• Use a model when you paint flowers so that you can see which areas are recessed, or distant, and which are in the forefront, or nearer. Using a live flower or a clear picture of one as a model will also help you to capture the light and dark areas that you need to put on your canvas. To recreate a sense of depth, you must recreate the structure of the real flower, and the different color hues displayed in near and distant areas of the flower.
  
  

Flower Construction

• One of the biggest mistakes people make when painting a flower is to paint it as a whole. To give depth to a flower, paint it one petal at a time. By putting the pieces together as a construction project, you will recreate a natural effect of depth.
  
  Paint in strokes from the bottom of each petal to the tip. Each paint stroke should also follow the curve of the petal. If you follow this tip, the petal will appear to have depth, rather than looking one-dimensional.
  
  

Shading

• Shade areas of the flowers that are naturally darker, such as underneath the petals and where one petal meets another. Even though many painters use black for shadows, this isn't realistic. Shadows are darker hues of the original color of the flower. If your flower is yellow, paint shading in darker shades of yellow.
  
  Blend the shadows into the paint around them to give the flower more depth. Distinct lines between highlights and shadows make a flower look one-dimensional.
  
  

Lighting

• Highlight your flowers in the areas where light hits them. This step is just as important as shading for the appearance of depth. Shading creates recessed areas of your flower, while highlighting brings areas of the flower forward in the painting.
  
  Paint highlights in the same areas as the natural highlights you see when sunlight hits a flower in your garden. Don't use white paint for highlights; rather, use lighter hues of the natural color of the flower for a realistic effect of light. As with painting shadows, blend your highlights into the surrounding color gradually to capture a realistic sense of depth.