How to Draw a Rose

Roses are beautiful, but they can be a little intimidating to draw. In this tutorial, you will learn how to draw a rose using simple steps. First, we'll sketch each part of the rose. Then, we will refine the rose sketch. Next, we'll draw the actual rose, add some extra details, and color it in.

You can follow this drawing tutorial in any program or on a piece of paper. We will be drawing our rose in Procreate. If you'd like to follow along in Procreate, we'll be using the Procreate inking and stippling brushes. You can also check out other Procreate texture brushes for drawing and coloring your rose.

Before we start, keep in mind that you don't have to draw the shapes perfectly. The slight differences and imperfections will help to add personality to your rose.

Step 1 - Roughly Sketch the Parts of a Rose

First, sketch a small oval-shaped swirl. This step is red in the following image.

Next, sketch a heart connected to the swirl. The swirl should be in the middle of the heart where you would normally find the indent of the heart. This step is green in the following image.

Then sketch a half-circle connected to the top of the heart. This step is blue in the following image. The half-circle is the first of the medium-sized petals.

Draw a slightly larger heart connected to the half-circle. The bottom point doesn't have to be exactly beneath the small heart's bottom point. This heart will be the two medium-sized petals on the sides.

Beneath the previous drawing, sketch a short but wide heart that has a rounded bottom point and a rounded indent. This will be the large petal that faces the front.

Sketch heart halves connecting the medium heart and the large front-facing petal. These will be the large petals on the sides. You can sketch the whole heart if needed, and then erase the unnecessary parts.

Sketch some petals going around the lower half of what's been drawn so far. Overlap the petals. We drew four petals, but you can experiment and see how many petals you would prefer.

Inside the small heart, draw a V shape with the V shape's bottom point and the small heart's bottom point connected. As you draw, curve the sides of the V shape. Repeat this step for the medium-sized heart. These lines will help to make the petals look as if they're curved.

Repeat the previous step for the large heart, but the lines won't be connected to the bottom point of a heart as there isn't one. You can draw the full heart and V shape if needed, and then erase the unnecessary parts.

Draw lines to close off the shapes of the petals. These lines will help to define the sides and undersides of the petals.

Step 2 - Sketch a More Refined Rose

Following the initial rose sketch, draw a more refined rose. Make the edges jagged and add pointy parts if you would like.

The edges do not necessarily have to be jagged. You could absolutely draw a rose with round smooth edges. See the following image for an example.

Step 3 - Draw the Actual Rose

Erase the initial rose sketch. Following the refined rose sketch, draw the actual rose. In Procreate, select the Bleeding Ink brush to draw the rose.

Step 4 - Add More Details to the Petals' Edges

Erase the refined rose sketch. This step is optional. Draw some lines along the petals' edges to depict curves or tears in the petals. The lines also help add some character to your rose. Draw them anywhere you would like or where the petal edges dip a little.

Step 5 - Color in the Rose

Color in the rose with any medium you have available and in any color, you would like. The following image shows a comparison between a solid-colored rose without the lines around the petals' edges and a solid-colored rose with the lines around the petals' edges.

Step 6 - Add Shading to the Rose

This step is optional as well, but shading will help to add depth and bring your rose to life. Add shading where the petals are layered, where the petals are close together, deeper inside the center of the rose, and where there's less light hitting the rose.

Pick a color for the shading. It can be a darker shade of the color of your rose or a completely different color. For example, your rose could be yellow and the shading could be orange.

In Procreate, select the Stipple Texture 1 brush to add shading. Use Gaussian Blur to blend out the shading even more if needed.

The following image shows a comparison between a rose without shading and a rose with shading.

If you drew your rose in Procreate, you can easily change the colors using any of the recolor options available by following our tutorial on how to recolor in Procreate. The following image shows some recolored roses along with a rose that has round smooth edges.

If you have enjoyed this rose drawing tutorial, you may want to try learning how to draw a sunflower. Be sure to also check out our tutorials on creating a flat character in Illustrator and drawing a butterfly in Procreate.