121 Things to Draw and How to Draw (Some of) Them

Now, no matter how often you draw or how good you may be at drawing, we all have those moments when we just cannot come up with any ideas for something to draw.

I’m sure you have heard it countless times…

“If you really want to get better at drawing, then you must draw every day.”

The reason you have heard this statement or something similar so many times is because there is so much truth to it.

Although you know that daily drawing practice plays an important role in becoming better at drawing, it’s not always easy to decide exactly what to draw.

The goal of this post is to help relieve you from that problem!

Below, you will find a list of 121 ideas for things to draw.

Click on any of the links provided to find out more about how to draw that particular item.

As I complete more drawing tutorials, I will update this page with links to those new tutorials.

If you feel like you could benefit from in-depth video versions of my drawing tutorials, check out my 10 free tutorial courses.

You can also become a member of my free Facebook group for other ideas of things to draw. I post a new sketching prompt every day.

Also, I may occasionally change the items on this list with other ideas, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back often!

You can click on a link in the Table of Contents below to see drawing ideas for a specific category.

People-Drawing Ideas

When you draw people, you need to know how to draw facial features, hands, feet, and many other parts of the head and figure. Below are just a few ideas to get you started so you can get better at drawing people.

1. Teeth

Teeth are very tricky to draw for so many people. This is especially true if you are trying to match them exactly to a reference photo for an accurate likeness. Practice sketching teeth instead to focus more on getting comfortable with drawing them. Your accuracy will improve the more you practice.

2. Draw a Mouth

Ready for more of a challenge than just teeth alone? If so, try drawing a mouth with realistic teeth and lips. Using a grid as a foundation really helps to establish accuracy. This tutorial will show you how to draw a realistic mouth step by step.

3. Lips from the Side

If you want to learn how to draw a mouth and lips, you need to be able to draw more than a frontal view. By drawing lips from the side, you learn about a common relationship between the angle of the upper lip compared to the lower lip. Additionally, you learn how to approach drawing the face from different angles.

4. Ear with Piercings

If you are brave enough to tackle drawing an ear, why not step it up a notch and include ear piercings? The contrast in values and textures between the skin of the ear and the surface of the metal piercings will make for quite the artistic exercise.

5. Chin

Similarly, people often devote more attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth than then do the chin when drawing a face. However, a chin can serve as an important and prominent character trait that you shouldn’t neglect in your portrait sketches.

6. Draw People Holding Hands

If you want to know how to draw people, at some point you must go beyond a standard portrait and draw below the neck. Including hands in your people drawings helps to add action and story to a drawing. As you see here, you can even have the hands of two different people interacting.

7. Army Soldier

It does not have to be a patriotic holiday such as Veterans Day or Memorial Day in order for us to honor our troops. Drawing something relating to military life could be a nice gesture or way to recognize a special veteran in your life. How about getting in the patriotic spirit by drawing a picture of an army soldier saluting?

8. Running Man

If you know the basic proportions for drawing a standing person, it should be nothing at all to draw a person running, right? Well, not so fast! You will need to incorporate some foreshortening while drawing the arms and legs. This tutorial on drawing a running man will show you how.

9. Romantic Sketch

Back when we were dating but not yet married, I drew this sketch for my wife for Valentine’s Day. It is a sketch of a picture I took with my phone of my hand on her leg while we were waiting on a restaurant bench for our takeout order. However, it doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day for you to make a romantic sketch of your own. Use this sketch as inspiration to draw something romantic for your significant other any day of the year!

10. Foot

Although there is no mistake about the differences between a hand and a foot, there are some subtle similarities between the two. The next time you make a sketch of a foot, see what comparisons you can make to the process of sketching a hand.

11. Someone Looking Up

Much can be learned about drawing the face turned at different angles. As you try drawing someone who’s face is partially turned away, you will encounter concepts such as foreshortening that you must allow for in your drawing. While you are at it, try adding another dimension with the person looking up too!

12. A Realistic Eye

The human eye has a certain complexity to it that is not present with other facial features. This complexity makes many beginning artists wonder how they can possibly draw an eye in a realistic manner. If you practice drawing eyes enough, I think you will find that you enjoy drawing them very much. Over many years of drawing facial features, I have found the eye to be my favorite!

