D R A P E R Y F U N D A M E N TA L S :

Half-lock Fold

*The Half-lock takes place every time a tubular or flattened piece of material abruptly changes its
direction. *George Bridgman

This is usually created and extreme bend and/or twist in a tubular or flat piece of fabric, creating
an overlapping of folds. This break in the fabric creates an interlocking that is the defining charac-
teristic of the half-lock fold. One of the most common places to see a half-lock on the draped figure
is in any crimping of loose fabric, a bent knee beneath a skirt or pant for instance. You can also
observe this fold in a stacking of loose fabric where the folds collapse in on themselves. This is
why it is common to see half-locks within inert folds.

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 D R A P E R Y F U N D A M E N TA L S :
Half-lock Fold

- TIP -
When a half-lock occurs in flat
drapery and will take on an
eyelet or knot like appearance.
Correctly identifying this
pattern can create a nice
harmony in more chaotic folds.

- TIP -
When found in a tubular piece of fabric a
half-lock fold can be very similar to a
spiral fold. The main difference is that
the fold is bent enough (usually close to a
45º angle or smaller) to overlap itself.

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 D R A P E R Y F U N D A M E N TA L S :
Half-lock Fold

ASSIGNMENT 7: CONSTRUCTING A HALF-LOCK FOLD

Part 1: Watch the video demonstrating these principles. Then, refer to the handouts. This will
not be the most exciting exercise but pivotal to your ability to simplify complex forms.

Part 2: Using a piece of fabric set up a half-lock fold in your studio, or use the photo provided on

page 4, and use this as reference to do a drawing. This should be a sustained effort, DO
NOT rush through this. I would set aside a full day or more to do this study.

Part 3: Once you feel you have developed a good understanding of this fold try setting up some
random drapery, and see if you can identify some of the seven basic folds. Do a drawing
study from these folds attempting to redesign them into a clearer, more aesthetically
pleasing pattern

Note: Refer to the supplemental book list on the materials page for further resources to study. The
object here is to give you a working understanding of these essential concepts. True mastery of
these concepts will come over weeks and months of study. A suggestion would be to start each
drawing session with a 20 minute warm up of drapery quick-sketches.

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 D R A P E R Y F U N D A M E N TA L S :
Half-lock Fold

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 D R A P E R Y F U N D A M E N TA L S :
Half-lock Fold

When observing and drawing a half-lock it is important to look for, and even draw, the overlap-
ping of the fabric. This is called “drawing through” and is a key factor in all drawing, but is the
primary characteristic to the half-lock fold.

- TIP -
I would recommend actually
drawing in the construction
line of the fabric obscured by
the overlap to help better
visualize the form of the fold.

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 D R A P E R Y F U N D A M E N TA L S :
Half-lock Fold

The overlapping that is so important to the half-lock should be further enhanced when designing
you shadow shapes. A good way of doing this is to have a piece of fabric occlude the form shadow
of the fabric passing behind it. Having the fabric cast a shadow onto a receding cloth is another

- TIP -
Beginning a shadow shape
on one side of an overlap
and ending on the other
side will help enhance the
illusion of depth.

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 D R A P E R Y F U N D A M E N TA L S :
Half-lock Fold

As you begin to take your drawing to a finish, and start to add half-tones, it is important to care-
fully observe to folds. In addition to this it is a good idea to look for value differences between one
piece of fabric overlapping another.

- TIP -
“Glazing” a slight value over
a piece of fabric as it is
passing behind another will
not only create a bit of
atmosphere, but also elimi-
nate to need for an outline.

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