Okay, so I’ve been obsessed with this “amiri flowers” thing lately. It’s like, everywhere I look, I see awesome designs with these intricate floral patterns, and I just had to try it myself. No idea where to even begin, you know?
Getting Started (and Failing a Bit)
First, I did what everyone does – I Googled it! Typed in “amiri flowers tutorial,” “amiri flowers how to,” the whole nine yards. I found a bunch of stuff, mostly images, some speed paints, even those short videos. Problem was, it was all just…showing the result, not really the process. Super frustrating!
So, I tried to just wing it. I grabbed my sketchbook, you know, and I went to the local stationery shop and buy lots of pencils, color pens, and some paint. I just started doodling flowers, trying to copy the styles I’d seen. Let me tell you, it was a mess. Like, a total mess. My flowers looked like sad, wilted blobs. Nothing like the sharp, detailed ones I wanted.
Finding the Right Tools (and Inspiration)
I almost gave up, honestly. But then I remembered this artist I follow on Instagram, who sometimes posts process pics. I scrolled through their feed, and bam! They had a few posts showing how they sketched flowers, not specifically amiri style, but still helpful. And they mentioned the type of pens they used – super fine liners, 0.05 and 0.1, I think. I felt the motivation to try again!
- Went back to the art store. This time, I was on a mission.
- Got the fine liners. Felt so fancy, haha.
- Found some good reference photos. Not just finished designs, but actual flowers, close-up shots, that kind of thing.
- Also grabbed some tracing paper. That’s a trick I used to use in high school.
Practice, Practice, Practice (and Tracing!)
Okay, so with the new pens and the tracing paper, things started to click. I practiced by tracing over some of the simpler amiri flower designs I found. It’s not cheating, right? It’s just learning the shapes and the flow. Tracing the lines felt right!
I started doing a trace and using the reference photo and put it on the right position, and after a few tries I can totally freehand drawing it.
After tracing, I started practicing on my own, using the reference photos of real flowers. I focused on the outlines first, getting those clean, sharp lines with the fine liners. Then I started adding details, like the shading and the little veins in the petals. It was still tough, but way better than my first attempts!
My First (Semi-Successful) Design
Finally, I felt brave enough to try a design from scratch. I sketched a basic flower shape, then went over it with the fine liner, adding all the amiri-style details I’d been practicing. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine, and it actually looked pretty good! I even added some color with some watercolor pencils, just to see how it would look.
It’s still a work in progress, you know? I’m still learning, still practicing. But it’s so much fun, and it’s really satisfying to see the improvement. I’m even thinking about trying to incorporate these flowers into some clothing designs, maybe. Who knows!
The main thing is, don’t give up if you’re struggling with something new. Just keep experimenting, find the right tools, and don’t be afraid to trace a little (or a lot) to get the hang of it!
