18 Easy Things to Draw When You’re Bored | Beginner Ideas

Bored, pencil in hand, and still not sure what to draw? Do not make the choice harder than the drawing. Pick the first reference below that gives you an immediate idea and start there. Click or tap any image to open the full-size reference.

Jump to: faces & characters · colorful ideas · story & fan-art · 3D & strange ideas · pick one now

Faces, eyes and characters — Ideas 1–4

If you want the easiest place to start, draw one feature instead of a whole person. An eye gives you shape, contrast and shading practice without turning into a two-hour portrait.

Colorful things to draw — Ideas 5–8

These are good when plain graphite feels a little dead. You do not need the same palette as the reference. Keep the subject and swap the colors, or restrict yourself to three colors so the drawing stays manageable.

Story and fan-art ideas — Ideas 9–12

Fan art works well when you are bored because the subject is already chosen for you. The useful part is deciding what to change: redraw the character in another outfit, crop down to one expression, or move the scene somewhere completely ordinary.

3D, optical and strange drawing ideas — Ideas 13–15

If ordinary subjects feel boring, change the illusion instead of the object. Make something break through the paper, exaggerate depth, or turn a normal silhouette into something slightly impossible.

Turn one idea into your own — Ideas 16–18

The last three are less about copying a finished picture. Use them as a reminder to alter something on purpose. Change the scale. Replace one object. Combine two subjects that normally have nothing to do with each other.

If you want me to choose for you

If you only have five minutes, pick Idea 1. If you want color, use Idea 5. If you want something recognizable but still fun to change, use Idea 9. If you want a longer pencil session, go for Idea 14. And if none of those sound good, choose Idea 18 and replace the elephant with an animal you actually like.

A 10-minute rule for getting past the blank page

1. Minute 1: choose one reference. No more scrolling.
2. Minutes 2–4: draw only the largest shapes.
3. Minutes 5–7: fix the silhouette and proportions.
4. Minutes 8–10: add one thing that makes it yours—a different color, expression, object or setting.

At ten minutes, stop and look at it. If you want to keep going, you have already beaten the hardest part: starting.

What counts as an “easy thing to draw”?

It is not necessarily a childish or simple subject. It is something you can break into a few clear shapes before worrying about detail. An eye can be easy because the basic form is compact. A full character can be harder because pose, clothing and proportions all have to work together.

If a reference feels too complicated, crop it. Draw one eye instead of the whole face, one balloon instead of the full house, or the alien head without the rest of the scene. Making the task smaller is usually more useful than abandoning the subject.

Where to go next

If you mostly want quick visual references, use the easy cool drawing ideas. If you want tiny doodles you can practice without a sketchbook, try these easy things to draw on your hand. If you want prompts that force you to invent something rather than copy, use the creative drawing ideas. For proper step-by-step instruction, go to the beginner drawing tutorials. And if you want a drawing that looks harder than it really is, try the easy drawings that look impressive.

Questions people usually have

What should I draw when I am bored and cannot think of anything?

Draw one small feature or object first. An eye, cup, shoe, leaf, pet face or tiny character is easier to begin than a full scene.

What should a complete beginner choose here?

Start with Ideas 1 or 2 and focus on the main shape. If you want something more playful, Idea 5 is a better choice than jumping straight into the detailed character drawings.

Do I need good art supplies?

No. A normal pencil and plain paper are enough for almost every exercise on this page. Add color only if it makes the idea more interesting to you.

Can I copy these drawings?

Use the references for study and idea generation. This is a legacy inspiration gallery and the original creator or reuse licence is not documented for every image, so do not assume the source artwork is cleared for commercial republication. Recognizable characters should also be treated as fan-art subjects rather than original designs.