How to Draw a Rose & Stem

Whether in bud or full bloom, roses are wonderfully decorative, as pictures or part of a decorating project. Drawing roses takes good observational skills, but is not technically difficult.

Things You'll Need

• Roses, preferably in several stages of bloom
• Daisy
• Container for roses
• Drawing paper
• Charcoal or drawing pencils

Instructions

1. Choose roses in several stages of bloom, from bud to full bloom, if possible. A good way to make sure that your drawn rose will look like a rose is to contrast it with another kind of flower. Put a daisy in the vase with your roses and start noticing how differently the two kinds of flowers are composed.

2. Examine your roses visually. Note the shapes of the petals, the whole flower and how the flower connects to the stem. You may wish to make some small sketches of different elements on scrap paper. It may also help you maintain concentration if you describe to yourself what you see. Identify shapes you will use--pointed oval, circle, rounded oval or cup shapes. Either sketch or just look carefully at the daisy, as well. Doing so will help you start honing in on what makes a rose a rose. For example, daisy petals tend to be uniform in size and flat. Rose petals tend to be larger on the outer edges of the flower and smaller on the inside. Try drawing petals in the same shape but different sizes. Some artists find comparing the shape of rose petals to shells or to softly rounded triangles helps them render rose petals more realistically.

3. Reserve one rose to handle and, if you like, to take apart with your fingers. Information you gain by touch will add to your ability to draw what you see. Note the texture of the petals and how they attach to the bud and stem. Compare this to the daisy--petals attach in a very different way. Touch the thorns, and determine how they are attached to the stem. Do the same with the leaves, noting any special features of the joints between stem and leaves. Some rose leaves are completely smooth on the edges and shiny; more often they are serrated with a matte finish. Again, compare. You may want to keep making small sketches of both flowers--rose petals curve and usually so does the stem, while a daisy stem stays straight. Stem textures are completely different; experiment with how you can distinguish one from another on paper.

4. Beginning with the stem (you get better results drawing growing things if you start where they start!), and lightly sketch out your entire rose. This places your flower in a defined space. Step back and decide whether you've put it where you want it. A rose grows on a bush, so you may want more or fewer leaves. Perhaps your rose is cut and lying on a table. Make those decisions now.

5. Review your scrap-paper sketches to remind yourself of details and the techniques you have practiced to show the textures of the rose. Consider shading lightly where petals join the stem. Often, the color changes close to this point. Even in pencil, shading will emphasize both the color-change and the curve of the petals as they join together. Remember that petals curve in a variety of ways, while the overall shape remains cup-like. Although the most easily-seen and felt thorns are large, remember the tiny ones you felt close to the top of the stem; experiment with tiny lines to suggest them. Your small sketches will help you fill in your light sketch with stronger strokes until your drawing is completed.

Tips & Warnings

• Turning a three-dimensional object into a drawing is a challenge. Keep practicing, and you'll succeed.