Teaching resource Clothes and fabrics

This resource will guide you in drawing clothes and fabrics realistically.
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Howard-Phoebe_8
Key Stage

 Designed for students aged 11–14 (UK Key Stage 3 / Years 7–9), but adaptable for other ages. 

Learning objectives
  •  Experiment with texture and folds within clothes.

  •  Use clothes to inspire your imagination.

Learning outcomes
  •  Studies from a fashion magazine.

  •  Observational studies of your clothes.

  •  An imagined drawing of a character.
You will need
  • A fashion magazine 
  • Some of your favourite clothes
  • Sketchbook
  • One large sheet of paper
  • Colour pencils
Trew_Dani_9
Dani Trew Res Bina
untitled-0790
Liam Walker Self Portrait as Isaac N

Exercise 1

To begin, choose two or three items from your fashion magazine. It could be something you want to wear or perhaps something unusual.

Draw them in as much detail as you can. Pay attention to the different materials and textures. Is there a way you can capture the texture? Perhaps soft marks for clothes that look soft and hard marks for clothes that looks rougher.

Exercise 2Screenshot (19)

Look at the examples above. They demonstrate how to draw folds in clothes in a simplified form.

Draw three of your favourite items of clothing. This might be trainers, a jumper or cap. In this next exercise pay attention to the details of the folds as this will make the picture much more realistic. Like the images above draw the folds to be as realistic as possible. 

Exercise 3

On a larger sheet of paper create an outfit from your own clothes and the drawings in the fashion magazine. Before you begin to draw, imagine a character who would wear all these clothes. Allow the clothes to lead the imagination. Do the clothes give an idea of what kind of job they might do?

Try to draw the outfit and character in as much detail as possible.