Easy Drawing Ideas – Examples for Fun and Simple Drawing Ideas

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When you are itching to get creative, deciding what to draw can be a difficult task. Both novice and longtime artists might feel overwhelmed when picking a subject for their next piece, which can leave you feeling discouraged. Whether you are a beginner honing their skills or a more seasoned artist looking for some inspiration, we have compiled a long list of fun and simple drawing ideas to get you experimenting and creating!

Easy Ideas to Draw

Below, we have a list of cool things to draw and fill your sketchbook with. These easy drawing ideas can be done using many different mediums from pencil to ink, and you can make these drawings your own by experimenting with different colors and art styles. We have included sketches for different difficulty levels, starting off with some beginner drawing ideas, before moving to more complex subjects. However, you can also choose to add or omit details from your drawings to make them more or less challenging. Shading adds dimension to your drawings, and you can use smudging to smooth it out.

Do not try to blend or smudge with your fingers as any oils from your skin may affect the final appearance of your drawing. Instead, use a Blending Stump if you are drawing with graphite or charcoal to produce a smooth blending effect.

Beginner Drawing Ideas

Drawing can feel intimidating when you are starting out, however, there are a few simple drawings that can help build your skill and confidence. Do not worry about being perfect, rather focus on the techniques and methods that get your imagination onto paper. Irrespective of your chosen medium, it can be useful to create a broad sketch of your drawing first using pencil. A pencil on the H scale will be lighter and easier to hide in your final piece, and you can always finish off your piece with a B-scale hardness pencil, which is much darker.

Simple Shapes

Starting off with drawing simple shapes is an essential drawing practice. Shapes form the foundation for all your drawings, and it is important to understand them. Experimenting with drawing the same shape in both two and three-dimensional, from different angles, and under various lighting conditions can really increase your understanding of shading and color values. This practice will translate to your more complex drawings, making them feel more grounded and realistic. Objects with curves such as balloons and bubbles are great as their round shape gives the object unique lighting.

Drawing bubbles to have the effect of transparency adds an extra challenge. Ribbons are another simple shape to draw, and you can arrange them in different ways.

Geometric Patterns

Drawing geometric patterns is great for doodling and trying out new art supplies or techniques. These are easy drawing ideas as the subject is not a physical thing, but rather a fun pattern made from a series of lines, shapes, or colors. The patterns you draw can be simple, intricate, small, or large enough to fill an entire page. For clean lines and edges in your designs, be sure to make use of rulers, compasses, and set squares. Try filling a page with squares and challenge yourself to fill each with a different geometric pattern to get those creative juices flowing.

Abstract Drawings

Abstract drawings are similar in many ways to geometric drawings; however, they have more freedom. These drawings can include different shapes, lines, curves, patterns, and even splashes. While the absence of rules and guidelines can be relaxing, an important aspect of abstract designs are the colors you include which encourages you to explore color theory and experiment with different combinations.

Line Drawings

Line drawings use strokes of various weights and angles to create an image. They make use of negative space and can be minimalistic or more detailed in design. Some line drawings are even created using one continuous line made without lifting your pen or pencil. This makes for a fun challenge and is one of the many reasons that line drawings are great for beginner artists. Small and simple line drawings are fantastic ways to get some drawing practice in without too much time spent. These drawings look great on terracotta pots and cards as a fun craft or as gifts for friends and family. Ying-yang drawings are perfect for line art, and you can get creative by substituting the traditional image for swimming koi fish or two cuddling cats. Incorporating your favorite quotes into your drawings can also make them more personal to you.

Nature-Inspired Drawing Ideas

When searching for easy drawing ideas, looking around your environment can be a fantastic source of inspiration. Whether they are on land, underwater, or high above, there are thousands of different plants, animals, and landscapes to try your hand at drawing.

Spiderwebs

Did you know each spider’s web is unique like a fingerprint? Drawing spiderwebs combines line art with geometric design to produce simple, yet interesting shapes, which look great whether they are detailed or simple drawings. Start by laying out a basic shape and then add smaller ladders and details such as dew drops, the background environment, or even the spider itself.

Fruit and Vegetables

There is a reason the fruit basket is one of the most timeless beginner drawing ideas. Not only are they easy to get your hands on, but drawing fruits and veggies teaches you about shading, values, and color choices, and it just makes for fun and easy sketches. If you are not quite ready to tackle a whole bowl, try drawing them individually. Apples, oranges, pears, bananas, tomatoes, avocados, squash, carrots, and leafy greens are easy beginner sketches, but you can choose any of the hundreds of fruits and vegetables around the world.

Get creative with your drawings and arrange the fruit and vegetables in your drawing in the shape of people or other objects such as the famous Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo.

