
The edges are often coarsely toothed and end in a point. Leaves: Most sunflower leaves are broad, heart-shaped, and slightly sticky to the touch.These stalks must support the heavy flower heads, so they’re often dense and strong. Stalk: The size and height of the sunflower stalk varies between species, but the stems are generally thick, rough, and hairy.These little florets bloom and mature into seeds. It’s called a flower head or disk flower, and is actually made up of lots of tiny, individual flowers called florets. Flower head: One of the trickiest parts to draw is the center of the sunflower.Each sunflower has several layers of petals that angle out in a disk from the center of the flower. Petals: Bright yellow sunflower petals are called ray florets.While most people know what a sunflower looks like, it’s important to take a moment to look at reference photos before you start a new drawing and think about how the different parts of the flower fit together. “Taking the time to prepare for your drawing is just as important as the time it takes to draw,” explains illustrator Spencer Nugent. Since the flower can move and rotate, that gives you plenty of angles and perspectives to practice drawing. With this in mind, think about your light source before you start a drawing. When they’re older, the flowers typically face east, to catch the morning sun. When the flowers are young, the face of the blooms tracks the sun from dawn to dusk. “Sunflowers are also phototropic, which means they follow the movement of the sun across the sky,” explains Stanton. While this may sound complicated, it gives you a guide for how to draw the center of a sunflower. The dark part of a sunflower’s face is a Fermat’s spiral, where the seeds spiral elegantly into the middle point. They’re actually pretty easy to draw because they’re a simple combination of just a couple shapes,” says artist and illustrator Kevin Jay Stanton. “Sunflowers have a mathematical equation in the way that their seeds are spread out. There’s more to sunflowers than meets the eye. Whether you sketch a lone stalk or a field full of color, these flowers are not only beautiful, they’re also fun to draw. With their cheerful colors and iconic shape, sunflowers are a wonderful bloom to practice your drawing with.
