How to Draw a Rose and Barbwire

A rose entwined with barbwire works symbolically by emphasizing the thorns of the rose with a material designed to keep people out---or in. There are a number of ways you can draw a rose with barbwire, but one especially effective way to draw it is to entwine the barbwire with the stem of the rose. This way, the barbs of the wire directly echo the thorns of the rose.

Things You'll Need

• Paper Pencil Sharpie marker Images of roses (optional)

Instructions

1. Sketch in the basic shape of the rose, starting with an oval for the shape of the rosebud. Draw a spiral at the top of the rose shape to indicate the top of the petals, then add some petals coming off the bud shape if you'd like. Place a stem shape at the bottom, curving it into an "S" shape for the most effective composition.

2. Draw a line twining around the rose stem to indicate the barbwire. Then, draw a line that echoes the first barbwire line to help create the full shape of the barbwire, which will have two strands in the finished drawing.

3. Add barbs onto the barbwire. A simple way to do this is to add three or four closely-spaced "C" shaped lines to connect the two lines of the barbwire. Then, draw a spike at the top and bottom of both the first and last "C" shape. Repeat the process at least two more times to make your barbwire look realistic.

4. Decide where to place leaves on the rose's stem. You want to place them where they won't crowd or overlap the barbs you've already drawn on the barbwire. You'll want at least one leaf to help the stem look like a stem. Then, place a few thorns on the stem.

5. Create any additional details that you'd like on your pencil sketch, such as additional petals or detail on the leaves.

6. Go over the lines you want to keep with a thin Sharpie. As you do this, pay special attention to whether the rose stem is behind the barbwire of in front of it.

7. Erase all of the pencil lines to finish your drawing.

Tips & Warnings

• Though you can stylize the rose and barbwire as much as you like, it's helpful to look at images of roses as you draw.