How can i make clothing folds look more natural in digital drawing?

[RobertR]

I’ve been trying to get better at drawing folds in clothing digitally, but my attempts always look either too stiff or like random, messy lines. How do you decide where to place the major folds and where to simplify, especially in a dynamic pose? My latest piece has a character sitting with one knee up, and the cloth just isn’t convincing.

[PaulW]

I used to chase clean lines and the result looked stiff. Now I map gravity first: imagine the cloth draping from the hip, then where the knee pushes up and creates tension. I sketch a single large bend along the thigh and let the rest roll out into 2 or 3 quieter creases toward the knee and ankle. If it still reads flat, I block in a couple of soft shadows to confirm the planes, then erase the extra lines.

[Scarlett_M]

I pick one strong crease under the knee and a diagonal pull toward the ankle, then simplify everything else. If the piece feels busy, I erase midlines and let the negative space do the talking.

[EleanorLT]

Do you think the problem is the pose or the fabric type? I ask because a stretchy tee sits very differently from a thick coat, and that changes where you can get a clean sweep of lines.

[Richard_L]

I once got distracted by the chair leg in the background, doodled for a while, and then came back with a quick test of a few planes on the fabric. It helped me see where the weight actually sits, even if the result isn't perfect yet. I guess the next step is to try a simple reference shot and compare the major pull lines with the silhouette.