How to Draw a Tulip

Welcome to this drawing tutorial! Thank you for letting me share my love for drawing with you :D Feel free to use whatever tools and materials you like the most, I highly recommend drawing with a pencil when you first start so you can make mistakes without stressing about it! Never be shy about erasing ^.^

Step 1. Squished Circle

Draw a circle near the top that is wider than it is tall. Draw this circle lighter than I drew it because it is only a guideline that will be erased away later, I drew mine darker so it would be easier for you to see :D. The circle will be the top part of the tulip head (Check the diagram, circle in blue) so make sure to leave more room underneath than above.

Here is a video version of the tutorial if you want to see it drawn in real-time
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Step 2. Left Line

Draw a line downwards that is very slightly curved (mostly straight) from the left most point of the circle.

Step 3. Right Line

Repeat the same thing on the opposite line, curving in the opposite direction to the last line. These lines dont have to be perfectly symmetrical, small imperfections will help make the flower look more natural.

Step 4. Left Curve

Continue the line on the left by curving inwards, pay attention to how close the line comes to the center point of the image. Make sure to capture the steepness of this curve.

Step 5. Right Curve

Draw an opposing curve to the last one on the right side, make sure there is space between these two lines towards the bottom. The two lines do not touch.

Step 6. Bottom

Fill in the empty space between the two lines with a curve that is slightly bent down.

Step 7. Top Petal

Now we have completed the cone that will give us the guidelines to build upon, notice how we have the basic shape in and only need to fill in the details. Thinking of drawing in basic shapes first and then adding details makes it a lot easier to understand any subject. This is the approach I use for everything I draw, get in the habit of seeing things this way and you will also notice that I use this approach in all my tutorials! :D

Lets start drawing a petal on the righ side by drawing a curved line that is bent upwards. This line connects to the point where the initial circle and right line intersect. Use the diagram on the left to help you see where the line ends.

Step 8. Continue Petal

Continue the line downwards and curve slightly outwards. The petal ends at the bottom curve, make sure that it doesn’t touch the right edge, this line ends slightly to the right of center.

Step 9. Left Petal

Draw a curved line from the top left corner coming down. This will start the petal that is on the opposite side.

Step 10. Continue Petal

Continue the line dowards, notice how these lines arent perfectly straight or round, drawing very slight variations in the curves will make the drawing feel more organic. The line ends towards center of the base.

Step 11. Middle Petal

Now we add the middle petal by drawing a curved line that starts between the two petals, curves upwards and almost touches the top circle. Make sure to draw it slightly below and to end the line where the other two petal lines are. This will create a sense of overlap where the middle petal is behind the other two.

Step 12. Backside Curve

Lets add dimension to the left petal by drawing a curved line that starts top left and quickly turns downwards. Pay attention to the hook shake (in blue) and how it turns quickly to begin with and then straightens out towards the bottom. Make sure to take your time here and erase as much as you need, it will be so much more satisfying if you make sure that you do your best!

Step 13. Back Middle

Add a curved line to the line we just completed that begins halfway up the last line and curves up to the first circle we drew (the guideline).

Step 14. Complete Petal

Finish this petal by drawing a curved line that comes down and ends towards the front right petal. Pay attention to where these lines intersect because that will help you see the overlapping of the petals.

Step 15. Final Petal

Add a curved line to the right side of the line we just drew, start this curve halfway up the previous line.

Step 16. Finish the Petal

Complete the petal by adding a curved line that follows along the guideline circle.

Step 17. Shading Lines

Add lines that curve upwards to the right petal, these lines start close to the bottom of the lily.

Step 18. More Lines

Repeat the process for the other two front facing petals, notice how this helps define the forms.

Step 19. Erase Guidelines

Erase away the guideline circle and any other minor mistakes.

Step 20. Bottom Bulb

Add a semicircle that is facing downwards to the bottom of the lily. Pay attention to how it doesnt touch the edges of the bottom line, its smaller than the bottom of the lily.

Step 21. Draw the Stem

Draw two vertical lines that connect to the bulb, creating a stem for the flower. Give this line a slight curve so it feels more natural, perfectly straight lines will make the image feel less organic.

Step 22. Shading

Add shading to the left back petal, make sure to add the lines closer to the bottom side of the petal. The shading doesn’t occur towards the top of the flower.

Step 23. Continue Shading

Add more shading to the inside of the flower to give it more dimension and towards the base of the flower.

Step 24. Stem Shading

Add shading to the stem right below the bulb.

Step 25. Leaf Line

Add a line tilted towards the top left from the stem, this will be the center line of the leaf.

Step 26. Side Edge

Draw a line that defines the edge of the leaf, make sure this line doesn’t touch the center line.

Step 27. Edge Continued

Add another line towards the stem that is more tilted towards the stem.

Step 28. Leaf Lines

Connect the bottom of the leaf to the stem and add a corner line for the top of the leaf.

Step 29. Complete Leaf

Connect the final line of the leaf, clean up the drawing and add shading until you are satisfied. I usually use minimal shading but feel free to use more if you want to :D Play around and see what kind of image you enjoy creating.

Final Step

Celebrate your drawing!

Yaay finished the drawing! Thank you so much for letting me share my love for drawing flowers with you! I really hope this was fun for you and maybe (just maybe) this tutorial has helped you realize that you can totally learn how to draw. I learned drawing at a later age so I know that this is a learn-able skill that anyone can pick up at any time (with effort, of course).

Check out more of the tutorial on the site! I've put lots of effort into creating these free resources because I want more people to fall in love with drawing. So feel free to share the link to this tutorial with friends :D That would be tremendously helpful to me on this mission to spread the love for drawing.

I have created a 20 page Printable Workbook (PDF) that will teach you how to draw different floral arrangements. I wanted to create something that could really speed up someone's learning and actually get them drawing. I poured tons of time into it to make it as useful as possible to someone who wants to capture the elegance and beauty of flowers, I would looove it if you grabbed your copy and drew with me some more!