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- 1). Using the ruler, measure the width and height of the flower blossom. Using the 2H pencil, lightly mark the dimensions of your blossom on the papers, extending the lines into a loose rectangular shape.
- 2). Using the 2H pencil, sketch the largest and simplest shape of the blossom inside the rectangle.
- 3). Using the 2H pencil, begin drawing a more detailed outline of your blossom, using the rectangle you drew in Step 1 as a guide. To flesh out your outline, choose a prominent petal shape and draw it. Then continue drawing one petal after another until the outer shape of the flower is completed.
- 4). Using the 2H pencil, begin drawing petals inside the outline from Step3. Begin at the front of the flower and work across the front, and then work toward the back, connecting each petal to the one before it.
- 5). Look carefully at the stem of your flower model, paying close attention to where it touches the flower and the width. Using a 2H pencil, sketch the stem into your drawing.
- 6). At this point, you need to ensure that the drawing is not too dark. If there are any lines that are too dark, tap them lightly with a kneaded eraser to lighten them.
- 7). Using the side of a 2B pencil, begin shading the darker areas of the petals with hatching. To make a hatching pattern, simply draw a series of x's overlapping one another. The darker areas of the flower will be those parts that are in the shadows, near the body of the flower.
- 8). Working toward the center of the flower, carefully examine the way the light and shadow play on the individual petals. Each petal will have a different pattern of light, so you should adjust your hatching pattern to match the model. Using a 2B pencil, lighten the shading on each petal as you near the outer edge of the petal.
- 9). When reaching the small areas of your flower, tip the 2B pencil up to use the point for your shading.
- 10
To add more shading to the entire flower, you should use a 2B pencil with the side of the pencil technique. - 11
For the interior petals of the flower, you will need to stop shading short of the edges, so that the smaller petals don't get lost in the hatching pattern of the larger petals. - 12
Paying careful attention to the shadows and lights on the stem, use your 2B pencil to shade the stem appropriately. - 13
Once you have completed the preliminary shading of all of the petals, use the tip of your 2B pencil to shade the very smallest petals. The best way to achieve this is to leave the edges free of shading, and adding more shading to darken the petal behind each small petal. - 14
Using a dulled 2B pencil tip, work over the entire flower and stem, adjusting and darkening the shadows where needed. - 15
To give your graphite drawing more character and light, use a 4B pencil to create more contrast. With a dulled 4B pencil, add more shading to the very darkest shadows. Pay close attention to the creases of the petals, where many shadows lie. - 16
Using a kneaded eraser, pinch it into a wedge shape. Stroke the thin edge of the eraser along the edges of the petals to lighten them, thereby increasing contrast. - 17
To blend the highlights of the petals properly, use the edge of the kneaded eraser to stroke the edges of the petal down toward the middle of the petal. - 18
Finally, using your dulled 4B pencil, darken the shadow edge of the stem, so that the contrasts of the flower and stem are consistent.
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