Have you ever seen a magnolia in life? With a showy, elegant appearance, this flower is highly recognizable in any garden or near the coast.
If you want to learn how to draw magnolia to capture their beauty, follow our tutorial. After reading this simple guide, everything about this flower will be within your reach, from its luxurious layers of petals to the enticing hues that delight your artistic senses.
If you want a feel for what we’re trying to depict, glance through our finished drawing.
When you’re ready to start drawing right away, just scroll down.
How to Draw a Magnolia Flower – Step by Step Tutorial
Draw a Magnolia Flower
Note: Click the slider arrow (or push arrow keys) to see step-by-step.
Well, we’re creating a branch of a magnolia. Those parts to draw include the flowers, leaves, main stem, and small branches. Let’s start with the blooms first!
Step 1: Begin by sketching the central cone of the magnolia. It’s the upper half of a horizontally elongated oval shape. This cone is the center’s focus, so ensure it’s prominent and well-defined.
Here’s the tip: You might draw five arrows radiating outward from the cone. Think of the arrows as guidelines for where the petals will be attached to the center. Vary their length and curve to create a natural, flowing appearance.
Step 2: Things are much easier now! We’ll use the arrows as guides to draw the individual petals. Start with the first one in the middle. You need to draw a lightly elongated oval shape. For a natural effect, vary your stroke to make its edge slightly irregular.
Step 3: Add one more petal on each side of the first one. They might come in different sizes and shapes to create a natural look. Plus, make them overlap slightly with the first one.
Step 4: Finish this layer by drawing two more petals below the previous ones. Due to the angle of view, they’ll appear foreshortened. You need to draw flattened shapes to represent these petals. Additionally, add a gently curving line to each one to indicate folds.
Step 5: Let’s add more petals to give it a fuller appearance. Have a glance at our single petal as an example.
Step 6: Look for areas where you can add new petals. If you’re drawing a petal that is heading upward, it’ll look similar to the first petal. However, since this one is partially hidden, you just need to draw its upper part, which resembles an upside-down V shape.
If you’re drawing petals heading sideways, make it flatten and add an extra curved line for a folding effect.
Step 7: Once you’ve nailed all the petals’ shapes, add subtle veins as details. Start from the base of each petal (near the central cone) and draw lines that curve gently toward the petal’s tip. To create a natural look, vary the thickness and length of these vein lines.
Step 8: In this step, add the receptacle beneath the central cone, serving as a base. Draw a couple of slightly curved lines from the bottom of the receptacle to represent the branch.
Step 9: Now, draw the small stems and branches in this drawing.
Begin at the point where you want the stem to originate, drawing a line. This line should have slight curves and deviations, mimicking its natural irregularity. Repeat the process to sketch the second irregular line. Mark that the stem will become narrower toward its tip.
To make this part look more natural, vary the thickness along their length. You can achieve this by adjusting the pressure on your pencil as you draw.
Have you finished? Then, extend a small branch from the stem to connect with the flower. Additionally, add extra curved lines to serve as branches for leaves that we’ll later.
Step 10: A single magnolia looks quite lonely, right? Let’s add another one in a similar way. But this time, let it show up in a different angle.
Look at our picture below for a reference.
Step 11: Draw one more flower right at the tip of the stem. Start with a receptacle to serve as a base. From this base, draw a petal with a complete appearance (with irregular edges and veins).
Step 12: This one has yet to bloom, so add petals to form a magnolia in a cup shape. These petals will be mainly or partially hidden (as shown in the picture below).
Step 13: Draw the last flower in another blooming stage (somewhere between the cup shape and fully blooming ones).
Step 14: We’ve finished sketching the flowers, eventually. It’s time to jump to the last part – magnolia leaves.
Sketch oval or oblong shapes with pointed tips and ends and a rounded body on the small branches. In each leaf, draw a prominent vein that radiates from the center towards the tip.
Remember to vary the size and shape of these leaves to create a realistic look.
Step 15: The coloring part finally comes. Magnolias come in shades such as white, pink, purple, and yellow. Here, we choose a combination of pink and white but feel free to make it the color you prefer.
First, we apply a pale pink to all petals. We color the cone yellow in this step as well.
Step 16: Begin coloring the inner parts of the petals with this brighter pink hue. This is to create a sense of depth and enchantment.
Step 17: For extra details, add different strokes of darker pink to the edges and several veins of the petals.
Step 18: The brown shade is perfect for the stem and branches. While coloring, leave some small areas uncolored or slightly shaded to enhance dimension.
Step 19: For the leaves, use a light to medium green color as your base layer. Adding a touch of brown to these leaves is perfect for creating harmony.
Conclusion
The tutorial on how to draw a magnolia provided here offers a step-by-step guide to help you capture natural beauty. Still, embracing your creativity and putting your personal touch on your artwork is essential.
While following each step, feel free to make any adjustments or add details that resonate with you. For example, draw magnolia buds in green and pink instead of adding a couple of blooms. You can add some falling leaves or petals for a better effect.
If you found this journey helpful and exciting, share your artwork with our tutorial to inspire others. The more people who know about your drawing, the more people will be able to enjoy the experience of drawing magnolias.
