How to Draw Lily Of The Valley — Free Practice Sheets

Lily of the valley is easy to recognize but easy to draw vaguely: the flowers hang, the stem arches, and one long leaf carries the whole composition. This page teaches a reliable order for the drawing, starting with the leaf outline and main stem, then adding pedicels and bells from largest to smallest. The practice sheets let you trace, grid-copy, place the silhouette with guides, or complete a partial drawing, and each version is assessed by visible features rather than an exact match.

Build the plant from its largest shapes

Begin with the two shapes that set the drawing's proportions: the single long lance-shaped leaf and the arching main stem. The leaf is a tall, narrow outline that curves gently; it is not a broad oval. Inside it, draw several vein lines that run roughly parallel along its length, following the leaf's curve rather than crossing it.

The main stem rises from the base and arches to one side with a gentle downward curve. Keep that curve smooth and continuous. The stem is the spine of the drawing, so its height and direction determine where the flowers can hang without crowding the leaf.

1. Draw the long lance-shaped leaf as a tall curved outline.
2. Add several parallel interior vein lines that follow the leaf's curve.
3. Draw the main stem rising from the base and arching to the right.
4. Check that the leaf and stem do not overlap confusingly at the base.

Hang the flowers in a believable sequence

Short pedicels branch downward from the upper part of the stem, and each pedicel ends in a bell-shaped flower. Place the pedicels along one side of the stem so the flowers read as a hanging row rather than a scattered cluster. Keep the pedicels short; long stalks change the plant's character.

Draw the bells with a rounded cup and a slightly flared rim, opening downward. Scale matters: the lowest bell is the largest, and the topmost flower is the smallest, often reading as a bud. Working from the lowest bell upward makes the size change easy to control.

1. Add short pedicels branching downward from the upper stem.
2. Draw the lowest bell first, making it the largest.
3. Work upward, reducing each bell slightly.
4. Finish with the topmost bud as the smallest form.

Use the practice sheet that matches your difficulty

Tracing the reference outline first builds the hand motion for the arch and the hanging bells. Then practise the contour independently and compare with the separate full reference sheet. If tracing feels too guided, copy the reference onto the blank grid using matching grid intersections, which trains placement and proportion.

The bounding frame and center guide version asks you to place the silhouette before adding identifying details, which is useful when your drawings drift off-center. The partial version, with the blank right-hand portion, tests whether you can continue the arch and flower row consistently. In every version, compare against the full reference sheet and judge the visible features, not pixel-perfect matching.

1. Trace the reference outline once to learn the contour.
2. Redraw the contour without tracing and compare with the full reference.
3. Try the grid copy to check placement and proportion.
4. Use the frame-and-guide or partial version to test independent completion.

Check the drawing against visible features

A finished drawing can differ from the reference and still be correct. What matters is whether the identifying features are present and proportioned sensibly: bell-shaped flowers hanging from short pedicels along one side of the stem, a single long lance-shaped leaf with parallel veins, and an arching main stem with a gentle downward curve.

Use the rubric below as a quick self-check. If a feature is missing or distorted, return to that stage rather than redrawing everything.

1. Confirm the leaf is long and lance-shaped with parallel veins.
2. Confirm the stem arches gently rather than standing straight.
3. Confirm the bells hang downward and shrink toward the top.
4. Confirm the pedicels are short and grouped along one side.

Check your work

• The leaf is drawn as a long lance-shaped outline, not a broad oval.
• Several vein lines run roughly parallel inside the leaf and follow its curve.
• The main stem arches with a gentle downward curve rather than standing straight.
• Short pedicels branch downward from the upper stem along one side.
• Flowers are bell-shaped and open downward.
• The lowest bell is the largest and the topmost form is the smallest bud.
• The overall proportions keep the leaf, stem, and flower row balanced and readable.

Worked example

lily of the valley: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Drawing the leaf as a wide oval instead of a long lance shape. Redraw the leaf outline taller and narrower, then add parallel veins that follow its curve.
• Making all the bells the same size. Set the lowest bell as the largest and reduce each bell slightly as you work upward to the bud.
• Using long pedicels that spread the flowers away from the stem. Shorten each pedicel so the bells hang close to the upper stem along one side.

Questions and answers