150 Drawing Prompts for Every Skill Level

A good drawing prompt gives you just enough direction to start, while leaving room for your own ideas. Here are 150 drawing prompts sorted into easy, medium and hard, plus character and story prompts. Work through them in order, pick at random, or use them for a class or art group.

Easy drawing prompts (1–50)

1. A sleepy cat
2. A cup of tea with a cookie
3. A smiling sun
4. A tiny house
5. A happy cactus
6. A fish in a bowl
7. A stack of pancakes
8. A paper boat
9. A strawberry with a face
10. A snail
11. A hot air balloon
12. A rainbow umbrella
13. An owl on a branch
14. A slice of cake
15. A friendly ghost
16. A potted plant
17. A rubber duck
18. A star in a jar
19. A bunny in a hat
20. A lollipop tree
21. A mushroom house
22. A sailboat
23. A lantern
24. A penguin
25. A pair of rain boots
26. A cupcake
27. A frog with a crown
28. A cloud with legs
29. A bicycle bell
30. A sunflower
31. A sushi roll with a face
32. A teapot
33. A whale
34. A key
35. A planet with rings
36. A sleepy moon
37. A pair of glasses
38. A bee
39. A donut
40. A candle
41. A crab
42. An apple with a worm
43. A balloon dog
44. A kite
45. A seashell
46. A slice of watermelon
47. A tiny robot
48. A treasure chest
49. A leaf
50. A bird’s nest

Medium drawing prompts (51–100)

51. A fox reading by candlelight
52. A robot watering plants on a rooftop
53. An astronaut fishing on the moon
54. A dragon baking cookies
55. A bear waiting at a bus stop in the rain
56. A cat captain steering a ship
57. A witch’s cluttered kitchen
58. A lighthouse during a storm
59. A café run by raccoons
60. A treehouse with a rope bridge
61. A snowman at the beach
62. An octopus playing drums
63. A tiny village inside a teapot
64. A knight riding a snail
65. A mermaid at a library
66. A ghost having a picnic
67. A frog band performing on lily pads
68. A hedgehog delivering mail
69. A train crossing a bridge at sunset
70. A dog walking its human
71. A mouse sailing in a teacup
72. A fairy repairing a clock
73. A bakery shop window at night
74. A turtle with a garden on its shell
75. A penguin in a hot desert
76. A pirate parrot with an eye patch
77. A city made of candy
78. A sleepy dragon guarding a pile of books
79. An owl teaching a class
80. A rabbit planting carrots in space
81. A ramen shop in the rain
82. A unicorn at the vet
83. A floating island with a waterfall
84. A detective dog looking for clues
85. A goblin market
86. A squirrel stealing a sandwich
87. A cozy cabin in the snow
88. A giant cat napping on a car
89. A robot learning to dance
90. A whale carrying a village
91. A wizard’s messy desk
92. A fox and a crow sharing a meal
93. A camper van in the mountains
94. A koala DJ
95. A sunflower taller than a house
96. A spider knitting a sweater
97. A beekeeper in a field
98. A jellyfish lantern festival
99. A tiny dragon in a matchbox
100. A pumpkin carriage

Hard drawing prompts (101–130)

101. A crowded night market from above
102. Your reflection in a shop window, with the street behind
103. A hand holding a glass of water
104. A city street in two-point perspective at dusk
105. A dragon wrapped around a lighthouse in a storm
106. A portrait lit only by a candle
107. A forest scene with sunlight through the trees
108. A horse galloping toward the viewer
109. A busy kitchen with five chefs
110. An underwater city with light rays
111. A self-portrait in a curved spoon
112. A bicycle leaning against a brick wall
113. A crumpled letter with readable words
114. A train station full of travelers
115. A greenhouse with glass reflections
116. A bird’s-eye view of a chess game
117. A cat jumping, mid-air
118. A spiral staircase from the top
119. A mountain village in the fog
120. A waterfall with mist and rainbow
121. A stained-glass window of an animal
122. A figure running in the rain
123. A still life with glass, metal and fabric
124. A carnival at night with lights
125. A boat reflected on a calm lake
126. Two characters arguing – show emotion only through pose
127. A room lit by a TV screen
128. A dragon’s eye in extreme close-up
129. A crowd at a concert from the stage
130. A library with endless shelves

Character and story prompts (131–150)

131. A knight who is afraid of spiders
132. A grandmother who is secretly a superhero
133. A robot who wants to become a chef
134. A witch who runs a coffee shop
135. A pirate who gets seasick
136. A ghost who is afraid of people
137. A tiny dragon prince
138. A detective cat solving a fish mystery
139. An astronaut who misses home
140. A lighthouse keeper with a secret
141. A monster under the bed who is scared of the dark
142. A wizard whose spells always go wrong
143. A mail carrier delivering to fairy houses
144. A sleepy student on the last day of school
145. A fox who collects lost things
146. A gardener who grows stars
147. A dog who becomes mayor
148. A musician playing to an empty street
149. A shy monster at a party
150. A traveler arriving in a strange city

How to get the most from these prompts

• Pick a difficulty that matches your time. Easy prompts take 5–10 minutes; hard prompts can take an afternoon.
• Interpret freely. Change the setting, the style or the mood. The prompt is a spark, not a rule.
• Combine prompts. Pick one from each section for a complex scene.
• Track your progress. Number your sketchbook pages to match the prompt number.

For prompts that change daily, use the random drawing prompt of the day. For original characters, try the character prompt generator. And if you want a themed list, see our drawing themes.

Frequently asked questions