How to Draw Cyclamen

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Later, you can (I would say, you’ll be able) draw a group of Cyclamen flowers in a flowerpot like this.

If you have no clue how to begin, pick one single Cyclamen flower and draw it. Alone. No green leaves, nothing, just the flower head.

Practice drawing the shape of the petals first. They are not difficult at all.

Cyclamen petals are very easy to draw. Pick one and draw it, you’ll see to your amazement how quickly and easily you’ll do it.

Such a method is similar to that which I explained on the page about drawing of Carnation flower.

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Today we’ll draw Cyclamen…precisely: a bunch of them. To make your job easier, I decided to make a bit different approach.

First I copied the silhouette of the image to tracing paper. This is a copy of it.

Print it out and use it, it will help you to get the basic shape of this Cyclamen group and you’ll get the best possible proportional balance.

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Use softer B; B2 or B4 graphite pencil to make sure that the copied silhouettes will be easily printed (stamped) to the drawing paper.

When it’s done, your first print should look something like this one above.

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Now, you’ll need two colored pencils; one pink and one light green to make basic outlines in color.

Here you’ll experience and learn how to draw Cyclamen. This step looks easy, but I recommend drawing this part as exactly and seriously as possible.

While carefully observing the original drawing, outline first all petals of this Cyclamen. Only silhouettes. No shading.

Do the same with the leaves using a light green color pencil. Do it all by weak and soft pencil lines over the imprinted graphite pencil traces.

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Erase the remains of the graphite pencil. Color pencil lines will get a little weaker but will remain visible.

Gradually begin to put pink color on the petals. Notice, that the outer edges on petals are white or almost white.

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Observe the veins on petals, how they grow, and make your pencil strokes in the same direction. By doing so, you’ll get a very satisfactory realistic look.

I marked out two arrows on the top, showing how the pencil strokes should be made.

It is pedantic or even meticulous work, I know, but it is necessary when you draw Cyclamen petals.

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Gradually add a darker pink color tone so that the petals look more three-dimensional.

Whichever part on the petal you shade in pink color, always make pencil strokes parallel with the veins.

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Notice that the lower part of the petals is a darker, almost wine-red color. A darker red pencil would come in handy here.

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Take your light green pencil and outline again the silhouettes of the leaves if necessary.

When you draw Cyclamen, it is good to outline the veins on the leaves so that the shape is complete and you have the best possible overview.

Begin to put color on each leaf, separately, leaving the vein areas whiter. No shading at this stage yet, just plain and same color intensity everywhere.

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Gradually color all leaves and outline the silhouettes of the flower stems.

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You are almost done…almost!

To draw Cyclamen so that it looks nice we have to add more values into the leaves area. Some leaves are darker some are lighter.

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The process is simple; observe first how the darker and lighter leaves are piling up on each other.

Use a dark green tone and for really dark shades add a very gentle black pencil touch.

Be careful with the black color pencil. Use it gently. It is difficult to erase.

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I recommend the process of putting layers. Yes, 2 or 3 layers of different green color intensity.

The work progress is slower but you have complete control over the shading process.

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To draw Cyclamen may not be very easy on the first try, but I think by now you also admit that it is pleasant and very satisfying work.

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Add color to the flower stems. Begin with dark-red or wine-red color first - very weak.

Then use a dark brown over the wine red color and you’ll get a perfect almost realistic reddish Cyclamen stem color.

The final touch might be to outline the edges of the petals by a very thin pink color line. Use a sharp pink color pencil very gently!

You can also create toothed edges on the leaves with a sharp green color pencil.

Finally, draw the visible small part of the flowerpot on the bottom.