What to draw today
Staring at a blank page with no idea what to draw? Here are 30 ideas, from very easy to slightly weird. Pick one, set a timer for 15 minutes and just start.
Easy drawing ideas
For warming up or for days when you have little energy. Most of these are probably lying around you right now.
Today's mug
Draw the mug or glass you're drinking from right now. Outline first, then a bit of shadow on the side facing away from the window.
A shoe from above
Put a shoe on the floor and draw it from a bird's eye view. The laces are the fun part.
A cactus in a pot
Round shapes, a few spines, done. A great way to start without any pressure.
Your hand
Lay your hand flat on the table and draw it next to it. No tracing, just looking.
Your favorite food
Pizza, ramen, fries: draw it so that looking at it makes people hungry.
A wobbly stack of books
Three or four books on top of each other. Make up titles for the spines.
Drawing ideas for beginners
Small exercises that actually make you better. None of them needs talent, just a few minutes of patience.
A page full of lines
Fill a page with straight lines in every direction, without a ruler. Your strokes will feel noticeably more confident afterwards.
A cube in 3D
Draw a cube, then a second one from a different angle. This is the basis of everything that has depth.
A ball with light and shadow
A circle, a light source, a shadow on the ground. That's all you need to practice depth.
Blind drawing
Look only at your hand or an object, never at the paper. The result will be wonky and surprisingly alive.
Five times in 30 seconds
Draw the same object five times in a row, 30 seconds each. You'll learn to see what matters first.
Shading in five steps
Draw five boxes in a row and shade them from very light to very dark.
Cute drawing ideas
Big eyes, round shapes, small details. Perfect for a notebook, a card or simply a good mood.
A cat in a box
Only the head and paws stick out. The box can be way too small.
A penguin with a scarf
An oval body, a long scarf flapping in the wind and two tiny feet.
A frog on a mushroom
It sits on the mushroom like on a stool. Bonus: a leaf as an umbrella.
A hedgehog with an apple
The apple is stuck on its spines. It looks very proud of it.
A sloth on a branch
Hanging upside down and smiling as if it had all the time in the world.
A bear with a balloon
The balloon lifts it a little off the ground. It thinks this is great.
Animals to draw
From simple to challenging. Use a photo as reference for the harder ones, that's not cheating, it's how everyone learns.
A fox in the snow
A bushy tail, pointy ears and lots of white paper around it.
An owl on a branch
Big round eyes, feathers as small arcs. Start with the head, the body is almost a drop.
A whale from the side
One long curve, a tail at the end and maybe a spout from the blowhole.
An octopus
Eight arms curling in every direction. Great for practicing flowing lines.
A hummingbird
A long beak and wings so fast that you only draw them as a blur.
Your pet
Or a friend's pet. Ideally while it's asleep and keeps still.
Fantasy drawing ideas
There's no right or wrong here. The weirder, the better.
A dragon making tea
It heats the water with its own fire. Very carefully.
A floating island
Trees on top, roots dangling in the air below. Maybe a waterfall falling into nothing.
A robot watering flowers
A big, boxy robot with a tiny watering can.
The monster under the bed
Except it's scared itself and pulls the blanket over its head.
A door in the middle of the woods
Just a door, no house. Is it open? What's behind it?
An animal made of two animals
Half cat, half owl. Or half shark, half dog. You decide.
How to just start
One idea, not ten
Take the idea of the day or the first one that speaks to you. If you take too long choosing, you end up not drawing at all.
Set a timer
15 minutes is enough. A fixed end takes away the pressure to make it perfect.
Done beats perfect
Wonky lines are part of it. Every drawing you finish teaches you more than one you only plan in your head.
Often beats long
A little every day does more than three hours once a month. That's how drawing becomes a habit.
Frequently asked questions
What should I draw when I can't think of anything?
Draw what's right in front of you: your mug, your hand, the view from your window. Or take the idea for today at the top. A subject doesn't have to be special for the drawing to be good.
What is easy to draw for beginners?
Objects with simple shapes like mugs, fruit or cacti. If you want to improve on purpose, try the exercises in the beginners section, like the cube in 3D or shading in five steps.
How often should I draw to get better?
A little every day, ideally. Even 10 to 15 minutes make a difference. Regular practice does more than long sessions now and then.
What do I need to start drawing?
A pencil and plain printer paper are completely enough to start. An eraser is handy, but you don't have to erase everything, guidelines are part of a sketch too.
Is there an app that tells me what to draw every day?
Yes, that's exactly why we built FlowStart. The app gives you a new drawing task every day that fits into 5 to 20 minutes, at beginner, intermediate or expert level. Try it free for 7 days.
A new drawing idea every day
FlowStart tells you what to draw every day, in 5 to 20 minutes. Join the waitlist and we'll let you know as soon as the app is out.