Aesthetic drawing ideas share a look more than a subject: thin clean lines, a few muted colors and a lot of empty space. The 60 ideas below all suit that style, and most can be done with one fine pen and a single colored pencil.
None of them need shading or perspective. What they need is restraint, which the tips after the list explain.
- A crescent moon cradling a sleeping cat
- A sun and a moon drawn as two halves of one face
- The phases of the moon in a row with tiny stars between
- A hand reaching up to hold one small star
- A window frame with a galaxy where the view should be
- A crystal ball with clouds swirling inside
- A constellation in the shape of a paper crane
- A cloud with a staircase and a tiny door
- Saturn with a ribbon in place of its ring
- A jar of fireflies glowing on a windowsill
- A eucalyptus stem with round paired leaves
- A single monstera leaf in clean outline
- A loose bouquet tied with twine
- A face in profile whose hair turns into wildflowers
- A lavender sprig held to the page with a strip of drawn tape
- A fern frond unrolling from a spiral
- A ginkgo leaf with fine fan lines
- A vase and three poppies made from one continuous line
- A dried orange slice beside a cinnamon stick
- A ring of olive branches around a single word
- A window seat with a blanket, a book and rain outside
- A desk with a lamp, a trailing plant and a cup going cold
- A bed under a slanted ceiling hung with small lights
- A stack of folded sweaters with a candle on top
- A record player with an album sleeve leaning beside it
- A bathtub full of bubbles with a book on a tray
- A balcony with two chairs and a row of paper lanterns
- A bookshelf with ivy and a cat asleep on the top shelf
- A breakfast tray with a croissant, jam and a folded newspaper
- A kitchen shelf of mismatched mugs
- A film camera with its strap coiled beside it
- A cassette tape with the ribbon pulled out into a heart
- A pair of roller skates with ribbon laces
- A bicycle with a basket of baguettes and flowers
- An old key hanging on a velvet ribbon
- A boxy television showing a sunset
- A bundle of letters tied with string
- A gramophone with flowers blooming from the horn
- Round sunglasses reflecting two palm trees
- A gold-rimmed teacup with a lemon slice
- A perfume bottle with a tassel and a bow
- A ballet slipper with ribbons trailing in a spiral
- A hair bow with long tails and stitched edges
- A tube of lip gloss surrounded by sparkles
- A heart-shaped locket hanging open
- A vanity mirror framed with round bulbs
- Two cherries tied together with a ribbon
- A strawberry milkshake with whipped cream and a heart straw
- A row of butterfly hair clips
- A pearl necklace spilling out of a seashell dish
- A lone sailboat under a huge pastel sky
- A row of beach huts in ice-cream colors
- A field of tulips with a windmill on the horizon
- A cafe table for two on a cobbled street
- A lake cabin with a dock and a single lantern
- A cherry tree shedding petals over a bench
- Telephone wires at dusk with a few birds
- A mountain road framed by a car window
- A small greenhouse glowing warm at dusk
- A swing hanging from a hilltop tree at sunset
- One line weight. Use the same fine pen for everything. Even, unshaded lines are the core of the look.
- Two or three muted colors. Beige, sage green, dusty pink, soft terracotta or pale blue. Color only a few parts and leave the rest as line.
- Empty space on purpose. Let the drawing take up half the page or less, and place it slightly off-center.
- Small repeated accents. A few four-point sparkles, dots or tiny leaves scattered around the subject tie a page together.
- Simple over accurate. Leave out anything that doesn't help the shape read. A face can be a profile line with no eyes at all.
Make a mood page. Choose one idea from each of three sections, draw them small on the same page, and add a strip of three color swatches along the bottom. Use only those three colors. The shared palette is what turns three separate doodles into one page that looks designed.
A consistent look is half of a character design. If your pages keep landing on the same palette and mood, try building a character who lives in that world. Describe the style and colors in the Character Creator, or go for a soft anime look with the Anime Character Creator.
Keep going: pretty things to draw, cute doodles and abstract drawing ideas.
Simple line subjects: a crescent moon, a single leaf, a mug, a bow, a few stars. Draw them with one fine pen and add one soft color.
Limit yourself. Use one pen, two or three muted colors and lots of blank space. Consistency does more for the look than skill.
Soft, slightly grayed tones are the most common: beige, cream, sage, dusty pink, terracotta and pale blue. Pick two or three that sit well together and stick to them.
Start with plants and sky objects, since they forgive wobbly lines. A eucalyptus stem or a row of moon phases looks good even when it isn't perfect.
