How to Draw Flowers and Leaves Step by Step in 5 min (TUTORIAL)

Learn the steps to sketch well-proportioned, symmetrical leaves and flowers on white paper, with Maya Hanisch

Floral illustration, with its wavy and lively forms and infinite colors, is present in disciplines from graphic design to fine art, always balancing the freedom of nature and the control of the illustrator, who's able to create attractive patterns based on floral elements.

In the following tutorial, artist and graphic designer Maya Hanisch (@mayahanisch) shows us how to sketch symmetrical and well-proportioned leaves and flowers, as a starting point for our floral compositions.

1. Calculate the size of your pad

The first step is simple: take your sketchbook or pad and measure its borders on white paper. Once you have your rectangle, you can use it as a rule or compass but it is most important that you find a center from which to draw from.

2. Draw your first flower

Once you've marked your center, draw a flower from it. Don't worry if it's not perfect; we just need a central component to work on. You can draw it from above, below, the side. Work the flower, adding elements until you're satisfied with how it looks.

3. Work the rest of the composition

Once you have your first flower, let yourself go. Don't think about creating something realistic, but in how the shapes relate to each other. You can draw another plant that grows beneath your flower and begin to fill the corners with other symmetrical objects. Make different shapes in each of the four corners of your composition, trying not to overload any of them too much. Keep working the parts which look empty with smaller and bigger shapes.

If you liked this tutorial, remember you can learn more from Maya Hanisch about creating your first folk composition and transferring it onto any surface or everyday object with her online Introduction to Floral Illustration with Acrylic’.

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