Not sure what to draw? Start here.

Get a random drawing idea.

Each prompt combines a subject with a twist. Draw the first one that makes you smile, or ask for another.

Easy things to draw.

Each of these is made of a few simple shapes, so it works well for beginners and for drawing with a mouse. The hint tells you where to start.

1. A cactus in a pot: a tall rounded shape, two arms and short dashes for spines.
2. A snail: a spiral for the shell on a long, soft body with two feelers.
3. A cup of coffee: a rounded rectangle, a handle and three wavy lines of steam.
4. A little house: a square, a triangle roof, a door and a round window.
5. A cloud with a face: a bumpy outline, two dots for eyes and a small smile.
6. A fish: an oval body, a triangle tail and a dot for the eye.
7. A sun: a circle with short lines all around it.
8. A tree: a fluffy cloud shape on a trunk, with round fruit.
9. An apple: a round shape with a dip at the top, a stem and one leaf.
10. A balloon: an oval, a tiny knot and a curly string.
11. A mushroom: a half-circle cap with spots on a short, wide stem.
12. A ladybug: a circle split by a line, black spots and a small head.
13. A paper plane: two long triangles and a fold line.
14. A rainbow: five arcs in different colors and a cloud at each end.
15. A cupcake: a zigzag wrapper, a swirly top and a cherry.
16. A whale: a big round body, a tail and a spout of water.
17. An ice cream cone: a triangle with a criss-cross pattern and two scoops.
18. A potted flower: a pot, a stem, two leaves and a circle of petals.
19. The moon and stars: a crescent and a handful of tiny stars.
20. A rocket: a tall rounded body, a round window, fins and a flame.

Cute doodles.

Cute comes from proportions: a big head, small body, eyes set low and wide apart, and rounded corners everywhere. Add rosy cheeks with the Soft Airbrush.

• A cat curled up into a ball
• A smiling avocado
• A sleepy cloud hugging a pillow
• A slice of toast with a face
• A bunny peeking out of a pocket
• A penguin wearing a long scarf
• A cactus with a flower crown
• A little ghost holding a lantern
• A strawberry with tiny legs
• A hamster sitting in a teacup
• A frog under an umbrella
• A bee carrying a jar of honey

Drawing ideas for kids.

DrawingPad needs no account and keeps drawings on the device, so kids can open it and start right away. Two-finger tap undoes a mistake on a tablet.

• Your family as animals
• A monster with too many eyes
• Your dream treehouse
• A robot that does your chores
• The view from a rocket window
• A fish tank full of funny fish
• A crown made just for you
• A map of a secret island
• Your favorite food with a face
• Your pet as a superhero

For a guided start, follow how to draw a cat step by step.

Five-minute drawing exercises.

Short, regular practice improves your drawing faster than an occasional long session. Pick one exercise as a warm-up before you draw.

• Fill a page with circles of every size. Loose wrist, steady curves. Turn off Hold to draw shapes in Settings for this one.
• Connect pairs of dots with straight lines. Look at the end point, not the pen, and draw in one quick motion.
• Draw the same mug in 10 seconds, 1 minute and 5 minutes. Shows you which lines really matter.
• Draw an object in one continuous line. Forces you to look closely and stops you from fussing over details.
• Draw your free hand in three poses. The classic exercise, with a model that is always there.
• Shade a ball with three values. Light, middle and dark are enough to make a shape look round.
• Copy a photo upside down. Insert a photo, flip it with Transform → Flip vertically and draw the shapes you see, not the things you know.
• Draw the view from your window every day for a week. The same subject in different light, and a nice series to compare.

Ideas that use DrawingPad’s features.

• A mandala or a snowflake with Radial symmetry: a few strokes repeat around the center. See symmetry and mandalas.
• A butterfly or a robot face with Mirror symmetry: draw one half, get both.
• Doodles on a photo of your pet, your street or your lunch. See drawing on a photo.
• A sticker with a thick white outline, exported as a transparent PNG.
• A process video: every drawing records a timelapse you can export and post.

How to beat the blank canvas.

• Set a limit. Five minutes, three colors or one brush. Limits make decisions easy.
• Start with a shape, not a subject. Draw a random blob, then decide what it could be.
• Draw what is in front of you. Your mug, your shoes or the plant on the windowsill are always available.
• Make it ugly on purpose. A first drawing nobody will see takes the pressure off.