Today I’m excited to share with you an incredible resource to spark your creativity and improve your drawing skills. As a designer passionate about daily sketching, I’ve created an extensive list of drawing ideas for your creative sketchbook.
Before starting, I invite you to get a Motivation Boost with my friend Renata on How to Sketch Daily.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned artist,
this collection of over 365 drawing ideas is designed to inspire and challenge you throughout the year. From futuristic product concepts to urban landscapes and comic book characters, there’s something for every taste and skill level.
365+ Drawing Ideas for your Sketchbook for artists and designers
How to Use This Guide
Pick one theme daily or mix categories as you like. Each prompt encourages exploring new techniques and perspectives, building not just skill but also creative confidence.
Designer Mindset
Imagine you’re on a product team at Sony, Apple, or Tesla: your sketchbook is your innovation playground. Challenge conventions, solve real user problems, and design with empathy and intention—create products that truly matter.
Whether you’re sketching a Nespresso coffee machine, a video game character, or a modular piece of furniture, each idea is an opportunity to explore new techniques and push your artistic boundaries!
Each day’s sketch is an opportunity to push the boundaries of what’s possible and demonstrate your potential as an innovator as a Designer!
Draw a Nespresso Coffee machine
Identify the simple forms such as cylinders first. Then only, draw the details.
CHALLENGE:
Draw it from different angles!
Electric Home Products
- A hair dryer that can style and dry hair in minutes
- A electric kettle that can boil water in seconds and also brew tea or coffee
- A blender that can make smoothies, soups, and sauces with voice commands
- A wireless speaker that can levitate and change colors according to the mood
- A portable air purifier that can filter out pollutants and allergens
- A solar-powered car that can drive itself and communicate with other vehicles
- A wireless charger that can charge multiple devices at once and also act as a lamp
- A smart mirror that can display information, notifications, and personalized recommendations
- A electric toothbrush that can monitor oral health and give feedback
- A robot dog that can play, learn, and interact with humans and other pets
- A microwave oven that can cook food perfectly and also scan nutritional information
- A smart fridge that can keep track of inventory, expiration dates, and recipes
- A gaming console that can stream games from the cloud and also play Blu-ray discs
- A smart TV that can access any streaming service and also play games
Draw a Grinder
That’s a complex one.
Do not copy it but get inspired from.
Follow the perspective
Identify the main elements and functions
Then customize the design!
Draw a Sofa
Draw the various views:
Front – Top – Side views of the sofa.
Draw it in perspective.
Furnitures
- A minimalist coffee table with hidden storage compartments
- A modular sofa that can be rearranged into different shapes and sizes
- A wall-mounted desk that folds up when not in use
- A floating shelf that doubles as a plant holder
- A geometric rug that adds a pop of color and texture to any room
- A smart mirror that displays the time, weather, and notifications
Urban Furnitures
- A modular bench that can be rearranged in different shapes and colors
- A solar-powered street lamp that also serves as a charging station and a Wi-Fi hotspot
- A bike rack that doubles as a sculpture and a playground
- A public fountain that creates different patterns and sounds with water jets
- A vertical garden that covers a wall and provides fresh air and greenery
- A smart trash bin that compacts waste and notifies the authorities when full
- A bus stop that has a digital display, a roof garden and a seating area
Create a fridge to soldiers’ needs
Military soldiers need an excellent diet to perform on the field!
They may camp for weeks or months on unfriendly fields.
How would you recreate a fridge that fits a soldier’s needs?
Try to put yourself in their boots!
ASK YOURSELF WHAT IF? (Make crazy proposals, even impossible ones!)
What if the fridge was easy to carry like travel luggage? What if the fridge had wheels and handle?
What if the fridge had its own energy generator? Can we think of a solar source of energy?
What if the fridge could be collapsible, foldable, and easy to carry empty?
What if the fridge included a water pump and filtering system
so soldiers could drink fresh water from the river?
What if a silent drone would carry the fridge from 300m away in the air to keep safety distance from enemies?
Draw USB Key for Secret Agents
How would you revisit the USB Key for Spy agents?
How to hide it?
How to make it cool for movies?
