Here’s a simple step‑by‑step way to draw a rose (no special skills needed).

1. Start with the center

  1. Lightly draw a small spiral or tight “C” shape in the middle of your page.
  2. Around that, add a few short curved lines, like tiny folded ribbons, wrapping around the spiral.
  3. Keep the lines slightly uneven so it feels organic, not like a perfect circle.

Think of the center as a little swirl of paper slowly opening.

2. Add inner petals

  1. From the center, draw petal shapes like curved triangles or teardrops that overlap each other.
  2. Let each new petal slightly cover the one behind it, as if they’re shingled roof tiles.
  3. Vary the size: inner petals smaller and tighter, outer ones a bit longer and wider.

A quick trick: always curve the petal edges inward toward the middle so it looks like they’re wrapping around the center.

3. Build the outer petals

  1. Draw larger petals around the inner ones, using long “S” curves or wide “U” shapes.
  2. Let some edges be wavy or slightly jagged to imitate real rose petal edges.
  3. Overlap a few petals so some are in front and some peek from behind.

You can imagine you’re drawing several soft “cups” stacked around each other.

4. Draw the base and stem

  1. Under the flower, draw a small cup or “U” shape to show where petals meet (the base).
  2. Add 3–5 small pointed shapes (sepals) sticking out from that base.
  3. From the base, draw two slightly curved lines down for the stem, keeping them close and mostly parallel.

If you want a more graceful look, let the stem curve instead of going straight down.

5. Add leaves and thorns (optional)

  1. Draw a leaf stem branching off the main stem.
  2. Add big, pointed leaves with a central vein and smaller veins branching out.
  3. For thorns, draw tiny, sharp triangles along the stem, pointing slightly downward.

Keep them small so they don’t steal attention from the rose itself.

6. Light shading to make it pop

  1. Decide where your light source is (for example, top left).
  2. Shade the opposite sides of petals lightly with your pencil, focusing where petals tuck under others.
  3. Darken inside the center spiral a bit to give depth.

Use soft, short strokes and blend lightly with your finger or a scrap of tissue if you like. TL;DR:
Start with a small spiral, build petals outward with overlapping curved shapes, then add a base, stem, leaves, and light shading to make your rose look more realistic.