Art Education

Cloth Studies

Medium: Pencil (Advanced option in charcoal or watercolor)

Your assignment: Create a pencil drawing of cloth draped over something. Capture the different values.

  • Include a bit of the surrounding environment so the chairs do not look like they are flying in space.
  • You should make sure to shade the negative shape to create contrasts with the cloth.
  • Set the cloth up somewhere where it will be untouched for at least 1 1/2 hours while you work.
  • Use a solid cloth

To really understand this assignment, check out the drawings and studies of cloth by Albrecht Durer and Leonardo DaVinci.

Notice how the Leonardo DaVinci drawing really conveys the sense of the forms underneath the cloth.

Watercolor example
Black and White Charcoal on Toned Paper | Student Example
Black and white charcoal on toned paper | Student Example
White and black charcoal on toned paper | student example