How to Draw a Bunch of Flowers

Draw a bunch of flowers using a photographic reference.

Drawing flowers is something that every artist should know how to do. With hundreds of thousands of flower species to choose from, create a bouquet with flowers of varying shapes and sizes. One of the best ways to get started is by having an idea of what types of flowers you will draw. Search websites, consult botany books or take pictures of your own backyard to find the flowers that will make a beautiful bouquet. Once you have found your inspiration, mix them all together to draw a gorgeous flower bunch.

Things You'll Need

• Graphite pencil
• Drawing paper
• Paper scrap
• Charcoal pencil

Instructions

1. Draw small, light circles across the page that represent where each flower head will sit. Make each circle roughly the size of the flower head to get an idea of how to "arrange" your bouquet. Determine the stem length, then draw a dot in the center and beneath the arrangement that represents where the stems meet.

2. Start drawing from left to right if you are right-handed and right to left if you are left-handed. Draw the center of the first flower head, then work your way out toward the petals. Use your photographic references to draw each flower head accurately, noting the position of the petals, stamens, pistils and other flower parts.

3. Move on to each flower head until all of the flower heads are completed. Place a paper scrap over the right side of the drawing if you are right-handed and the left side of the drawing if you are left-handed. This will protect the pencil lines from smearing when you begin shading.

4. Lightly shade each flower head to match up with the positioning of the light source, with your drawing hand resting on the paper scrap to protect the outlines. The darker shades are on the areas not facing the light source, while the parts of the flowers that directly face the light source will be lighter.

5. Draw a double line from each flower head to the center dot, making the stems as thick or thin as desired. Shade the sides of each stem, with the pencil darker at the edges and lighter towards the center. This will give the stems a cylindrical appearance.

Tips & Warnings

• Shading techniques vary. Use the charcoal pencil to "color in" the shading, moving the pencil tip in a circular or side-to-side motion. Also create shading by cross-hatching, which is drawing diagonal dashes in one direction, then overlapping the lines with dashes going in the opposite direction.

• Add color with professional blending colored pencils, layering one color over another.

References

• Portrait Art Tutorials: Drawing Techniques