How to Draw an Iris: part 1

I am overwhelmed when looking at a wildly curling Iris petal. But I have learned to calm those worries with a systematic approach to constructing the petal. Close one eye and look at each plane, top or bottom as an angular flat shape. Imagine each as a separate shape like pieces of odd-sized glass. To see each shape accurately, try contour drawings of these shapes until you get the feel for it. The individual pieces will not look like petals. When put together they become something extraordinary, your stained glass window.

With practice it become lots of fun to find and describe the twisting forms of nature with your pencil. The key is to give up your notions of what a petal should look like and accept the real shape before you.Drawing Plants 2.034-003