How to Draw a Lotus
An important ability for any artist is to capture the beauty of nature, so in this tutorial we will train this skill and learn how to draw a lotus.
Now I will show you how to draw a lotus. This is a beautiful southern plant that grows on water. Lotus has a large inflorescence, which consists of several petals of pale pink color. The leaves are wide, round, located on the surface of the water.
This plant is amazing and mysterious. It is known that lotus seeds can retain their properties for many centuries. There were cases when it was possible to grow a plant from seeds that are more than a thousand years old.
After you have learned some interesting facts, let’s start drawing this amazing flower. In the picture, you see a lush lotus inflorescence. The petals are wide at the bottom and have a narrow end. At the bottom of the lotus, there is a wide green leaf.
You can easily draw all the elements of the lotus with the help of this step-by-step guide. Be consistent and patient to get great results.
Materials
- Pencil
- Paper
- Eraser
- Coloring supplies
Time needed: 20 minutes
How to Draw a Lotus
- Sketch the first three flower petals.
This lotus drawing starts from its heart, so the first step is to create the three petals at the center. Sketch one large petal pointing up, shaped like a simple teardrop with a rounded base and a pointed top. Then add two similar petals angled to the sides.
- Draw the side petal pair.
Flowers naturally spread to the sides, so now you can continue the lotus by adding two larger side petals. These should curve away from the central group. Try to keep them symmetrical but don’t make them identical, slight differences in angle make the drawing feel more organic. If you want to vary your lotus, you could make one petal folded.
- Pace the central flower petal.
To make the composition look more convincing, a single petal should be drawn above the central three. This upper petal rises higher than the previous petals. Draw it as a long drop-like shape. Also, draw the central part of the lotus with a short curve.
- Sketch the background petals.
Lotus flowers have multiple rows of petals, so the next step is to sketch additional ones behind the first row. Draw two or three larger petals that peek out between the existing shapes. Make them larger and taller. After that, in the center of the lotus, sketch a dotted or textured pattern to represent the seed pod.
- Illustrate the outer row of petals.
Continue adding petals to the second row and sketch more wide petals at the bottom. These outer petals can be larger than the previous ones. These petals should spread out evenly from the center.
- Add the last petal row.
To complete the full bloom, add the last row of petals beneath the others. By the way, if you prefer a simpler style, you can reduce the number of petals, but drawing more of them will create a fuller, more realistic and ornamental lotus. At this stage you should have a bud with petals smoothly diverging in all directions.
- Add veins to the petals and veins.
With all the petals drawn, you can detail your sketch by adding elements that add realism. First, on each petal, lightly draw a few curved lines running from the base to create veins. These lines should follow the natural flow of the petal’s shape. After that, add similar lines running through the center of each leaf to indicate the central veins.
- Paint the petals and leaves of the flower.
Once the lines are complete, the final step is to apply color, which gives the lotus its distinctive beauty. Traditionally, lotus petals are shaded in soft pinks with. I used a flat technique, but you can add gradual variation, making the flower darker near the base and lighter toward the tips. The central seed pod can be colored in yellow. For the leaves at the bottom, use shades of green.
Easy Lotus Drawing Tutorial
To draw this version of a lotus, outline the central petals first, forming the base of the flower. Add two or three more petals behind them. Sketch additional petals on both sides, gradually widening the shape of the bloom.
Then, sketch smaller petals behind the main layer. Draw outer petals spreading to the sides to complete the flower structure. Next, show the base by sketching curved lines below the petals.
Once the form is finished, add inner lines to each petal to represent folds and texture. Finally, apply color to the petals and base, using simple a coloring scheme.
How to Draw a Lotus Flower
To draw a lotus on a stem, outline one oval-shaped petal in the middle. Add a second petal next to it and then a third slightly behind them to form the core.
Continue building the layers by sketching pointed petals above and between the first ones. Then, add more petals on the sides, overlapping slightly to give the flower a fuller look. Place a few additional petals behind these to complete the rounded bud shape.
After this, sketch a set of pointed sepals at the bottom, fanning outward under the flower. Draw a long vertical stem moving down, and add a few small leaf shapes attached to the base.
Finally, add inner lines for veins, then color the petals with soft pink or purple shades and the stem with green to complete the lotus on a stem.
