Looking for how to draw a Rose? We found the best resources based on your choice of medium and difficulty level!
We included step-by-step tutorials and instructional videos that we felt were particularly helpful. Bookmark, pin, share or save for later!
If you want to learn how to draw roses, you should first recognize each of its elements. A rose is composed of the head, stem and leaves.
Understanding these basic elements will allow you to decide what you might want to embellish or omit. Before we get to the resources, we listed the elements to consider when drawing. See how creative you can get!
FUN FACT: The International Rose Test Garden in Portland, Oregon has over 7000 rose plants of approximately 550 different varieties.
In the past, the garden served as a safe haven for hybrids grown in Europe during WWI as many feared they would be destroyed as a result of the war.
ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER FOR DRAWING A ROSE
HEAD
The head of a rose will typically be composed of petals when in bloom. It is also composed of the calyx and peduncle. Prior to blooming, a rose bud will be seen at the end of the stem.
Petals – How mature is your rose? The more mature the rose, the more petals there will be and the larger the head. Maybe the rose hasn’t bloomed yet. If it hasn’t, you’ll have a rose bud at the end of the stem.
Color – What color is your rose? White, pink, orange and red roses naturally occur in the wild but roses can also be dyed with any color! Roses have also been dyed with multiple colors like this rainbow rose.
Sepals – Roses generally have 5 sepals which make up the calyx. Sepals are those green leaf-like things you can find right underneath the head of a blooming rose. In a rose bud, the petals are encased beneath the green leaf-like covers called sepals.
Hip – The rose hip is the fruit of the rose and contains the seeds. It can be seen as the small bulb at the flowering end of the stem underneath the rose head. They can be illustrated by drawing a small bulge here.
STEM
Length – The stem can reach up to 30 inches long and represents the maturity of the rose. Typically only one rosebud grows from each stem but certain species can actually grow smaller, with multiple buds per stem.
Prickles – Stems can also have thorns which are called prickles. Some roses have densely packed straight prickles while others are more scarce with fewer thorns.
LEAVES
Structure – Roses typically have pinnately compound leaves. That just means that each leaf is actually composed of smaller leaflets with a terminal leaflet at the end. Rose leaves generally have 3, 5 or 7 leaflets each.
Shape – Leaflets are commonly serrated with a pointed tip. Leaf shape can also be damaged by insects that chew through them creating a round serrated appearance from bite marks throughout the leaf.
LIST OF RESOURCES
PENCIL & PEN
ONLINE GUIDES
Beginner (Easy)
1. 3 Ways to Draw a Rose (WikiHow) – A rose in full bloom, motif rose, and rose with a stem
2. Easy Way to Draw a Rose (Magazine8) – Easy guide for both adults and kids
Intermediate (Moderate)
3. How to Sketch a Rose (Drago Art) – A step-by-step guide
4. How to Draw a Rose (EnvatoTuts) – A 16 step guide to drawing a rose
5. How to Draw a Rose (HowtoDrawandPaint) – Using geometric shapes to draw a rose
6. How to Draw a Bouquet of Roses (Arcmel) – Drawing a bouquet of roses
Advanced (Hard)
7. How to Draw a Rose (ArtisFun) – Great text instruction along with visual guide
8. How to Draw a Rose (DrawingFactory) – Another great guide for a rose
VIDEOS
9. How to Draw a Rose (DrawingSimple) – A simple guide for kids or beginners!
10. How to Draw an Open Rose (Sketch2Draw) – Sketching a rose in bloom
11. How to Draw a Rose (Alphonso Dunn) – Not the best video quality but love his instructions!
12. How to Draw a Realistic Rose (CircleLineArtSchool) – A narrated pencil drawing
COLORED PENCILS & MARKERS
ONLINE GUIDES
13. How to Add Textures to a Rose Drawing (ArtistNetwork) – A detailed guide for colored pencil
14. How to Draw a Rose (TPK) – An awesome guide for colored pencils, watercolor and pen
VIDEOS
15. How to Color a Rose (TheVirtualInstructor) – A great narrated colored pencil tutorial
16. How to Color a Lavender Rose (Art@Fadil) – A demonstration using colored pencils
17. How to Color a Rose (StephenRose) – Great time-lapse with Copic markers but no instruction
18. How to Color a Rose (Gee Massam) – Layering vs blending technique with art markers
WATERCOLOR
ONLINE GUIDES
15. How to Draw a Rose (TPK) – An awesome guide for colored pencils, watercolor and pen
19. How to Paint a Rose (ArtInstructionBlog) – A step-by-step guide for watercolor
20. How to Paint Realistic Watercolor Roses (EmptyEasel) – A guide for a rose bud and full bloom
VIDEOS
21. Easy Watercolor Rose Tutorial (Wonder Forest) – Simple, easy-to-follow video
22. How to Paint a Red Rose (Trevor Waugh) – Includes text instruction on the video
ACRYLIC & OIL PAINTING
ONLINE GUIDES
23. How to Paint a Yellow Rose (FlowerPatchFarmHouse) – A great step-by-step guide for acrylics
24. How to Paint a Rose (ArtInstructionBlog) – A guide using acrylic paints
25. How to Paint a Pink Rose (ArtistsNetwork) – A guide for oil painting
VIDEOS
26. How to Paint a Rose (MontMarteArt) – An enthusiastic tutorial using oil paints
27. 2 Methods on Painting Roses (Lena Danya) – Tutorial using oil paints
28. How to Paint a Pink Rose (Marjorie Harris Clark) – Demonstration using acrylics
29. How to Paint a Rose with a Palette Knife (Ahuva Shweiki) – Using oil paints and palette knife
OTHER MEDIUMS
VIDEOS
30. How to Paint a Rose with Spray Paint (VideoMedley) – A time-lapse without instruction
31. How to Draw a Red Rose with Oil Pastel (Paint Academy) – A time-lapse without instruction
32. How to Draw a Rainbow Rose with Oil Pastel (MontMarteArt) – Time-lapse without instruction
