Cool Things to Draw on Paper
120+ Absurd Cartoon Ideas For Your Sketchbook
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Drawing in your sketchbook is fun, relaxing, and did I mention fun?
It's always crucial to study the fundamentals and practice your drawing skills similar proportions, perspective, value, and limerick.
Sometimes though, you just wanna draw. And it'due south easy to get into a sketchbook rut where you want to depict but yous're fresh out of ideas(it's the worst!)
So here are over 120 ideas for those days when y'all're looking around like "What the heck do I describe?"
1. Shoes
Dig some shoes out of your cupboard and fix a little however life, or draw the ones on your anxiety (or someone else's feet!)
2. Cats & dogs
If you accept a furry helper at home, describe them!
If you don't and so just do a quick epitome search on Google or Pinterest to find a fuzzy friend to draw.
iii. Your smartphone
Come on, you always have this on yous. Pull it out, lay it downwards, and start cartoon.
four. Cup of coffee
Drawing is a neat activeness to couple with your morning coffee.
Whether it's blackness coffee in an old mug or a fancy latte, this is one you should definitely try.
5. Houseplants
Do you accept whatsoever houseplants around?
Draw their portrait and make 'em look pretty.
If not, hop on Google to find a picture of a found you'd love to have in your business firm.
6. A fun pattern
Start drawing swirls, dots, stripes, zigzags, or whatever you desire to create a fun pattern.
Google "zentangling" to get inspiration. (Bonus: This is super relaxing and meditative.)
vii. A globe
A globe on a stand up is nifty do for practicing proportions and symmetry.
You lot might fifty-fifty improve your geography skills at the same fourth dimension!
8. Pencils
Pretty much all artists have a collection of these laying around so make them pull double duty!
Dump out your pencils and start sketching.
9. Clothes
Draw that pile of clothes on your floor (pretty sure you take one).
Or draw clothes on hangers, that's fun.
For an added challenge try drawing clothes on a person or mannequin, but Only the dress.
ten. Bananas & apples
Ready up a footling still life with some fruit from your kitchen. And so enjoy a healthy snack when you lot're washed.
11. Kitchen utensils
While you're in the kitchen: take hold of some silverware or cooking utensils, dump them on the table, and draw them where they autumn.
12. Couch
You probably sit on your couch all the time. But accept y'all ever really looked at it?
Get some practise at drawing soft cloth and gain a new appreciation for your favorite piece of furniture.
13. Headphones
Sketching knots and wires tin can be tons of fun!
Draw your headphones bundled neatly or in a tangled mess. Although come on, they're a mess and you know it.
xiv. Your anxiety
With or without shoes, feet are an important part of figure drawing.
Put your sketchbook in your lap, look down, and start drawing. Try with bare feet, socks, whatever.
15. Your hands
Now these are always available!
Pose ane hand and draw it with the other, or try drawing your dominant mitt with your not-dominant one. Or just look up some references and practice drawing hands that style.
Come to think of it, yeah that second option's gonna be way easier.
sixteen. Books
Books are surprisingly versatile subjects for artists.
Draw them stacked, open, sprawled on the floor, resting on a shelf, in a box or with a fox.
17. Copse and bushes
If yous demand a break exterior observe a shady spot and draw any trees or foliage yous see.
You tin too do this from a window or simply draw from a photograph if the weather isn't ideal.
18. Pillows
If you desire exercise time but just don't want to become out of bed, well here's your solution.
Do cartoon cloth, folds, and soft material without having to leave your comforter'due south warmth.
nineteen. Superheroes
Flip open a comic book and copy your favorite illustrations.
Draw a photorealistic rendering of your favorite Curiosity characters, or invent your own superhero in your own style.
xx. Schoolhouse desks
Waiting for a form to begin? Bored with the grade you're in?
Pass the time by drawing some desks. Simply don't get defenseless!
21. Balloons
Balloons are slap-up do in shapes, lighting, and shading smooth textures.
Find a photograph or use this equally an alibi to purchase yourself some balloons.
22. Lightbulb
Draw a real one on its ain or in a light fixture, or describe a cartoony light bulb to spark your inspiration.
23. TV
Don't just watch TV; draw it!
Sketch your fancy apartment screen or go for an old-fashioned prepare with rabbit ears.
24. Cartoon characters
Draw your favorite drawing or comic book characters, or make upwards some of your own.
This one should be yabba dabba delightful.
