Draw a Flower at Different Stages of Opening: charcoal and pastel
March 30, 2020
This week’s challenge is to find a flower and draw it from bud to full flower. You may still have daffodils and there are loads of primroses, periwinkles and flowering shrubs and very soon we will have tulips. Look especially at the relation between the stem and the flower head and the axis of the flower. The daffodil in bud follows a line almost straight from the stem and then the stem bends down sharply as the flower opens. The trumpet starts as a cone behind the petals and is aligned with the new stem direction. Look at how the petals attach near the base of the trumpet and how seen from the front the petal tips lie on a circle. As you turn the flower head around the tips lie on an increasingly shallow ellipse till you see the flower in profile.
In June we’ll see the poppies emerge doing the opposite, their buds dangling till they open then turn up to face the sun! The daffodil example was drawn in charcoal on green Ingres paper and then layers of soft pastel were applied to finish.
The Response: Your Drawings
Hello Jo, it is lovely to hear from you , and I will enjoy the art challenge. I have lots of daffodils in the garden, just need to get started. I have a project nearly finished, painting a cupboard with chalk paint. Have given it a final 4th coat of paint and it’s looking good. Just got to get it back into the house and sort out stuff that’s not needed! You must be disappointed not being able to go to Italy in may. Best wishes, Diana
Thank you Diana! Well done with the cupboard!