13. Woman in a Dress

Get practice drawing the human figure and drawing folds in clothing with this tutorial on drawing a woman in a dress. This lesson comes with an extra element of challenge because it involves drawing the woman in motion as she spins around in her dress.

14. Someone Drinking

Often times, we can tell a story by drawing a person doing something rather than drawing the face of a person and nothing else. In the tutorial for the picture below, you will see how to draw someone drinking after what was probably a long day.

15. Someone Eating

Similarly to drawing someone drinking, drawing someone eating is another way to bring your subject to life and make her or him more relatable. Try experimenting with drawing people eating a variety of foods.

Ideas for Drawing Landscapes

Most people think of a landscape as a painting. However, an artistic representation of a landscape doesn’t have to be a pretty painting to be beautiful. You can draw landscapes in pencil, and they can be appreciated just as much as a painting. Here are a few ideas of landscapes and the elements within them for your next drawing session.

16. Clouds

Try going outside with your sketchbook on a partly sunny or cloudy day. Sketch the basic shapes of the clouds. You can use a blending stump and a kneaded eraser or eraser pencil for more realism. Who knows? Maybe if you squint, you will see some distinct pictures in the clouds to sketch!

17. Draw Mountains

Draw a beautiful mountain landscape with clouds, trees, and a lake. In addition, try to add some realism to the face of the mountains by sketching the grooves, cracks, and other elements that give the appearance of a rocky texture.

18. Rocky Cliff

If you enjoy drawing rugged mountains like in the example above, then you should enjoy drawing a rocky cliff too. With this drawing, maybe you can focus on the rocky characteristics of the cliff itself without being distracted by the surrounding landscape.

19. Boat on a Lake

There is something peaceful about being out in nature on a calm lake with a lonely boat and no one else around. It is similar to how I feel when I go hiking on a trail with no other people. See if you can capture this peace in a drawing. Don’t forget to draw the reflections of the lake’s surroundings in the water.

20. Evergreen Tree

Draw a towering evergreen tree. It’s helpful to look at a reference photo or a real evergreen as you do this. Start with the basic shape of the tree. Sketch separate clusters of where you see close collections of the needle-like leaves. Make close observations and a mix of dark and light values to bring your evergreen tree to life.

21. Draw the Desert

Draw a desert landscape. Imagine everything you might see in a desert setting, such as a bright sun, a lizard or rattlesnake, sagebrush, or cacti. Draw as many elements as you can, or draw just enough to make it your own desert scene.

22. Palm Tree Landscape

Try sketching several palm trees. First, think about where you are most likely to find palm trees as you plan your drawing. Most palms trees are found in tropical or subtropical locations, but some can be in the desert too. Then, sketch your palm trees within your chosen landscape.

23. Cactus

Cacti come in many shapes and sizes. Research some pictures and choose your favorite cactus to use as a reference photo. Most importantly, don’t forget to draw the sharp spines all over your cactus!

24. Oasis

Sometimes, I think it’s fun to draw something that seems a little out of place with its surroundings. A desert oasis is a perfect example of this, for obvious reasons. See how much you can make your oasis stand out from its desert backdrop.

25. Sand Dunes

Try drawing several sand dunes with nothing else in your drawing. By focusing on the sand dunes alone, you are forced to concentrate your efforts into making the dunes appear more like sand and less like mountains, which can be difficult for a pencil drawing.

26. Big Wave

Draw an enormous ocean wave along with the accompanying ripples in the water.

27. Draw the Ocean

There is no seascape quite like an ocean seascape.

28. Ocean Sunset

Do you like drawing the ocean? How about drawing an ocean sunset?

29. Waterfall Landscape

There are a number of different pieces in a waterfall landscape that work together to create a beautiful scene. You can make a breathtaking waterfall drawing of your own if you draw each piece of the scene one step at a time.

30. Island

For those days when you feel like getting away from it all, why not strive to draw a deserted island?

Drawing Random Things

It’s amazing how mundane, everyday objects or even random shapes can be turned into a work of art. What’s more, drawing simple things can help you to better learn how to break a subject down into basic shapes and prepare you for more complex subjects. Here are some random things for you to practice drawing.