25. Yarn ball
Yarn is a crazy texture. Y'all'll go a lot of practice here with lines and course.
Pro-tip: Don't combine this with the "draw a cat" prompt. For obvious reasons.
26. Charger
If yous're craving more subsequently drawing your smartphone, draw the charger!
If you experience actually wild draw them both together.
27. Mouse & keyboard
Here's a fun exercise in linework, shading, and perspective.
Claiming yourself to draw your mouse and keyboard, non just whatsoever random mouse and keyboard. Notice what makes information technology unique.
28. Glasses
Pose your sunglasses or regular glasses and beginning drawing.
You can have a lot of fun cartoon articulate or tinted plastic. Or some Where's Waldo glasses.
29. Your bed
Try this for a crash course in drawing fabric folds.
Just really this is more challenging than information technology sounds, especially if you don't make your bed!
30. Staircase
Here's an amazing exercise in line and perspective work.
Describe stairs from unlike angles to play with different perspectives. Also try to become the depth just right: it'south catchy but extremely valuable for all artists.
31. The trash
You'd exist surprised how many interesting shapes you can find in the garbage.
Draw a dumpster or your kitchen garbage can, or fifty-fifty trash on the street. So take a prissy big inhale to get those "juices" flowing… or but throw information technology away. Litter own't cool.
32. Jewelry
Go through your jewelry box or describe a piece of jewelry on someone else.
See if yous tin can capture the texture and sparkle.
33. Your idea of Sky (or Hell)
Go creative here!
Make this a whole scene or a series of smaller doodles that encapsulate your idea of heaven or hell.
Or for you married folks peradventure it'southward better to imagine dinner at the in-laws firm. Every night, forever.
34. A silly face up
Permit loosey and get goosey. Become for realistic portraits, cartoon expressions, or something in betwixt.
Information technology's all fair game when the end goal is to exist a goofball.
35. Paper towels
They seem mundane and utilitarian, but fifty-fifty the about humble objects brand great drawing practice.
You lot'd be surprised how interesting paper towels can exist when you lot try to draw them. Sounds like sarcasm but worth a attempt correct?
36. Notebook
Open, closed, spiral bound, try all the possibilities.
Play with unlike angles to exercise perspective and maybe try drawing ane of your other sketchbooks.
37. Bar of soap
Really get into the texture here.
Maybe add some lather bubbles and puddles for fun.
38. Shampoo
After you draw soap, exit a shampoo bottle and throw that into the mix.
Or squirt some on the counter just for the fun of drawing a shiny blob of stuff. I don't know, it's your sketchbook.
39. A skull
Skulls are super spooky and super fun to draw.
Too they're genuinely practiced practice for portrait work and for studying anatomy in general.
If you have one hanging around, arrange it in a nonetheless life or draw information technology on its ain. Or just discover a photograph of a weird animal skull to depict.
40. Skyscrapers
Describe these on blank or grid paper, or draw them wiggly on purpose!
Put your own spin on this and play with line and perspective work.
41. Game controllers
This is actress fun if you have a collection of different video game consoles.
Practice drawing proportions and how light reflects off different plastic materials. Tons of variety hither with the shape of joysticks and buttons.
42. Gnomes
Because why not?
If y'all happen to take a gnome laying effectually, perfect! If not, Google image search has yous covered.
Also I've heard y'all might check somewhere over your garden wall.
43. Candy & junk food
If the fruit prompt didn't do it for yous, endeavour this sweet culling.
Depict the bodily food or the package it comes in. Or both. Either mode, you acquire something!
44. Water bottle
Sketch your bottle, and don't forget the shadows.
This is a great prompt for lighting practice and working around shapes.
And and then, you lot know, drink some h2o. All this cartoon can make you thirsty.
45. Birds
Draw birds you see in your neighborhood and flying around the local park.
Or do an epitome search for the most exotic bird you tin can find. This is one of the all-time prompts to go from easy to difficult with so much to choice from.
46. Christmas stuff
Describe lights, Christmas trees, presents, stockings, candy canes, fruit cake, your shih-tzu in his lilliputian Christmas sweater…anything goes!
47. Halloween stuff
Some other holiday with even more weird stuff.
Skulls, bones, black cats, pumpkins, spiderwebs…the listing goes on and on.
Draw your decor, your Halloween candy, anything y'all can observe that's Halloween-y.
48. Bathroom faucet
Commonsensical things like this are great for drawing exercise.
Especially because you don't look at them oft so you accept to pay attending to draw them correctly.
