Art Prompt Generator

One sentence to draw from: subject, action, place and one limit, with a timer and 30 prompts to print.

Kind of prompt

A fortune teller whistling a tune on a cliff path, in one sitting, with no going back.

Padlock: keep a part. Arrows: change only that part.

  • Subjectfortune teller
  • Actionwhistling a tune
  • Settingon a cliff path
  • Limitin one sitting, with no going back
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    Prompt of the day

     

    Subject: all 355 subjects

    People 150

    • absent-minded inventor
    • acrobat
    • apprentice blacksmith
    • archaeologist
    • astronomer
    • ballet dancer
    • barber
    • barefoot angler
    Show all 355 subjects (347 more)

    People, continued

    • bell ringer
    • bicycle courier
    • birdwatcher
    • birthday child in a paper crown
    • bookbinder
    • bored lifeguard
    • botanist in muddy boots
    • breakdancer
    • bus driver at the end of a shift
    • busker with an accordion
    • canal boat owner
    • candle maker
    • carpenter with a pencil behind one ear
    • cave explorer
    • cellist
    • cheerful window cleaner
    • chimney sweep
    • chocolatier
    • church organist
    • cinema projectionist
    • circus ringmaster
    • clown on a day off
    • cobbler
    • country vet
    • crossword setter
    • deep-sea diver
    • desert traveller
    • detective in a long coat
    • dog walker with six leads
    • drummer
    • elderly chess champion
    • ferry ticket collector
    • figure skater
    • firefighter
    • fishmonger
    • fortune teller
    • fossil hunter
    • gardener in a straw hat
    • glassblower in goggles
    • goalkeeper
    • goat herder
    • gondolier
    • greengrocer
    • grumpy ferry pilot
    • harpist
    • hiker with a huge rucksack
    • hot air balloonist
    • hotel bellhop
    • ice cream seller
    • ice fisher
    • jazz pianist
    • juggler
    • kite maker
    • knitting grandfather
    • lantern maker
    • left-handed sign painter
    • lifeboat volunteer
    • lighthouse painter
    • lone mountain climber
    • long-distance cyclist
    • lost tourist
    • marathon runner
    • marine biologist
    • market flower seller
    • midnight radio host
    • mime
    • monk with a broom
    • museum guard
    • nervous stage magician
    • newspaper seller
    • night porter
    • night-shift baker
    • novelist with writer's block
    • nurse on a break
    • off-duty astronaut
    • one-person band
    • opera singer
    • orchard picker
    • orchestra conductor
    • parachutist
    • park ranger
    • pavement chalk artist
    • pearl diver
    • photographer with an old camera
    • pilot in a leather jacket
    • pizza chef
    • poet
    • portrait painter
    • potter in a clay-stained apron
    • punk guitarist
    • puppet maker
    • racing driver
    • referee
    • retired sea captain
    • rice farmer
    • rock climber
    • rooftop beekeeper
    • salt farmer
    • school crossing guard
    • sculptor covered in dust
    • shepherd in a long coat
    • ship's navigator
    • shy trapeze artist
    • skateboarding grandmother
    • skier
    • sleepy librarian
    • snorkeller
    • spy in a bad disguise
    • stargazer in pyjamas
    • stilt walker
    • stonemason
    • storm chaser
    • street food vendor
    • street violinist
    • student with too many books
    • submarine captain
    • surfer
    • swimmer in a striped costume
    • tailor with a mouthful of pins
    • tap dancer
    • tattooed florist
    • tea seller
    • teenager in headphones
    • tightrope walker
    • tired lighthouse keeper
    • toddler in a yellow raincoat
    • tour guide with a tiny flag
    • train conductor
    • travelling clockmaker
    • tree surgeon
    • trumpeter
    • umbrella repairer
    • village schoolteacher
    • wandering storyteller
    • weary postal worker
    • weaver
    • wedding guest in trainers
    • weightlifter
    • window dresser
    • yoga teacher
    • young mapmaker
    • zookeeper

    Animals 105

    • alpaca
    • armadillo
    • baby elephant
    • badger
    • barn owl
    • beaver
    • black sheep
    • bossy goose
    • brown bear
    • bumblebee
    • camel
    • capybara
    • cart horse
    • chameleon
    • chipmunk
    • city rat
    • clever crow
    • crocodile
    • dachshund
    • elderly tortoise
    • emperor penguin
    • fallow deer
    • fat tabby cat
    • field mouse
    • flamingo
    • fruit bat
    • garden spider
    • gecko
    • giant anteater
    • giant panda
    • giant snail
    • giraffe
    • goldfish
    • gorilla
    • grass snake
    • grasshopper
    • grey heron
    • grey wolf
    • greyhound
    • hammerhead shark
    • harbour seal
    • hawk moth
    • hermit crab
    • Highland cow
    • hippo
    • house sparrow
    • humpback whale
    • iguana
    • jellyfish
    • kangaroo
    • kingfisher
    • koala
    • koi carp
    • llama
    • lobster
    • lynx
    • magpie
    • mallard duck
    • manta ray
    • meerkat
    • moose
    • mountain goat
    • muddy pig
    • nervous hedgehog
    • octopus
    • old lion
    • one-eared rabbit
    • orangutan
    • ostrich
    • peacock
    • pelican
    • pigeon
    • platypus
    • polar bear
    • pony
    • proud rooster
    • puffin
    • raccoon
    • red panda
    • red squirrel
    • reindeer
    • rhinoceros
    • ring-tailed lemur
    • river otter
    • scarlet macaw
    • seagull
    • seahorse
    • short-sighted mole
    • sleepy red fox
    • snow leopard
    • soaked sheepdog
    • spider monkey
    • stag beetle
    • stubborn donkey
    • swan
    • three-legged cat
    • three-toed sloth
    • tiger
    • toucan
    • tree frog
    • walrus
    • warty toad
    • wombat
    • woodpecker
    • zebra

