How to Draw a Tulip - Easy Step-By-Step Guide

In today's flower drawing tutorial, I'm going to show you how you can draw this beautiful pointed tulip.

The whole process is broken up into simple and easy-to-follow steps so you can make your own tulip drawing.

Let's get started!

Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).

Drawing Supplies I Used In This Tutorial

I really like alcohol markers, so that's what I chose to use to create this drawing.

I used the Ohuhu Honolulu markers in the colors G490 Viridian, YR170 Chrome Orange, R070 Agate, R160 Cadmium red, R230 Strong Red, and R290 Cardinal.

If you're on a tighter budget, these Caliart markers seem like a good and cheap alternative.

I also used some Derwent Chromaflow colored pencils: 2400 White, 2300 Black, and 0200 Amber Gold.

And I used a white Posca PC-3M paint marker for highlights.

I made this drawing on my favorite marker paper: Canson Illustration Manga. I cut one sheet of paper in half to make it A5-size.

The Reference Photo I used

If you want to create a realistic-looking flower drawing, it is always a good idea to use a reference photo.

When browsing photos of tulips on Unsplash I found this one with beautiful pointed petals in this fiery red color. And I chose this one to use for this tulip drawing tutorial.

How To Draw A Tulip?

To draw a tulip, you first sketch the basic outline. Then, you sketch the petals and the stem. Next, you color the tulip with markers, building the colors up from light to dark. And to finish it off, you add a few details with colored pencils and add a few white highlights.

Step 1: Sketch The Basic Outline Of The Tulip

To simplify sketching a tulip, I like to start by sketching the basic outline.

I first marked the top and the bottom.

Then, I sketched the rough outline of the flower.

After that, I added the stem.

Step 2: Sketch The Petals Of The Tulip

With the basic shape in place, it's easier to sketch the tulip accurately.

I first sketched the right petal. The tip of the petal ends at the top right corner of our outline and the left edge curves to about a third of the width of the tulip.

Next, I sketched the rest of the petals.

The petals don't have to look like a perfect replica of the reference photo. Just try to get the overall shape somewhat similar and you'll be fine.

Next, I added some details to the petals. Some of the petals were a bit folded and one had a tiny piece missing.

Step 3: Color The Tulip

Now that the sketch is done, we can start coloring the tulip, but before we do that, you'll need to make your sketch lighter by erasing most of it. This will prevent your sketch from showing through the ink in the end.

After that, I started coloring.

I first colored the lightest parts of the tulip which were these orange edges of the petals. I used YR170 Chrome Orange to do this.

I also colored the stem with G490 Viridian.

Next, I colored the next lightest parts which were the light red bits overlapping the orange parts. I used R070 Agate to color those parts.

I blended the parts where the red and the orange overlap by coloring over these edges with the YR170 Chrome Orange marker.

Then, I used R160 Cadmium red to color the rest of the tulip. I also overlapped this with the lighter red and blended the edge with R070 Agate to make the transition smoother.

After that, I used R230 Strong Red to make the bottom third or so of the tulip darker as well as the underside of the left petal and the inside of the top left and middle right petals.

Lastly, I used R290 Cardinal to add some really dark red shadows to the bottom of the tulip.

Step 4: Add Black And White Details To The Tulip

The tulip is now fully colored, but it could use some more details to make it look more realistic.

To do this, I used a white and a black Chromaflow pencil.

I used the white pencil to add some hatching lines on the edges of the petals and I added some light spots here and there.

I also added some highlights and textures to the stem of the tulip.

Next, I used the black pencil to add some really dark details in the shadow parts at the bottom of the tulip.

Step 5: Add White Highlights To The Tulip

To finish the drawing off, I added a highlight on the edge of the right two petals with my Posca PC-3M white paint marker.

And that's how to draw a realistic tulip.

I Hope You Found This Tutorial Helpful

Thank you for following along with me during this tutorial!

Let me know how your drawing turned out and what parts you found difficult.

I'll see you in my next flower drawing tutorial!

Luuk Minkman

Full-Time Artist Specialized in Automotive Art

I'm an artist and I draw realistic cars with alcohol markers and colored pencils. I have been doing so for a decade. I'm sharing everything I know about drawing on this blog. On here, you can find all you need to know to learn how you can draw realistic cars and other subjects yourself. Stay updated by following me on Instagram.