What to Draw When You're Bored: 100 Ideas from Easy to Impossible

Blank page. Pencil in hand. Zero ideas.

You want to draw, but your brain is offering you nothing. Or worse—it's offering you the same thing you've drawn a hundred times before.

This list exists for that moment.

100 drawing prompts organized by difficulty and time commitment. From "5-minute doodle" to "multi-day masterpiece." From "complete beginner" to "I need a real challenge."

How to use this list:

Pick at your skill level (or one level up to stretch)
Don't overthink it. See the prompt, start drawing
It doesn't have to be good. Just draw
Combine prompts for extra challenge ("skeleton playing guitar," "underwater forest")
Use random selection if deciding is too hard (close your eyes, scroll, point)

No more staring at blank pages. Let's go.

Easy (5-10 minutes, Beginner-Friendly)

Perfect for: Doodling, warming up, or true beginners. No pressure, just practice.

Objects Around You

Your coffee cup (exactly as it sits)
Your phone
Your keys
A houseplant
Your shoe
The lamp on your desk
A book spine
Your hand (always available, always challenging)
A chair from an interesting angle
Whatever's in your pocket right now

Simple Shapes & Patterns

Fill a page with circles in different sizes
Geometric patterns (triangles, hexagons, etc.)
Zentangle or mandala
Repeating wave patterns
Grid of different textures
Spiral variations
Different types of lines (wavy, jagged, dotted)
Abstract shape composition
Overlapping squares
Checkerboard pattern with variations

Quick Subjects

A single flower
A tree (just one)
A cloud
An egg
A piece of fruit
A cactus
A mushroom
A feather
A shell
A single leaf

Medium (15-30 minutes, Intermediate)

Perfect for: Building skill, a focused session, developing technique.

Natural World

A garden scene
A landscape with horizon line
Rocks with varied textures
A tree with detailed bark
Waves or water movement
Mountains with depth
A forest from inside looking out
Desert scene with cacti
Underwater plants
A thunderstorm approaching

Animals & Creatures

A bird on a branch
Your pet (or a friend's pet)
A fish with scales
A sleeping cat
A butterfly with pattern details
An owl
A deer
A fox
A turtle
An elephant (simplified)

Objects & Still Life

A vase with flowers
Stack of books
A bowl of fruit
Musical instrument
Vintage camera
A bicycle
Kitchen utensils arranged
Bottles of different shapes
A hat
Candle with melting wax

People & Faces

Self-portrait from a mirror
A profile silhouette
Just eyes (study of expression)
Hands in different gestures
An elderly person's face
A child laughing
Someone wearing a hat
A dancer mid-movement
Person reading
Someone from behind

Advanced (30+ minutes, Challenging)

Perfect for: Pushing your skills, portfolio pieces, serious practice.

Complex Compositions

Cityscape with perspective
Crowded marketplace scene
Interior room with furniture and details
A bridge over water
Busy street intersection
Library or bookstore interior
Café scene with multiple people
Greenhouse full of plants
Museum gallery
Kitchen with everything on the counter

Technical Challenges

Glass object with reflections and transparency
Chrome/metallic surface (study reflections)
Fabric with complex folds and drapery
Water droplets on a surface
Fire and smoke
Transparent objects overlapping
A mirror showing a reflection
Wet pavement with reflections
Light through stained glass
Frost or ice patterns

Imaginative/Conceptual

A door to another world (what's beyond?)
A tree with unusual things growing on it
A house that's also an animal
Floating island
A character from your favorite book
Your dream house interior
A machine that does something impossible
An underwater city
A garden on another planet
A portrait of an emotion (visualize anxiety, joy, etc.)

Impossible (Multi-day, Expert Challenge)

For when you want to really commit:

101. A complete portrait in charcoal

Every wrinkle, every hair, photorealistic detail.

102. A cityscape at night with all the lights

Perspective, light sources, atmosphere.

103. A detailed botanical illustration

Scientific accuracy, every vein in the leaf.

104. A comic page or storyboard sequence

Multiple panels, perspective shifts, narrative flow.

105. A full figure drawing in motion

Anatomy, movement, foreshortening, dynamic pose.

