100+ Things to Draw: Easy, Cool, Cute and Fun Ideas
You sit down with pencils and paper, and … nothing happens. You’re drawing a blank—literally. Take inspiration from this bucket list of things to draw.
Not sure what to draw next? Whether you’re a beginner staring at a brand new sketchbook or an experienced artist in need of fresh inspiration, one of the hardest parts of drawing can simply be figuring out what to draw. The solution? One hundred distinct drawing ideas to help spark your creativity and get your pencil moving. There’s no pressure, and no perfection required—just pick a prompt that piques your interest and start sketching.
From quick doodles and beautiful botanicals to striking landscapes and expressive faces, there’s something here for every skill level (and every mood). Depending on what you choose, these ideas can relax, entertain or challenge you, and some only take a few minutes, while others could take hours. Jump straight to the categories that excite you most, or work your way through them all—you might just discover a new favorite subject along the way.
Doodles
Doodles are the perfect way to get warmed up and let your imagination roam free: They’re quick, spontaneous and don’t come with any pressure to be perfect. If you’re filling empty space in your journal or simply looking for a way to relax, doodling is a fun and low-stress way to explore your creativity.
1. Joyful Sea Foam

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Use these easy but beautiful ocean-inspired doodles to start drawing, get in a flow state and relax your mind.
2. Slow Arcs

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Discover how drawing can help you find your zen with these graceful pen doodles.
3. Straight Lines

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Take your doodles in a more linear direction with these mesmerizing geometric shapes.
4. Noodle-Inspired Design

Skill level: Any.
About the project: While not an official Zentangle pattern, these noodle-inspired doodles will fit right in with the rest of your Zentangle designs.
5. Your Initials

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Personalize your doodles with a stylized version of your own initials.
6. Single Line Doodle

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Practice letting your creativity flow with a one-line doodle of just about anything.
7. Decorated Watercolor

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Add some color to your sketchbook by first filling a page with watercolor washes and then decorating it with organic doodles.
8. Optical Illusion Mandala

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Create your own optical illusion with this entrancing (but surprisingly easy) ink mandala.
9. Gustav Klimt-Inspired Patterns

Skill level: Any.
About the project: With these bold designs, you’ll take inspiration from the famous Austrian painter Gustav Klimt and his affinity for decorative gold accents.
10. Abstract Ink Illustration

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Use several drawing techniques to create a one-of-a-kind pattern that means something to you.
11. Vibrant Highlighter Art

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Take humble highlighters and use them to create a stunning abstract pattern.
Plants and Flowers
Nature provides some of the most elegant and inspiring drawing subjects. From delicate petals to lush foliage, plants and flowers can help you practice shapes, patterns, shading and more. These drawing ideas will help you capture the quiet beauty of the natural world.
12. Floral Cascade

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Calm your mind and brighten up your sketchbook with these cheerful floral doodles.
13. Botanical Mandala

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Learn how to create a beautifully symmetrical mandala that’s inspired by the world around you.
14. One-Line Flowers

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Take a relaxed approach to capturing flowers’ beauty with this approachable one-line technique.
15. Pressed Flower Doodles

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Take the intimidation out of learning to draw flowers by capturing them in a two-dimensional form.
16. Simple Potted Plants

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Go beyond flowers by learning how to draw various plants and their unique leaves.
17. Scientific Botanical Illustration

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Create a scientifically accurate drawing of any plant with simple and easy-to-learn techniques.
18. Lush Hydrangea

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Get the hang of drawing details by sketching the many petals of a hydrangea flower.
19. Sketched Trees

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Discover how to create basic but believable drawings of trees.
20. Realistic Trees

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Create more realistic-looking trees with easy shading and drawing techniques.
21. Classic Acanthus

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Master a motif that’s been around since ancient times by learning how to draw the acanthus plant.
22. Detailed Roses

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Take your flower drawing skills into the third dimension by sketching blooming roses from a reference photo.
23. Lifelike Peonies

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Draw a frame-worthy illustration of peonies with the help of fineline shading techniques.
24. Romantic 19th Century-Style Trees

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Tired of generic trees? Take inspiration from 19th-century artists and discover how to draw trees with character.
Animals
Animals offer a rich variety of forms, textures and personalities to explore through art. Whether it’s by sketching the fluffy feathers of a bird, the soft fur of a kitten or the glistening scales of a fish, drawing animals can help you improve your observation skills and anatomical knowledge.
25. Cute Creatures

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Learn the formula for cuteness and gain the ability to make any (yes, any) animal look adorable.
26. Simplified Duck

