How to Draw Roses & Flowers in Pencil
Roses and other flowers are often part of the landscape in artist's pencil sketches. Many beginning art classes teach students how to draw roses and flowers early on, as a way of teaching students perspective, line drawing and how to layer. Using a pencil to draw flowers and roses takes a little practice and can result in sketches you can use to decorate your home or give as gifts to family and friends.
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Instructions
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Consider how many roses or flowers you want to draw. Try combining a rose and a variety of of flowers, with the rose as a centerpiece.
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Sketch the outline of your flowers to get the composition set. Draw the stems first, simply by drawing slightly curved lines from the bottom of your paper up to about the middle, then draw circles at the top of each stem to indicate where you will sketch your flowers. Use a reference photo to give you an idea about what to draw, but allow your own imagination to roam free. With the exception of the rose, which has a distinct look, your flowers don't have to be exact replicas of a real variety of flower.
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Add two or three leaves to each side of your rose stem. Shape the leaves like an oval, but bring the outer tips to a point. Add a few thorns by drawing small, slightly curved triangles between the leaves. Sketch similar leaves on the other stems, varying the shape to give the leaves a different look.
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Draw the petals on your rose first. Try making the rose partially closed. Starting from the stem, sketch a short line that curves outward. Draw one on each side, forming the general outline of the partially open rose around the placeholder circle you drew earlier. Erase the lines of the circle after you draw your rose outline and draw concentric lines beginning in the center of the rose. This creates the characteristic layering of the petals.
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Add petals to your other flowers the way you added petals to the rose. Make some of the petals rounded and some with triangle or ragged edges. This will add a variety of flowers to your drawing.
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Shade around the petals of your flowers. Dark shading toward the center of the flowers can help deepen petals and make them stand out. Shade lightly along the edges of your flowers to add texture. Use varied pressure when you shade to add dimension until your flowers take on shape. Thicken the stems with simple shading and apply intermittent dark and light shades over the leaves to give them a fuller appearance.
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References
- Photo Credit tournesol noir et blanc image by Philippe LERIDON from Fotolia.com
