Drawing Prompts
Press Generate for random drawing prompts, add a twist for a harder challenge, and start a sketch timer of 1 to 20 minutes.
An octopus knitting eight scarves at once
Drawing prompts by category
A sample from each of the 10 categories, from Animals to Patterns & abstract. The generator holds 330 drawing prompts, from quick doodles to detailed scenes.
Animals
- An octopus knitting eight scarves at once
- A sleepy sloth hanging from a streetlight
- A penguin in a raincoat waiting for the bus
- A giraffe trying to squeeze into a phone booth
- A hedgehog using a leaf as an umbrella
- An owl wearing reading glasses in a library
- A fox curled up asleep in fresh snow
- A whale with a tiny island on its back
People & characters
- A grandmother skateboarding down a hill
- A chef juggling three frying pans at once
- A tired knight who has just taken off a heavy helmet
- A kid sitting in a cardboard box spaceship
- A street musician playing violin in the rain
- A self-portrait wearing your favorite hat
- An astronaut floating in space while eating a sandwich
- A gardener napping in a hammock surrounded by tomato plants
Places
- A cozy attic bedroom with a round window
- A lighthouse on a cliff during a storm
- A bookstore with ladders that reach the ceiling
- A tiny island with a single palm tree
- A city street seen from a fire escape
- A treehouse with a rope bridge to a second treehouse
- A train station at night with one person waiting
- A desert gas station under a huge starry sky
Objects
- A teapot shaped like an elephant
- A backpack whose zipper opens onto a galaxy
- An old key with a tag that says "Do not open"
- A pair of worn-out boots with flowers growing out of them
- A pocket watch with all its gears showing
- A lamp with a lampshade made of leaves
- A wobbly stack of mismatched teacups
- A crumpled paper airplane on a desk
Fantasy creatures
- A dragon asleep on a pile of books
- A unicorn with a rainbow mane blowing in the wind
- A tiny dragon curled up inside a teacup
- A mermaid reading a book on a rock
- A griffin perched on a castle tower
- A friendly monster hiding under a bed
- A phoenix rising out of a candle flame
- A troll who runs a flower shop under a bridge
Food
- A slice of cake shaped like a castle
- A pizza with toppings that make a face
- A bowl of ramen with steam rising
- A stack of pancakes taller than the plate
- An ice cream cone melting in the sun
- A picnic basket spilling over with fruit
- A sushi roll that is also a train
- A lemon cut in half, drawn up close
Nature
- A single leaf floating on a pond
- A tree with leaves in four different colors
- A waterfall pouring into a hidden pool
- A field of sunflowers all facing the same way except one
- A rainbow over a farm after a storm
- A cactus blooming in the desert
- Ocean waves crashing against rocks
- A spiderweb covered in morning dew
Vehicles & machines
- A bicycle with a basket full of flowers
- A rocket ship made of tin cans
- A double-decker bus splashing through a puddle
- A steam train crossing a tall bridge
- A tiny submarine exploring a shipwreck
- A tractor pulling a wagon full of hay
- A hot air balloon shaped like a teapot
- A robot vacuum chasing a cat
Scenes & stories
- A sleepover in a blanket fort lit by flashlights
- A dog taking its owner for a walk in the park
- A surprise party the moment the lights flick on
- A snowball fight between two snow forts
- A cat sneaking a fish from a market stall
- A lost balloon drifting over a city
- A picnic interrupted by a line of ants
- A rainy street where every umbrella is a different color
Patterns & abstract
- Fill a page with circles that never touch
- A pattern inspired by fish scales
- Draw your mood today using only lines
- Turn your name into a repeating pattern
- A spiral that slowly turns into a seashell
- A mandala built from leaf shapes
- A checkerboard melting at one corner
- The sound of a thunderstorm drawn as shapes
How to use the Drawing Prompts
- 01
Pick categories and a level
Choose from 10 categories, like Animals, Food or Fantasy creatures, and set Difficulty. Easy prompts are simple subjects; Deep ones ask for crowds, light or tricky angles.
- 02
Generate a prompt
Press Generate for 1, 3 or 5 drawing prompts. Press it again, or press Space, for new ones.
- 03
Add a twist
Turn on Add a twist to attach one of 40 extra rules to each prompt, such as "Use only three colors" or "Draw it from directly above".
- 04
Start the timer
Set the Timer to 1, 5, 10 or 20 minutes, press Start, and draw until the clock shows Time's up.
What should I draw today?
Draw the first prompt you get and don't overthink it. Choosing the perfect idea takes longer than drawing a rough one. If nothing sparks, set How many to 5 and pick the one you can already see in your head.
A few to start with, from easy to hard:
- A tiny dragon curled up inside a teacup
- A bowl of ramen with steam rising
- A lighthouse on a cliff during a storm
- A barn owl in flight with its wings fully spread
What to draw when you're bored
Boredom calls for prompts that are quick and a little absurd. Set a 5 minute timer and try one of these:
- A flamingo balancing on one leg on a skateboard
- A dachshund wearing a sweater three sizes too long
- A pirate whose parrot is much bigger than the pirate
- A chameleon trying to blend into a plaid blanket
- A peacock showing off its tail to an unimpressed pigeon
- A frog conducting an orchestra of crickets
- A sushi roll that is also a train
Easy drawing prompts for beginners
Beginners do best with one subject, simple shapes and no background. Set Difficulty to Easy and start with the Objects, Food and Patterns & abstract categories.