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Sketch a realistic-looking duck by learning how to break it down into simple shapes.
27. Playful Birds

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Experiment with bird illustration by drawing many species in a variety of poses.
28. Realistic Owl

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Use a pencil to capture all the fine details and features of a perching barn owl.
29. Highland Cow

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Turn simple pencil markings into an impressive drawing of an adorable Scottish cow.
30. Fuzzy Bumblebee

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Add a splash of color to your animal drawings and discover how to create a realistic-looking bee with beautifully translucent wings.
31. Stylized Cat

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Develop your own personal drawing style by learning how to draw cats that are realistic, cartoon-like and everything in between.
32. Sketched Cats

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Explore cats’ unique poses with quick feline-themed sketches.
33. Realistic Cat

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Tackle a realistic cat portrait complete with shading, reflections and detailed fur patterns.
34. Cartoon Dog

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Learn how to draw a playful dog portrait that’s bursting with personality (and perfect for gifting).
35. Sketched Dogs

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Get more comfortable with drawing dogs by sketching them in various poses.
36. Realistic Dog

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Use colored pencils to create a vibrant and true-to-life representation of a dog.
37. Galloping Horse

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Discover how to draw one of nature’s most majestic animals using techniques anyone can learn.
38. Fierce Tiger

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Push your animal drawing skills to the next level with this vibrant portrait of a fearsome tiger.
39. Elegant Koi Fish

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Capture the elegance of koi fish with this detailed but approachable drawing.
People and Faces
Drawing people and faces is a powerful way to express emotion, character and story. These ideas will help you break down the human form into manageable, approachable pieces, from easy stick figures to expressive facial features to realistic portraits.
40. Doodled Figures

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Daunted by the prospect of drawing people? This easy doodling project makes it a breeze to get started.
41. Cute Character

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Discover a simple formula for drawing cute people in any number of outfits.
42. Proportional Stick Figure

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Familiarize yourself with human proportions with this straightforward approach.
43. People You See

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Learn to draw the people around you and you’ll also improve your observation and artistic skills.
44. Fashion Models

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Use fashion illustration techniques to learn how clothes drape over the human body.
45. Three-Dimensional Figure

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Use shapes like cylinders and cubes to simplify the process of drawing a 3D person.
46. Facial Features

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Get to know humans’ most prominent facial features by drawing eyes, noses and mouths.
47. Convincing Eyes

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Learn to draw realistic eyes using shadows, light and attention to detail.
48. Basic Portrait

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Master the fundamentals of portraiture, from facial anatomy and proportion to hair and perspective.
49. Expressive Portrait

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Discover the secrets to successfully conveying emotion in your portraits.
50. Asaro Head

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Refine your portrait-drawing abilities with the help of the Asaro head, a classic tool for artists.
51. Realistic Pencil Portrait

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Draw a face in photorealistic detail using just one color.
52. Colorful Portrait

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Spice up your portraits with vibrant colors that pop off the page.
53. Anatomically Correct Hands

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Many artists struggle to draw hands, but after completing this project, you won’t be one of them.
54. Anatomically Correct Feet

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Why stop at hands when you can learn to accurately draw feet, too?
Food and Drink
Tasty and visually satisfying, foods and beverages make surprisingly delightful drawing subjects. The colors, textures and familiar forms of everyday meals and treats offer plenty of opportunities to play with detail and design, and the sheer variety of subjects makes for endless inspiration. Ahead, you’ll find ideas that are as fun to draw as they are to eat.
55. Adorable Food

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Turn everyday foods into cute characters with uncomplicated techniques.
56. Still Life Apple

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Learn how light, shadows and shapes interact with each other by drawing a classic still life.
57. Vibrant Berries

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Draw juicy, colorful berries that look good enough to eat.
58. Sweet Cupcake

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Learn how to draw fluffy frosting with this tasty-looking cupcake.
59. Delectable Cake

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Use alcohol markers to depict a delicious slice of cake.
60. Crosshatched Teapot

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Delve into crosshatching techniques while creating a charming drawing of a teapot.
61. Hyperrealistic Bell Pepper

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Bring a bell pepper to life with this colorful pencil drawing.
62. Delicate Macarons

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Decorate your sketchbook with cheerful and colorful macarons.
63. Fresh-Baked Croissant

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Another French pastry, this time drizzled in shiny chocolate and drawn with markers.
64. Sundae in a Glass