31. Folds

Clothing, curtains, sheets and blankets, and so many other types of fabric are not possible to draw without having some knowledge of how to draw folds.

32. Hammock

Draw a hammock between two supportive tree trunks out in the lovely wilderness. Make it a small, cozy hammock or big and spacious!

33. Sleeping Bag

When people go camping and bring a sketchbook, they often sketch the scenic landscape outside of the tent. Why not take a look inside the tent for some drawing inspiration, like your sleeping bag?

34. Draw a Tent

You can draw a tent by starting with a few basic shapes like rectangles and curved triangles. Afterwards, you can draw the outer covering, folds in the fabric, the inside, and the grass around the tent.

35. Dome

A dome shape is an interesting three-dimensional shape to draw, because it basically consists of two separate shapes: a sphere or half-sphere atop a cube or rectangular prism.

36. Diamond

No, I’m not talking about a two-dimensional rhombus shape, although you could draw that too if you are feeling less ambitious. Instead, try replicating a three-dimensional diamond. You can decide how much of a challenge you want based on the cut and patterns on the diamond you use as a reference.

37. Pyramid

Draw a three-dimensional pyramid shape with a square base. For more of a challenge, attempt bases of different shapes, such as a pyramid with a triangle base or even a hexagon. Alternatively, how about drawing an Egyptian pyramid?

38. Cylinders in Perspective

You can carve a drawing of a cylinder out of a rectangular block. Draw a rectangular prism using one-point, two-point, or three-point perspective. Then draw a circle at each end (there is an easy way to do this). Finally, connect your circles, and you’re done!

39. Draw a Perfect Star

Put your measurement abilities to the test! See if you can create the perfect 5-point star. Use a ruler and even a protractor if you have to. While you’re at it, try making it a three-dimensional star.

40. Ruler

Sure, we use rulers to accurately measure things, but how often do we use a ruler as the subject of a drawing? See if you can draw a standard ruler. The level of realism you decide upon will determine how technical you get with replicating the numbers and the little inch and millimeter marks.

41. Teapot

Sketch a cute little teapot. Strive to capture any painted designs that may be on the teapot you reference.

42. Planter

Another common household item for you to consider drawing is a planter. Pick one from your home and draw the planter. Just don’t forget the plant that comes with it!

43. Wizard Hat

This next item may not be the most common thing to find around the house, unless you are really into magic or wizardry. Nevertheless, drawing a wizard hat presents you with the opportunity to sketch some creative and attention-getting patterns.

44. Draw a Cowboy Hat

A cowboy hat consists of a crown, a hat band going around the crown, and a brim at the base of the crown. Seems simple enough, right? Put these together and you have a cowboy hat! For a bit more of a challenge, put the cowboy hat sitting on a cowboy’s head.

45. Girl with a Cap

Quite different from a wizard hat and a cowboy hat, a ball cap is a much more common type of headgear. Since the last picture included a (cow)boy, maybe this one can be a girl instead! Surely you will have no trouble finding a girl wearing a cap to serve as inspiration as you go out and about your day.

46. Wedge Shoes

Try drawing a pair of wedge high heel shoes on someone’s feet. If feet and shoes are not easy for you to draw, this tutorial will give you some tips. First of all, make sure to use a reference photo. Secondly, use a grid.

Draw Animals and Animal Traits

Drawing animals presents a different set of challenges than drawing people or other subjects. Not only do you need to be somewhat familiar with the vast variety of animal species, but you need to be comfortable drawing the various characteristics that make animals unique. The animal drawing ideas below can help to get you started.

47. Sharp Teeth

Orcas, sharks, dogs, snakes, crocodiles, tigers….there is a never-ending list of animals with sharp teeth. To spend any significant amount of time drawing animals means you might as well become comfortable with drawing sharp teeth.

48. Animal Fur

Whether you like cute furry hamsters or big scary grizzly bears, knowing how to draw animal fur is pertinent to the drawing of mammals.

49. Kitten Face

Wanna draw a kitten face? All it takes to get started is a circle and some guidelines to establish the basic shape of the head and help place the facial features. Add some slanted eyes, a little nose, some big pointy ears, and a mouth and whiskers, along with some fur, to create your very own kitten face drawing.

