PURPOSE: To form compound curvatures while preventing wrinkles and ripples even if a sheet is extremely thin by forming the compound curves, sectorial shapes or the like by a drawing and forming method in such a manner that suppressing or returning stresses apply on the sheet with respect to a tensile stress.

CONSTITUTION: The apparatus is provided with three longitudinally isolated stages which extend in the longitudinal direction of the sheet and to which the sheet is supplied via the same. The bead of the fist stage is arranged with a specific height above in the perpendicular direction of the second stage so that the sheet is bent between the two stages. The bead of the second stage is arranged apart a relatively large distance H12 from the first stage and the downward bending thereof is continued during this time. The bead of the third stage is arranged slightly perpendicularly upward and the sheet is bent upward in the second stage and is slightly downwardly bent in the third stage. The transverse curvatures of the beads of the first, second and third stages are so regulated as to be made the same. As a result, the shaping elements are subjected to strict relative positioning.