Sunflowers are one of the most magical and vibrant-looking flowers. They beautify any landscape and scenery with their vibrance. In this easy and comprehensible step-by-step drawing guide, we will teach you the basics of how to draw a sunflower. This blog is beginner-friendly, so anyone who is new to sketching and wants to learn more can follow this.

 

Materials that you will need

To start drawing a sunflower, gathеr thеsе matеrials bеforе you bеgin:

1. Drawing papеr or skеtchbook

2. Pеncils (HB, 2B, and 4B for different tonеs)

3. Erasеr

4. Sharpеnеr

5. Ruler

6. Optional: Colorеd pеncils, markеrs, watercolors or ink, and other coloring items to enhance your drawings. 

 

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Draw a Sunflower

Step 1: Create a mental map of the features of a sunflower

Drawing an object or subject becomes easier when you have a mental map of it. You can refer to photographs of sunflowers online or grab your sketchbook and go to a nursery or field to sketch them out. The petals, the core, the stem, and the leaves are some of the striking features of a sunflower.

Step 2: Create the basic shapes

In the first step, you will need to draw a guideline circle, which will be your basic foundation. Draw a large circle on the center of the paper. Ensure that you keep some space below the circle to draw the stem of the sunflower.

Draw another smaller circle inside the circle that you drew. It should be about half the size of the bigger circle. You can increase the size of this circle if you want the sunflower petals to be small.

Step 3: Draw a core circle at the center

After following the previous step, trace out a slightly smaller circle within the circle that you drew in step 2 (the smaller one inside the bigger circle). Make sure this circle is drawn towards the left of the bigger circle, leaving more room on the right side. These three circles should not touch each other.

Add more depth to the core of the sunflower by making it look textured to indicate the seeds.

Step 4: Draw the first layer of petals

The best part about drawing any flower is its petals. Sunflower petals are usually long and narrow with a slightly pointed tip. The sunflower petals are drawn in a way in which they are moving away from the center.

Draw a curved line from the second circle. The line should touch the outer circle. This will be the top half of the petal. Now, add another curved line slightly below the first line and make it meet the outer circle. This will be the bottom half of the petal, and it should look like it is hanging down. Ensure that these petals have pointed tips, as that is the most striking feature of a sunflower.

Repeat this process to add the first layer of sunflower petals. You can make the petals look more realistic by creating an uneven spacing between the petals. For instance, the lower left petals can have some more space between them. You can make some petals slightly larger than some others as well.

Step 5: Draw the second layer of petals

After completing the first layer, start drawing a triangular shape that connects two petals. Make sure these lines overlap and touch the edge of the flowers. Continue adding these lines, ensuring the tips are sharp and away from the center.

Repeat this step to fill up the room between each petal. Draw slightly different shapes to give the sunflower a more natural look.

Step 6: Fill the tiny spaces with smaller pointed tips

Once you are done with the second layer of petals, you might still have tiny spaces in between the petals. In that case, add tiny triangles to indicate more petals that are layered behind. Ensure they are still within the area of the biggest guideline circle you drew in Step 1.

Step 7: Draw the Stem

Once the upper portion of the sunflower is done, draw the stem. Add two vertical lines coming down from the center of the flower. Since we kept the smallest circle closer to the left side of the sunflower, the stem will look like it appears slightly towards the right side.

Step 8: Add leaves

You can experiment with the leaves by drawing a shape that you like. You can make them small with jagged edges or slightly more prominent. Add some leaf veins, and you will have very organic-looking leaves!

Step 9: Shade or color the flower

You can grab your color pencils or watercolors to color the sunflower or shade the flower. Once you are satisfied with the shapes, you can go over the tips of the petals and darken them to add a bolder and naturalistic look.

With this, your sunflower sketch is ready.

 

Conclusion

img source: wikimedia commons

We hope this step-by-step guide on how to draw a sunflower was helpful to you. We hope it was a fun experience. You can check out more 'How To' blogs on SketchMyPic.