Flowers and leaves are an all time favourite theme in design. Whether you’re designing for a website, a magazine or a fabric pattern, these simply never go out of trend!

Step 1

Use the pen tool to draw a petal. Then use the rotate tool to copy and paste a few petals. Modify some of the petals’ shape to create a more interesting and realistic flower.
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Step 2

Use the gradient tool with a similar linear gradient as shown here. With the gradient tool selected click on one point of the petal and drag it across the canvas to create variations of the gradient. Keep on doing this until you are satisfied.
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Step 3

Draw the inner flower bud like shapes and the stamen with the pen tool. Use the smooth tool to correct their shapes so that they look smoother.
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Step 4

Copy and rotate the outer buds at an angle of 25 degrees. Do the same with the stamen.
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Step 5

Assemble your flower and you’re almost there! The next steps are to embellish your flower.
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Step 6

Add some depth to the flower by duplication your petals and add a darker gradient to them. Place this behind your flower.
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Step 7

Draw the stem with the pen tool.
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Step 8

Place the stem behind the flower.
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Step 9

Draw a leaf with the pen tool. Shade it with a radial gradient. Copy and paste a second leaf, make it a darker gradient shade of green. Place it behind the your leaf.
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Step 10

Using the pen tool draw a second flower illustration that looks like a bird of paradise flower. Colour it with a gradient similar to the one shown here. Colour the stem with the same gradient used for your leaf.
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Step 11

Now you are ready to use the flowers and leaves vector illustration in your design composition just by duplicating and rotating the vector elements.
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Variation

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Application

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Download

Flowers & leaves  illustration source file. Required Adobe Illustrator CS2 +