If you’re sitting down with a blank page in front of you and wondering, “What should I draw?” — you’re not alone. It’s something every artist, from beginners to professionals, faces at some point. Whether you’re trying to improve your skills, pass the time, or simply engage in some creative expression, knowing where to start can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are countless drawing ideas to get you inspired, whether you prefer simple doodles or more detailed artwork.
In this article, we’ll explore a range of drawing prompts to help you get started. We’ll cover everything from objects and animals to abstract art, plus techniques to challenge your skills and stimulate your creativity.
Table of Contents
1. Start with Everyday Objects
Sometimes the best way to spark your creativity is to draw what’s immediately around you. Everyday objects are perfect for honing your observation skills and practicing realism. Plus, drawing something familiar helps you focus on details without having to think too hard about a subject.
- A Cup of Coffee or Tea: Start with something simple, like a cup of your favorite beverage. Focus on the shape of the cup, the steam rising, and the texture of the liquid. Experiment with shadows and reflections.
- Your Shoes: Look down and draw the shoes you’re wearing. Capture their texture, laces, or any other interesting details that make them unique.
- Household Items: Draw objects like a lamp, a plant, or a book. These things may seem simple, but they offer great opportunities to practice shading, perspective, and texture.
Drawing everyday objects helps develop your eye for detail and enhances your ability to recreate real-life items on paper.
2. Animals and Wildlife
Animals are one of the most popular drawing subjects, and for good reason. They come in all shapes, sizes, and patterns, offering endless inspiration. Drawing animals can be a fun way to practice anatomy, expressions, and different textures.
- Cats and Dogs: These beloved pets are a fantastic place to start. Whether you’re drawing a cute puppy or a sleepy cat, focus on their body language and unique features.
- Wildlife: Try drawing wild animals such as lions, tigers, elephants, or wolves. These creatures often have distinct characteristics like fur patterns, muscular bodies, or large expressive eyes.
- Birds: Birds can be challenging yet rewarding to draw. Try sketching a simple sparrow, or go for something more complex like an eagle in flight. Pay attention to their feathers, beak, and posture.
Drawing animals is not only a great way to improve your drawing skills, but it can also be very therapeutic and rewarding. Plus, it can stretch your creativity when you experiment with different styles, from realistic to cartoonish.
3. Draw Fantasy or Mythical Creatures
If you want to step into the world of imagination, drawing mythical or fantastical creatures can be an exciting challenge. These subjects give you the freedom to create something entirely unique while honing your skills in character design.
- Dragons: Draw a dragon in any style—realistic, cartoonish, or something in-between. Think about how you want to portray its features: scales, wings, and fire-breathing abilities.
- Unicorns and Pegasus: These legendary creatures have been popular subjects for a long time. Use your imagination to design a unicorn or pegasus, experimenting with different poses, horn designs, and color schemes.
- Mermaids: You can create mermaids with long flowing hair, scaly tails, and intricate underwater surroundings. Think about how light would play off their skin or tails to add depth to your drawing.
The beauty of drawing fantasy creatures is that you can push the boundaries of reality. You have the freedom to make these creatures as strange or magical as you like, and there are no rules when it comes to their design.
4. Nature-Inspired Art
Nature offers a wealth of inspiration, from the grandeur of mountain ranges to the delicate beauty of a single leaf. Drawing from nature helps you practice observing details like textures, lighting, and perspective, which are key for creating more realistic artwork.
- Flowers and Plants: Draw a bouquet of flowers or a simple plant. Focus on the details of the petals, leaves, and the way light interacts with the surfaces.
- Landscapes: Try sketching a beautiful landscape, whether it’s a beach, forest, mountain, or a simple park. Pay attention to the horizon line, shadows, and the layers of objects that make up the scene.
- Trees and Foliage: Draw a single tree or a whole grove of trees. Look at their bark textures, branches, and how the leaves are shaped. You can also try drawing a tree in different seasons for added variety.
Nature-inspired drawings help you practice a wide range of techniques, from texture and shading to perspective and proportions.
5. Portraits and Faces
Drawing faces can be both fun and challenging. Whether you’re aiming for realism or a more stylized approach, portraits offer an opportunity to practice proportions, facial features, and expressions.
