How To Draw Lotus: Easy Step-By-Step Guide

Also known as water lily, lotus is an aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. This beautiful flower has large petals and blooms in different colors, such as pink, yellow, white, red, blue, and purple. If you want to teach your child how to draw a lotus flower to capture its beauty and bring it into your home, you are at the right place.

The lotus flower is easy to draw and is perfect for your child to learn drawing. We share easy ways to draw a lotus using illustration in this post. Grab all the items required and let the fun begin.

For simple lotus flower drawing, you will need:

  • A drawing paper
  • Pencils
  • Eraser
  • Sharpener
  • Color pencils or watercolors
In This Article

Key Pointers

  • The lotus or water lily is a beautiful flower that blooms in different colors, such as pink, yellow, red, purple, and white.
  • You need basic stationery like pencils, erasers, and colors to draw a lotus. You may also add fascinating details with glitter and other supplies.
  • Learning to draw a lotus can get children interested in knowing more about the flower and enhance their creativity by allowing them to come up with their renditions of the lotus.

How To Draw A Lotus Flower Step By Step

Australia-based artist and illustrator Amanda O’Bryan says, “Before picking up a pencil, use your eyes first. Your eyes guide your brain to truly see. Take a moment to observe the lotus—how it unfolds, how the petals curve, how it feels. Drawing isn’t just about making marks; it’s about seeing and understanding.”

New York-based multidisciplinary artist Ambrosia Sullivan suggests, “When drawing intricate flowers like a lotus, start with basic shapes. Breaking it down into circles and ovals for the center and petals makes it easier to capture the overall form before adding details. Begin by sketching these shapes, then refine them by observing how the petals overlap and curve. Focusing on symmetry and using simple guidelines can help build confidence.”

Wondering how to draw a lotus from scratch? Let’s dive into this easy step-by-step lotus drawing tutorial designed specifically for beginners!

Step 1: The first step to drawing lotus flowers is to begin with the teardrop design, as shown in the picture—the teardrop is pointed at the top and curved at the bottom. This will be the bud of your lotus flower.

Step 1 how to draw lotus

Step 2: Create the petals of lotus on the right side of the bud. For petals, draw a freehand teardrop egg and keep it slightly pointed at the top. Make sure you draw only half of the teardrop enclosing it with the bud. The bottom part of the petal should join the bottom part of the bud (the original teardrop).

Step 2 how to draw lotus

Step 3: Repeat drawing a similar petal on the left side. Each petal can be marginally different from the other.

Step 3 how to draw lotus

Step 4: Now draw an additional layer of the petal to give the lotus drawing a fuller look. It should be joined at the bottom like the previous petals, and you can make it look more curvy than the inner one.

Step 4 how to draw lotus

Step 5: Draw another petal on the left side.

Step 5 how to draw lotus

Step 6: In this step, we teach you how to draw a lotus leaf. Draw the leaves on the bottom of the bud, as shown in the picture. The leaf of the lotus has an inverted teardrop shape.

Step 6 how to draw lotus

Step 7: Draw two more leaves on either side of the first leaf. Start the leaves from the corner of the first leaf and extend to the petals. As with the petals, these leaves may vary in shape and size.

Step 7 how to draw lotus

Step 8: To finish the lotus drawing, add a stem to the flower. Begin drawing the stem from the bottom of the leaves, as illustrated in the picture. The part of the stem attached to the flower is typically broad.

Step 8 how to draw lotus

Step 9: Bring your lotus flower to life by coloring it in beautiful floral shades.

protip_icon Quick tip
Blend different shades of the same color when coloring the lotus petals to create a more natural and realistic effect.
Step 9 how to draw lotus

Unveil your inner artistic talent and learn how to draw a beautiful lotus flower in this easy step-by-step tutorial! Watch this video and you’ll be able to draw your own lotus flower in no time!

protip_icon Quick tip
Encourage kids to show their lotus drawings to family and friends. When praised for their work, their confidence will be boosted and they will feel motivated to keep drawing.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What colors can I use to draw a lotus flower?

To draw a lotus flower, you can use colors of pink, white, blue, purple, yellow, and red to represent different symbolic meanings. Combine pink and white for a soft, realistic look, or blue and purple for a mystical feel. Use gradual shading to add depth, focusing darker tones at the base of the petals and lighter tones near the edges. For a striking effect, blend colors smoothly and add highlights with white or lighter shades. Try green with subtle yellow or blue accents for the leaves, and use textured shading for a natural feel. Experiment with colored pencils, watercolors, or acrylics for different finishes.