50. Draw a Dog’s Face

Just like the kitten, a few basic shapes can be the start of a wonderful dog face drawing. Dogs are full of personality, and it’s natural for dog owners to want to draw a portrait of their favorite four-legged companion. Whether you own a dog or not, anyone can draw a dog face! Just draw a circle and some guidelines. Follow up with an outline of the snout, eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Then add fur, highlights, and shadows!

51. Howling Wolf Head

Instead of drawing a regular dog, how about drawing the head of a howling wolf?

52. Zebra Head

Drawing the head of a zebra will help you to better draw horses. In addition, the zebra’s stripes will give you more practice with applying designs onto a surface.

53. Draw the Head of a Deer

Draw a beautiful deer. See how much realism you can achieve with the fur, eyes, and antlers.

54. Moose

As you draw a moose, you must remember that it has significantly larger features than a deer!

55. Antlers

Deer and moose are two examples of animals with antlers. Although antlers are exclusive to members of the deer family, they look different from animal to animal. Practice drawing antlers by sketching a large variety of them.

56. Hooves

There are more to hooves than the one-toed horse variety. As well as this one, try drawing hooves of other animals that are two-toed, three-toed, or even four-toed.

57. Peacock Feather

Peacocks are known for their beautiful tail feathers. Rather than drawing the entire peacock or the entire tail (which you can certainly do), how about drawing a single peacock feather? Challenge yourself to make a realistic representation in pencil and see if you can mimic the proper shades that you would see in color.

58. Draw a Sea Turtle

Do you like reptiles? Do you like sea creatures? Why not combine the two and get the best of both worlds by drawing a sea turtle? This realistic drawing tutorial will show you how to draw a sea turtle’s scales, shell, flippers, face, and much more!

59. Draw a Bird

Draw a picture of a little bird. Decide how you want to represent the feathers. You can simple sketch and suggest them or draw them in realistic detail.

60. Fruit Bat

See if you can draw a bat. You could stick with the traditional vampire bat. On the other hand, you could try to draw a fruit bat, also known as a flying fox.

61. Worm

Fun fact: did you know there are 2,700 different kinds of earthworms? I had no idea! Why not draw one of them?

When You Feel Like Drawing Plants

A plant can be as simple as a twig or as complex as a field of trees. If you know the basics of drawing plants, it makes any plant drawing you wish to attempt much more achievable. Try your hand at a few plant drawings with these ideas.

62. Stem

A stem seems so simple. However, I think an interesting exercise would be to see just how much detail you can put into the drawing of a stem. Try to capture as much texture as possible.

63. Hand Holding a Flower

I know I already had a suggestion for a romantic sketch earlier in this list. Here is an alternative. Try drawing the hand of someone holding a flower out toward someone else as a romantic gesture.

64. Lily Flower

Draw a beautiful blooming lily flower.

65. Poppy Flower

Draw a poppy flower with its round petals.

66. Draw a Simple Rose

A rose consists of a collection of overlapping petals that get smaller and smaller as they wrap around the center. You can draw a simple rose by taking it one petal at a time, sketching a rough outline and applying some light and dark pencil tones.

67. Bouquet of Flowers

Rather than draw a single rose, try to draw multiple roses in a bouquet of flowers. This will also give you practice with drawing leaves and various types of smaller filler plants. If you like, you can even draw a hand holding the bouquet.

68. Draw a Bush

Can you draw a bush? It’s really just a collection of stems and leaves. However, don’t think that it’s necessary to draw every single leaf. Look for clumps that go together and work on one group of leaves at a time, building them up in layers.

69. Grass

It’s really easy to draw grass in pencil that looks realistic. What’s more, you don’t have to draw every blade of grass. Just keep layering shadows upon each other and in the negative space between the grass. If you keep going with it, you could have a field of grass before you know it!

70. Twigs

Make some simple sketches of twigs. To begin with, go out into your yard to find a few. Then, simply arrange them in different positions that could make for a unique composition.

71. Thorns

If you think it’s challenging to draw a bush with leaves, try drawing a twisty thorn bush with no leaves!