How to redesign it and still make it easy to understand from viewers point of view?
Think of Special agent’s specific needs in mission
Is it indestructible? Or does it have an auto-destruction function?
How to hide it? Is it small, flat, or flexible?
Does it have a camouflage function?
Does it have a camera function?
What if the technology is not USB, but a neural connection?
James Bond Products
- An electric suit that can enhance your strength, speed, and agility
- An electric glove that can generate electricity from your movements and power your devices
- An electric shoe that can charge your phone with every step you take
- An electric jacket that can warm you or cool you depending on the weather
- An electric hat that can protect you from the sun or rain or snow or wind or anything else
- A drone that can fly autonomously and take photos and videos
- A smartwatch that can hack into any electronic device, control drones, and project holograms.
- A pen that can shoot tranquilizer darts, emit a laser beam, and record audio and video.
- A pair of sunglasses that can scan faces, display information, and switch between different modes of vision (infrared, night, x-ray, etc.).
- A suit that can change color, camouflage, and resist bullets and explosions.
- A car that can fly, submerge, and transform into different vehicles.
Design a Hard Disk for Fashionistas!
Reimagine a Geek item for people of the Fashion Week!
Should you make it fit into a handbag?
Can we customize it?
How to make it a “Flashy” accessory?
Fashion Design Clothes
Dresses: Gowns, cocktail, casual, etc.
Dresses are garments that cover the body and the legs.
They can have different shapes, lengths, and fabrics.
Skirts: pencil, A-line, pleated, etc. Skirts are garments that cover the lower part of the body.
They can have different widths, lengths, and patterns.
Pants: jeans, trousers, leggings, etc. Pants are garments that cover the legs and the hips.
They can have different fits, cuts, and colors.
Tops: shirts, blouses, sweaters, etc. Tops are garments that cover the upper part of the body.
They can have different necklines, sleeves, and prints.
Jackets: coats, blazers, hoodies, etc. Jackets are garments that cover the upper body and the arms.
They can have different closures, collars, and pockets.
Shoes: boots, sneakers, heels, etc. Shoes are footwear that cover the feet and the ankles.
They can have different styles, materials, and heights.
Hats: caps, berets, fedoras, etc. Hats are headwear that cover the head and the hair.
They can have different shapes, brims, and decorations.
Bags: purses, backpacks, clutches, etc. Bags are accessories that carry personal items. They can have different sizes, shapes, and straps.
Jewelry: earrings, necklaces, rings, etc. Jewelry are accessories that adorn the body.
They can have different metals, stones, and designs.
Scarves: shawls
Decorate the van with Graffiti
Draw in your urban graffiti sketchbook!
I found that idea so cool to practice graffiti with no police chasing you!
with Barebooks
Render your car with AI
Explore AI to render your car in seconds!
Vizcom (I used that one)
Newarc
Hypersketch (iPAD)
Electric Transportation Products
- An electric bike that can fold into a backpack and charge itself with solar power
- An electric scooter that can balance itself and navigate autonomously
- An electric skateboard that can speed up or slow down according to your gestures
- An electric car that can drive itself and park itself
- An electric plane that can fly faster, quieter, and greener than conventional planes
- An electric boat that can glide on water without any noise or pollution
- An electric submarine that can explore the depths of the ocean without any limits or risks
- An electric hoverboard that can levitate above the ground and fly in any direction
- An electric jetpack that can propel you into the sky and let you soar like a bird
- A sleek and futuristic vacuum cleaner that can also be used as a jetpack
- A electric bike that can fold and fit in a backpack
Draw a chic sport outfit
Draw the body first, then draw the clothes
Clothing, accessories, shoes, etc.
Fashion is a way of expressing yourself through what you wear.
A logo for your business!
You are the boss!
And you want people from all over the world to remember your logo!
Write down 4 to 5 emotions that the company triggers. Find a name for the company.
Think of what is the mission of the company, how they help people, and who are their fans and customers.
Decorate a Starbucks coffee cup
Decorate your own coffee paper cup with flower pattern or any motif opf your choice.
Sharpie marker are fine.
Draw your favorite food!
Pizza? Hamburger? Donuts?
