How to Draw a Daisy Turned to One Side — Step by Step
Draw a daisy that has turned away from you. It has thirteen broad, roundish petals and a small domed center. The rear petals have shorter visible reaches, with fuller petals at the front. Add soft shading at selected bases and overlaps to give it depth. Attach two simple leaves at different heights along the curved stem.
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What you’ll learn: Use changes in visible length and stopped overlaps of the petal edges to create a small family of different shaped petals arranged around a slightly tilted center of the flower. Add a slender stem to the base of the flower and leaves to the stem. Use very restrained shading.
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Plan the tilted flower
Lightly add a broad oval shape in the upper half of the page and have it slope up to the right. This oval will be the rough guide for the tips of the broad petals. Place a small oval inside this oval to indicate the center of the flower. Leave space below the center for the curved stem and two leaves.
Draw two broad oval guides, wider than they are tall. The outer edge of this wider oval will define the loose ends of the flower’s petal tips. Place a much smaller, similarly flattened oval a little above the outer oval’s middle. Make the small center about a quarter to a third of the outer oval’s width. The longer dimensions of both ovals should slope upward to the right. Suggest a gently curved stem direction below this guide, aiming its hidden upper end toward the underside of the center.
Why this works
Rotating a round flower on the page does not turn it in space. The flattened guides and different reaches of the near and far petals establish this shallow view. The fact that the oval is flattened and we can see the round center from an angle, as well as the petals on the near side bending towards us while leaving different amounts of space between the tips and the edges on the far side, conveys the necessary information to the viewer.
Place five key petals
Place five broad petals one at a time: one on each side, two near the lower edge and one at the upper far edge of the flower head.
Sketch the center of the flower in stronger lines first and draw one broad petal on each side. Add two more broad petals on the near side and one on the far side. For each narrow base of the broad petals draw two to three curves that widen towards the rounded tip. The upper far petal only has a short visible reach, the two lower near petal have a longer reach and bend to the front. Vary the tips and widths a little while keeping the same overall oval direction.
Why this works
The five key petals establish the turn of the flower and, in this view, are fairly shallow. The far petal appears to be compressed in order to fit within the limits of the view, whereas the near petals open up and bend towards the viewer. This is a property of this particular view, not a rule for all far petals in all flowers.
Complete the broad petal ring
The larger areas between the first five petals should be filled with broad, relaxed looking petals, with the farthest reaches of these remaining shorter than the nearest ones. Some of these should overlap each other.
First keep the outer oval guide visible to establish how far the remaining petals will extend, then add broad petals in between the spaces to make 13 in all. Keep the upper rear ones short and the lower near ones full. Allow two new neighbors to ‘slip’ partly behind petals already drawn. Stop hidden edges where they are covered by the foreground contour. The small gaps between the petals, unequal ends to the petals and modest variation in the direction that they follow all contribute to making the natural ring of the flower. Avoid adding too many thin petal edges to the center of the flower. When the whole petal ring has been added erase the remaining outer guide in short strokes. Restore only the small parts of the petal edges that the eraser touches.
Why this works
A shape is repeated with changes to remain within the same family of forms. Here the overall oval shape and how the individual petal is attached to the center remain constant. A few edges are stopped to reveal which petal are in front. All edges drawn would cause the form to be flattened and lose the dimensional quality of the overlapping petals.
Connect the stem and leaves
Draw a narrow curved stalk from beneath the near petals, aiming its hidden upper end toward the center. Attach 2 simple leaves to the stalk at 2 different heights. Each leaf should have one internal curve.
Keep the stem guide visible while you draw two adjacent curves with a thin strip of space between them. Then erase the guide and redraw just the small parts of the contour that the eraser touched. The tops of these curves should be hiding behind the fronts of the near petals and their hidden upper ends should be aiming towards the underside of the center of the flower. A long leaf should be drawn on the left side of the flower near the base and a shorter one on the right side of the flower higher up. Each leaf should have a thin base to the blade, a broad blade and a pointed tip. The two sides of each leaf should be slightly unequal and with no more than a gentle notch or two in them. Add one light internal curve to the main bend in each leaf.
Why this works
The stalk supports the whole of the flower, even though the upper part of it is not visible. The leaves are drawn at different heights to the flower to make the plant look less rigid. Simple silhouettes of the leaves with one internal bend to indicate their form are all that is required to draw leaves, there is no need to draw detailed veins or lots of tiny teeth on the edge of the leaves.
Add a few light accents
Light from above left can help round the center of the flower, and also help to clarify a few overlaps. Very light shading on the petal bases and on one side of each of the leaves will complete the drawing. Most of the surface of the petals should remain white.
Make the lightest area on the center of the flower the upper left side and then gradually get darker towards the lower right side. Make sure the surface of the center is marked with a few dots or short curves. A small, soft shadow should fall on the petal bases beneath the lower edge of the center. Keep it local rather than drawing a dark ring all the way around. In addition to the above, short fading strokes of the petal bases, as well as small shadows between the neighboring petals, should be added. A few long, very light strokes can suggest the curves of one or two petals. Follow each petal’s own form, stopping where anything covers it. Lightly shade one side of each leaf and leave the other side pale beside its main internal curve.
Why this works
The center of the flower has a light face and a dark turn, making it a small dome. A short shadow from the center falls on the petal bases below it. The shadows from petal overlaps are small local accents. Long strokes following the shape of the receiving petal also create the illusion of more depth. The same is done for the leaves, with a light side and a side that turns gently.
A few useful checks
- Leave some space around the center of the flower for the petals. Make the center about a quarter to a third of the outer guide width. If you make the center too large for the guide, the petals of the flower will have nowhere to go.
- The petals should not all reach the same visible distance from the center of the flower. The short visible reach of the back of the flower and the fuller near petals should both fit within one broad oval of the flower.
- Do not draw an edge through another petal that hides it. Stop the hidden edge where it meets the petal in front. Similarly, stop a petal base at the center where the center covers it.
- Stem should run beneath the center of the flower. Aim its hidden upper end towards the disk instead of attaching it to the end of a petal; do not draw through the petals that cover it.
- It is also important to note that too many small marks can be overwhelming and overpower the rest of the drawing. Therefore, use very few marks to indicate the center of the flower and the bases of the petals. Broad white petals and simple leaves should be the dominant features of the drawing.
Try a small change
Optional: Draw a daisy that looks from the front and a daisy viewed from above at a shallow angle. Use two guides and about 5 key petals for each of the two daisies. Neither should require texture or shading for this exercise. Compare the visible reach of the petals in both.
When you drew the flower did you think of the relationships between the hidden edges of the petals and the visible parts of the flower? Instead of trying to match every petal try changing the angle of the guides in your next flower sketch.
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