72. Draw a Tree

Would you believe me if I told you that the first step in drawing a realistic tree with leaves is to draw a bushy shape sitting on a stump? This might remind you of trees you drew when you were in elementary school. The reality is, if you can draw a super-simple outline of a tree, then you are well on your way to drawing something much more impressive.

73. Aspen Tree

The bark of the aspen tree contrasts with the bark of most other trees. That is one trait that makes aspen trees so fun to draw!

74. Birch Tree

Here’s an alternative to drawing an aspen tree that is very similar to it.

75. Leaf Pile

Do you remember how much fun it was to jump into a pile of leaves as a kid? Even if you never had the experience, you could still make a fascinating sketch out of it.

76. Tree Roots

When I was a kid, our house had trees with large roots sticking out of the ground. My brother and I had to be careful not to trip over them when running around the yard. Rather than drawing roots coming out of the ground, you might decide to draw an underground view of a tree’s roots instead.

Let’s Draw Some Food!

Many of us are familiar with pictures of fruit and vegetables that make up a typical still life piece of artwork. It can also be fun to draw food of other types and put your own artistic spin into it. Try drawing some of the following foods.

77. Squash

Try to draw a fresh squash or some squashed cooked on a plate.

78. Draw a Pumpkin

It doesn’t have to be autumn in order for you to draw a pumpkin. If you really feel like it and just cannot bear waiting until Halloween, go ahead and draw a jack-o-lantern! Still, you should know the basics of drawing a pumpkin first.

79. Pumpkin Pie

Draw pumpkin pie, either a slice or the entire pie!

80. Raisins

Draw a pile or small group of raisins. As an alternative, you can draw a single raisin up close with as much detail as possible.

81. Bowl of Fruit

When all else fails, there is always the classic still life subject of a bowl of fruit.

82. Peeled Banana

A banana is a fairly simple fruit to draw. When most people set out to draw a banana, they usually draw one with the peel intact. Why not be different and draw a peeled banana instead? This tutorial will show you how.

83. Lettuce

Sketch a head of lettuce. Ready for a sandwich? In that case, just draw a few leaves of lettuce.

84. Pickle

See how well you can draw a pickle.

85. French Fries

Try drawing an order of French fries, either in their little (or big) box from the fast food restaurant or already dumped onto a tray or dish.

86. Draw a Hamburger

Can you make a sketch or more realistic drawing of a hamburger? Think of all of the foods that are joined together to create the hamburger. Thinking in this way can help you draw the burger one visible ingredient at a time.

87. Slice of Bread

Draw a single slice of bread.

88. Grilled Cheese

Draw a grilled cheese sandwich with the cheese oozing out of the sides.

89. Draw Cheese

You can either draw a classic block of cheese or a slice of cheese.

90. Mac and Cheese

If you loved macaroni and cheese as a kid, then there’s really no way to grow out of it. Make a quick sketch of your next bowl before it gets cold, or take a picture of it to draw after you eat it.

91. Snack

An endless number of food combinations can make a tasty snack. What is one of your favorite snacks? You should draw it!

Draw About Cars and Other Vehicles

People seem fascinated with the idea of drawing cars far more than drawing other vehicles. For this reason, I decided to devote many of my drawing tutorials to drawing cars, with a few other vehicles sprinkled in occasionally. Read on to get a few ideas on car drawings you can make.

92. Inside of a Car

Choose one area of the inside of a car to focus on drawing. It could be your own car or a picture of the inside of another. Do you want to draw the seats, the dashboard, or the center console?

93. Steering Wheel

Draw a car’s steering wheel. Make the wheel perfectly round. Draw any unique textures, emblems, or other traits if you wish.

94. Rear View Mirror

Draw the rear view mirror of a car. Create a pretty scenic landscape in the mirror.

95. Tires

Try drawing different tires. Draw small car tires and big truck tires. Sketch tires from different angles and with different hubcaps. Attempt drawing a variety of tread patterns.

96. Make a Lowrider Drawing

If you draw a lowrider car, it’s up to you whether or not you want to draw the car low down or bouncing up.

97. Lowrider Truck

Why stop at a car? Try drawing a lowrider truck!