Sketch your favorite food with “low-fidelity”.
Draw fast and ugly to drop your ideas.
Don’t look for hyper realistic sketch, but a good enough for anyone to understand it.
Draw people in a mini notebook!
Portraits, figures, expressions, gestures, emotions, etc.
People are fascinating and diverse.
To draw people, dare to look at them. Do not be shy.
Notebook drawing of a woman (Malaysia)
A caricature of someone you like. (Then, give it to that person.)
Big mouth? Mole?
Square jaw shape?
Spot the uniqueness of the face, and exaggerate them.
Make the body size small and head giant for instant fun effect!
A scene from your favorite movie or book
Turn on Netflix, Youtube, choose your favourite scene, PAUSE the movie Draw.
Youi can sketch your scenes with low fidelity details – these are great for storyboarding!
Animation Drawing of “Spiderman Into the Spiderverse“
When sketching bad is essential!
Did you know “sketching bad” can be an incredible tool for the creation of a movie?
When you look at the Making of of animated movie, you discover the phase of Storyboarding.
At that stage, we want to capture quickly the core idea, the composition that delivers the action.
Since the project is highly subject to changes, we wanna work fast and efficiently. We draw with low detail fidelity on purpose.
Draw your pet with ‘Le chat potte’s eyes
Draw your pet with a cute style!
Draw the eyes big and shiny like mangas!
Add personal accessories of yours like your favorite bag, or hat?
Le Chat potte – Shreck
Draw Sci-fi Military Weapons
Paint weapons using the value of grey.
i.e. Photoshop, Fresco
Draw a character design from animation
First, imagine a story.
Use it to define your character attributes!
A good character has a story!
Who are your favorite characters?
Personally, I love the ones from the Arcane animation movie!
Without a story, it is pretty tough to start drawing. We do not know where to start!
To create your own characters, here are some creative tips!
Do you want to draw a Super Hero or a Super Vilain?
What’s his story? His friends, his trauma… you could deduct then his super power.
Does he have a mission to accomplish?
Find accessories, weapons, clothes, and body attributes related to his story.
Draw Power Puffs that represents you and your best friends!
Imagine your “cartoon twins” in the Power Puff’s metaverse!
Draw a character that relates to your personality for yourself and your best friends or family!
New Jeans and their cartoon avatars of Power Puffs
Notice Title
Identify what is your main character trait
If you can’t find it, a trick is to wonder what your friend or family would think about you
To express the personality, choose a facial expression and body posture that signifies it
Feel free to exaggerate. For example, if you are strong and grumpy, you may draw a character like Hulk
Draw a Dragon using the symmetry tool.
- Dragons, unicorns, fairies, mermaids, etc.
- Fantasy creatures can spark your imagination and challenge your skills.
Drawing a dragon on a graphic tablet (with Sketchbook Pro)
A fantasy creature
- Think of an animal you like and add some new abilities.
- Do you want to make it fly? Spit fire? Launch fireball with its tail?
- Think like Pokemon. Each creature has 1 main superpower.
Add a small character to indicate the scale
Take an object and draw an architecture with it
See inspiration everywhere!
That is a great example that how imagination can create new things using existing things.
- Simplify your object with simple forms like Boxes, cylinders, cones, or spheres.
- Find a reference picture of architecture you like
- Add the details of the architecture to your drawing
From Felipe Castro
Draw city buildings using a 2-point perspective
Do not skip perspective lines
- Draw the buildings using a 2-point perspective
- For simplification, we do not use a 3-point perspective setup. All towers will be strictly vertical.
View of city buildings of Ginza, in Japan
Minions from Despicable Me are full of funny expressions!
Fill your page with circles
Use Minions pictures as reference pictures. Choose silly faces!
Draw 1 minion head per circle
Start your drawing from a random scribble
Video here:
From scribble to people drawing
Doodle cute unicorns in a cartoon-style
Doodling cute animals without looking for realism is satisfying.
We remove the stress of drawing well and just relax playing with our imagination.
- Try to doodle the unicorn with a minimum of lines
- Doodle some decoration with clouds, rainbow, and stars
Unicorn doodles
Draw a flow of fish
Color them as you wish, and draw some patterns with stripes, polka dots, zig-zag. Anything of your choice!
