Before sketching, let’s get to know the artist behind this vibrant symbol. Takashi Flower is a world-famous Japanese artist known for his unique style that blends Japanese pop culture with fine art. He calls his approach “Super flat,” which reflects and critiques Japanese society by blurring the lines between traditional high art and contemporary mass culture. His works often use cheerful colors and pop imagery.
The Smiling Flower: Symbolism and Meaning
Murakami’s flower is one of his most recognizable creations. This happy Takashi flower, with its rounded petals and cheerful face, appears in everything from paintings and sculptures to fashion and commercial collaborations.
But what’s behind this deceptively simple image? Well, it carries both joyful and complex meanings:
- Optimism and Positivity: It’s a radiant burst of energy and happiness at first glance.
- Consumerism: On a deeper level, Murakami uses the flower to comment on modern consumerist culture and how it creates mass-produced desires. These mass-produced desires result in homogenization.
- Post-War Japan: Some experts also read the flower as a reflection on Japan after World War II. They see the cheerful eyes as masking a darker undercurrent of trauma and uncertainty.
Getting Started: What You’ll Need
Drawing Murakami’s flower is surprisingly easy and a fantastic project for artists of all levels. This is what you’ll need:
- Paper: It can be a plain sketchbook or heavyweight drawing paper. A heavier weight of paper is generally ideal if you’re using markers or pens.
- Pencil: An excellent old-fashioned pencil for your initial sketch.
- Eraser: For fixing little mistakes along the way!
- Drawing tools: You can choose from colored pencils, markers, crayons, or even paints; pick tools you like most and are comfortable handling.
- Circular object (optional): A cup, round lid, or any other circular object that helps trace a perfect start for the flower’s shape.
Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing Your Takashi Murakami Flower
Okay, let’s turn that blank paper into a cheerful flower garden!
1. The Circle
- If you’re using a circular object, gently trace it onto your paper. This forms the base of your flower.
- Don’t have a suitable object? Skip it, don’t stress, but free-hand a nice, even circle as best as you can.
2. Sketching the Petals
- Imagine your circle is like the face of a clock. Divide your circle into 12 roughly equal portions (visualize!)
- At each “hour” point on the edge of the circle, lightly sketch a petal shape.
- Don’t worry about them being perfect at this stage; consider them slightly bulging teardrops or wide, gentle U shapes.
3. Shaping the Petals
- Adjust the petals for that classic Murakami look. You want them to be rounded, with the ends being more comprehensive than the base of the petal. They should overlap slightly.
4. The Cheerful Face
Now for the iconic smiley face that brings the flower to life:
- Center: Find the exact center of your circle.
- Eyes: Above the center point, draw two smaller circles for the eyes.
- Smile: Below the center point, draw a sizeable upward curve.
5. Ink It!
Now it’s time to make it bold! It’s helpful to work on this gradually:
- Outline: Carefully outline the circle and petals with a black pen or marker.
- Face: Outline the facial features for that extra cartoon effect.
6. Color Me Happy
The true magic comes with color! Here’s where you can choose your adventure:
- Classic Takashi: Think bold primaries: yellow petals, bright blue eyes, and a red smile.
- Get Creative: Experiment with rainbow colors, patterns, or even different facial expressions on your flowers.
Tips and Tricks for a Picture-Perfect Flower
- Play with size: Draw tiny flowers to fill a whole page or make one giant statement flower.
- Background fun: Why not add a simple background, a geometric pattern, or other Murakami-inspired elements to make it a complete artwork?
- The more, the merrier: Drawing Murakami flowers is addictive – let your imagination run wild and create a whole bouquet!
Let’s Experiment!
Drawing should make you happy and unleash your creativity, so explore with some of these techniques!
Watercolor Blooms
If you love working with watercolors, this would be an interesting experiment. Watercolors allow for those lovely blends and can easily recreate the vibrant style of the artist. To experiment:
- Sketch your flower design in pencil.
