Let's explore some floral designs with Alex. What better way to celebrate the coming of spring. With brighter days and a riot of color as everything around is suddenly in bloom.

Here Alex explores simple line drawings with a floral theme. Learn the basic forms and experiment with the shapes to create your own art.

1. Simple Spring Bud

Four basic strokes to create a simple spring bud. Explore where you flex your nib to create depth and interest. Use bright inks for a springy pop.

2. Add Leaves

Add four strokes to create some leafy greens. If you're not confident just yet, lightly sketch the shape with a pencil before you go in with your fountain pen.

3. Bring it Together

Add flourished strokes and detail. Try changing up ink colours for added visual interest. And don't be afraid to experiment and make it your own!

4. Basic Tulip

Use similar strokes to create a basic tulip. You can experiment with buds by keeping the head of the flower tight, or blooms by drawing wider, more 'open' flower heads

Circular Floral Border

Let's create a circular floral border. Great for month title journal pages, greeting cards, or just to challenge your line drawing skills

1. Outline

Use a pencil and block out the shapes needed. Start with a circle. Then draw two roughly circular forms at the top and the bottom. This is where the open flower forms will fit. Next, draw four ellipses for the tulips.

2. Open Flower Form

Still with your pencil, and using the overall circular form, draw 7 petals. Follow the stroke order to create these. When inking up later, each petal is formed of two strokes.

3. Tulips

Follow the instructions for the basic tulip form to create these. Experiment with varying the tulips from bud to bloom. And dont forget to add in a few leaves.

4. Ink it Up!

Now you're ready to ink your sketch. Follow the stroke order. And remember to use confident strokes following the penciled lines you created. Create flex swells on the strokes to add depth and interest. And remember to rotate your paper to make it easier to draw the flex downstrokes.

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