A self-portrait using only geometric shapes
Visualize the face in 3 dimensions
- Take a selfie, or look at yourself in a mirror.
- Visualize the surfaces of your face, and try to simplify them in flat surfaces
- Spot the big elements first and draw basic geometric shapes.
- Then you can draw the smaller elements.
Pencil drawing with geometric shapes
A tattoo design you dream having!
Take a pen and draw on your own skin or friend!
Or draw the tattoo directly on your Foto with a graphic tablet using Photoshop Fresco or Procreate.
(Remember to create a new layer to draw on it, and lock your original Foto to protect it)
Tattoo design of an elephant drawn with one line
A still life of fruits or flowers
Draw the contour first,
then add the shades.
Drawing of a rose with a ballpoint pen
Observe and pick a special moment per day
Artists and storytellers get inspired a lot by their daily life.
Sometimes, they can have a banal life, but still, come up with interesting stories. They are observant and try to pick up the good moments they see.
Spot the different “action moments” of your day and select one for the comic strip.
Start with a storyboard using Stickman.
Adjust the comic strip to your story. Interesting events tend to occupy a bigger space in your comic strip.
Draw & Create your Bespoke Plush!
You can create your plush from imagination and order a ‘Bespoke Plush’!
All they need is your kids’ drawings!
Soft toy made with Bespoke Plush
A Pirate map of a hidden treasure
What obstacles your pirate will face during his adventure?
- Draw at least 1 monster
- Draw hostile locations
Easy to draw treasure map of Pirates!
Draw your family with Kid style!
Choose a simple form and color for each family member
Family Drawing
Relaxing
# A silhouette of an animal
Draw the contour of a Safari animal
Minimalist silhouette of animals
# Draw Patterns in many small squares
Geometric, floral, abstract, etc.
Patterns are repeating designs that can create visual interest and harmony.
Draw thumbnails of mini-patterns
# A pattern or mandala using different shapes and colors
Drawing mandala for meditation
Floral Mandala drawing
# Draw a Bee Mandala
Draw a Bee and leave blank space for a mandala
# A collage of objects that represent you
Collage is a French is from the word “Coller”, to glue.
In other words, you can create a mood board that represents you!
A collage is a “story-telling”.
Lead people’s eyes on what you want them to see first.
Collage / Moodboard of ideas and inspirations
- Gather your favorite objects.
- You may spot the moments that matter to you. Maybe it was a gift from your best friend, a relative?
- Associate these objects with your personality traits.
DRAWING CHALLENGE
# The 10 min, 1min, 10 seconds Speed Drawing Challenge
10 min, 1 min, 10 seconds
Draw at home watching Netflix.
- Press PAUSE at your favorite scene, and draw it.
(If you want to train your memory and your fast sketching skills, do not press pause!) - Start by drawing the scene first, pay particular attention to the composition
- Then only you can draw people inside the scene.
Draw a hero or villain from DC Comics
Use Harley Quin reference pictures.
Search for reference pictures
Spot the elements that interest you and import them into your sketch of Harley Quinn
Tutorial: How to Draw Harley Quin
Draw an anime character’s head
Start drawing a sphere with a blue lead pencil
Drawing of Luffy from One Piece
Draw complex mechanical pieces
Feed your memory of forms for small objects
Drawing mechanical pieces of a Sewing machine.
Write your name with Graffiti letters
Letters, words, tags, murals, etc.
Graffiti is a form of street art that can be bold and expressive or subtle and intricate.
Write your name with this Graffiti alphabet.
Draw pillows in action!
- Make the pillow (or flour sacks) communicate without face expression!
- Exaggerate the movement to add more expression to the postures.
Floor sack playing tennis
Draw a banana on the wall
Draw the banana first
Notice that the tape is in front. A common beginner mistake would be starting drawing it. However, starting with the banana first will make the process a lot easier. Decide on the shape of the banana first, then adapt the tape forms accordingly.
Do not try to redraw the banana entirely as what you see.
You are free to choose the shape of it as you wish. Or even choose to draw another fruit or vegetable!
