Step by Step Abstract Flowers (Drawing Tutorial)
Today I’d like to show you how to draw abstract flowers like Georgia O’Keeffe. She’s most commonly known for her abstract paintings of flowers. These flower drawings and paintings were done on a very large scale.
In this lesson we’ll be using the wax resist method, but they can be done with any medium. What I really want you to focus on is learning to draw an abstract flower, that is still recognizable as a flower.
O’Keeffe worked in a very large scale to get people’s attention. You could do your drawings large scale, or you could work on a small scale. Or really anything in between.
The purpose of most works of art is to get someone’s attention and leave a lasting impression on them. How you choose to do that is up to you.
Let’s learn a bit more about the artist Georgia O’Keeffe.
About Georgia O’Keeffe
O’Keeffe grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin where she took art lessons as a child. She developed her art skills throughout high school and then went on to art school to become a professional artist.
Early in her studies of art, O’Keeffe learned about the techniques of traditional realism. In 1912, under the direction of Arthur Wesley Dow, she learned about composition and design. Her views on creating art shifted dramatically. It was during this time she began experimenting with abstraction.
O’Keeffe is known for being one of the first American artists to practice pure abstraction.
Although Georgia O’Keeffe is probably most known for her abstract paintings of flowers, she is also known for her paintings of New York skyscrapers, and desert skulls. It was during her time in New York that she realized people were too busy to notice her work. This is when she began painting much larger pieces of work.
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Art Supplies
- Thin black marker
- Paper or cardstock
- Markers
- Pencil
- Click Eraser, Pink Pearl Eraser
- White Gelly Roll pen
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Abstract Flower Drawing
As mentioned earlier, O’Keeffe worked in pure abstraction and on a very large scale. If you want to draw flowers like Georgia O’Keeffe you need to draw them abstract.
If you don’t have much experience with drawing abstract art, this can become quite intimidating. And since we don’t want to feel intimidated, we can use a tool to help us create our flower drawings.
If you find it difficult to isolate interesting areas of the flowers to draw, try using a viewfinder to help you choose your area.
Easy Abstract Flower Design
You can make your viewfinders out of scrap cardstock or some other stiff material you have at home. It’s a good idea to make a few that are different shapes and sizes.
The idea is to find interesting pieces of the flowers to draw. By using the art viewfinders, you can move around the images to find a spot on the flower that would make a good painting.
You want your flower drawing to be abstract, but you also want it to be visually appealing. For this reason this step is the most important part of the process. So take your time and find a good section of your flower to draw.
Images of Flowers
To find interesting areas of flowers to draw, you’ll want to look at several different images of flowers. There are a couple of ways to approach the process if finding your section of flower to draw.
You could go through several images of flowers and find the perfect flower with the perfect folds and lines to us. Or, you could simply pick out a flower to draw and use your imagination to make it work.
The latter is a good way to push your creativity and use your imagination. However, if you’re a beginner, you may not want to take this approach.
Either way is fine. It all depends on where you’re at in your creative journey. And what your goals are for yourself.
Abstract Flower Sketch
After you have found the area of your flower you want to use as a reference, you can draw them lightly with pencil on your piece of paper. You want the lines of your drawing to go right off the edge of your paper.
When you are satisfied with your drawing, use marker, colored pencil, or pen to go over your pencil lines. I’m using markers for this example. You can make your lines all one thickness, or you can vary your line weight throughout the drawing.
How to Draw Abstract Flowers with Marker
Because we are creating abstract art, you can use any colors you want for your flowers. You can choose to follow your reference photo, which is a little easier. Or, you can use your creative license and use colors straight from your imagination.
If you’re familiar with color theory, you can pick a color scheme. Or you can just use whatever colors you feel like using. One of the great things about art, and specifically abstraction, is that you are free to do whatever you want to do.
Never feel afraid to experiment and try new things.
You can use the way you lay down your colors to create some texture in your flower drawing.
Continue filling in the different areas of your flower. Make sure you have areas of both light and dark to create some contrast. I find it easier to jump around a bit and work on the areas that are the lightest and the darkest first. Feel free to make up some of the areas as needed if you don’t like how your reference photo looks.
When you’re finished filling in the colors for your flower, add some darker colors for your background. A white Gelly Roll pen works really well for adding in some white highlights.
Using Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) to Save Time
ATCs are a great time saver that will allow you to create more artwork without needing to spend hours and hours making art. And these abstract flower drawings are perfect for beginner’s.
As a quick overview, ATCs are 2.5 x 3.5 inches. They are usually made from heavy weight paper or cardstock. Artists create and trade their cards to other artists in exchange for their artwork.
However, you can choose to not participate in trades, but instead use the format to save some time and build out your mini portfolio.
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How to Draw Abstract Flowers with Markers
I hope you enjoyed this art tutorial on how to draw abstract flowers like Georgia O’Keeffe. Abstract art can be very rewarding once you embrace the visual freedom of the style.
It is a common misconception that abstract art doesn’t take skill or talent. Not everyone understands the expressive nature of abstract art. And this is a great type of drawing for working with line and how they flow.
Art and drawing is a skill that is learned with practice. The more you practice the better you will get.
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