And then this emerged:

Begin with a loose sketch, mapping the basic outlines - stem, leaves, flower head, vase. It starts similar to the daisy.

The petals of a rose can be quite tricky, so map out the outside with a circle, mark where your center is, and then work towards the center. Don't just count them :) Make sure the outside of the petals are accurate if you wish to make all the other petals fit on the inside.

Little by little it will take shape. Lots of adjustments here and there should be expected, so if it takes some time, don't worry. Enjoy the process.

Sometimes I think certain points in the flower as an "landmark" or "anchor" when lots of "line action" seems to happen around that area. I make sure that those important areas are the most accurate so as to not throw off the other lines that depend on it. For example,  I may notice that several petals may touch a landmark's right side and base, or, the center of the flower is the starting point of every petal, etc. It's good to double-check your subject, study it often, and keep things in proportion to each other.

Fill in the "chunks" of dark, medium-darks, and all the shades in between. I've used the cross-hatching technique to shade. Sometimes I'll let the curve of the petal dictate how I lay down my lines. Kind of like a plaid blanket resting on a wavy surface. Some lines radiate from the center, others curve and bend.

The leaves are shaded with diagonal lines all headed the same direction. I did not draw much of the vase because I did not feel that it added to the rose. Nothing needs to be overly complex or detailed. Some of the simplest drawings can speak volumes because of what they say, not how they say it.

Once you've finished tweaking and shading everything, erase the smudges from around your drawing.

Ta-da! There's your rose!

"An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered." -G.K. Chesterton

"Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." -G. K. Chesterton

This week's lesson is on drawing flowers.

I'm gonna use a daisy. :)

Most flowers may be begun and mapped out with a circle. Draw the basic shape of the center first and then the limits of the petals (see photo above). When looking at your flower you may notice that the petals do not form a perfect circle. Loosely sketch the little quirks and direction the petals are heading (as in photo below).

Look closely at your specimen.
Don't count and draw every petal - it'll take the fun out of drawing. I must confess, I rarely count anything unless it's really important. Notice that the petals growing toward you may look much shorter than the other petals. Also take a look at the the center - there is a neat spiral pattern that you may wish to sketch in.

If your flower is in a vase, the flower probably isn't standing straight up. If it's leaning over, don't let yourself draw a perfectly upright flower. That tilt could bring a flare of natural life to your work.

Add the details. No need to rush.
 
Add shadows and shading.

Shade the stem and leaves. (All the above photos were done in a black colored pencil, which is hard to completely erase. The one below is in a regular drawing pencil, and the last has black colored pencil for darker shading.)

As you fine-tune the flower, erase some of the extra-sketchy lines. If you have a B pencil, try darkening some of the shading, but not too much. Keep it light and delicate.

And after that's all done, top it off with the flower's name, the date, and your name.
  
VOILA!
You have drawn a flower!