How to Draw a Cherry-Blossom Branch — Step by Step
Two pale open blossoms and a closed bud can be drawn on a short diagonal branch, with the bud near its tip. This simple drawing looks very sweet like a greeting card.
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What you’ll learn: For the Blossoms draw two of them about the same size and draw them facing us for the most part. Have one of them a little behind the other and connect both blossoms and the small bud to the same tapering branch with short stalks.
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Plan the branch and three flower positions
A light diagonal line suggests the direction of the main branch and two round flower guides of similar size (overlapping only near their rims) and a very small, pointed bud guide near the end of the branch.
For a small arrangement, make sure you have enough space around the flowers on the page. Make the larger flower guide roughly a quarter to a third of the page width, then place the second a little higher and to its right, about three quarters to nearly the same width. Keep both guides round or only slightly oval, and overlap only their outer rims so each middle and most of each flower stay clear. Add a narrow bud guide near the branch tip, about a quarter of the larger blossom's width in length. Leave a large margin at the end of the branch and around the entire diagonal group of flowers, drawing a faint aiming line from the branch towards each flower's middle to help place the stalks later.
Why this works
A small arrangement requires a lot of white space as well as the forms of the flowers. Two similar sized flowers will make a good pair, and a small bud at the end of the branch will give the eye a place to go. A shallow overlap of the two flowers should not make the centers disappear. The diagonal branch sits below the flowers and will support them with short stalks.
Build the first five-petal blossom
For this blossom keep the larger flower guide visible and add a very small center guide. Start with the upper petal. Draw outward curves around rounded tips and then returning curves towards the small center for each of the five broad petal(s). Vary the width of the petal(s) slightly and let each of the upper edges of the five petals curve outward slightly. Keep the edges smooth. Note that the tip of each of the five broad petal(s) may have a slight shallow notch in the tip. Lift your pencil where necessary to continue the line on the next petal.
The center of the flower should be relatively small, roughly an eighth to a sixth of the flower's full width. Use the center as a sort of ‘handle’ for the broad fanned shape of the petals. Start with the upper petal and then draw the remaining petals in a circular fashion around the center. Allow the broad outer portion of each petal to be approximately as wide as it reaches from the center of the flower, or a little narrower. Allow the petals to taper towards the center. The broad faces of the petals should occupy most of the space of the flower. The bases of the petals can touch or even overlap each other. As before use outward and returning curves to draw the petal edges. The petals should vary in width and have slight leans to them. However, the bases of the petals should all gather together around the same center. A slight dip at the tip of the petals is also sufficient and avoid making a heart shaped cut at the tips of the petals. Draw the five petals for this blossom and then erase the larger flower guide and the aiming line inside this front blossom. Erase only the portion of the rear guide that shows inside this front blossom. Keep the rest of the rear flower guide visible for the next blossom, and keep the exposed stalk aiming lines below the flowers for later. Repair any small amount of petal edge that was touched by the eraser.
Why this works
An excellent way to render a cherry blossom is to draw a small center with a few broad, spreading petals surrounding it. Several long thin petals would suggest a totally different flower. Draw the flowers so that they are looking mostly at you, leaving generous petal space on every side of the small center. The bases of the petals should all gather together at the center of the flower and not make a mass of long crossing lines.
Add the second blossom behind the first
Build the smaller flower around a separate very small center, using the exposed part of the second guide. Do not draw the ends of the petal edges that fall within the boundaries of the first flower.
Draw this blossom roughly three quarters to nearly the width of the front blossom, with a small center and broad petals. The shape of the petals should be similar but not identical to the front blossom. First draw all the fully visible petals of this blossom. Near the front blossom imagine the full form of the rear petal(s). Draw only the portion of the rear petal(s) that you can see. Keep the front blossom’s foreground edge continuous. Stop the rear edges of the petals of this blossom against the front blossom. The hidden portion of the rear flower should be an outer portion of a petal(s) and not the center or most of the face of the blossom. Both of these should be facing mostly towards you so a side view is not necessary. Once the fully visible petals and the visible parts of the covered petals have been drawn, erase the exposed flower guide and the aiming line inside this rear flower. Keep the exposed stalk guide below this until you draw the stalk. Repair only any small amount of a petal edge that was touched by the eraser.