49. Bike
Bicycle, tricycle, unicycle, tandem, discover any kind of wheel yous want and put pencil to newspaper.
50. Skateboard
Doodle effectually your own skateboard or a picture show of one.
Really pay attention to knicks, scratches, and bumps that make that particular skateboard unique. As well I bet information technology'southward got some sick deck art.
51. Monsters
Draw a portrait of your favorite movie monster or invent your own.
Cartoony or scary, the manner is totally up to y'all. Might I recommend starting with Mike Wazowski and working from there?
52. A Chair
For an extra challenge, include shadows with as much realism as possible.
Depict a bare-bones kitchen chair or a costly armchair.
53. Isometric art
If you need a break from cartoon true perspective, give this a try. It'south a fun challenge and not something that about artists carp to practice.
54. Quick poses
Practice your figure skills by limiting yourself to x, xxx, or sixty second gesture drawings.
This procedure is covered in detail in Proko's figure course along with all of his free figure drawing videos.
And if you don't accept a bunch of references saved locally you can always use 1 of these websites to car-generate poses. This way you only focus on the drawings and actually nailing those gestures.
55. Dice
Cartoon plain cubes is great practise for shapes. But information technology gets kinda boring.
Here'due south a fun spin on the classic "draw a cube" exercise.
56. Monopoly pieces
While you're digging dice out of your board games, try cartoon Monopoly pieces too.
There'southward a wide variety of subjects hither so draw them together or one at a time.
Just don't be as well upset when you realize your erstwhile Monopoly game has all the classic pieces y'all miss.
57. Deck of cards
Before you exit the game cupboard, discover a deck of cards.
Draw individual cards, the neatly stacked deck, or play a little 52 pickup and sketch the results.
58. Coins
After you draw some like shooting fish in a barrel subjects take a interruption on the burrow.
While yous're there go through the cushions to discover some coins.
Endeavour drawing super detailed pictures of private coins, or dump them and draw them together.
59. Hair styles
This is another bang-up one if yous're bored on your train commute, in a waiting room, or during a form.
Or if you wanna practice some weird hairdo from the 1930s you lot saw online.
threescore. The sun & moon
Whether y'all're into realism or more stylized drawings, this is a fun idea for all skill levels.
Try drawing different phases of the moon for an fifty-fifty better challenge.
61. A bridge
You can draw anything from the Golden Gate Span to a unproblematic footbridge in the woods.
Or even better: imagine your own.
62. Fish
Pull upwardly a chair in forepart of your fish tank or Google pictures of the craziest fish on planet globe.
If you haven't seen a blobfish before y'all might wanna look into that.
63. Airplanes
Mechanical things like airplanes are awesome for learning proportions and getting control of your lines.
Try drawing a unmarried seater too as huge commercial airplanes, or anything else inbetween.
64. Horses
Horses have fascinated artists for millenia.
They're also insanely hard to draw and require a ton of practice.
Discover a field of horses to depict from, or find pictures of different breeds. Catch them running, grazing, jumping, rearing up. The possibilities are endless.
65. Company logos
This is especially great if y'all're into graphic design and so you can see how sketching logos works.
Try copying your favorite logos or invent some of your own.
66. Silly hats
Hit up Google for this one, unless you're a crazy lid connoisseur.
Granted if that's you, hats off to you lot! (Sorry that was then bad)
67. Famous statues
The Statue of Liberty, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Little Mermaid…
Google famous statues or statues that exist today. Peradventure some others from history. Lots of marble to plough into graphite.
68. Wallet
When was the last time y'all actually examined your wallet as an object?
Now'southward your run a risk. Endeavor cartoon information technology open and closed, with money or (as we all know) without money.
69. Gym equipment
Draw weight machines, dumbbells, bound ropes, even the pool.
You can notice then many interesting shapes and subjects in a gym and the machines are actually circuitous which is great for practicing concept art ideas.
70. Table fan
If yous're sweating on a hot day, distract yourself by drawing your table fan.
Just make sure to sit down where it won't blow your pages around.
71. Erstwhile photos
Google or dig out some old photos and copy them realistically or in your own way.
This one prompt can go along yous busy for quite a while and leave you smiling as you lot dig through old memories.
72. Toys
If you still have any childhood toys or if you have kids, well, draw some toys!
It's too a good alibi to hit up a toy store at two in the afternoon.
73. Celebrity faces
Portrait exercise is so important!
