If you want to be able to sketch people on a regular basis, it is obvious that you will need to know how to sketch a shirt. Shirts come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. The type of shirt you sketch will depend on what your subject is wearing.

Although each type of shirt may have its own challenges when it comes to sketching it, there are a few common characteristics that all shirts have. Knowing what to look for will make things easier as you sketch shirts of your own.

So if you want to see how to sketch a shirt, keep reading! I will reveal everything you need to know.
<h3>Become Familiar with What Shirts Look Like</h3>
When you are at work, running errands, or just out people-watching, get in the habit of glancing at different shirts and the vast variety of styles that exist. You can also achieve this by looking at pictures online or simply taking a look in your own closet.

If you are the type of person to sketch in public, take your sketchpad along with you and make quick sketches of shirts you see. This will get you used to seeing and accounting for commonalities in different styles.

I am in no way suggesting you have to become a fashion expert. I most certainly am not one. But like anything else, the more exposure you have to something, the easier it becomes for you.

It can also be helpful to study sketches of shirts done by other artists. The image below contains two sketches I did of two different shirts: a casual, long-sleeve shirt with a v-neck and an open denim shirt. Even though these shirts are two totally different styles, they both still have some obvious things in common with each other and with most other kinds of shirts you will sketch: <a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sketches-of-shirts.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2076" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sketches-of-shirts.jpg" alt="sketches of shirts" width="800" height="533" /></a>
<ul>
	<li><strong>Shirts have a neckline.</strong> These are examples of two very different necklines, a v-neck and an actual collar. You will have to study collars too. A dress shirt, for instance, would not have the same collar as the denim shirt above.</li>
	<li><strong>Shirts run from the length of the neckline to the lower area of the torso.</strong> They can be form-fitting, loose, or capable of being buttoned and unbuttoned.</li>
	<li><strong>Shirts have sleeves.</strong> Sleeves can be short. As we see in our example, sleeves can also be long and they can be rolled up to appear shorter. Many long sleeves have a cuff at the end.</li>
	<li><strong>Shirts have folds in specific places when they are being worn.</strong> Look especially where the fabric sits around the armpits and where the arms bend. <a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/picture-perfect-clothing-a-beginners-guide-to-sketching-clothes/">Sketch the proper folds</a> in the proper places of the shirt.</li>
	<li><strong>Shirts have seams where the fabric is sewn together.</strong> Note in the examples above the seams from the neck to the shoulders, along the side of the torso, near the cuffs of the sleeves, and along the bottom of the shirts.</li>
</ul>
A few other characteristics that shirts may or may not have include a logo or image, one or more pockets, and a tag. Of course, if you are sketching a shirt being worn by a person, you will most likely not see the tag.

In the following sections below, I will walk you through tutorials for sketching two more shirts. You will see how to sketch a t shirt and how to make a polo shirt sketch. As I was creating these tutorials, I did not use reference photographs. Instead, I took a couple of old shirts from my closet and hung them on my wall. I used stick pins to prop the sleeves up so they would not droop.

This is a great exercise in sketching from life. I encourage you to try as well! If you struggle with getting the shapes and proportional spacing right when using this method, I wrote a <a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/proportions-sketching-from-life-post">handy little guide you can download</a> to tell you more about the process.
<h3>How to Sketch a T Shirt</h3>
In order to sketch a t shirt, begin by sketching the main part of the shirt that clothes the torso. Use a semi-circle for the neckline with a crescent shape to represent the back of the t shirt, then branch out toward where the shoulders would be. Sketch another curved line around each pit of the arm. This line will be the seam of the sleeve. To make it look more realistic, sketch the bottom part of the t shirt with a wiggly line. Follow up by sketching vertical lines that indicate dangling folds from the chest area to the bottom.

<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sketch-t-shirt-01-torso-and-folds.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2082" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sketch-t-shirt-01-torso-and-folds.jpg" alt="sketch t shirt 01 torso and folds" width="800" height="768" /></a>

Now you should have something that resembles a muscle shirt. In order to change it into a t shirt, sketch a short sleeve on each side. Sketch a couple of folds going from the bottom end toward the seam. Leave a slight opening for each sleeve.

<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sketch-t-shirt-02-sleeves-and-folds.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2081" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sketch-t-shirt-02-sleeves-and-folds.jpg" alt="sketch t shirt 02 sleeves and folds" width="800" height="747" /></a>
<ul>
	<li>3 details: seams and logos, any other characteristics that stand out</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sketch-t-shirt-03-seams-and-logo.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2083" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sketch-t-shirt-03-seams-and-logo.jpg" alt="sketch t shirt 03 seams and logo" width="800" height="739" /></a>

polo shirt sketch
<ul>
	<li>one of many styles</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/polo-shirt-sketch-01-collar.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2079" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/polo-shirt-sketch-01-collar.jpg" alt="polo shirt sketch 01 collar" width="800" height="482" /></a>

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<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/polo-shirt-sketch-02-torso.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2078" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/polo-shirt-sketch-02-torso.jpg" alt="polo shirt sketch 02 torso" width="800" height="755" /></a>

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<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/polo-shirt-sketch-03-sleeves.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2077" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/polo-shirt-sketch-03-sleeves.jpg" alt="polo shirt sketch 03 sleeves" width="800" height="784" /></a>

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<a href="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/polo-shirt-sketch-04-folds-and-seams.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2080" src="http://www.letsdrawpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/polo-shirt-sketch-04-folds-and-seams.jpg" alt="polo shirt sketch 04 folds and seams" width="800" height="765" /></a>

how to sketch a shirt

check for proportional spacing between neckline and sleeve, length of shirt, etc. lead magnet