Why this works
A simple overlap of lines explains the depth of the flowers with few lines. The visible parts of the rear petals should still lead towards their own center. If all the petal edges continue through the first flower, the two flowers look transparent. If the centers merge then the second flower becomes indistinguishable from the first.
Connect the branch, stalks and bud
Draw the two tapering branch edges and short flower stalks to both flowers. Complete the small closed bud and connect its base to the same branch with a short stalk.
Keep the branch, exposed stalk and bud guides visible while drawing their outlines. Once the branch, stalks and bud are connected, erase the guides and restore only the small contour pieces that got rubbed off accidentally. The branch has two thin edges, much closer together than the width of a broad petal, and tapers to a point. It has a few bends in it. The stalks of the flowers are thinner than the branch and point towards the centers of their own flowers. The stems of the flowers end where the first petal covers it up. A little space between the branch and the flowers is sufficient to show the connections to the branch. The bud is teardrop shaped, about twice as long as it is wide. Its length is about a quarter of the large blossom's width. Add a simple seam and a small cup at the base of the bud. Attach a short stalk to the bottom of the bud. Keep branch and stalk lines off the petal faces. Their visible portions remain below the flowers, stopping where a petal hides the rest.
Why this works
Visible stalks can support the flowers without reaching their visible centers: stop each one at the first petal that hides its final section. The bud should be drawn as a small, closed teardrop shape, with a seam in the center, and a small cup at the base. The stalk for this bud should be very short, and attach at the base of the bud. The bud should be drawn so that it is clearly a bud, not an open flower, by making it very small in comparison to the other two flowers, and by attaching it to the branch at a very narrow point.
Add centers and a few light accents
Add small spray of tipped center marks to each of the flowers. Add light shading to the bases of a few of the petals. Add a short shadow on the rear petal just under the foreground flower's edge. Add darker shading to the turns on the branch and bud.
The small stamens should be drawn in short curves emerging from the center circles. A dot should be added to the end of some of the stamens. Each spray of stamens should be kept apart from each other and situated around the center of the flower. Keep each spray within about a quarter to a third of its own flower's width, so most of the broad petal surfaces stay clear. After both center sprays have been drawn, erase the small center circles and restore any short stamen or petal mark touched by the eraser. Imagine the light is coming from above left and slightly in front. Light lines should be drawn emerging from the bases of the selected petals running outward to their tips. These lines should be stopped before they reach the edge of the flower. More shading can be added to the lower surfaces of the petals and to the inward dipping surfaces of the petals. A short, dark accent can be added to the rear blossom's petal just beneath the front flower's edge. Other surface strokes on that rear petal should run towards its own tip, stopping wherever the front blossom covers it. Very narrow shading can be added to the lower right side of the branch and to the lower right side of the bud. The upper-left sides of the branch and the bud should be left light. Only a few simple center marks and small shadows are needed, and most of the other petals will remain very light with the surrounding paper.
Why this works
A few stamens mark the flower center without making a large solid disk. Light base tone suggests shallow petal cups, and a small dark contact shadow on the visible rear petal explains the overlap. The surface flow of each rear petal keeps its own direction, but the drawn strokes stop wherever the front blossom covers it. The branch and bud are rounded and therefore the narrow shaded sides turn away from the light.
A few useful checks
- Both flower centers are left exposed. A small amount of overlap at the edges of the outer petals of both flowers connects them without making one huge flower.
- Make the petals broad near the outside of the flower and narrow towards its small center. Using long spikes around a large disk will cause the flower to loose its open cherry blossom shape.
- This little bud should be rounded and closed with a slight taper to the tip. It should be much smaller than the two opened blossoms.
- Each of the short stalks should point to the center of its flower, then stop at the first petal edge so the end stays hidden behind it. A stalk that meets a petal tip sideways can make the flower appear to be ‘pinned’ to the branch.
- Make sure the surface strokes run from each petal's base towards its own tip, following the petal's curve. Only a small contact shadow on the rear petal should follow the edge of the flower in the foreground.
Try a small change
Another option to consider is drawing the smaller blossom on the opposite side of the larger one, with only a branch direction, two light flower guides and a closed bud guide as a practice drawing (not to be submitted as part of the 5 drawing checkpoints for this lesson).
Your two blossoms and bud are now one group on one branch. These flowers have very broad petals, distinct centers, and clear stalks and connections.
Your drawing, with guidance
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