Tension Folds, Part 1

ARTIST'S NOTE: I now have links in each commentary so you can jump to the next page in the sequence. To continue to the next installment, click here: [link]

ZEJAN'S ART TIPS – TENSION FOLDS

The following is one of a series of informational guidelines designed to aid an artist in a specific area of illustration. These guides will contain both text and images. It is hoped that this information will allow the reader to expand their ability to render a subject more to their satisfaction. With that in mind, Let's begin!

TO REVIEW:

The folds in the first four lessons – Pipe, Drape, Half-lock and Compression - all result from some sort of action, whether it was the pull of gravity or the push of being condensed. Tension folds also result from an action, but this action tends to be much more aggressive than the rest.

TENSION FOLDS

As the name suggests, Tension folds happen when the fabric is drawn taut between two points. They are generally the end result of some kind of pulling or stretching action. The range of the body’s movement often exceeds what the clothing will allow, and it is affected by the form moving beneath it as a result. When a figure is reaching, stretching or tugging, the material wrapped around it goes along for the ride.

There is a tendency for one anchor point to be smaller than the other in most Tension folds. When this occurs, the folds radiate outward from the smaller anchor point to the larger one. See the example above.