1. Colored Pencil Techniques for Drawing a Flower
Find out how to draw a flower in colored pencil, with the following step by
step drawing tutorial.

2. Step One: With a color photocopy of a reference photo, I rearranged
and cropped elements of the poppy composition. Using an HB pencil
and light pressure, I drew my composition onto four-ply, 100% cotton
museum board (frequently found among framing supplies.)

3. Step Two: Using very light pressure, I started applying the first colored
pencil layer, adding more emphasis where the values will be deeper. Note
that the pencil application still appears granular and that the texture of the
museum board is still visible.

4. Step Three: To create the veins in the leaves and the fuzzy texture of the
pod and stem, as well as the individual strands of stamens, I put down a
sheet of translucent drafting paper.

5. Step Four: To intensify the colors and to make them appear less granular, I
began blending with a clear, alcohol-based blending marker. The solvent
within dissolved the binder (which may be wax or vegetable oil) in the
colored pencil layer, releasing the pigment in a fluid manner.

6. Step Five: I continued intensifying the color, using a non-pigmented
blending pencil over a previous layer; then I repeated a layer or two of
color, much like a "color sandwich".