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    Home » Beginning Drawing Lessons Online » How to Draw a Realistic Rose Step-by-step with Pencil

    How to Draw an Easy Rose Step-by-step

    Learn how to draw an easy rose step by step in this art tutorial. Sketch a simple rose and shade it with this online art class. 

    Discover how to draw an easy rose with a pencil. It might look hard, but creating a rose drawing step by step is simple, especially with some practice.

    Pencil Sketch of a rose with pink and red pastel drawings of roses with drawing materials
    Jump to:
    • Materials
    • How Do You Draw a Rose
    • Video Tutorial (How to Draw an Easy Rose)
    • Transcript
    • Tips and Tricks to Draw a Rose
    • Variations
    • What to Do With Your Sketch
    • Lesson Downloads
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • You also might like

    Sketching a realistic rose is a fun art project for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, a birthday, or other holiday. Celebrate spring or summer flowers by drawing a rose.

    Practice drawing a beautiful rose and learn all the tips and tricks to make drawing the petals easier. This is a perfect drawing for artists of all abilities, from beginner to more advanced.

    So how do you draw a rose? Follow along with the instructional video to learn the easy way to draw a rose.

    Materials

    • Pencil 
    • Paper (Drawing paper is best but you can use whatever you have available. I am using a 5.5 x 8.5 inch spiral bound multimedia sketchbook with 98lb paper)

    How Do You Draw a Rose

    An artist drawing a rose, beginning shapes.
    1. Sketch an oval with a bowl shape underneath
    An artist drawing leaves and stem on the bottom of rose.
    3. Add leaves and stem to bottom of rose
    An artist shading a rose with pencil in the areas where the petals overlap.
    5. Shade areas where petals overlap
    An artist drawing in the petals of a rose.
    2. Starting from the center, draw in the petals
    An artist erasing the guidelines on a drawing of a rose.
    4. Erase guidelines
    An artist adding the finishing touches and details to a drawing of a rose.
    6. Add finishing touches and details
    1. Begin by sketching in some guidelines very lightly. Draw a circle or an oval. This will be the top of the rose. Then draw a semi-circle or bowl shape below that. This is the front of the rose.
    2. Sketch in the petals starting at the center of the flower. The first petal will look like a backward “c”. Look at the photo I provided or look at a real rose for reference. 
      • The rest of the petals will fan out in a spiral getting larger as they move towards the outside of the rose. 
      • Each petal will start by touching the petal inside it, and go up and over. Finally, the petal will turn toward the center, usually touching the inner petals. 
      • Do not get too concerned about drawing each petal exactly as it appears. Petals and flowers shift and change so try to sketch the overall shapes.
    3. Add parts of petals that fold over on themselves (these will usually be highlighted with shadows beneath them).
    4. Sketch in several leaves at the base of the flower. The sides of the leaves round outward and come together into a point. Think about a triangle shape with rounded edges. The back part of the leaf sits under the flower and is not visible.
    5. Draw a stem down from the bottom of the rose.
    6. Erase any of your guidelines that you don’t need anymore.
    7. Shade it in by starting at the center of the flower. The center will be fairly dark. You can turn your pencil on the side and push from the top to shade in large areas quickly.
      • The areas where the petals meet will be shaded in darker. Look at a photo of a rose to determine where the lights and darks are.
      • Darken the areas where the petals overlap and then shade out to the edge of the petals lighter and lighter. The shading will blend from dark, to medium, to white.
      • Take your time shading to get a nice even transition between the lights and darks.
      • Shade the leaves and stem. 
    8. Go over the entire drawing and darken any areas that need more shading. Erase any lines or shading that need to be cleaned up or removed.
      • Look at your overall drawing. Ensure it feels balanced and everything is the way you want it to appear. 
      • Add any other finishing touches or extra details. Draw in the background if you want.
    A pencil sketch of a rose.

    Video Tutorial (How to Draw an Easy Rose)

    Transcript

    Read Transcript

    Hi everyone. In this lesson you will learn how to draw an easy rose. This step-by-step tutorial will help guide you in drawing what you see. You will also learn a few basic drawing skills and work on shading your rose in.

    Let’s get started started. Start with drawing a circle or an oval and a bowl shape underneath it. That will make the bottom of the rose. Start at the center just by drawing that first petal. 

    Take a look at the photo and work on drawing what you see. However, don’t get too hung up about drawing each individual petal so much as just drawing an overall basic shape. 

    The petals are going to be tighter and closer together near the center and as you go out to the outside of the rose the petals are going to radiate out more. Flowers petals are always shifting and moving so just going for an overall shape, the basic jest of this rose. 

    Now, where the petals overlap they will appear whiter (highlighted) so we will leave them the color of the paper. That is what we are drawing right there, is these, the front of the petal as it falls forward.

    I need to make that a little bit bigger right there. Really think of this as just a sketch. 

    Adding in the bottom and a few leaves.

    Okay, I always like to like to keep an eraser handy. It’s rarely perfect the first time.

    My photo does not include a stem, but if you would like to add a stem you can do so, like that.  

    Now go back any and erase any lines that you don’t need. Those were the lines from our original circle. 

    Now to start shading this in. Starting at the center and working my way out. I’m going to make that center really dark. And then start shading in a little bit where the petals are overlapping.

    So I’m really working hard here on getting a wide range of value all the way from the darkest darks out to the whites and everything in between. So as I’m shading you can start to see the form of the rose really start to take shape a lot more.

    And shadows underneath the petals where they are overlapping. Really take your time here. I’m going pretty quickly so your video doesn’t take forever, but take your time and get your shading exactly the way you want it. 

