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How to Draw Irises

By Mark Horton Last Updated: January 26, 2023

Many people admire the beauty and uniqueness of irises. There are numerous varieties of iris flowers. They significantly differ in color and shape of petals, but all of them are beautiful. Today we will draw the irises together and create great sketches that will help us draw wonderful paintings with irises in the future.

Materials for This Art Lesson

  •  graphite pencils of different hardness
  •  eraser
  • paper for sketches
  • red chalk or sepia to refresh the painting

How to Draw the Irises Step by Step

Today we will draw several iris flowers in different foreshortenings. Let`s consider the iris arrangement so that in the future you will be able to draw these flowers without any difficulties.

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Let`s look at the picture which you should get at the end of this fine art lesson.

The picture of irises drawn in pencil

The Stems and Direction of the Leaves

The iris stems are quite thick and strong. Most often there are several big buds on one stem and sometimes they bloom almost simultaneously.

The majority of irises have nine petals. Three of them bend down to the ground and other strain towards the sun almost closing the center of a flower. Locate them one by one: one petal – up and another one – down.

Draw flowers and stems
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Outline the stems and the lines, which show the direction of petals, very slightly and barely noticeably.

Draw the Iris Petals

Slightly outline the shape of iris petals. The picture below shows what shape the iris petals, which are directed upwards and downwards, usually get.

Petals of irises

The iris petals are usually attached deep in the flower bowl. The lower part of a petal is thin and covered with fur and pollen.

At the following stage of our free art lesson online we are going to outline the shape of iris petals. If you are good at drawing simple leaves, you can make the flower more interesting and draw the iris with «curly petals».

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Create a slight sketch of all the irises.

Improve and Add the Details

When all the iris petals are outlined, you can add some details. Now you can draw and improve more hardily, using a soft pencil.

Drawing irises with a pencil

Show the direction of folds and bends on the petals, making light strokes. There is the saddle-backed pivot in the center of each petal – it should be also marked on the painting. Add the shadows in the depth of a flower and under the leaves.

The leaves of irises as well as tulips wrap the stem and have the elongated shape and pointed tip.
The following picture shows the branch of irises.

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Draw a branch of irises

There are several flowers located on one stem. The first flower is blooming, the second one has almost ceased blossoming, the third one has just come into blossom and the other flowers are in the buds.

Video Tutorial – How to Draw the Irises Step by Step

To make the whole process clearer, let`s watch a short video tutorial and draw the irises together.

If you like irises and want to draw them with acrylic paints, watch our acrylic painting lesson video and draw the painting with your own hands.

I hope this painting art lesson has been useful and interesting for you.

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Create wonderful paintings together with us!

Contents

  • 1 Materials for This Art Lesson
  • 2 How to Draw the Irises Step by Step
    • 2.1 The Stems and Direction of the Leaves
    • 2.2 Draw the Iris Petals
    • 2.3 Improve and Add the Details
  • 3 Video Tutorial – How to Draw the Irises Step by Step

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About Mark Horton

I'm Mark, an artist. I love to create pieces that make people feel something, whether it's happiness, sadness, or anger. I want my artwork to evoke a reaction in people and get them thinking about the world around them.

I grew up in a small town in Texas and always loved art. I would spend hours doodling in my notebooks during class and experimenting with different mediums. After high school, I decided to pursue art as a career and never looked back.

I've had several solo exhibitions throughout the United States, and my work has been featured in several magazines and online publications. I'm currently working on a series of paintings that explore the refugee crisis.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nadien Lucas says

    January 12, 2022 at 1:40 pm

    Very difficult to find the best pencil drawing of an Iris.
    The understanding of the leaf pattern, ups and downs, is extremely helpful.
    Thank-you.

    Reply
  2. Cory Gagner says

    January 30, 2022 at 3:09 am

    I am a tattoo artist and have been working extremely hard to up my skills in the flower category. This tutorial was extremely helpful in learning how to put together an iris. I appreciate your talent and I am wondering do you have any other tutorials when it comes to different types of flowers? Have them or not, I thank you for posting this on Pinterest it was extremely helpful. I am grateful for other artists who share their knowledge and experience. You are amazing!

    Reply

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