April Drawing Challenge

Two sets of 30 prompts, one for each day of April: rain and bloom, or things not quite right.

April Drawing Challenge

  1. A bee sheltering from rain under a flowerDay 1. A big petal as an umbrella, the bee tucked beneath it, drops bouncing off.
  2. A bird building a nest out of something oddDay 2. Twigs, moss and one strand of bright wool or a shoelace woven in.
  3. A bus shelter full of people and one duckDay 3. Everyone waiting out the shower. The duck is the only one enjoying it.
  4. A daisy chain that goes on longer than it shouldDay 4. The daisy is one of April's birth flowers. Draw a chain winding off the page.
  5. A diamond of rain caught on a spider webDay 5. The diamond is April's birthstone. Draw one web, heavy with drops that sparkle like cut stones.
  6. A field of lambs all looking the same wayDay 6. Draw them from behind. What are they all staring at?
  7. A garden hose left out that has grown mossDay 7. Coiled on the grass, green fuzz along one side, a daisy growing through a loop.
  8. A kite stuck in a blossoming treeDay 8. The kite caught among pink flowers, its tail hanging down and flapping.
  9. A meteor over a quiet fieldDay 9. The Lyrids meteor shower peaks around 22 April. Draw one streak over a dark hedge.
  10. A pair of wellies with frogs living in themDay 10. Two boots by the back door. Two small faces look out of the tops.
  11. A plant pot where the seeds came up upside downDay 11. Roots in the air, leaves in the soil. The gardener stares at it.
  12. A puddle reflecting a tree in full blossomDay 12. Draw only the puddle. The tree appears upside down in it.
  13. A rain gauge that has overflowedDay 13. A tube in the flower bed, water spilling over the top, a snail on the side.
  14. A rainbow ending in someone's garden shedDay 14. The arc comes down right through the shed roof. Draw the owner looking out.
  15. A seed packet whose picture looks nothing like what grewDay 15. The packet on a stick, the plant beside it wildly different.
  16. A slug on the move across a wet pathDay 16. Draw the shiny trail behind it and a very long way still to go.
  17. A snail racing a raindrop down a windowDay 17. Both on the glass. Who is winning? Add a finish line in the steam.
  18. A sweet pea climbing a bamboo caneDay 18. The sweet pea is one of April's birth flowers. Curly tendrils wrap round the cane.
  19. A tree with blossom on one side and bare twigs on the otherDay 19. Draw it halfway through waking up. The sunny side flowers first.
  20. A tulip that opened in the wrong colourDay 20. A row of red tulips and one that came up striped.
  21. A wet dog shaking right beside a clean personDay 21. Freeze the moment: water flying off in rings, the person's face.
  22. An umbrella turned inside out by the windDay 22. The frame bent the wrong way, the owner holding on with both hands.
  23. Blossom petals caught in a drain grateDay 23. Close up: pink petals piled against the metal bars, water running under.
  24. Clouds shaped like the animals below themDay 24. A cow in a field and a cow-shaped cloud above. Draw both.
  25. Ducklings following the wrong motherDay 25. A line of ducklings trailing a goose, or a cat, or a wheelbarrow.
  26. The first cut of the lawn this yearDay 26. Half the grass long, half short, the mower stopped in the middle.
  27. Rain drawn only with dots and dashesDay 27. Draw a street in rain using nothing but short marks. No lines at all.
  28. Two birds arguing over one wormDay 28. A worm stretched between two beaks. The worm looks unimpressed.
  29. Wet footprints across a kitchen floorDay 29. Draw only the prints: big boots, then small shoes, then paws.
  30. Your nearest tree, drawn as it looks this weekDay 30. Go and look at it. Draw exactly what stage its leaves or buds are at.