- Please start with the center: wet your brush and add a tiny bit of the yellow shade of your choice to the center, letting it naturally spread and dissipate over the paper.
- Apply color washes of your choice to the petals.
- Allow the paint to dry completely.
- Using a black fine-tip marker, trace your lines from the sketch for definition.
Marker Power
Markers make bold lines and can produce vibrant flat colors that perfectly complement the artist’s Superflat style. Use them to give solid-color looks to your petals and to fill in those eyes and the iconic smile. You can try layering lighter markers over darker shades to create an effect!
Digital Drawing: Same Flower, Different Tool
You don’t have to stick to traditional materials – digital drawing platforms like Procreate or Adobe Illustrator have unique brushes and tools for recreating a Murakami flower. The advantage? There’s always an eraser for quick clean-ups and unlimited colors just a click away!
Beyond Your Basic Tools: Mixed Media Fun
Think outside the toolbox to see what else you can bring to your artwork for some playful textures and mixed effects:
- Crayon Contrast: Try layering brightly colored crayons to fill in your petals and then going over them with a black crayon. Then try gently scratching away sections of the black crayon to reveal the colorful layers underneath! This gives a very textured, vibrant look.
- Collage Details: Cut out interesting patterns from magazines or colored paper and use them to decorate the inside of some of your petals. It provides instant visual complexity!
- Touch of Sparkle: Some glitter glue or shimmery accents can give your flower a little pop-art extravagance. Use with moderation – a little goes a long way!
Taking It Further: Beyond a Single Flower
Once you’ve mastered the primary flower, think about turning it into an even bigger project:
- Flower Field: Sketch an entire field of Murakami-inspired blooms! They can be overlapping, different sizes, and use playful color combinations. This fills up the page with a joyful abundance of the iconic motif.
- Murakami-Inspired Pattern: Use your flower as a repeating element to make a vibrant and eye-catching pattern. Cover a whole sheet of paper, and let it become wallpaper, wrapping paper, or a unique abstract art piece.
- Wearable Art: Transfer your flower design onto fabric using iron-on transfer paper or fabric markers. It makes a truly unique t-shirt or tote bag design!
FAQs
1. Do my petals have to be perfectly even?
Not! While Murakami’s work leans toward graphic boldness, a little wobbliness or irregularity in your petals adds charm. It reminds us that art comes from a human hand, not a machine.
2. I’m having trouble drawing the smiling face. Any tips?
Sometimes, sketching faces first on a scrap piece of paper can be helpful. Start with the eyes: the two perfect circles. The more you practice these little components, the better you’ll become. Then, draw the curve of the smile—you can try mirroring the curve of the bottom edge of the entire flower for symmetry.
3. Can I draw something other than a flower in Murakami’s style?
Definitely! He has iconic characters like Mr. DOB, skulls, and mushrooms – all fun to draw in that bright, bubbly style. Look up some of his work for inspiration.
4. My colors don’t seem as vibrant as the original. How do I fix this?
Consider layering colors like bright yellow crayons with orange; you might try going over lighter colors with a slightly darker version of the same color on some petals. Building it up slowly creates those lovely, blended, and bold looks.
5. Can I share my Takashi Murakami-inspired drawings online?
Of course! Just be mindful not to try to sell artwork based on his characters and designs directly, as those fall under copyright. Fan art and the unique takes you share without profit are great. Many artists inspire each other. It’s about practicing and exploring that style while not plagiarizing.
Finally
Above all else, drawing Takashi Murakami flowers is about joyful expression and embracing creativity. Exploring the dynamics of color: how shades shape artistic narratives can profoundly enhance your artwork, especially when you apply its principles to drawing the Takashi flower. Use bright colors, experiment with different techniques, and don’t be afraid to put your twist on this classic Super flat symbol! Your flower will be uniquely yours, a statement of your creativity and imagination.
