Lily Drawing Ideas
Fourteen lily drawings you can copy straight onto paper, from a single bud to a tiger lily and a water lily. Every one is a clean pencil outline drawn by hand, with no shading and no colour. Pick one, keep it next to you, and copy it line by line.
How to draw a lily step by step
A lily has six long pointed petals arranged like a star, which sounds simple, and face on it is. What makes lilies look real is the way the petals curl backwards and the stamens reach out of the middle. Get those two things and the flower is unmistakable.
- Draw a small circle where the centre of the flower will sit. This keeps your petals even.
- Add six petals around it. Lily petals are long and narrow, widest in the middle and pointed at the tip. Draw the top one, the bottom one, then fill in the four between.
- Curl the petal tips outwards. Instead of stopping at a point, let the last part of each petal bend back slightly. This one change is what separates a lily from a generic star flower.
- Add the stamens. Draw five or six thin lines coming out of the centre, each with a small oval on the end. Let them reach past the petals rather than stopping short.
- Draw the stem as one straight line and add long narrow leaves. Lily leaves are blade shaped and grow directly off the stem, pointing upwards rather than sideways.
Darken your final lines and rub out the guide circle in the middle.
Which lily should you start with
If this is your first flower
Start with the easy lily for beginners or the single bud. Both are small and face straight at you, so there is no curling or foreshortening to work out. The small lily with long leaves is also a gentle start, because the flower is tiny and most of the page is leaves.
If you have drawn flowers before
Try the lily with a butterfly, the one under the moon and stars, or the tall lily on a leafy stem. The flower stays manageable and you are adding one extra element or working on the stem.
If you want a challenge
The tiger lily is the hardest here, with petals that curl right back and spots across them. The water lily has many small petals packed into the centre, which takes patience. The drooping bell lily is quietly tricky too, because the flower faces the ground.
What you need
An HB pencil, plain paper and an eraser. A 2B pencil helps for darker final lines. Nothing on this page needs a tablet, a light box or special paper.
Three things that make a lily look right
- The petals are too wide. Lily petals are long and narrow. Wide rounded petals turn the flower into a daisy or a generic bloom.
- The stamens are missing. Those thin lines with small ovals on the end are the single most recognisable part of a lily. Without them the flower looks empty.
- The petals are flat. Real lily petals bend backwards at the tips. Even a small curl makes the drawing look alive rather than printed.
Water lily or true lily
They are different plants despite the name. A true lily has six long petals on a tall stem with leaves. A water lily floats on a flat round pad, with many short petals packed in rings. The water lily on this page is included because most people search for both, but do not use it as a guide for drawing a garden lily.
Ways to use these drawings
Copy any of these by hand, or download and print them for yourself, for your children or for your classroom. They work as colouring sheets, tracing practice, a warm up before a bigger drawing, or line art for a card. If you want to use one in something you sell, write to us first.
Questions people ask
What is the easiest lily drawing on this page?
The easy lily for beginners. It faces straight at you, has six simple petals and nothing else on the page. The single lily bud is quicker still if you want to warm up first.
Are these lily drawings free to download?
Yes. Every drawing here can be downloaded and printed for personal use, school use or classroom use at no cost. For commercial use, please contact us first.
How many petals does a lily have?
Six. Three true petals and three sepals that look almost identical, which is why people count six. Drawing six evenly spaced pointed petals is what makes the flower read as a lily.
How do I draw lily stamens?
Five or six thin lines coming out of the centre, each ending in a small oval. Let them reach out past the petals. Short stamens that stop inside the flower make it look flat.
Is a water lily the same as a lily?
No. They are different plants. A true lily grows on a tall stem with narrow leaves. A water lily floats on a flat round pad and has many short petals in rings. Both are on this page because people look for both.
Can young children draw these?
Most of them. The easy lily, the single bud and the small lily with long leaves are all suitable for children around six and up. The tiger lily and the water lily suit older children and adults.
Why does my lily look like a daisy?
The petals are probably too wide and there are too many of them. A lily has exactly six long narrow petals with clear gaps. Narrow them, cut the count to six, and add the stamens.
Are these drawings made by hand?
Yes. Each one was drawn in pencil on plain paper and photographed. They are not computer generated or traced from photographs.