Draw the banana (Feel free to choose another fruit or vegetable)
Draw the tape.
Draw a Popsicle
Draw also its fruit flavor in the background
Watermelon popsicle
Draw different tea cup shapes
Red cup with tea bag illustration
Draw your facial expression when you eat a food you dislike
Draw thinking how it smells and taste
Kid refusing to eat vegetables
30. Draw a Hamburger
Add as many steak and cheese layers as you want!
Draw Homer Simpson’s favorite Donut
Draw many donuts and decorate them as you wish!
Homer Simpson’s donut
Draw a Hot-Dog
What if you draw a dog inside?
If you are a dog lover (I am!),
what if you draw a hot dog with a drawing of your own adorable dog inside?
Hot Dog with a Dog
30. Draw with One line only, a croissant
With training,
you can come up with beautiful art
Croissant sketched with one line
Draw 6 Happy Easter eggs
Draw joyful easter patterns.
I remember my kindergarten teacher helping me to empty an egg for me to decorate it.
Even as an adult today, I love drawing on it like a kid!
Happy Easter egg decoration
Draw cookies in many states
Cookie drawings
Draw a tree. Visualize a simple shape first, then draw the details
Draw a rainbow with each color side by side following the curves
Draw snowman with custom scarves
Draw gemstones and explore the different shapes
Draw feathers in motion
Remember Forest gump?
Pick up leaves from the park and draw them
Drawing of leaves
Draw butterflies with beautiful wings
View of city buildings of Ginza, in Japan
Draw insects
View of city buildings of Ginza, in Japan
What’s your dog’s favorite toy?
Draw a snail traveler
Drawing of a snail traveling on a tree
Choose a vegetable and make it a house!
Draw a fairy with the same color palette as your vegetable house
Draw with perspective lines
View of city buildings of Ginza, in Japan
Draw the crab symmetrical, except the claws
Drawing of a crab
Draw with perspective lines
Draw various Cactus
Draw a realistic mushroom
Draw a mushroom from an ant point of view!
Draw fruits from your fridge
@sunfwer
Blueberries drawing
Everyday Observation Ideas
- Sketch what’s on your desk right now (pen, notebook, headphones, etc.).
- Draw your coffee mug from three different angles during the day.
- Illustrate your breakfast or a snack before you eat it.
- Draw the view outside your window at different times of the day.
- Recreate your favorite shoes or a watch as a line drawing.
- Capture a plant or flower you find on a walk.
Imagination & Storytelling
- Invent your own pet by combining two real animals.
- Create a drawing inspired by your favorite quote or saying—add visual elements that represent its meaning.
- Draw a map of your dream neighborhood, showing places you’d love to visit.
- Illustrate objects or people as they might appear in a topsy-turvy world (up is down, down is up).
- Imagine a treehouse or castle and sketch its exterior design.
- Invent a robot that does one chore you dislike (like laundry or dishes).
Personal Experience
- Draw your hand holding something meaningful (ticket, keychain, favorite pen).
- Sketch a selfie from a mirror or an upside-down photo of yourself.
- Recreate a vivid dream scene as if you were remembering it.
- Draw a silhouette portrait and fill it with geometric designs.
- Illustrate a memory from childhood in comic strip style.
- Draw your backpack or travel case with items you actually carry.
Playful Challenges
- Fill a page with doodles themed around a single shape (circles, triangles).
- Give a random inanimate object a face and personality (mug, stapler, fork).
- Mix two non-related subjects: a fish in a bird’s nest; a car shaped like a sneaker.
- Cover a page with patterns or mandalas using whatever shapes appeal to you.
- Swap the scale of two subjects: make a small object giant in a scene, and vice versa.
Conversation Starters
- Draw what you wish you could see if you looked out your window anywhere in the world.
- Draw something inspired by a song lyric you love.
- Invent a superhero based on a real friend or family member.
- Illustrate a phrase or idiom literally (“cat’s out of the bag” or “head in the clouds”).
Final Tip
Creativity thrives on practice and curiosity. Treat this list as your creative springboard, and remember, the goal is simple: choose ideas that inspire you and enjoy every step of your artistic journey.
Related Articles
Add comment