Lesson 3: Applying Construction to Plants

Reference

Here's the reference image we'll be working from. It's clearly got a number of flowing petals that all come out from a central point, we'll be focusing on these primarily.

Step by step

We start out with just a few marks. First we want to establish the path the stem is going to follow, and ultimately how it connects to the head of the flower. We've done this with a flowing line (the arrow coming down and to the right), and a couple of contour ellipses to start establishing the base of the flower's head.

Applying the branch construction technique covered earlier in the lesson, we draw a stem along the path we established in the previous step.

Remember that in order to maintain control over this longer curve, we're building it up in segments that go from one ellipse past the next. As we lift our pen, we aim that stroke towards the ellipse that follows. The goal here is to have each segment we construct overlap the previous one, causing them to blend smoothly into a continuous stroke.

We've also added a bit of a hemisphere or dome form to help build out the core from which all the petals flow.

For each individual petal, we've constructed a separate "flow" line, as covered in the leaf construction exercise. While these are petals, and not leaves, the same principle applies because both are relatively flat and as such are heavily impacted by the flow of wind and air currents that surround them. You'd apply the same tactic to any such object or form.

Make sure you're drawing each flowing line with confidence and with consideration for how those forces are going to be pushing on your leaf. Don't draw shallow, stiff lines - take your time, apply the ghosting method, and don't half-ass it. The flow line is the core that defines the behaviour of each leaf or petal.

Again, following the leaf construction method, enclose the flow line from tip to tip with two edges, creating the overall shape of the petal. Do your best to have the petal end where the flow line does, and push through those lines with confidence again.

Don't be afraid to let the petals fold back on themselves. All we're doing is guiding lines that flow through space.

Now the petals on this flower are pretty simple, but if you ever need to add any edge detail like wavy, fraying or spiky edges, avoid the following:

• Zigzagging your lines, each deviation from the previous phase of construction should be drawn as a separate stroke, maintaining the basic mark making rule of each stroke maintaining only a single trajectory.
• Ignoring the initial enclosing edge of the shape - your details should always come off that initial edge and then return to it.
• Working subtractively - don't cut back into your basic leaf shape, or any form if you can help it. Work additively, always attaching new forms to those you've already established in space. Subtractive construction, while a viable option, usually requires far more spatial awareness of both the form already on the page and the piece you're cutting away, and it's very easy just to think about them as they exist in 2D, thus flattening out your drawing.

At this point, the main focus of this demo is over. I'm paying a bit of attention to the pollen and other flowery bits towards the center, fleshing some of those forms out as little balls, but I won't be taking that very far.