How to draw an Iris: part 2

Iris flowers have a complex shape and curving petals, making them difficult to begin to draw. Build your sketch from simple shapes to detail. Here w learn to draw an iris from basic forms and place the petals using negative shapes.

Drawing Plants 2.037-001Start with the central axis and proportions. Imagine a center line through the flower. This helps you see the symmetry and helps you draw a tilted flower. There are many ways you can draw your initial shape. I use simple shapes such as circles to rough out the form. Do not make this part of the drawing too complex. The goal of these first lines is to locate the major elements of the flower so that you can check the proportions. Double check your proportions before you continue. It is easy to change now. It will be difficult later.

Drawing Plants 2.038-001Find the circles. Look carefully at the flower to find any circles in its structure that you can use as guides. Here I use three, the tips of the large (petal like) sepals at the bottom, the tips of the (petal like) pistil in the middle, and the tips of the erect petals. Note that from this view you are looking down on the first two circles and up at the last.  The circles become more elliptical the closer they are to the level of your eyes.

Click on the first image to start a step-by-step slideshow.