2. What is the shape of the lotus?

The lotus flower is cup-shaped, with the petals distributed equally around the stamens. A single stem arises from the center of the flower, which is then attached to a round leaf. When drawing a lotus on a sheet of paper, you may try to make the center petal more prominent, followed by half-curved petals on the side. This technique could give the flower’s structure a three-dimensional effect.

3. How many petals does a lotus have?

A lotus flower has approximately 18 petals. You may try to show at least six to eight petals when drawing it on paper.

4. What is the cultural significance of the lotus in different traditions?

The lotus has deep cultural significance in different traditions. In Asian art, a lotus throne is a symbol often used as a seat for divine figures in Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions. In Hinduism, it represents divinity, immortality, and perfection, with gods like Vishnu and Lakshmi often shown with pink lotuses. In Buddhism, the lotus symbolizes purity of body, speech, and mind, and it’s said that Buddha’s first steps made lotus flowers bloom. In Jainism, lotus thrones are used to depict spiritual leaders.

The lotus is considered a sacred flower in Asia and is associated with many gods, goddesses, deities, and religious preachers. Thus, you can bring children closer to their culture by teaching them how to draw a lotus. Since children are often interested in replicating different aspects of nature, such as animals and flowers, they may be interested in drawing the lotus too. This step-by-step tutorial on lotus drawing for kids will help them do so easily. In addition, you can encourage your child to get creative and add other elements such as a small pond or leaves to make the drawing more attractive. Furthermore, you can introduce them to different drawing ideas for kids and make their learning experience fun and engaging.

Infographic: Easy Instructions To Draw A Lotus For Children

The lotus is a beautiful and magnificent flower that lives amid water in the pond. So, if your child is fascinated by these fascinating flowers, help them draw a lotus on paper while telling them about this national flower of India. The following infographic includes instructions to help your child draw a lotus in easy steps.

easy instructions to draw a lotus for children (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: How To Draw Lotus: Easy Step-By-Step Guide

How To Draw Lotus_illustration

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team


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Erin DeCarlo
Erin DeCarloCraftsperson
Erin DeCarlo is an avid crafter and greeting card business owner. Her expertise lies in creating handmade paper crafts and DIY home decor. She has sold handmade greeting cards and gifts on Etsy and in local stores over the last nine years.

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  • Ambrosia Sullivan
    Ambrosia SullivanDesigner, Artist Ambrosia Sullivan is a multidisciplinary artist with a bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute. Known for her whimsical pet portraits, creative prompts, and expertise in shoe design, she is passionate about making art accessible and enjoyable for all skill levels. She created ‘Make Art’, a game designed to help people overcome creative blocks, choice overload, and procrastination. Ambrosia also teaches shoe design workshops for kids, blending technical skill with imaginative storytelling.
    Ambrosia Sullivan is a multidisciplinary artist with a bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute. Known for her whimsical pet portraits, creative prompts, and expertise in shoe design, she is passionate about making art accessible and enjoyable for all skill levels. She created ‘Make Art’, a game designed to help people overcome creative blocks, choice overload, and procrastination. Ambrosia also teaches shoe design workshops for kids, blending technical skill with imaginative storytelling.
  • Amanda O’Bryan
    Amanda O’BryanBA Amanda O’Bryan is an award-winning Australian designer, artist, illustrator, and author with over 20 years of experience in the creative industries. Through her art teaching, workshops, and book Daily Acts of Creativity, she helps individuals embrace creativity as a pathway to wellbeing. With a background in visual arts and design from the University of Newcastle and training at the Creative Education Foundation in New York State, Amanda explores the therapeutic benefits of creativity, particularly through flowers and nature. Her work has been featured on Better Homes and Gardens TV and sold Australia-wide.
    Amanda O’Bryan is an award-winning Australian designer, artist, illustrator, and author with over 20 years of experience in the creative industries. Through her art teaching, workshops, and book Daily Acts of Creativity, she helps individuals embrace creativity as a pathway to wellbeing. With a background in visual arts and design from the University of Newcastle and training at the Creative Education Foundation in New York State, Amanda explores the therapeutic benefits of creativity, particularly through flowers and nature. Her work has been featured on Better Homes and Gardens TV and sold Australia-wide.
Harshita Makvana
Harshita MakvanaB.Com, PG Dip
Harshita is a graduate in commerce and holds a PG Diploma in Patent and Copyrights Law from NALSAR University. She has also pursued CA and has more than three years of internship experience in auditing. Her love for travelling has taken her to various parts of the world, and writing the travelogues was what brought out her love for content writing.

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Deepa Thomas
Deepa ThomasMA (English)
Deepa Rachel Thomas holds a master’s degree in English from the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. She has done a certification course in Child Development and worked as a mentor for young children at an NGO that focuses on helping children develop their language and soft skills.

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