How to Draw a Lotus step by step

How to draw a lotus this article will walk you through the process step by step in a simple way! There is probably not a single person who doesn’t know what a lotus is. The lotus flower is extraordinarily beautiful, delicate, and romantic. In Buddhism, it is considered a symbol of purity and chastity. You can see how the lotus grows in the wild during nature hikes and actually encounter it in India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Hungary.

The lotus is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows exclusively in water. Looking at its large pink flowers and broad leaves, which barely rise above the water, it’s hard to believe that the rhizome can exceed one and a half meters in height. It can stretch another three meters in length. The lotus is like an iceberg—we only see the tip.
A bare, dark-green stem up to 90 centimeters tall extends from the rhizome. It appears bare from the outside, but in reality, its surface is covered with tiny hairs. Some of the leaves are underwater, others float on the surface, and still others rise above the water, absorbing life-giving sunlight. The description of the lotus is completed by a magnificent flower, which is solitary on the stem but large—up to 25 centimeters in diameter! It is a true wonder of nature. The color varies depending on the species of lotus, but pink and white are the most common.

The nut-bearing lotus has a rich history. In 1787, British naturalist Joseph Banks brought the lotus back to his homeland from India, where the plant is widespread in the wild. The scientific description of the lotus and its classification as a distinct species were carried out by the German botanist Joseph Gärtner. Attempts were made to cultivate the lotus in Britain, but it was not until ten years later that they were successful. In 1820, luck smiled upon gardener Christoph Lübeck, who was employed at Prugg Castle.

Drawing a lotus flower isn’t an easy task, but with some guiding elements, it’s certainly doable. All you can do is admire the nut-bearing lotus or take photos of it. This species thrives in warm climates. The plant is considered a relict species, as it existed in its current form as far back as the Tertiary Period, about 60 million years ago. Today, it can be found in Asian countries—Azerbaijan, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and others. People travel to Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines to admire its beautiful flowers.

The second species—the yellow lotus—is very similar to the nut-bearing lotus. Its main distinguishing feature is its yellow flowers, rather than white or pink ones. This is where its name comes from. Sometimes the flowers are cream-colored. The second difference is its range. Unlike its counterpart, which is widespread in the wild across the globe, the yellow lotus grows only in the Hawaiian and Antillean islands, as well as in South and North America. That is why it is also called the American lotus.

Impenetrable thickets of lotus plants are found in the humid jungles of Polynesia. Lotus flowers adorn the steppes and grow in the semi-deserts of the lower Volga region. In hot countries such as India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, the plant tolerates the tropical climate and high levels of solar radiation well. On the other hand, the lotus that grows in northern China and the Russian Far East can withstand temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees. All of this attests to the plant’s robust health and hardiness.

Let’s get started on drawing the lotus right away!

How to draw a lotus easy

Step 1

To make drawing a lotus easier, we’ll need some guide lines, and the first one will be a capital “U” drawn freehand.

Step 2

Next, draw an oval at the top of the first auxiliary line

Step 3

And here, we simply draw the central lotus petal inside the first auxiliary element!

Step 4

And in this step, we draw the outline of the lotus’s side petals.

Step 5

Inside the second oval-shaped auxiliary element, we create a small oval with walls extending downward; this will form the outline of the flower’s reproductive parts (pistil and stamen).