- Self-Portrait: A self-portrait is a great way to practice drawing faces. Take a mirror and observe the proportions of your own face. Pay attention to details like your eyes, nose, and mouth, as well as the lighting and shadows on your skin.
- Celebrity Portraits: Try drawing someone famous, whether it’s a movie star, musician, or historical figure. Focus on capturing their likeness and unique features.
- Emotions: Draw faces that express different emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, or surprise. Experiment with how facial features change based on the emotion.
Faces are one of the most expressive parts of the human body, and practicing portraits can teach you how to convey emotion and depth in your drawings.
6. Abstract Art and Patterns
Sometimes, the best way to let your creativity flow is to draw without a specific subject in mind. Abstract art, patterns, and free-form designs allow you to express yourself in unique ways and experiment with different styles and techniques.
- Abstract Shapes: Create a drawing with no defined subject—just shapes, lines, and forms. Play with symmetry, asymmetry, and different line weights to make the design more dynamic.
- Mandala Art: Mandalas are circular designs that often feature repetitive patterns. Start from the center and work your way out, adding different motifs like spirals, geometric shapes, or flower-like patterns.
- Tessellations: Tessellations are repeating patterns of shapes that fit together perfectly. Try creating a tessellation with geometric shapes or even animals like turtles, fish, or birds.
Abstract drawing is a great way to free yourself from the constraints of realism and allows you to focus on creative expression and design.
7. Create a Storyboard or Comic Strip
If you’re interested in storytelling, drawing a storyboard or comic strip is a fun way to combine drawing with narrative. These types of drawings can be simple or detailed, but they allow you to experiment with character development, layout, and composition.
- Storyboard: Create a series of sketches that tell a short story, whether it’s an original idea or an adaptation of something you enjoy. Focus on framing, pacing, and storytelling.
- Comic Strip: Design a comic strip with a short, funny, or dramatic story. Work on creating characters and developing their personalities. Consider using speech bubbles and panel layouts.
- Character Design: Draw characters that could appear in a comic or animated series. Think about how they move, interact with their environment, and what makes them unique.
Drawing comics and storyboards helps you practice dynamic poses, facial expressions, and the structure of storytelling through images.
8. Experiment with Different Styles
Trying new art styles is a great way to explore different techniques and stretch your creativity. If you’re feeling stuck, experiment with various genres or artistic movements to challenge your skills.
- Minimalist Art: Try reducing your subject to the bare essentials, using only simple lines and shapes. Focus on conveying the subject in the most basic and abstract way.
- Pop Art: Create bold and colorful designs inspired by the pop art movement. You can incorporate famous icons or create your own designs in a style similar to artists like Andy Warhol or Roy Lichtenstein.
- Realistic vs. Cartoonish: Try drawing the same subject in two different ways—one as a realistic version and the other in a cartoon style. This can help you learn how to adapt your techniques and think about different ways to represent subjects.
Experimenting with different styles can not only improve your technique but also help you discover what resonates with you artistically.
FAQs
1. I’m not sure where to start. Any tips for beginners?
Start with simple objects that are around you, like a mug, a pencil, or your shoes. These basic objects will help you focus on proportions, shading, and textures. Once you feel comfortable with the basics, move on to more complex subjects like animals or landscapes.
2. How can I make my drawings look more realistic?
Focus on details such as light and shadow, textures, and proportions. Study your subject closely and pay attention to how light falls on different surfaces. Practice shading with a variety of pencils to create depth and dimension.
3. How do I improve my drawing skills?
The key to improvement is regular practice. Challenge yourself by drawing from real life, trying new techniques, and exploring different styles. Consider taking an online course or watching tutorials to learn new methods and concepts.
4. What if I don’t have any inspiration?
Try looking at art books, browsing online art galleries, or going for a walk outside. Inspiration often comes when you least expect it, so keep
your eyes open and be curious about the world around you.
Drawing is a wonderful way to express creativity, and there are countless subjects and styles to explore. Whether you’re sketching something simple or diving into a complex illustration, the most important thing is to enjoy the process. So, the next time you’re wondering, “What should I draw?” — remember that the possibilities are endless, and all you need to do is start!
