How To Draw

Flowers
A brief guide
by Michael Terry
Michael Terry
Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved

Welcome to www.performingpencil.com
the site dedicated to drawing.
So let's get going on how to draw flowers.
Flowers are such a beautiful subect to draw a!d as a! added
bo!us they do!"t #ove$
%ou ca! ether draw the# i!doors fro# a vase& i! the garde! or out
i! the cou!try side& if you do the latter please do!"t pic' the#(
)ust treat drawi!g flowers as you would a!y thi!g else& start with
the overall shape a!d progress as show! here refi!i!g a!d addi!g
#ore a!d #ore detail(
There is so #uch to draw here so #uch to observe a!d capture(
First chose a soft drawing pencil like a 4B or 8B a!d get a soft
putty eraser rather tha! a co!ve!tio!al eraser a!d a good *uality
drawing pad, these will help i! achievi!g the results you are after(
For the #ost part bei!g able to draw so#ethi!g is dow! to careful
observatio!& ta'e ti#e to study what you wish to draw( +oo' at it"s
proportio!s& how big is o!e part to a!other& fi!d a part of it that you
ca! co#pare to the rest ( Also loo' for how thi!gs relate to each
other& see say where a petal e!ds a!d see where it li!es up with o!
a!other petal or leaf this will help you to get thi!gs loo'i!g right(
First get the #ai! shapes right( ,o!"t be fa-ed by all the detail li'e
petals& ste#s& leaves etc( +oo' for the big shapes li'e . have show!
here& everythi!g else ha!gs o! getti!g this stage right( .t does!"t
#atter how a#a-i!g you have do!e all the detail& if the proportio!s
are wro!g it ust wo!t loo' right( .f you drew a giraffe with every
#ar'i!g a!d detail but with a very short !ec'& it ust would!"t loo'
li'e a giraffe$
/ow you have wor'ed out the proportio!s you ca! start addi!g the
rough shapes of petals a!d leaves etc(
0!ce all of this loo's right you are free to get i!to the detail a!d
shadi!g which will give it a #ore three di#e!sio!al appeara!ce(
%ou ca! rela1 !ow as you '!ow that whe! you have fi!ished it will
loo' right a!d !ot li'e the giraffe$
2hat . a# goi!g to show you !ow is how to start a!d wor' through
to a fi!ished drawi!g(
How to get started.
3tart by getti!g the overall shape of the flower( Ma'e sure you
s'etch lightly as you will wa!t to re#ove a!y u!wa!ted li!es later(
4ere . would li'e to #e!tio! a very useful tool for getti!g
proportio!s right& its called the 'Proportion easure' a!d is
i!cluded withi! the full e5oo'(
To co!ti!ue !e1t s'etch i! the petals o!ce you are satisfied that all
these are i! proportio! you ca! start defi!i!g there shape(
/e1t you ca! start o! the detail but before you do so you ca! erase
a!y u!wa!ted li!es& other wise it will be difficult o!ce all the details
are i! place(
/ow you ca! re!der i! so#e shadi!g& this will give it a #ore three
di#e!sio!al appeara!ce(
!ow " want to show you the different
stages of producing a drawing.
First here is a! overview of the process(
#he first e$ample is a honeysuckle flower.
Stage %ne
At first capture the overall shape of the flower& . have i!cluded the
ste#(

Stage #wo
/e1t start addi!g the petals& #easure o!e part agai!st a!other to
get the proportio!s right(
Stage #hree
/ow . have added the lower parts of the petals(
Stage &our
4ere . have added the leaves o! the ste# a!d detail to the flowers(
Stage &i'e
. have !ow added the overall shape of the sta#e! to the flowers(
Stage Si$
A!d here is the fi!ished drawi!g( . have rubbed out a!y li!es that .
do!"t wa!t& added the sta#e! a!d so#e shadi!g(
reinforce the principles.
Stage %ne
. have draw! the overall shape a!d ste#(
!ow " shall draw a pyramidal orchid to
Stage #wo
/ow . have started to roughly s'etch i! where the flowers will be(
Stage #hree
. have co!ti!ued to add the flowers(
/ow . have started to add detail to the flowers(
Stage &our
Stage &i'e
Addi!g #ore detail to the flowers(
The fi!ished drawi!g& all the detail . wa!t o! the drawi!g has bee!
added a!d . have also added shadi!g to give it depth(
0!e thi!g to re#e#ber& this is ust a s'etch !ot a fi!ished piece that
is goi!g i!to the Royal Acade#y 3u##er 61hibitio!$ )ust rela1 it
does!"t #ater if you #a'e #ista'es& ust lear! fro# the# a!d e!oy
your self$
Don't forget drawing is a big adventure with a great ending!
Stage Si$
. hope you have e!oyed this e5oo' sa#ple a!d have fou!d it
helpful i! developi!g your drawi!g s'ills& if so the! why !ot get hold
of the co#plete boo' which is full of helpful advise o! drawi!g(
2hat . have give! you i! this sa#ple is o!ly a basic guide& there is
a lot #ore i! the full e5oo' which will help you to produce a drawi!g
you will be happy with( 5elow are the subects covered withi! the
boo'(
As . said at the begi!!i!g . have also i!cluded a! i!valuable tool
that will go a lo!g way i! helpi!g you to achieve the results you are
loo'i!g for i! your drawi!gs( . have called this tool the 'Proportion
easure' a!d . thi!' you will fi!d this i!dispe!sable(
The e5oo' 'How to (raw &lowers' has a great deal #ore withi! it
to help you draw better(
4ere are the subects covered(
&amiliari)ing yourself with the su*+ect.
How much to draw.
How to hold and use a pencil or pastel.
easuring proportions.
(rawing through the su*+ect.
!egati'e space.
Shading to show form and depth.
Perspecti'e.
Step *y step guide on how to draw a *ram*le flower.
4ere . will go through the stages of a drawi!g which will further help
you to u!dersta!d the process(
A!d also the i!valuable 'Proportion easure' tool(
7o to www.performingpencil.com to obtai! this or o!e of the
other e5oo's available(

&urther Help.
5i!dweed
Here are some photos to draw from.
8yra#idal 0rchid
8oppies
courses available at Wildmonths.com These provide proects for
you to wor' o! a!d also if you wish perso!al feedbac' a!d help
with your wor'(
There is also a foru# a!d gallery to show your wor' o!(
3o go a!d have a loo' at Wildmonths.com, apart fro# the courses
available there is a wealth of i!for#atio! o! wildlife together with
#y wildlife diary which i!clude #a!y of #y photos ta'e! i! the field(
A deeper u!dersta!di!g of wildlife ca! o!ly help i! your drawi!g(
www.wildmonths.com
Helping your understanding of the natural world
Wildmonths
.f you wa!t to go eve! further i! your develop#e!t there are