How to Draw a Rose

Co-authored by Kelly Medford

Roses are often referred to as the symbol of romance and love. They are beautiful and breathtaking to look at. If you don't have a green thumb, you can still create a rose on paper.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Full Bloom Rose

1
Draw a small freehand circle in the center of the page for the center of the rose.
2
Add another irregular oval shape at a diagonal base of the above circle for the first petal.

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3
Join a curved line from the small circle to the oval shape for the second petal.
4
Complete the first set of petals around the centre by joining yet another curved line to the above.
5
Begin drawing the first spiral around the earlier made for the second row of petals.
6
Engulf the earlier row of petals by a bigger outer irregular curve for the third row of petals.
7
Join further outer petals of the rose with wavy lines joining at appropriate places.
8
Draw the extreme outer petal of the rose.
9
Detail the rose further with petals and leaves.
10
Color the rose red with green leaves adding appropriate shades to it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Rose Motif

For those who cannot get their hands to do the wonders of making the first rose, try this instead!

1
Draw a small spiral in the centre of the page.
2
Extend a petal on one side of the spiral.
3
Add another petal to the opposite side of the spiral.
4
Draw the third petal at the bottom of the spiral joining the above petal shapes.
5
Add a small detail in the centre of the spiral of the rose.
6
Create a leaf each on either side of the flower with a small midrib each.
7
Color the rose with variations of red and green for the leaves.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

A Rose with Stem

1
Draw a vertical curve in the centre of the page for the guide to the stem of the rose .
2
Add thorny details on the left side to the above made curved line.
3
Add details also on the right side of the curved line.
4
Draw a leaf extending on the top left side of the thorny curve.
5
Add couple of more leaves on either side of the thorny stem.
6
Add details to the leaves by drawing the midrib and a few veins.
7
Start making the flower from its base by drawing the sepals.
8
Go ahead with drawing the flower petals from the centre and adding one petal to its right.
9
Add further petals of the rose heading upwards to the centre.
10
Draw the centre details of the rose petals.
11
Detail the leaves with edgy outer blades.
12
Erase all unnecessary guides and color the rose and the leaves.
13
Enrich the painting by applying appropriate shades and a shadow.
- One challenging thing about drawing can be to draw things as they are, rather than how we think they are.
- Learning to draw is really about learning to see.
- Draw something every day and take your time to study how things are.

Expert Q&A

Question

How to shade a drawing?

Kelly Medford
Professional Artist
Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art.

Kelly Medford

Professional Artist

Expert Answer

You can shade a drawing with a pencil and use hatching or cross-hatch marks.
Question

How can you scale a drawing?

Kelly Medford
Professional Artist
Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art.

Kelly Medford

Professional Artist

Expert Answer

You can grid the original drawing. Then draw a grid for a larger one. The size of the squares should be proportionate. After that, make the larger one by looking at the relation and what is inside each square.
Question

What if my rose does not look right?

Community Answer

The nice thing about art is that it does not have to look perfect, so do not worry if it does not look perfect. If you want it to look better though, keep practicing to improve your skills, so your rose can look how you want it to be. Drawing is a skill that requires practice to improve.