Who doesn’t love flowers? I sure do! I love all kinds of flowers and plants. It’s why I named my studio Oleander! In this tutorial, we’re going to draw an aesthetically pleasing daisy. Not only are you going to learn how to draw a daisy flower, by the end of this tutorial you’ll be able to draw a cute daisy from any angle. Let’s start!
Mind-blowingly simple: How to draw a daisy flower
What does a daisy mean?
Daisies have different meanings in different parts of the world. They are, among others, linked to the Goddes Freya. Most commonly daisies are associated with love, fertility, innocence and eternity. The name comes from ‘’Day’s eye’’. Daisies close at night and open like an eye when the morning comes!
Analising a daisy
There are SO MANY different kinds of daisies: The English daisy, African daisy (my personal favorite!) and a Dahlberg Daisy for example. Luckily they all share the same basic structure.
Daisies are fairly flat. In the images above we see that the primary shape of a daisy is a circle. The petals are long and narrow. The centre (or floral disc), which is also circle-shaped, is very dominant and pretty big compared to the petals. This is a typical trait for daisies! The yellow stamens look like tiny dots. The centre connects to a thin tube which is the stem.
Since there’s a ton of different kinds of daisies I made you a handy guide:
Let’s draw a daisy!
I’ll show you how to draw 2 daisies: The first one, daisy A, will be drawn from a top view. Daisy B is drawn at an angle.
Bounding Box
A1: To establish our daisy’s size, placement, and angle, we’ll start with drawing a bounding box. In this case, it’s a circle.
A2: Next we draw the bounding box for our centre. The edge of the circle sits at about 1/3rds of the bigger circle.
B1: This time we draw a circle in perspective (a tilted oval).
B2: We draw the centre in perspective as well. The centre sits at about 1/3rd of our bigger circle.
Adding guidelines
A1: First we divide our circles horizontally in half, and vertically in half (blue lines.) Next, we divide those quarters in half (red lines) and last we divide those parts in half as well (green lines). It’s like cutting a pizza!
A2: Let’s add our petals. The outer circle is where the tip of our petals touch. The inner circle is where the petals begin. Use the green line as the centre line of your petal. Use the guide to pick what kind of petal you want to draw.
B1: Since we’re working in perspective, our centre is not flat. Let’s draw 2 guidelines: horizontally and vertically to visualise our centre as three-dimensional. This will later help with adding the stamens in a correct way.
B2: Let’s start by dividing our big circle in half (red lines). Then, we divide those quarters (blue lines). We keep dividing each new section until we reach the desired amount of lines. Make sure to curve each line. It should follow the form of a petal. They are not straight but bend downwards and upwards.
Adding petals for our daisy
A1: Now we can add petals to the blue and red lines. To make it more realistic, vary the petals in length.
A2: We don’t need our guidelines anymore. After erasing them, you can add extra petals to fill up gaps. Don’t do this everywhere: it’ll look too perfect. Vary in length as well. Make some shorter or a little bit taller.
B1: Draw a petal around each guideline. The guidelines act as centre lines for each petal. Make sure you follow the curvature of the centre lines. Don’t make them all the same length.
B2: Next, erase your centre lines. Add some petals to fill up some gaps. Vary in length!
Drawing the centre of our daisy
A1: To randomise the petals a bit more, we will add some petals on top. Don’t add too much.
A2: Now we can add the centre. In reality, the inner stamens of a daisy flower are smaller than the outer stamens. Decide if this is the look you’re going for. Use the guide!
B1: Add some petals on top.
B2: Let’s add the stamens. If you want a very neat look, you should start by drawing circles from the outside in. Go all the way around. If you like a more sketchy look you can draw random circles like I did.
Let’s line our daisy
A1. Now it’s lining time! A fineliner is perfect for this. Go over the petals. Then erase your sketch.
A2: We can add some lines to define our petals. I added a few on the bottom near the centre on each petal, and one on top and then some in the middle. Make sure to flick your pen: You want the beginning and ends to taper for an elegant look. It’s a form of contour hatching.
B1: Grab a fineliner and line your sketch. After you are sure it has dried, erase your sketch. (Better to wait a few extra minutes to make sure it doesn’t smudge when erasing).
B2: Let’s do some contour hatching. Use a thinner fineliner or don’t press as hard with your pen. Make sure to flick your pen to get nice tapered ends. I add some random dots for fun.
Lastly: Add Shadows & FINISH!
A1: To add a bit more realism you can add a bit of shadow. Do this around the centre.
A2: Here I added shadows under each petal so it’s clear that the flower is layered.
B1: Let’s add shadows. Unlike our top view daisy, I used a hard edge. I placed the shadow on each petal which has a petal on top of them. Don’t forget to add a shadow on the stem as well.
Example: On the example on the right you can see I use the exact same technique you just learnt to draw daisies at a different angle. I draw circles, then I add guidelines to visualise the form!
I hope you enjoyed this step by step guide. Check out this how to draw a rose tutorial if you like to continue to develop your flower skills.
See you next tutorial,
♡ Laura
