Drawing Ideas: 63 Things to Draw When You Feel Stuck

Looking for drawing ideas? Here are 63 of them, sorted by subject so you can find one that fits your mood and the time you have. Every idea comes with a small detail, because "a tree" is hard to start and "a pine tree bent sideways by the wind" already tells you where the first line goes.

Use this page as your drawing inspo hub. Each section also points to a longer list if you want more of the same kind.

Easy drawing ideas to warm up

Simple shapes, no pressure. Want more like these? Try the things to draw when bored list.

1. Your own house key, drawn twice its real size
2. A coffee mug with a chipped rim and a spoon inside
3. A single sneaker with the laces untied and trailing
4. A paper bag crumpled at the top, lit from one side
5. Three eggs in a bowl, each casting a soft shadow
6. A pair of glasses folded on top of an open book
7. A houseplant leaf with one bite-shaped hole in it

Nature drawing ideas

8. A pine tree bent sideways by years of wind
9. A river stone with a stripe of white quartz
10. A cluster of mushrooms growing from a fallen log
11. A dandelion losing half its seeds to a breeze
12. A storm cloud raining on only one hill
13. A tide pool holding a starfish and two snails
14. A bare winter tree full of sleeping crows

Animal drawing ideas

For the round and fluffy kind, see cute animal drawings.

15. A cat squeezed into a box that is clearly too small
16. A heron standing on one leg in shallow water
17. A sleepy dog resting its chin on a windowsill
18. A goldfish seen from above in a round bowl
19. A hedgehog curled halfway into a ball
20. A horse grazing with its tail caught mid-swish
21. An octopus unscrewing a jar from the inside

Food drawing ideas

22. A slice of pizza with a long string of cheese
23. A stack of pancakes with syrup running down one side
24. A bowl of ramen with a soft egg cut in half
25. An ice cream cone starting to melt over a hand
26. A pomegranate broken open with seeds spilling out
27. A teapot pouring into a cup that is already full
28. A loaf of bread with three slices cut and fanned out

Everyday objects to draw

29. The contents of a pencil case dumped across a desk
30. A bicycle leaning against a brick wall
31. An old rotary phone with a tangled curly cord
32. A backpack hanging open on the back of a chair
33. A candle burned down to a wide puddle of wax
34. A key ring carrying far too many keychains
35. An umbrella drying upside down in a hallway

Places and buildings

36. A corner shop at night with one lit window
37. A lighthouse on a cliff during a calm sunset
38. A treehouse with a rope ladder and a bucket on a pulley
39. A narrow street with laundry hung between the buildings
40. A greenhouse with fogged glass and one open pane
41. A train platform with a single waiting passenger
42. A cabin half buried in snow with smoke rising from the chimney

People and character drawing ideas

New to figures? Start with how to draw a person.

43. A kid in a yellow raincoat landing in a puddle
44. A baker carrying a tray stacked taller than their head
45. Someone asleep on a bus with headphones slipping off
46. A street musician playing for an audience of one dog
47. A skateboarder frozen at the top of a ramp
48. A knight eating lunch with the helmet still on
49. A witch comparing prices in an ordinary grocery store

Fantasy drawing ideas

50. A city built on the back of a giant turtle
51. A library where the books fly back to their shelves
52. A dragon the size of a house cat guarding a single coin
53. A staircase that climbs straight into a cloud
54. A door standing alone in the middle of a wheat field
55. A whale swimming slowly through a night sky
56. A market stall that sells weather in glass bottles

Cool and fun things to draw

These are small challenges more than subjects.

57. Your bedroom drawn as a treasure map with one X
58. A self-portrait built from straight lines only
59. The view from your window in the opposite season
60. Your shoes redesigned for a walk on the moon
61. An everyday gadget sliced in half to show its insides
62. The same teacup from above, from the side and from below
63. An island map traced from the outline of your hand

How to keep coming up with drawing ideas

A list runs out. A habit doesn't. Three things that help:

• Sort by time, not by subject. Give a warm-up idea two minutes, an object ten, a place or a scene thirty. Knowing when you'll stop makes starting easier.
• Cross two sections. Take one idea from "Animals" and one from "Places" and draw them together. The heron on the train platform is a better picture than either alone.
• Keep a running note. When something catches your eye during the day, write five words about it. In a month you'll have your own list, and it will fit your taste better than any list online.

Turn a drawing idea into a character

Some ideas want to become someone: the knight at lunch, the witch in the grocery store. If one sticks, describe it in the Character Creator and you'll get a portrait, a name and a backstory to draw from. You can also pull a full character concept from 100 OC ideas.

More lists: cute things to draw, drawing prompts and sketch ideas.

FAQ

What should I draw when I don't know what to draw?

Draw the nearest object on your desk for two minutes. It removes the choice, and the choice is usually the part that's blocking you. After that warm-up, pick any idea from the list above.

What are easy drawing ideas for beginners?

Single objects with simple shapes: a mug, a key, an egg, a leaf, a shoe. They sit still, you can check them against the real thing, and each one teaches you to see shapes and shadows.

What are some cool things to draw?

Try a challenge instead of a subject: a map of your room, an object cut in half to show the inside, or the same cup from three angles. A cool drawing usually comes from an unusual point of view.

How do I find my own drawing inspo?

Collect it in small pieces. Keep a note on your phone with five-word descriptions of things you notice, save photos you take yourself, and reread the note whenever you sit down to draw.