What comes to your mind first when talking about lavender? Besides its calming scent, the purple color and elegant appearance of this plant draw everyone’s attention and make it a popular subject for drawing.
The lavender flowers, arranged in elegant clusters, bear a color that ranges from the palest lavender to a deeper, more vibrant shade. Each bloom is a composite of tiny, tubular petals, forming a visual symphony of nature’s grace.
As we draw, observing these nuances and translating them onto paper or canvas is key to achieving a lifelike representation.
Having an intricate appearance, this bloom might make any beginner frustrated at first. But fear not since this tutorial on how to draw a lavender is broken down into simple steps that’ll make any stage (from sketching to shading) a piece of cake.
With a little practice, you’ll be able to create a beautiful and realistic drawing of this popular flower. Get your materials prepared and scroll down to explore our detailed guide, along with reference pictures.
How to Draw a Lavender Flower – Step by Step Tutorial
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to draw a group of three lavenders. The drawing technique is quite the same since we sketch them with certain parts including the stem, buds, and leaves. So take our guide for the first one slowly and you’ll nail the rest in a flash.
No more waiting, let’s jump to the first step of the tutorial on how to draw lavender.
Step 1: The stem goes first. Begin by drawing a long, slightly curved vertical line in the center of your paper.
Step 2: At the top of the stem, draw a small oval shape to represent the lavender bud. Since lavender buds are tight and elongated, keep the ovals narrow.
Step 3: Also at the top, draw two more buds on each side of the first one to form the first cluster. Due to this viewpoint, these buds will be partially hidden.
Step 4: Continue drawing more clusters of buds. The buds should gradually become larger as you move down the stem. Here we change the buds’ size and increase their number while also maintaining their alternating arrangement on each side of the stem to create a natural look.
Notice: If you prefer to make a twist, draw the last cluster with just a few buds to represent that some buds bloomed and then fell off.
Step 5: Once you’ve got all clusters formed, you need to erase the stem line you’ve drawn in step 1 to prepare for a more realistic one in the next step.
Step 6: Now, extend the stem along those clusters. Notice which parts are hidden and which are visible for a perfect look.
Also in this step, draw pairs of long, narrow leaves that point diagonally outward, on each side of the stem. Make the leaves slightly curved and taper them towards the ends.
Step 7: Well you’ve successfully drawn a beautiful lavender plant using the step-by-step technique provided! Now, let’s take your artistic skills a step further by creating two more of them, each with a little change of some of their parts.
For example, you can start with a stem, just as before, but this time, make it slightly shorter than your first drawing.
Try varying the size and shape of the buds. Some can be more elongated, while others might be slightly rounder. Play with the number of buds to give each cluster a distinct character. Remember, if you’re drawing a smaller plant than the previous one, notice the size of these buds to ensure a suitable proportion.
Next, feel free to experiment with the arrangement of leaves by angling them in different directions. Some leaves can point upwards, while others may slant downwards or curve to the sides.
Finally, when you refine the stem, refer to our picture for a clear look at how these stems intertwine. It will enhance your drawing while leveling up your skill.
Step 8: Once you’ve got all the lavenders, it’s time for refinement. Carefully erase any construction lines that you may have drawn earlier to clean up the drawing and make it appear more polished. Now we’re ready for coloring.
Step 9: Coloring lavender involves capturing the characteristic shades of purple, green, and even subtle variations within the plant.
In this step, apply a flat base of purple to the buds first. Then layer on a slightly darker shade of the same hue to some areas (as shown in the picture below) to give them dimension.
Step 10: Moving on to the stem and leaves. These parts of lavender are usually gray-green to silvery-green. So you need to use light, delicate strokes to layer different shades of green, starting with a lighter shade and gradually adding darker tones to create depth and texture.
Notice: The areas that need to be colored darker are usually those that are overlapping and placed near the stem (for leaves); those are running through the clusters of buds (for the stem).
Final Step
How was your experience in this guide of how to draw lavender? We hope you follow our steps easily and enjoy every moment and details you’ve put in your drawing.
However, the magic lies not only in replicating lavender’s appearance but in infusing your creation with your own artistic flair. Thus, feel free to discover the infinite possibilities to develop your amazing lavender drawing.
Consider adding a background to your drawing to create a sense of place. It could be a simple landscape or a soft, abstract backdrop that complements the lavender’s colors.
Feel free to add a few open blooms, but arrange them in a different pattern along the stem. You can even draw a bloom facing sideways for a dynamic effect.
Explore various lighting conditions. Create a drawing with lavender bathed in warm, golden sunlight or one illuminated by the soft glow of twilight.
Experiment with different compositions and arrangements. You could draw a close-up of lavender growing in a pot or a bouquet of lavender tied with a ribbon.
The ideas are endless. So keep drawing and keep creating!