Bonus: Constraint-Based Prompts

When you want an extra challenge, add a constraint:

Time Constraints

1-minute gesture drawing (any subject)
5-minute sketch (no erasing)
30-second contour drawing (don't lift your pen)

Material Constraints

Use only one type of mark (dots, lines, or shapes)
No pencil—pen only (no erasing)
Non-dominant hand only
No outlines—only shading
Black and white only (no gray)

Conceptual Constraints

Draw without looking at the paper (blind contour)
Draw from memory (no reference)
Upside-down drawing (turn your reference upside down)
Negative space only (draw the space around the object, not the object)
Continuous line (pen never leaves paper)

Subject Categories for Quick Reference

Quick & Easy:

Objects around you: 1-10
Simple shapes: 11-20
Single natural objects: 21-30

Moderate Challenge:

Landscapes: 31-40
Animals: 41-50
Still life: 51-60
People: 61-70

Advanced:

Complex scenes: 71-80
Technical studies: 81-90
Imaginative: 91-100

Expert:

Long-term projects: 101-105

How to Turn Prompts Into Practice

For Skill Building

Pick one subject, draw it 10 different ways:

Different angles
Different lighting
Different styles
Different mediums
Different levels of detail

For Daily Practice

Week 1: Pick from Easy
Week 2: Pick from Medium
Week 3: Pick from Advanced
Week 4: Repeat your favorite from each category

For Variety

Use random selection:

Roll dice or use a random number generator
Close your eyes and point
Draw two prompts and combine them
Let someone else pick for you

Combining Prompts for Infinite Ideas

Pick one from Column A + one from Column B:

Column A (Subject):

Tree
House
Animal
Person
Vehicle

Column B (Modifier):

Made of glass
Underwater
In space
Overgrown with plants
On fire
Made of food
Mechanical/robotic
Miniature
Giant
Melting

Examples:

Tree + made of glass = Glass tree
House + underwater = Underwater house
Animal + mechanical = Robotic animal
Person + made of food = Person made of food
Vehicle + overgrown with plants = Car covered in vines

Infinite combinations. Never run out of ideas.

When You're Still Stuck

Try these mental shifts:

1. Lower the Bar

"I'm not making art. I'm just moving a pencil around."

Permission to make bad drawings unlocks creativity.

2. Set a Timer

"I'll draw for exactly 10 minutes, then I'm done."

Starting is easier when there's a defined endpoint.

3. Draw Badly on Purpose

Make the worst drawing possible. Ugly, wrong, ridiculous.

Often, "bad" drawings are more interesting than safe ones.

4. Copy Something You Love

Find a drawing/painting you admire. Copy it.

You'll learn by trying to replicate what you don't yet understand.

5. Draw the Same Thing 10 Times

Pick any object. Draw it 10 times in a row.

By drawing 7, you'll stop overthinking. By drawing 10, you'll have learned something.

Different Goals Need Different Prompts

Goal: Improve Technical Skill

Focus on: Advanced technical challenges (81-90)

Practice: Reflections, transparency, complex lighting, texture

Goal: Build Confidence

Focus on: Easy, quick wins (1-30)

Practice: Volume over perfection, daily habit, finishing things

Goal: Develop Your Style

Focus on: Imaginative prompts (91-100)

Practice: Personal interpretation, no "right answer," explore

Goal: Warm Up Before a Project

Focus on: 5-minute gesture drawings (1-30 with time constraint)

Practice: Loosening up, getting in the flow state

Goal: Challenge Yourself

Focus on: Impossible tier (101-105) or constraint-based

Practice: Pushing limits, extended focus, frustration tolerance

Making It a Routine

Daily Drawing Habit

Same time every day (morning coffee, lunch break, before bed)
10 minutes minimum
Pick from Easy or Medium to keep it sustainable
Track your streak (calendar X's, app, whatever works)

Weekly Drawing Challenge

Pick one Advanced prompt per week
Work on it across multiple sessions
Finish by week's end
Rotate difficulty based on schedule (busy week = easier prompt)

Monthly Theme

January: Animals
February: Portraits
March: Landscapes
April: Objects
May: Imaginative
(Rotate or pick your own themes)

Focused practice builds skill faster than random variety.

What to Do With Your Drawings

Keep a Sketchbook

Date every drawing. In a year, you'll see massive improvement.

Post your favorites. Not every drawing needs an audience.

Create Series

Draw 10 variations of one prompt. Series are more interesting than one-offs.

Practice Without Pressure

Most drawings are practice, not portfolio pieces. That's fine.

Teach What You Learn

Explaining your process deepens your understanding.

The Secret to Never Running Out of Ideas

Here it is: Everything is drawable.

The problem isn't a lack of subjects. It's decision paralysis.

This list removes the decision. Pick a number. Draw the thing.

But eventually, you won't need the list. You'll see a shadow on the wall, a weird cloud, an interesting face, and your hand will reach for a pencil automatically.

That's when you know you're a drawer. Not because you're good. Because you draw.

Your Assignment (If You Want One)

Pick one prompt from Easy
Set a timer for 10 minutes
Draw it
Don't judge it
Do it again tomorrow

That's it.

Not "become an artist." Not "make a masterpiece." Just draw one thing.

Do that 100 times and you'll be unrecognizable as an artist.

The page is blank. The pencil is ready.

Pick a number and start.

What to Draw When You're Bored: 100 Ideas from Easy to Impossible

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