98. Draw a Race Car

Do you like to watch car races? Take this inspiration to your sketchbook as you draw a race car.

99. Drag Racing Car

If you take the time to study the parts of a drag racing car as you draw it, you just might discover key parts of the car that help it to be so fast.

100. Old Car

Lots of people look at old cars (cars from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, etc.) with a sense of nostalgia. This makes drawing an old car an excellent subject. On the contrary, you could just as well choose to draw a more modern car that is just old and kind of beat up.

101. Small Car

As you drive around town, what is the smallest car you see? Drawing a unique-looking car (like a really small one) could be a more interesting drawing subject than a regular, everyday-looking car.

102. Fast Car

People who like drawing cars really love drawing the fast, sporty cars. I’m not talking about the cars you see on the race track. I’m taking about your Ferraris and your Porsches and your Lamborghinis. The sleek design of these cars make them all the more interesting to draw. Pick one of your favorites and attempt to draw it for yourself!

103. Top of a Car

If drawing a car is too difficult for you, perhaps you will have better luck drawing a car from an aerial view.

104. Ambulance

Try drawing an ambulance.

105. Draw a Police Car

A police car has a basic body style, so if the sportier cars are too hard, draw what looks more like a regular car. Add some painted designs, logos, and sirens, and you have a police car.

106. Police Jeep

In addition to a police car, you can draw a police jeep!

Drawing Houses and Dwellings

You do not have to be an architect to draw a house or other building. Even so, using certain techniques such as perspective drawing can be invaluable to anyone trying to draw a house. Below are a few ideas for drawing houses, both inside and out.

107. Mobile Home

Technically called a manufactured home and sometimes still called a trailer, a mobile home can be quite spacious and provide as much comfort as a regular house. Try drawing one of these homes.

108. Draw a Home

There are well over a billion houses in the world, but you only have one true home. Try drawing a picture of your own house or dwelling. If you’d rather, draw a house that serves as someone else’s home instead.

109. Roof

Use elements of perspective as you draw the angles that make up a roof.

110. Glass Windows

Focus on drawing a window of a house instead of the whole house. Be sure to draw what you see around the window, like a windowsill or window panes. Also, draw anything that might be visible through the window, such as curtains.

111. Front Porch

What might you see on a front porch? Of course there’s the front door. Maybe you will also see a welcome mat, some rocking chairs, and even a porch swing. Draw a front porch that looks cozy and inviting!

112. Floor Plan

What would the floor plan of your dream home look like? Have some fun sketching an imaginary floor plan. Don’t worry too much about precise measurements, but be sure to include the most important and desired rooms of the house.

113. Draw a Living Room

Draw a living room setting. Imagine what you will find in a living room that will make it inviting. You can use your own living room as inspiration. Alternatively, find a picture of a lovely living room that you can use as a reference.

114. Mantle

Draw a beautiful wooden mantle over a fireplace. Family portrait photos are optional.

115. Lamp

Draw a cute lamp.

116. Couch

Draw a cozy couch.

117. Cottage

Draw a nice vacation cottage, maybe near a beach or lake.

118. Bungalow

Draw a small, one-story bungalow.

119. Drawbridge

If you have any interest in medieval themes, you might enjoy drawing something related to a castle, such as a drawbridge.

120. Stone Texture

If you want to eventually draw a castle, you might as well practice drawing the material from which one is made. Although some castles were made from wood, many of the later ones were made out of stone. Practice trying to recreate the stony texture of a castle’s surface.

121. Draw a Castle

Are you a fan of the grand palaces of centuries ago? Why not try your hand at drawing an enormous medieval castle? Don’t forget details such as the battlements, arrow slits and windows, arches, and the pointy roof.

Conclusion

So there you have it…121 things to draw the next time you have a case of artist’s block!

If you don’t find anything on this list that you want to draw, my hope is that something in this post at least inspired some ideas of things to draw that are enjoyable or appropriate for your current drawing needs.

Want more drawing ideas? In my Facebook group, I post daily sketching prompts for members to draw and post in the group. We have a new theme each week. Members also post their original drawings from their own ideas that you can use for inspiration. You can join us by clicking here. We’d love to have you!

Happy drawing!