Next step More spring subjects to draw

All 60 prompts

Set 1: rain and bloom 30

  • A bee sheltering from rain under a flower Day 1. A big petal as an umbrella, the bee tucked beneath it, drops bouncing off.
  • A bird building a nest out of something odd Day 2. Twigs, moss and one strand of bright wool or a shoelace woven in.
  • A bus shelter full of people and one duck Day 3. Everyone waiting out the shower. The duck is the only one enjoying it.
  • A daisy chain that goes on longer than it should Day 4. The daisy is one of April's birth flowers. Draw a chain winding off the page.
  • A diamond of rain caught on a spider web Day 5. The diamond is April's birthstone. Draw one web, heavy with drops that sparkle like cut stones.
  • A field of lambs all looking the same way Day 6. Draw them from behind. What are they all staring at?
  • A garden hose left out that has grown moss Day 7. Coiled on the grass, green fuzz along one side, a daisy growing through a loop.
  • A kite stuck in a blossoming tree Day 8. The kite caught among pink flowers, its tail hanging down and flapping.
Show all 60 prompts (52 more)

Set 1: rain and bloom, continued

  • A meteor over a quiet field Day 9. The Lyrids meteor shower peaks around 22 April. Draw one streak over a dark hedge.
  • A pair of wellies with frogs living in them Day 10. Two boots by the back door. Two small faces look out of the tops.
  • A plant pot where the seeds came up upside down Day 11. Roots in the air, leaves in the soil. The gardener stares at it.
  • A puddle reflecting a tree in full blossom Day 12. Draw only the puddle. The tree appears upside down in it.
  • A rain gauge that has overflowed Day 13. A tube in the flower bed, water spilling over the top, a snail on the side.
  • A rainbow ending in someone's garden shed Day 14. The arc comes down right through the shed roof. Draw the owner looking out.
  • A seed packet whose picture looks nothing like what grew Day 15. The packet on a stick, the plant beside it wildly different.
  • A slug on the move across a wet path Day 16. Draw the shiny trail behind it and a very long way still to go.
  • A snail racing a raindrop down a window Day 17. Both on the glass. Who is winning? Add a finish line in the steam.
  • A sweet pea climbing a bamboo cane Day 18. The sweet pea is one of April's birth flowers. Curly tendrils wrap round the cane.
  • A tree with blossom on one side and bare twigs on the other Day 19. Draw it halfway through waking up. The sunny side flowers first.
  • A tulip that opened in the wrong colour Day 20. A row of red tulips and one that came up striped.
  • A wet dog shaking right beside a clean person Day 21. Freeze the moment: water flying off in rings, the person's face.
  • An umbrella turned inside out by the wind Day 22. The frame bent the wrong way, the owner holding on with both hands.
  • Blossom petals caught in a drain grate Day 23. Close up: pink petals piled against the metal bars, water running under.
  • Clouds shaped like the animals below them Day 24. A cow in a field and a cow-shaped cloud above. Draw both.
  • Ducklings following the wrong mother Day 25. A line of ducklings trailing a goose, or a cat, or a wheelbarrow.
  • The first cut of the lawn this year Day 26. Half the grass long, half short, the mower stopped in the middle.
  • Rain drawn only with dots and dashes Day 27. Draw a street in rain using nothing but short marks. No lines at all.
  • Two birds arguing over one worm Day 28. A worm stretched between two beaks. The worm looks unimpressed.
  • Wet footprints across a kitchen floor Day 29. Draw only the prints: big boots, then small shoes, then paws.
  • Your nearest tree, drawn as it looks this week Day 30. Go and look at it. Draw exactly what stage its leaves or buds are at.

