I feel like I have been drawing a lot of peonies lately! But I actually used to find peonies to be one of the hardest flowers to draw. I figured I would share my particular method of drawing peonies in case any one else finds them a bit tricky.
How to Draw Peonies
- Start by drawing a circle or an oval shape. I drew a sort of irregularly shaped oval in this case. This will be the middle of your flower.
- Next, draw the front petals inside your circle/oval. These will start from the bottom of your circle/oval.
- The back petals will start from the top of your circle/oval and point downwards. Side petals will also curve towards the middle, so that all the petals point inwards toward the middle of your circle/oval.
- Within the gap between your petals, add some curved crossing lines ending in dots. These will be the flower stamens.
- Next, you will start adding outer petals. Start by drawing a slightly curved dome-like shape.
- Then on the inside of that same petal, draw an irregular wavy line towards the top of your petal. Keep it kind of pointy. By adding this line, it gives the illusion that the petal is curving inwards, so you can see the top edge.
- Continue adding these curved petals all around your center circle/oval. These petals will be your row of "slightly open" petals.
- Then, just add more petals on the outside WITHOUT adding the wavy line inside your petal. This way, the petals look more straight as opposed to curving inwards. These are your "open" petals.
TIPS:
- Start from the middle, and work your way outward.
- When adding petals, keep in mind which direction each petal should be facing.
- Work in stages; start with (1) closed petals, to (2) slightly open petals, and then lastly, (3) completely open petals.
- Vary the look of your peonies by having some peonies that are closed, slightly open, or completely open. Remember that the more open your peony is, the more petals you will add for a fuller look. For example, if I want to draw an slightly open peony, I might stop at stage 2, without adding the straight petals.
I hope I was able to explain it properly, but let me know if you have any questions!