Landscapes

Landscape drawings are illustrations of the natural world around us, usually depicting the sky, ground, water, trees, and topography. If you are struggling to find inspiration for simple drawing ideas, have a look out your window and draw what you see. Mountains, oceans, deserts, wheatfields, or rolling hills all make great subjects for easy landscapes. Experiment with adding weather to your scenes from simple sunny fields to daunting tornadoes, or even lightning-filled horizons.

Skyscapes

Skyscapes are similar to landscapes but focus solely on an expanse of sky. They depict the sky at various times of the day and include things like clouds, stars, or the moon. Rainbows are also fun additions. Skyscapes are easy ideas to draw, and mostly involve mixing different colors and gradients.

Add some simple trees or mountains in the foreground to make simple drawings that look surprisingly complex. You can take it further, or in this case higher, and create drawings of space and galaxies.

Planets, stars, or other celestial bodies are great to draw, and you can even play with colors and create your own planets. The moon in particular is great for drawing, and you can look great in both simple line drawings or more detail-rich pieces. Use your imagination to make more whimsical drawings such as a dog playing fetch with Saturn or the moon chasing the sun around the world.

Plants and Flowers

Flowers and other plants are very popular to draw for beginners and experienced artists. From fleshy succulents to leafy monsteras, have a look at the plants in your home for some drawing inspiration. The wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes of plants means that there is always something new and interesting to draw. Roses, daisies, sunflowers, orchids, and dandelions are only some of the most common flowers to sketch, and you can opt to draw only the flower head or include the stem and leaves as well. Flowers can also be drawn in boxes, vases, or even odd places like boots, upside-down umbrellas, or lightbulbs. You can sketch flowers you see in your garden or make use of the wide variety of drawing tutorials available if you prefer some guidance. Aside from flowers, herbs like rosemary or basil, as well as various mushrooms and toadstools are also interesting to draw. You can draw pine forests, seaside palm trees, or parks filled with cherry blossoms. Furthermore, you could also take a closer look and draw pine cones, acorns, leaves, grass, or even tree bark. Garden tools or watering cans can also be fun additions to your drawings.

Water

Experimenting with drawing different kinds of water can make for a fun way to hone your skills. Water drops, still water, or ice are easiest to draw, while moving water, like waterfalls or stormy seas, poses more of a challenge. From water running from a faucet into a sink or glass to waves along the beach or a rocky shore, there are lots of cool and interesting ways to draw water.

Add a slice of lemon, a seagull, or a sailboat to enhance your drawings and really set the scene.

Feathers

Feathers are great because they can be simple and easy to draw but adding more details can make it more challenging. From your basic pigeon to the more elaborate peacock, there are as many feathers as there are species of bird, however, all share a basic structure including a shaft and barbs or hair-like structures. Some sketches that you can create include a nest filled with fluffy down feathers or even some vibrant feathers on the end of an arrow.

Seashells

Like feathers, seashells come in all shapes and sizes but still have basic structure depending on the type of shell. Many shells come in some striking or even iridescent colors. If you live near the shore, collect a few for easy sketches as you can draw what you see.

Drawing a collection of shells, instead of just one, can be an easy drawing idea but also a more difficult one.

Insects

Did you know that there are over 900 thousand different insects living in the world today, and you can draw any one of them. Common insects to sketch include bees, ladybugs, grasshoppers, butterflies, caterpillars, and dragonflies. While not technically insects, spiders and scorpions also make for cool drawings.

Animals

Animals make for fun drawing ideas. You can draw domestic animals you know and love such as cats, dogs, rabbits, parrots, horses, or even a tortoise. You can also opt to draw wildlife such as raccoons, big cats such as panthers and tigers, big dogs like wolves or coyotes, crows, bears, owls, or even cute capybaras. Look up animals that are common in your area and try to draw them. Aquatic life also makes great subjects to draw. Try some big ocean creatures such as whales, sharks, and dolphins, or smaller creatures like seahorses, starfish, crabs, and turtles. You can even draw other animals such as seals and penguins.

You do not have to make your animal drawings realistic. They can be simple line drawings, or you could even add a hat or pair of sunglasses to your favorite animal.

Unusual and Fantastical Drawings

If the everyday begins to bore you, or you adore the worlds of fantasy, you have your fair share of themes from strange fiction and far-past times to bring to life. Elements of fantasy, such as monsters from myth or the mysterious scenes of long ago, can make refreshing and uniquely extraordinary drawing subjects.

Mythical Creatures

Many magical creatures are based on real animals like unicorns or phoenixes, and some are even combinations of different types of animals like griffons. Creatures like dragons also come in many different varieties including wyverns and drakes. Drawing mythical creatures teaches you how to combine different pieces together, and you can even imagine your own fantastical creatures and make something new.

Dinosaurs

You cannot talk about dragons without thinking of dinosaurs. There are many different dinosaurs to choose from and you can draw them as simple line drawings or more detailed realistic ones. The T. rex is one of the most popular dinosaurs to draw.

Medieval

Medieval drawings include subjects we commonly associate with the medieval times of kings and knights. Long ago scenes of crowns and castles occupied by swords, shields, knights, and fair maidens offer a unique plethora of people, places, and period-specific aesthetics to peruse and play with.

Sci-Fi

Sci-fi stands for science fiction and generally includes creative futuristic concepts. Sci-fi drawing ideas include aliens, spaceships, advanced futuristic technology, blasters, and spacesuits.

Everyday Objects

If you are still unsure of what to draw, try and take inspiration from the world around you. Drawings of inanimate objects are usually called still life art, and you can create realistic sketches or give them cute faces and expressions.

Buildings and Landmarks

You can get lots of drawing inspiration from where you live. Buildings, cityscapes, bridges, windmills, Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty, and even the Eiffel Tower make for some cool sketches. You can even draw your own house or your favorite café.

You do not have to draw the whole building, try drawing only a doorknob, a window, or a chimney.

Transportation

You may be interested in drawing automobiles or different types of transportation. Some common transportation to draw includes cars, trucks, buses, boats, planes, helicopters, blimps, trains, skateboards, and bicycles. You can also choose to draw vintage or more modern models. If you do not want to draw the car itself, you can make a quick sketch of a set of car keys or wheels.

Ladders and Stairs

Drawing ladders and stairs are fun as you can play with angles and shadows to create depth on a two-dimensional page. Ladders and stairs come in many different shapes and sizes, and spiral staircases are particularly interesting to draw. Pathways can also be a great exercise for creating depth in your sketches.

Try drawing a winding garden path or a mountain pass.

Books

Books are fun and easy objects to sketch. You can sketch a single book, a stack of books, or even a cozy little reading nook with bookcases filled with books. If you find one of your own books with an interesting cover, why not try to draw it? You could also lay the book open to sketch it, leave the pages blank or add your own illustrations, the choice is yours.

Technology

There are things we use every day that can inspire your next drawing. A cell phone, radio, television, or laptop are interesting ideas to sketch. Do not forget the more retro technology, such as oversized headphones, cassette tapes, record players, and Polaroid cameras.

Sports Equipment

Whether you play a sport or enjoy cheering your team on there are lots of different sporting equipment you can draw. Most sports use a kind of ball, and the simple sphere makes for an easy sketch. Soccer balls, baseballs, basketballs, golf balls, hockey pucks, and footballs are all great options. If you want to try something more challenging, draw other sporting equipment such as hockey sticks, soccer cleats, ballerina shoes, tennis rackets, and baseball gloves.

You can even sketch the jersey of your favorite team or player.

Musical Instruments

Like sporting equipment, there are lots of instruments to draw if you love music. The guitar, violin, trumpets, and drums are popular instruments to draw. You can even draw your own orchestra including various wind, string, percussion, and brass instruments. Experimenting with the material and shape of your instruments allows you to draw many variations from a round wooden acoustic guitar to a slim plastic electric one. Aside from the instruments themselves, music sheets or the individual notes are fun beginner drawing ideas.

Glasses and Bottles

Glasses and bottles come in an amazing assortment of sizes and shapes. This can make drawing them more or less difficult, but no less fun. Some simple drawing ideas include a vase filled with flowers, a bottle of your favorite drink, a bowl of ice cream, your morning mug of coffee, and a pair of wine glasses next to a wine bottle. Even ink or perfume bottles can be easy sketches.

If you are looking for more of a challenge, you can make a simple drawing of a glass bottle more exciting by drawing a ship inside the bottle.

Food

Next time you open your pantry and fridge, keep an eye out for easy drawing ideas. Deserts are fun and colorful sketches. Things like candy, gingerbread men, or donuts with sprinkles are popular drawings. Staples such as a basket of eggs, bags of flour or sugar, a tin of tuna, and canned peaches are also easy sketches. Eating and cooking utensils like crockery or tea sets, as well as foods like burgers, fries, and popcorn are also cool drawing ideas if you are looking for more of a challenge.

Furniture

Although it might seem challenging at first, even beginner artists can draw simple pieces of furniture. Plain dining tables, chairs, side tables, and dressers are popular simple drawing ideas, while more intricate pieces like couches, beds, or grandfather clocks are great if you are looking for a challenge. You can choose from vintage furniture with classical shapes or more modern furniture, which comes in many interesting designs. The different metals, wood, and upholstery make each drawing of furniture interesting and unique. Lighting fixtures are another good drawing idea.

Objects to draw include chandeliers, lamps, pendant lights, candles, and even the plain light bulbs themselves. You can either draw individual pieces or compile them together in a cozy living area or bedroom scene.

Clothing

Clothing is another everyday object that can inspire your next drawing. There are many items of clothing including sweaters, dresses, pants, coats, shorts, and much more. Shoes are fun objects to draw as there are so many varieties like sneakers, boots, heels, and even slippers. Drawing clothing serves as a good introduction to drawing the human form but gives you more freedom to play with shape and color. You can practice techniques to give weight to different fabrics, like making denim stiffer and chiffon light and flowing. Accessories like watches, handbags, hats, jewelry, or glasses are also easy drawing ideas, and you can draw the individual items or draw them on a model. You do not only have to stick to modern styles of clothing, instead try researching clothing items from different times and eras to draw.

The Human Form

The human form is one of the most challenging things to draw. Drawing hands, feet, and facial features are particularly challenging for beginners, however, even they can be perfected with some practice and a few anatomy drawing tutorials.

Anime and Cartoon Characters

If drawing figures feels intimidating, you can draw anime and cartoon characters instead. Anime and Chibi are popular Japanese drawing styles for drawing characters. Some styles are purposely exaggerated making them extra unique and fun to draw. Many animation studios have their own art styles, which can be fun to replicate.

Try drawing your favorite comic, Disney, or cartoon characters or even create your own original characters using their art style.

Figures and Faces

You can also draw more realistic figures. Experiment with different angles, poses, lighting, skin tones, and hair. You can draw a close-up of just the torso or include the entire body in your sketch. Hands and feet are always difficult to figure out for beginners, some seasoned artists even struggle with them. If you are struggling to draw the entire figure, it is helpful to focus on sketching a single part of the body at a time in different positions and angles to understand them better. Drawing different body types and age groups can really help you nail your proportions. Human faces can also pose a challenge to draw. Focus on one facial feature at a time, such as the eyes, lips, ears, or nose. Practice changing these small features as they can really make each figure feel unique. Once you are comfortable with each feature, you can try drawing different emotions such as wide-eyed surprise or a brow furrowed with concern.

Skeleton and Organs

Perfecting the outside figure comes with understanding the inside as well. The skeleton and organs are often simple to draw making them beginner-friendly. Ideas to draw include the ribcage, skull, heart, and lungs. As these tend to be gorier, consider combining them with softer images like flowers or butterflies to create contrast between the themes.

Humanoids

If you want to get creative with your figure drawings, you can sketch some mythical humanoids. Humanoids like angels, zombies, fairies, elves, and vampires only have small mystical features such as wings or fangs, which makes them easier to draw if you are already comfortable with figure drawing.

Other humanoids like minotaur, centaurs, werewolves, and mermaids combine human and animal features making them slightly more challenging.

Forced Perspective

Once you are feeling confident with drawing a subject, try changing the perspective you draw it from. Draw your subject closeup, including all the fine details, from a bird’s-eye-view from above, or lay down and draw from a lower angle. The trick is to draw from angles that you do not usually see the object from such as the underside of a bridge, the ceiling or roof tiles of a large building, or straight down over a cliff or balcony.

We hope that this list has provided you with some easy ideas to draw. All of these simple drawing ideas can help hone your drawing skills in different ways. Regular practice is the keystone of building any skill, so we advise you to sketch daily to unlock your full drawing potential!

Take a look at our simple drawing ideas webstory here!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Find Easy Ideas to Draw?

Popular places to find easy and beginner-friendly drawing ideas are on online art sites, in art books, and on YouTube and other social media platforms. You can also look around your environment and draw the everyday objects you see.

What Are Some Simple Drawings to Draw?

The simplest drawings are line drawings, abstract drawings, and geometric drawings. These types of drawings often contain simple shapes and minimal shading, which make for quick and straightforward sketches.

Megan van Schoor( Content Writer )

Megan is a writer and researcher who graduated from the University of Cape Town with a degree in Social Sciences, specializing in Psychology and Environmental Science. Her passion for knowledge and leaving a positive impact has fueled her current work in conscious and sustainable growth in Southern Africa. Megan’s love of nature has also led her to train as an animal behaviorist. She works part-time training and rehabilitating dogs. Megan is interested in the physical and psychological effects of colors in our environment on our mood and well-being. In addition, she is concerned with how art and creativity have been an integral part of human society. Megan van Schoor has been writing blog posts on the topics of painting, drawing, and color theory for acrylgiessen since 2021.

Learn more about Megan van Schoor and about us.