And what's more fun to draw than celebrity portraits?
Try drawing your favorite celebrities in famous roles or at red carpet events.
74. Guitars
If yous have a guitar, draw its outline and practise the details.
Pay special attention to frets or little details that make it special.
75. A nice machine
Draw your dream auto and draw yourself driving it.
Or describe a clunker and slap a ticket under the wipers. That'll show whoever owns that fictitious pile of junk!
76. The human torso
Practice drawing the trunk and spend a lot of time here. Anatomy is huge and torsos take so much musculature to practice.
Try male person and female, different body types, with and without wearable.
77. Soda cans
Pay attending to logos here and other things like bar codes or nutrition information labels.
Crunch a few cans if you desire a more variety.
78. Scissors
For a deceptively unproblematic prompt, depict scissors from different angles. Open and closed.
79. Staplers
While you lot're rifling around for the pair of scissors grab a stapler besides.
If you want to get really crazy, open information technology and scatter a few staples around for an office-themed still life. Simply don't touch Milton's Swingline.
80. Emojis
Re-create some of your favorite emojis or design a few you wish existed.
This can be actually fun because you tin can become pretty crazy with the artistic style.
81. Farm animals
And so many to pick from here so I approximate just draw your favorite!
Cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, rabbits, goats, get out there and odour that farm air.
82. Nature
This can be anything from vast landscapes like mountains or beaches, to the tiniest leaf or mushroom.
Try a fleck of both.
83. Door knobs
Draw every door knob in your domicile and challenge yourself to brand each distinct.
It'south harder than you think!
84. Ice cream
Draw it on the cone, in a loving cup, or nonetheless in the carton.
But draw quick earlier it melts!
85. Nutella
Basically ice cream but better.
Depict the unabridged jar or scoop out a spoonful and draw that before you gobble it up.
86. Oceans
Annihilation sea-themed is fair game here.
Beaches, coral reefs, starfish, tube worms, anything you can think of. Maybe even some nude beaches if yous're into that kinda thing.
87. Any volume embrace
Describe your favorite book covers and maybe add a few creative touches.
So many beautiful volume covers out there to selection from, with new ones published every calendar week. Go exploring!
88. Houses
Depict your business firm, a friend's business firm, or your dream house.
Or browse Pinterest "dream house" boards because you know in that location's thousands of these right?
89. World capitals
Draw some of your favorite cities or world capitals yous'd like to visit anytime.
Images online might be the place to offset just if y'all can volume some airplane tickets, even better.
ninety. A swingset
Visit the local park or your ain backyard to draw a swingset.
Try capturing it from multiple angles to really expand your practise regimen.
91. A yeti
Whether you want to go cute or scary, try drawing one of these mythical creatures and see how it turns out.
92. Your computer
You spend a lot of time on your figurer, so give it some attention and immortalize it in your art.
93. Flowers
Head exterior to draw from life, or detect photographs of your favorites if things aren't blooming however.
Or use this every bit an excuse to buy yourself a boutonniere. Care for yo'cocky!
94. A clock
This could be annihilation from your microwave clock to a wristwatch to a gramps clock to Big Ben.
Or peradventure some kind of device that combines all three…
95. Thanksgiving
Draw a Thanksgiving banquet, portraits of your relatives, Thanksgiving decor, or annihilation that reminds y'all of family time.
96. A king & queen
Draw a king and queen from history, from a favorite volume or picture, or create your ain.
The Queen of Hearts is besides adequate.
97. Motorcycles
Whether you lot're into archetype or newer bikes, this is a bang-up idea to practice with texture, form, and shading.
In that location's also some pretty gnarly designs out there.
98. Pool table
If you want to step up your basic shapes try drawing a pool tabular array.
It's all rectangles and spheres with a lot of nuances betwixt them.
99. An old boat
You can make this as uncomplicated or elaborate as you want.
Old rowboat or crazy complex pirate ship, it's upwardly to yous matey.
100. Magic
This ane's open to estimation and that'due south what makes it so fun.
Draw a rabbit in a hat, an abstract sketch of what a spell might look like, or something Harry Potter themed. Just be sure to make information technology… magical.
101. Dodos
They might be extinct, but they're still peachy for drawing.
Draw a group, or draw a single magnificent dodo all by its lonesome.
102. Ghosts
Have fun drawing cute, cartoony ghosts, or go all in with the horror and gore.
For an actress challenge play with drawing transparent ghosts. This probably requires a fleck of color just it's fun to come across how far you can accept petty challenges like this.