    You can also turn your pencil on the side here and push down from the top. And turn your paper as you go along if you need to. 

    Just keep in mind that drawing a rose is not an easy thing to do so keep practicing. A little hint of shadow right where those petals are overlapping on the front. Some value on the stem and a little bit more in the leaves. 

    That’s how you draw a quick and easy rose. I hope you will join me next time for another art lesson here at Art Look Learn.

    Tips and Tricks to Draw a Rose

    • Turn your pencil on the side and push from the top to shade large areas more quickly.
    • Turn the paper as you shade in your drawing to make it easier.
    • Avoid rubbing the drawing as you are working to prevent smears.
    • Don’t worry too much about the individual petals just go for the basic overall shapes and shading.
    A drawing of a rose, colored pink  with soft pastels.

    Variations

    • It is fun to add color to your sketch. Try adding color with watercolor paints, soft pastels, colored pencils, or even markers.
    • Practice drawing a rose from real life. For an extra challenge draw it from different points of view like looking down from the top, from a three-quarters angle, or directly from the front.
    • Observe rose buds. They have the same structure as open roses but you would draw them with a tighter outward spiral.
    • You could also go all out and draw a whole bouquet of roses!

    What to Do With Your Sketch

    Framed drawing of a rose hanging in a living room.

    Your sketch will make a lovely homemade gift for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, a birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other special occasion. Who wouldn't love to receive such a thoughtful present?

    You can frame your drawing and decorate your home. A hand-drawn rose is a stunning addition to any room.

    Pencil Sketch of a rose with pink and red pastel drawings of roses with drawing materials

    How to Draw an Easy Rose Step-by-step

    Learn how to draw an easy rose step by step in this art tutorial. Sketch a simple rose and shade it with this online art class. 
    Discover how to draw an easy rose with a pencil. It might look hard, but creating a rose drawing step by step is simple, especially with some practice.

    Equipment

    • Pencil
    • Paper (Drawing paper is best but you can use whatever you have available. I am using a 5.5 x 8.5 inch spiral bound multimedia sketchbook with 98lb paper)

    Instructions

    • Begin by sketching in some guidelines very lightly. Draw a circle or an oval. This will be the top of the rose. Then draw a semi-circle or bowl shape below that. This is the front of the rose.
    • Sketch in the petals starting at the center of the flower. The first petal will look like a backward “c”. Look at the photo I provided or look at a real rose for reference. 
      The rest of the petals will fan out in a spiral getting larger as they move towards the outside of the rose. 
      Each petal will start by touching the petal inside it, and go up and over. Finally, the petal will turn toward the center, usually touching the inner petals. 
      Do not get too concerned about drawing each petal exactly as it appears. Petals and flowers shift and change so try to sketch the overall shapes.
    • Add parts of petals that fold over on themselves (these will usually be highlighted with shadows beneath them).
    • Sketch in several leaves at the base of the flower. The sides of the leaves round outward and come together into a point. Think about a triangle shape with rounded edges. The back part of the leaf sits under the flower and is not visible.
    • Draw a stem down from the bottom of the rose.
    • Erase the guidelines that you don’t need anymore.
    • Shade it in by starting at the center of the flower. The center will be fairly dark. You can turn your pencil on the side and push from the top to shade in large areas quickly.
      The areas where the petals meet will be shaded in darker. Look at a photo of a rose to determine where the lights and darks are.
      Darken the areas where the petals overlap and then shade out to the edge of the petals lighter and lighter. The shading will blend from dark, to medium, to white.
      Take your time shading to get a nice even transition between the lights and darks.
      Shade the leaves and stem as well. 
    • Go over the entire drawing and darken any areas that need more shading. Erase any lines or shading that need to be cleaned up or removed.
      Look at your overall drawing. Ensure it feels balanced and everything is the way you want it to appear. 
      Add any other finishing touches or extra details. Draw in the background if you want.

    Notes

    • Turn your pencil on the side and push from the top to shade large areas more quickly.
    • Turn the paper as you shade in your drawing to make it easier.
    • Avoid rubbing the drawing as you are working to prevent smears.
    • Don’t worry too much about the individual petals just go for the basic overall shapes and shading.

    Lesson Downloads

    Rose Photo for DrawingDownload

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do you draw an easy rose?

    Sketch in some guidelines very lightly. Draw a circle or an oval. Then draw a semi-circle or bowl shape below that. Add petals starting at the center of the flower.

    The rest of the petals will fan out in a spiral getting larger as they move towards the outside of the rose. Sketch in several leaves at the base of the flower. Finally, draw in a stem down from the bottom of the rose, if you want.

    How do you shade in a rose?

    Shade the rose drawing by starting at the center of the flower. The center will be fairly dark. The areas where the petals meet will be shaded in darker. 

    Darken the areas where the petals overlap and then shade out to the edge of the petals lighter and lighter. The shading will blend gradually from dark, to medium, to white. Take your time shading to get an even transition between the lights and darks. Shade in your leaves and stem. 

    How do I color in my rose?

    Add color to a rose drawing with watercolor paint, colored pencils, soft pastels, or markers.

    The highlighted areas are white or a lighter version of the rose. The shadows will appear to be the main color of the flower with black or brown added in.


    A drawing of a rose, colored red with soft pastels.

    You also might like

    • Drawing Paper (Everything You Need to Know)
    • How to Draw a Cylinder
    • How to Draw a Mountain Landscape
    • How to Draw a Box
    • Sketch an Easy Eye Step-by-step

    Please leave your questions, comments, and reviews below!

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    Comments

    1. MaryAnn says

      October 26, 2023 at 10:28 pm

      So pretty. I followed right along and my rose turned out great!

      Reply

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