Set 2: not quite right 30

  • A bicycle with square wheels, going nowhere Day 1. Draw the rider pedalling hard, the bike tilting on one corner.
  • A bird house for a very big bird Day 2. A normal garden with a huge nest box. What peeks out of the round door?
  • A book whose words are escaping off the page Day 3. Open book, letters climbing out and marching across the table.
  • A cake that is actually a sponge for washing up Day 4. It looks like a slice of layer cake. Put it by the sink with bubbles.
  • A cat walking a person on a lead Day 5. The cat in front, calm and upright. The person on the lead looks confused.
  • A chair with one leg much shorter than the others Day 6. Draw someone trying to sit on it very carefully.
  • A clock where the numbers have fallen to the bottom Day 7. The face with all twelve numbers heaped at six o'clock.
  • A fish tank with a cat inside and a fish outside Day 8. The fish peers in from a bowl on the table. The cat looks trapped.
  • A house with its front door on the roof Day 9. A ladder leading up to it. A letterbox beside it, with post.
  • A jigsaw piece that fits the wrong puzzle Day 10. Draw one piece of sky jammed into a picture of a dog.
  • A ladder that leads into a cloud Day 11. The top rungs vanish into white. Someone's boots are on the last rung you can see.
  • A library where the books read the people Day 12. Books in the chairs, holding tiny people open in front of them.
  • A pair of shoes, one pointing each way Day 13. Draw a person's feet going in two directions at once.
  • A pencil drawing a picture of a pencil Day 14. The pencil stands on paper, sketching a smaller pencil that is also drawing.
  • A portrait where the eyes look at the viewer and the nose looks away Day 15. Draw a face with one feature that did not get the message.
  • A puddle that shows a different sky Day 16. Grey day above, but the reflection shows sunshine and a rainbow.
  • A sandwich made with two slices of cake Day 17. Draw it proudly on a plate, a lettuce leaf in the middle.
  • A snail with a house on its back, a real one Day 18. A tiny cottage with windows and a chimney where the shell should be.
  • A sock drawer where every sock has a different pattern Day 19. Rows of rolled socks. Not one matches another.
  • A street sign pointing in every direction at once Day 20. One post, eight arms, all saying the same town name.
  • A teapot pouring upward Day 21. The stream rises from the spout to a cup held above it.
  • A tree growing upside down, roots in the air Day 22. Leaves underground, roots spread against the sky. A bird nests in the roots.
  • An April Fool's note left on a fridge Day 23. April Fools' Day falls on 1 April. Draw a harmless joke note held on by a magnet.
  • An ice cream cone with a light bulb instead of a scoop Day 24. It glows. Draw a moth circling it and a child confused.
  • An umbrella that rains underneath it Day 25. Dry all around, a small cloud under the umbrella pouring on its owner.
  • Glasses on a dog, reading a newspaper Day 26. Sitting in an armchair, paper open, very serious expression.
  • The moon rising in the middle of the day Day 27. Bright blue sky, a full moon and people below pointing up.
  • Salt and pepper shakers that have swapped labels Day 28. Draw them side by side, the letters on each clearly wrong.
  • Two left gloves waving at each other Day 29. A pair of gloves on a washing line, both thumbs on the same side.
  • Your own room with one object changed into something silly Day 30. Draw the room as it is, but swap one thing for something that makes no sense.

How this list was compiled: Original prompts written for Draw This Next on 2026-09-23: two sets of 30, one prompt for each day of April. Every prompt and hint is our own work. Day numbers follow A to Z order inside each set, so the full list reads day 1 to day 30. The few facts in the hints (April has 30 days and is spring in the north, autumn in the south; its birthstone is the diamond and its birth flowers are the common daisy and the sweet pea; the Lyrids meteor shower peaks around 22 April; April Fools' Day on 1 April is a custom of practical jokes in many Western countries) were checked on 2026-09-23 against Wikipedia: April (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April), April Fools' Day (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day). No prompt is taken from any published April challenge list. Licence: own work

How it works

April has 30 days, and each set holds 30 April drawing prompts, one per date. Set 1 is rain and bloom. Set 2 is not quite right: a teapot pouring upward, a cat walking its owner, jokes for the month of April Fools' Day.

Read the full guide

Two sets, two moods

Rain and bloom is for looking out of the window or taking a sketchbook on a walk. Not quite right is for the desk: each prompt is an ordinary scene with one thing wrong, so the fun is in drawing the ordinary part straight. Every hint opens with its day number, and the list runs day 1 to day 30 in A to Z order. Day 30 starts with Your.

Running an April art challenge with a group

Give everyone the same set and the same day. Post or pin the drawings together each week: thirty people drawing one prompt show thirty different answers. Set 2 works well for a class, where the jokes get everyone drawing.

  • For Set 2, draw the normal parts carefully. The joke only works if everything else looks right.
  • South of the equator April is autumn: swap the blossom prompts for falling leaves.

Questions and answers

Can I use these as April drawing ideas on any day?

Yes. Draw any row on its own, in any order; the menu changes set. The spring list holds plain seasonal subjects with no twist.

Do I have to start on 1 April?

No. Each set has 30 prompts, one per date, so start on today's date or at day 1 whenever you begin.

Is this an official challenge?

No. The 60 prompts are our own and belong to no organised challenge, so there are no rules about materials. Pencil, pen, paint and a tablet all work.

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