103. Your window
Wherever you're sitting, draw the closest window to yous. Include curtains, blinds, and maybe fifty-fifty your view.
Or maybe a window to another dimension… *twilight theme starts playing*
104. Zebras
Drawing stripes is fun! Also pretty easy to color if you only have a standard graphite pencil.
If you loved the horse prompt then step it up a notch with this zany animal.
105. Jazz
Describe jazz instruments, a jazz ring, or fifty-fifty an abstract drawing inspired past jazz music.
Your sketchbook, your rules.
106. Tuxedo
Yous tin can always draw a guy in a tux which is pretty sleek.
But yous could also draw a tux by itself, a tuxedo true cat, tuxedo block… basically but start chasing tuxedos and see where you end up.
107. Wrapping paper
Whether it's neatly on the row, plain, heavily patterned, or crumpled and ripped after Christmas morning, this is a fun 1 to describe.
108. Champagne
Practicing sketching a champagne bottle, a cork, champagne in a flute, or all three!
Brand certain to get the bubbling in there too. Texture is everything.
109. The circus
Interpret this how you will but it amend be festive.
Depict a tent, acrobats, trapeze artists, clowns, testify horses, or peanuts!
You could even do a whole sketchbook series on this.
110. Picture palace
When you think motion picture theater, what images come up to heed?
Popcorn, a ticket stub, or even a poster for the last film yous saw. Or the usher walking up the isles with a flashlight on a hunt for those teenagers making out in the corner.
111. Cigars
Draw a brand new cigar, one that's smoldering and ashy, or a person smoking one.
And accept fun with the smoke! That's one texture you can really push with some do.
112. Pizza box
When your delivery shows up, save the box for drawing practice.
Some may call you crazy but I saw information technology's worth it. Or maybe design your ain box from scratch.
113. A chocolate factory
Try something that would brand Charlie proud.
A building, a diversity of chocolate, or something in the variety of Roald Dahl.
114. Anything upside-downward
This is a classic art practise because it forces you to look and non just draw what you retrieve something looks similar.
So turn any object or photograph upside down and start drawing. Pay conscientious attention to every detail.
If you've never done this before y'all'll be amazed at the end event.
115. The molar fairy
When y'all were a child, how did you motion picture the tooth fairy?
Try drawing that and make your kid-self proud. Or detect a photo for inspiration and go from there.
116. Candles
Candles come in all shapes and sizes and then they're great practice for drawing forms.
Not to mention first-class exercise for lighting if you draw them lit in a nighttime area.
117. Camping tent
Sketch a regular ol' tent, with or without scenery, or design the ultimate camping tent.
Or become on a camping ground adventure and bring that sketchbook with you.
118. Hot tub
Keep information technology simple and just sketch a hot tub (with the cover on, if yous desire to stay REALLY unproblematic).
Or draw a full-on hot tub party scene. But if you're drawing from within the tub make certain you don't drop your sketchbook. Paper and bubbling water don't play nice.
119. April Fool'southward 24-hour interval
Anything that makes you think of Apr Fool's Day is fair game hither.
From a cheesy banana peel, a blossom that squirts water, some diagram for short sheeting a bed, or a picture of someone running into a wall of cellophane.
Turn your sketchbook into a prankster's paradise.
120. Spaceships
Draw your favorite star ships from scientific discipline fiction stories and go along em coming!
Add some rockets from history or apply this prompt to blueprint your own spaceships.
121. People
People are the ultimate cartoon subjects.
Depict yourself, your loved ones, celebrities, and random people yous run into in public. There's no better artistic practice than working on existent people in the real world.
122. Cubes and spheres
Of form, you can always get dorsum to nuts with forms like cubes, spheres, cones, cylinders, and pyramids.
These forms are classics for a reason.
Also if y'all want some totally crawly & gratuitous exercises to practice drawing shapes you should cheque out the Drawabox lessons.
Drawabox is absolutely perfect for beginners and even really good exercise for more than experienced artists who want to improve their skills drawing from imagination.
Author: McKella Sawyer
McKella is an artist and freelance writer from Common salt Lake Metropolis, Utah. When she isn't painting or writing for clients she loves to write fiction, travel, and explore the mountains almost her home either on foot, horseback, or a mount bike. You lot tin view her art on Etsy and her writing services at TheCafeWordsmith.com.
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Source: https://conceptartempire.com/drawing-ideas/
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