Skill level: Advanced.
About the project: Challenge yourself by drawing a delicious sundae served in a realistic glass dish.
Landscapes
Learn to draw landscapes and you’ll be able to capture the world around you, or realize imagined scenes from your mind. From majestic mountains to dense forests, landscapes help you practice perspective, depth and atmosphere.
65. Mountain Sketch

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Start with a simple but beautiful drawing of a mountaintop.
66. Observational Landscape Sketch

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Get into the flow of landscape drawing with this relaxed project.
67. Cozy Cabin

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Create a complete scene of this charming cabin in the woods.
68. Van Gogh-Inspired Landscape

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Use simple mark-making techniques to draw impressive van Gogh-inspired landscapes.
69. Charcoal Forest

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Capture trees in a forest at sunset with charcoal pencils.
70. Bold Desert Scene

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Use inking techniques to portray a tranquil desert landscape in black and white.
71. Fantasy Landscape

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Bring an imaginary landscape to life in a believable way.
72. Stylized Landscape

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Take what you know about landscape drawing and infuse it with your own personal style.
73. Vibrant Stylized Landscape

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Use digital tools to create a stunning landscape of your own creation.
74. Realistic Landscape Sketch

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Practice observation skills by sketching a lifelike landscape from a reference photo.
75. Colorful Realistic Landscape

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Give your hand-drawn landscapes new depth with colored pencils.
76. Impressionist Landscape

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Employ the key principles of impressionist drawing to portray the iconic RMS Titanic.
77. Soft Pastel Landscape

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Create an idyllic countryside landscape with blendable soft pastels.
Buildings
Whether modern or historic, grand or humble, buildings are fantastic subjects for practicing structure and perspective. Drawing architecture can sharpen your eye for detail, symmetry and spatial relationships, and can also help you notice beautiful details you might not otherwise appreciate.
78. Architectural Doodles

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Dip your toes into architectural drawing with straightforward doodles.
79. One-Line Building

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Use one-line drawings to capture buildings in a unique way.
80. Simple Medieval Castle

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Draw a medieval castle straight from a storybook in just a few minutes.
81. Street Sketch

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Use observation skills to draw buildings based on a real-life reference.
82. Rural Barn

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Create a quiet country scene while practicing one-point perspective.
83. Tiny House

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Master two point perspective with a charming tiny house in the woods.
84. Guggenheim Museum

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Use a two-point perspective and other tried-and-true techniques to capture a famous American museum.
85. Wooden Cottage

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Take a step-by-step approach to creating an architecturally accurate drawing of a cottage.
86. Ancient City

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Learn how to draw cities from the distant past.
87. Detailed Cityscape

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Use perspective, shading and composition to draw a realistic urban scene.
88. Intricate Gothic Cathedral

Skill level: Any.
About the project: Draw an intricately detailed Gothic cathedral from start to finish.
Anime and Cartoon
Anime and cartoon styles let you bring personality and movement into your art in bold, expressive ways. Here, you’ll find fun prompts to help you explore facial expressions, master poses and even create your own character.
89. Versatile Anime Eyes

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Dive into drawing anime with the genre’s distinctive eyes.
90. Anime Face (Female)

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Draw a polished three-quarter portrait of a female anime character.
91. Anime Face (Male)

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Create a simple but impressive portrait of a male anime character.
92. Classic Manga Portrait

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Use references to draw portraits like a pro manga artist.
93. Anime Hairstyles (Female)

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Give your anime characters different personalities with the help of unique hairstyles.
94. Dynamic Anime Poses

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Learn crucial techniques for drawing impactful anime poses.
95. Anime-Inspired Portrait (Female)

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Use manga inking pens to draw a stunning anime-style portrait of a woman.
96. Anime-Inspired Portrait (Male)

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Create a striking anime-style portrait of a man.
97. Cartoon Elephant

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Explore a variety of facial expressions on an adorable cartoon elephant.
98. Cartoon Pose

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Create a posing character that instantly conveys the emotion of your choice.
99. Recognizable Caricature

Skill level: Intermediate.
About the project: Discover the principles of character design by learning how to draw recognizable caricatures of famous people.
100. Original Character

Skill level: Beginner.
About the project: Use your own creativity to design a one-of-a-kind character from scratch.
Keep Your Pencil Moving
Creativity thrives on momentum, so the more you draw, the more inspired you’ll be. Whether you complete one category in its entirety or try a little bit of everything, each sketch you make will be a small but significant step forward in your artistic journey.
And if you’re looking for help reaching your next creative milestone, there’s a Skillshare class for you. With thousands of online drawing and inking classes at your fingertips, you’ll never be without an expert teacher to guide you in the right direction.
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