity instead of trying to stay crisp all the way. Not perfect, but the transition feels more honest.

[John_J]

I messed with brushes a lot. Texture layers felt like muddy water. I knocked texture off for the main shadows and used a clean edge where the seam sits. Then I nudged in a few small lines with a tiny brush to hint secondary folds where the fabric loosens, so depth comes from a few decisive lines rather than heavy blurring. Still not solved, but less chaos.

[PaisleyBC]

Is the bigger issue the form reading the elbow area at all, or is the problem that the cuff area can't drape convincingly in this view?

[ScottT]

I sometimes pause and study real shirts. The cuff doesn’t erupt with depth; it settles into a few quiet bends that trace the limb. I let gravity pull the fabric into lighter values along the outer edge and keep the darkest hints where the folds turn away. It helps keep things from turning muddy, but I’m not sure that’s the full answer.