Block in big shapes first, like circles and boxes, then add details. Draw lightly so you can fix lines. Use the 10 or 20 minute timer so you have time to finish. Some easy prompts:
- A stack of pancakes taller than the plate
- An ice cream cone melting in the sun
- A cactus blooming in the desert
- A single leaf floating on a pond
- A lamp with a lampshade made of leaves
- Fill a page with circles that never touch
- A spiral that slowly turns into a seashell
Drawing prompts for kids
For a group, press Full screen and let everyone draw the same prompt; comparing the results is half the fun. Twists like "Give it a face and a personality" or "Hide a small cat somewhere in the picture" keep fast finishers busy.
Kids like prompts with animals, monsters and a joke inside. Easy prompts like these work for most ages:
- A friendly monster hiding under a bed
- A pizza with toppings that make a face
- A rocket ship made of tin cans
- A kid sitting in a cardboard box spaceship
- A tea party in a treehouse
- A turtle carrying a tiny house on its shell
- A ghost who is shy around people
Drawing prompts for adults and artists
Medium and Deep prompts push composition, light and perspective, the skills that take years to build. Pick one when you want a real study rather than a doodle:
- A busy family kitchen with four people cooking at once
- The hands of an old carpenter holding a chisel
- A crystal glass with light bending through it
- A herd of zebras seen from above, their stripes forming a pattern
- A train station at night with one person waiting
- A street food cart at night with steam and string lights
- A tessellation of one shape that fits together with no gaps
- Your own street as it might look a hundred years from now
Random things to draw
The Objects and Vehicles & machines categories are full of single things with character. They make good still life practice, and you can often find something similar at home to look at:
- A pocket watch with all its gears showing
- A typewriter with a half-finished letter in it
- A guitar with a crack and a sticker on it
- A pair of worn-out boots with flowers growing out of them
- A hot air balloon shaped like a teapot
- A vintage car packed for a road trip
Use twists for a harder challenge
A twist is an extra rule added to the prompt. Turn on Add a twist, and each new prompt comes with one of 40 twists, picked at random. A twist forces choices you wouldn't make on your own, which is where new ideas come from.
Take "A lighthouse on a cliff during a storm". Add "Use only three colors", and you have to decide which three colors tell the story. The twists fall into a few groups:
- Color limits: "Use only three colors", "Use only warm colors", "Use black plus one other color"
- Viewpoints: "Draw it from directly above", "Draw it from a bug's point of view"
- Styles: "Draw it in a pixel art style", "Make it look like an old woodcut print", "Design it as a postage stamp"
- Hand and tool limits: "Use your non-dominant hand", "Draw it in one continuous line", "Use a pen, no erasing allowed"
- Story and time: "Tell it as a three-panel comic", "Show it a hundred years in the future"
Daily practice and art challenges with a timer
A timer turns a prompt into practice. Short sessions build speed; longer ones teach you to finish. Match the timer to your goal:
- 1 minute: gesture and shape only. Get the pose or outline down.
- 5 minutes: a quick sketch. Good for a daily habit or a short break.
- 10 minutes: a sketch with basic shading or color.
- 20 minutes: a small finished piece.
Run a drawing challenge
For a 30 day challenge, generate one prompt a day, keep the timer the same, and line up the results at the end. You'll see the progress.
To draw with friends, press Share to send everyone the same prompt, then compare drawings at the end of the timer. Press Save on prompts you want to draw again; they stay in this browser.
Drawing prompts for digital art
Every prompt works on a tablet as well as on paper. Digital artists can use twists like "Draw it in a pixel art style" or "Draw it as a sticker with a thick outline" to practice a specific look. On Deep scenes, put the background and the main subject on separate layers.
What you draw from a prompt is yours. You can post it, sell it or print it, and you don't need to credit us.
Want a story to go with your picture? Get one from the writing prompt generator. For things to draw mixed with other kinds of ideas, try the drawing mode of the random topic generator.
Questions and answers
What should I draw today?
Press Generate and draw the first prompt you get. Pick the Objects or Food category if you want to draw from something in your kitchen. Set a 10 minute timer so you finish.
What should I draw when I'm bored?
Draw something quick and silly, like "A penguin in a raincoat waiting for the bus" or "A giraffe trying to squeeze into a phone booth." Set Difficulty to Easy and the timer to 5 minutes.
What are easy drawing prompts for beginners?
Single objects and simple shapes work best: "A stack of pancakes taller than the plate", "A cactus blooming in the desert" or "Fill a page with circles that never touch." Set Difficulty to Easy for more.
Are there drawing prompts for kids?
Yes. Easy prompts like "A tiny dragon curled up inside a teacup" and "A friendly monster hiding under a bed" suit kids. Every prompt was written and reviewed by people.
What if I only have 5 minutes?
Set the timer to 5 minutes and draw an Easy prompt as a quick sketch. Skip the background and focus on the main shape. If the twist "Finish in five minutes" comes up, you're already set.
Can I use these prompts for digital art or an art challenge?
Yes. The prompts work for any medium, digital or paper, and for challenges like 30 days of drawing. What you draw is yours to post, sell or print, and you don't need to credit us.
Are these drawing prompts made by AI?
No. All 330 prompts and 40 twists were written and reviewed by people. The generator picks from that list in your browser, and we don't store what you get.