How can i make velvet fabric folds look realistic with highlights?

[Mila_B]

I’ve been trying to get better at drawing realistic fabric folds in my character illustrations, but I keep getting stuck on how to handle the highlights. My latest attempt on a velvet cloak just looks flat and plastic-y, no matter how many reference photos I study. I’m not sure if my brush settings are wrong or if I’m just missing something about how the light wraps around the softer creases.

[Robert_S]

I had that exact ache with the soft folds. Highlights were a struggle because the pile changes how the light reads as soon as you tilt the cloak. I blocked in a mid value first, then pop in a slender edge highlight along the top rim of the creases with a tiny hard brush, and I soften the rest with a very low opacity glaze. It still feels patchy if I overdo the big glare, but it reads more tactile now.

[Zachary.P]

I keep chasing a perfect brush and end up chasing the wrong thing. One reference showed the shine diving into the shadow along every crease and another photo made the same fold look almost matte. I wonder if the problem is really lighting or the overall value range you are using not the brush at all.

[RichardG]

A quick test I did was to draw one long crease and a couple of adjacent folds then I stuck a tiny line of light on the ridge and compared to the photo. The effect barely held when I moved to the rest of the cloak and the nap tricked me when I added texture.

[Matthew_G]

Do you think the real issue is the lighting setup you have now. If you tell me how your light is placed I can guess whether the problem is value range or edge light?