Have you ever drawn a sunflower? If so, chances are you ignored the spiral pattern at the center. These cheerful flowers never cease to inspire artists. But what if you could include the bewildering pattern in your artwork? In this tutorial, I show you how to draw the golden ratio spiral freehand, step by step. You also learn how to watercolor the flower, allowing the spiral to dominate the painting.
What is the golden ratio in nature?
Nature is orderly. The golden ratio is prevalent everywhere in nature. It is a geometric constant that you can see clearly in some flowers. Take a look at more examples of the golden ratio in nature.
Many famous works of art and architecture have a golden ratio. Associated with a divine order of the universe, some see it as a code that governs creation. Certain mystics consider it a symbol of balance and harmony.
Photos of the sunflower golden ratio spiral
Last summer, we visited Hokkaido in northern Japan. Endless acres of sunflowers stretched out before us. I captured the reference photo on a lovely, sunny afternoon.
I made a collage with the enlarged center of my sunflower. Next to it is a geometric drawing of the Fibonacci spiral, which has a golden ratio. The other two images are samples of more flowers with the same spiral.
See the Fibonacci spiral as interactive geometry. Place your cursor anywhere in the drawing.
How to draw an imperfect sunflower spiral freehand
As artists, we don’t need to bother with exact geometric measurements. The aim of this drawing tutorial is to make a spiral that looks authentic. Correctness is not a consideration. The circles need not be perfect, either ( hard to do freehand, anyway). Follow the progression of the drawing step by step.
When the center drawing is done, draw the rest of the flower.
To paint the drawing with watercolor, transfer it to watercolor paper. I used a low-cost LED light tracing tablet to trace my sketch.
How to watercolor the sunflower head
It is a good idea to lay down the color scheme first. At first glance, the sunflower color palette looks simple. Still, it pays to prepare a selection of colors before you start painting.
The yellow on the petals is darker facing the center. Use water to blend shades of yellow.
Avoid the brown colors bleeding into the yellow. Let the yellow watercolor dry before you move on to painting the center.
When the colors are dry, get your white gouache out. Paint the drawing at the center with tiny dots.
When everything is dry, you can polish the painting with colored pencils.
And that’s all. Happy, sunny drawing and painting to you!
For a list of art materials needed for this tutorial, check my Guide to Art Supplies.
If you want to explore more tutorials, here are some suggestions: