100+ Quick and Simple Drawing Ideas Inspired By Your Life

Photo: Mint Owl
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Practice is a vital part of perfecting your drawing skills. Learning the basics and repeating them over and over again is the only way to improve. For proof, just check out what a few years of drawing practice can do. It’s truly incredible the progress that you can make by dedicating time to this pursuit. Those who do have gone from scrawling simple figure sketches to fully-rendered portraits in seemingly no time.

Photo: EndOfAllHope

Although the best way to improve your drawing is to just get started, figuring out what to sketch can be challenging. Like all creative endeavors, everyone goes through “blocks” where they can’t figure out what to put pencil to paper. Well, have no fear! We’ve got a list of 100+ easy drawing ideas for you to try and fill up your sketchbook with. Get your creative juices flowing with everything from everyday objects to fantastical cityscapes—we recommend trying a variety in order to flex every bit of your drawing muscle.

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But First, Gather Your Supplies

Having the right tools at hand is essential. Here are some of our favorites that we highly recommend:

Graphite Pencils – ($22.99 at Amazon)
Drawing Pens – ($17.67 at Amazon)
Charcoal Drawing Set – ($18.65 at Amazon)
Sketch Pad – ($14.53 at Amazon)
Colored Pencils Set ($74.99 at Amazon)

Graphite Pencils

Investing in great supplies will help ensure that you expand your sketching capabilities. So, check out our recommendations for the best drawing pencils, best sketchbooks, and best type of paper. Although pencils are the most popular tools when it comes to drawing, charcoal is also fairly popular for those who like to sketch and do it fast. While working on drawings that have deep shadows, charcoal will offer rich black tones that are perfect for shading. You can check out our selection of the best charcoal pencil sets for artists.

Best Graphite Pencil for Drawing

We highly recommend Derwent Graphic Pencils. Loved by both beginners and professionals, they are available in soft, medium, and hard sets. Easy to sharpen to a point or flat shape, they are versatile for detailed work and shading.

Drawing Pens

Does your artwork depict intricate details? Try using a drawing pen. Pens offer consistent linework and precision. There is a pen for almost every type of linework, including sketching, cartooning, drafting, calligraphy, and more. Check out our picks for the best drawing pens. And if you’re looking to add color to your work, we’ve identified some of the best colored pencils to use, too.

Best Drawing Pen

Anyone looking to draw with precision will want to stock up on Sakura Pigma Micron pens. Whether sketching comics or drawing architecture, these acid-free archival pens are a great option. They come in a variety of sizes, allowing you to draw thin or thick lines and have real staying power, so your sketches will last the test of time.

Photo: Pixabay

Drawing Ideas That Anyone Can Try

Still Life Drawing Ideas You Can Find at Home

You don't have to go far to find inspiration for what to draw. Just look around your house to see what to sketch. Every object is an opportunity for drawing. If you're feeling ambitious, try combining them into a still life.

The interior of your living room
A houseplant
Kitchen utensils, like a whisk or slotted spoon
A necklace, ring, or another piece of jewelry—try combining them in a still life
House keys attached to a keychain
An interesting knick-knack (or knick-knacks) off your shelf
An interesting doorknob or door knocker
Crumpled fabric or a pile of laundry
An object in a glass dish
Your dinner that night…
… before you've prepared it (the ingredients)
Collection of your favorite things
A still life featuring old technology
Your favorite condiment from your kitchen—be sure to draw the label
Things that make you feel cozy
Your most interesting pair of shoes
The items on your coffee table
The view from your window

Ocean Waves, Trees, and More: Creativity Inspired by Nature

Nature has long provided artists with inspiration for drawing. Trees and the sandy beach are both beautiful to look at and are also fun to draw. Plenty of cute animals are also out in the world, from a squirrel at the park to an octopus at the aquarium. As you improve your drawing, try revisiting these subjects to see how different they now look.

Trees outside your window
A fresh bouquet of flowers (try colored pencils with this one)
A myriad of mushrooms
A landscape scene from your favorite vacation
Head to a park and draw what you see
Your favorite tree
A seashell or collection of seashells
Visit an aquarium or look at a fish tank and draw what you see

Have a Lot of Fun Drawing People With These Ideas

People can be a daunting subject, but humans are exciting models to explore. From self-portraits to sketching the body, you'll never tire of these interesting and challenging ideas that revolve around people.

Your self-portrait
A famous person you admire
Your feet (or someone else's feet)
Your hands (or someone else's hands)
A closeup of your eye
Sketch someone on public transit
A portrait of your significant other
Someone who looks worried and is biting their lip
What you're wearing today
The back of someone's head
Curly hair, from gentle waves to ringlets

Aren't feeling confident about drawing people? Check out these online drawing classes to sharpen your skills.

More Great Drawing Ideas

A furry friend (working from a photograph is probably best)
The exterior of your favorite building
A cute baby animal
Fresh fruit that's been cut in half (citrus fruit works well)
A cup of coffee and pastry from a local cafe
Your favorite wild animal
A spider in a spiderweb
Play with perspective by looking straight up at a skyscraper or at a bridge
Make a copy of your favorite painting or statue (bonus points if it's in a museum)
Recreate scientific renderings of bugs or birds (such as John James Audubon)
What you see from your car's rearview mirror
Frog on a lily pad
The view from a bridge—either from or underneath it
The inner workings of a mechanical object (like a watch)
A ballerina on their toes
Draw your to-do list
Find a receipt and draw one item that is on it
Sketch the same subject in at least five different ways
Document your day, each hour, as a comic
Aerial view of your favorite place

Photo: Syda_Productions/DepositPhotos

Creative Drawing Ideas Inspired by Holidays

Get into the spirit when you sketch. Holidays have their own imagery that you can source when trying to think of something to draw.

Halloween Drawing Ideas

A bat flying in the sky
Your idea of a haunted house
A massive spider web (you decide how big)
Pumpkins with scary faces
A group of witches brewing a boiling cauldron
A spooky ghost that could live in your town
A glamorous vampire and their vampire hunter nemesis
Zombies walking through the city
An old graveyard that is coming alive

Thanksgiving Drawing Ideas

A cornucopia of different fall foods (like pumpkins and corn)
Your favorite Thanksgiving dinner dish
Colorful fall leaves falling from the trees
A portrait of a turkey
Something that you're thankful for

Christmas Drawing Ideas

A Christmas tree decorated by you
A portrait of Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus
All of Santa's reindeer playing in the snow
The biggest snowman that you can imagine
Santa's sleigh with Christmas lights
Your family as gingerbread people
A snow globe containing a beautiful winter scene
Your Christmas stocking (filled with goodies)
A yard filled with candy canes

Photo: Javier Gonzalez

Drawing Ideas Inspired by the Imagination

Imagine Your World With a Dragon and a Rainbow

Draw the world that you want to see. If it's cloudy out, imagine a sunny day with a vibrant rainbow. Want a protective pet? Sketch what a friendly dragon would look like. With these ideas, the sky is the limit to what's possible on the page.

Design the exterior of your dream house
Now, the interior of your dream home
Build your own castle
What's at the end of the rainbow?
Imagine life underwater
Picture a home in outer space…
… and the ship that will take you there…
… and the creatures you'll meet
A neighborhood of treehouses
Superheroes in real life
Your world in LEGOs
M.C. Escher-style interior
Imagine a city in outer space
Imagine an album cover for a fictitious band (or real band)
Make up your own flower—for an added challenge, make it a whole bouquet
Make up a music band and draw their album cover
Draw a new album cover for an existing musician
Combine multiple animals into one creature

Cool Drawing Ideas Inspired by Fantasy

Fantasy is all about imagining things. We often think about it in terms of grand worlds like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, but at its core, fantasy is about picturing things that don't exist today.

Imagine a wolf made of branches
Combine two subjects that don't go together into one scene
Draw a new fish tank for a fish
Draw a still life in the Cubist style
Everything in the world is topsy-turvey (up is down, down is up)
Animal dressed like a human
Give an object a face
Mashup of two characters in pop culture
A mad tea party
A forklift lifting spaghetti and meatballs
It's raining… (not water)
Randomly select three words and draw what they mean together
An animal holding a balloon
A llama that's about to tap dance
A mythical creature inspired by a unicorn
Your favorite fairy-tale character

Patterns and Other Easy Things to Draw

You don't have to draw dragons to exercise your imagination. If you like design, try creating your own patterns or filling a sheet of paper with stylized flowers. These ideas will get you started.

Cover a sheet of paper with an array of flowers
Fill a silhouette portrait with geometric designs
Make your own pattern
Many mandalas in different shapes and patterns
Reimagine a famous pattern like paisley
Illustrate a vivid dream you or someone else has had
Render your favorite memory
An unlikely pair of friends
A drawing of a drawing
Swap the scale of two subjects
Illustrate the phrase “it's a small world”
Illustrate the phrase “your head in the clouds”
Illustrate part of your favorite song
Illustrate the title of your favorite book
Illustrate an idiom in a literal way
Your favorite video game character
A cityscape in the lenses of sunglasses

**For even more drawing prompts, pick up your copy of 642 Things to Draw!**

Learn How to Execute Your Drawing Ideas Step by Step

Photo: rawpixel

While there are seemingly endless cool drawing ideas floating around, some of the most popular subjects tend to be nature-themed or revolve around the human figure. Get acquainted with how to draw them with some of the step-by-step guides below. You never know—learning to draw them might spark even more drawing ideas!

Drawing Animals

Photo: Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

How to draw a cat in two different ways — Whether you want to sketch countless tiny fur hairs or are looking to design the next Garfield, this guide will introduce you to basic cat anatomy and how to draw them in a realistic or stylized way.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Draw a tiger step by step — Ready to draw a big cat? Learn how to draw a tiger in 10 steps.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Learn how to draw a panda — Pandas are some of the most beloved animals on the planet, and it's easy to understand why. This tutorial will teach you how to draw a panda sitting while holding a shoot of bamboo.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Master drawing a cow lying down in a field — No depiction of a bucolic landscape is complete without a content cow, grazing away on some grass. Learn how to draw a cow with these step-by-step instructions.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Sketch a polar bear step by step — In this tutorial, we will go through the steps of sketching a polar bear walking through the arctic under a full moon.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Draw a sleeping arctic fox in nine steps — With their plush coats and charming personalities, it's no wonder foxes are among the most beloved animals on the internet. Now you can learn to draw one!

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Make your own drawing of a sea turtle — Follow this illustrated guide to learn how to draw a sea turtle in pencil and then go over it in ink.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Learn a bat step by step — Bats are often regarded as a symbol of Halloween and all things spooky. Learn how to draw a bat with these step-by-step instructions and illustrations.

Drawing Human Anatomy

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

A “handy” guide to drawing hands — Drawing human anatomy is tricky, and the hands might be the most challenging body part of all. In this guide, we break down the internal structure of the hand and how you can articulate the bones and muscles under the skin. Follow these steps to bring your drawing to life.

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

Know your nose with this tutorial — Of all the facial features, the nose is one you might not give a lot of thought to. But don't ignore it—this feature helps define the face. We'll go over the anatomy of the nose and how you can draw it in a realistic way.

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

Set your sights on realism — Learning how to draw a realistic eye is all about understanding that it’s not just the pupil that makes it appear lifelike. The shape of the eye, the creases in the lid, and the eyelashes are also important in achieving likeness—and we'll go over all of it.

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

Perfect your portraiture in this tutorial — Portrait drawing has long had an important place in art history and remains a popular subject for contemporary artists. If you too are a creative who wants to carry on this tradition, it’s important that you know how to draw a face.

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

Learn to draw a skull — It’s a necessary and helpful exercise to learn how to draw a skull—even if you’ve rendered a portrait before. In this tutorial, we’ll look at the proportions of the head as well as an easy step-by-step process to sketching the bones.

Nature-Inspired Subjects

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Embrace the fall spirit and draw a pumpkin — Whether they're orange, green, smooth, or bumpy, pumpkins are synonymous with autumn. We've put together this step-by-step drawing tutorial that will help you draw a pumpkin in just a few steps.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Sketch a sunflower in nine steps — Channel Van Gogh's painting when you follow this step-by-step guide.

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

Learn how to draw a rose — The rose is an enduring symbol of love. Just as writers have spoken of its beauty, artists draw its delicate petals. But just because the rose is popular doesn't mean it's easy to sketch. Loaded with layers of petals, it can be a challenge. But have no fear—we break a rose drawing down so that it's both approachable and fun.

Interested in other blooms? Here's how to draw a variety of flowers —There are so many types of botanicals in the world that it’s impossible to learn how to draw each one. But once you understand the basic structure of a flower, you can use that knowledge to sketch any botanical you like.

Photo: Rawpixel

If you're itching to sketch all the things, check out the top drawing tutorials on YouTube. These artists will help you learn to draw for free. And if you're looking to empower your creative journey even further, check out our illustration courses on My Modern Met Academy.

Photo: Art: Melissa De Nobrega | My Modern Met Academy

Portrait Drawing for Beginners: Learn How to Draw Anyone You'd Like — Learn to draw facial features, characters, and people. Melissa De Nobrega breaks down one of the most complex subjects into bite-sized lessons where drawing the human face becomes simple and approachable.

Photo: Art: Demi Lang | My Modern Met Academy

Architectural Illustration for Everyone: Draw Buildings in Ink and Colored Pencil — Draw architecture like a pro with this course by Demi Lang. She'll take you step by step through the process of drawing buildings using ink and colored pencil.