    Fantasy and folklore 60

    • alchemist
    • alien tourist
    • bored queen
    • bridge troll
    • centaur
    • clay golem
    • cloud giant
    • court jester
    • dragon rider
    • dwarf miner
    • elf
    • fairy with bent wings
    • faun
    • forest spirit
    • garden gnome
    • gargoyle
    • genie
    • gentle giant
    • goblin
    • griffin
    • hedge wizard
    • imp
    • knight in dented armour
    • kraken
    • lantern-carrying frog knight
    • medieval scribe
    • mermaid
    • minotaur
    • moon rabbit
    • mummy
    • mushroom person
    • ogre
    • one-eyed giant
    • phoenix
    • pirate cook
    • pixie
    • polite ghost
    • princess in armour
    • pumpkin-headed scarecrow
    • river spirit
    • sea serpent
    • skeleton in a top hat
    • small dragon
    • snow spirit
    • space pirate
    • swamp witch
    • three-eyed alien
    • time traveller
    • travelling bard
    • tree nymph
    • two-headed dragon hatchling
    • unicorn
    • vampire
    • very old dragon
    • very small king
    • viking navigator
    • werewolf
    • witch's cat
    • wizard's apprentice
    • yeti

    Machines and living objects 40

    • android
    • cactus with a face
    • cheerful toaster
    • chess knight
    • clockwork bird
    • clockwork mouse
    • deep-sea probe
    • delivery drone
    • egg with legs
    • gingerbread person
    • haunted armchair
    • houseplant with arms
    • jack-in-the-box
    • kite with a face
    • lighthouse on legs
    • living statue
    • lost balloon
    • marionette
    • melting snowman
    • old satellite
    • paper crane
    • paper doll
    • planet rover
    • rag doll
    • robot butler
    • robot gardener
    • rusty robot
    • scarecrow
    • scrap-metal giant
    • sleepy street lamp
    • small grey cloud
    • snow globe figure
    • sock puppet
    • tin toy soldier
    • traffic cone with legs
    • vending machine with legs
    • walking teapot
    • wind-up robot
    • wooden nutcracker
    • worn teddy bear

    How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Every subject is a single made-up figure. No real person, brand or existing character is named. Licence: own work

    Action: all 177 actions

    Everyday moments 50

    • asking for directions
    • carrying a tray of cakes
    • carrying too many parcels
    • checking a pocket watch
    • counting coins
    • dragging a heavy suitcase
    • dropping a tray of cakes
    • drying off with a towel
    Show all 177 actions (169 more)

    Everyday moments, continued

    • eating a melting ice cream
    • eating noodles
    • fanning away the heat
    • feeding gulls
    • feeding pigeons
    • flipping a pancake
    • folding a map
    • giving directions
    • handing out leaflets
    • hanging out washing
    • holding a broken umbrella
    • laughing at a private joke
    • looking in a hand mirror
    • opening a mysterious box
    • packing a suitcase
    • peeling an orange
    • posting a letter
    • pouring tea
    • reading a letter
    • reading a map upside down
    • searching for lost keys
    • selling balloons
    • selling hot chestnuts
    • sharing a sandwich
    • sheltering under a newspaper
    • shivering under a blanket
    • sipping soup
    • slicing a watermelon
    • sneezing
    • stirring a huge pot
    • sweeping a step
    • taking a photograph
    • toasting marshmallows
    • trying on hats
    • tying a shoelace
    • waiting for someone who is late
    • walking six dogs at once
    • warming both hands at a stove
    • watering a row of plants
    • wrapping a present
    • writing a postcard
    • yawning

    Work and making 45

    • baking bread
    • building a birdhouse
    • carrying a ladder
    • carrying a pumpkin
    • changing a light bulb
    • chopping firewood
    • cleaning a window
    • cutting hair
    • darning a sock
    • delivering a parcel
    • digging a hole
    • drawing a map in the dirt
    • fixing a radio
    • folding laundry
    • grinding coffee
    • hammering a nail
    • hanging a picture
    • ironing a shirt
    • knitting a very long scarf
    • laying bricks
    • lighting a lantern
    • measuring a shadow
    • mending a net
    • painting a fence
    • painting a portrait
    • picking apples
    • planting a tree
    • polishing a boot
    • pulling a cart of books
    • pumping up a tyre
    • pushing a wheelbarrow
    • repairing a bicycle
    • sawing a plank
    • scrubbing a floor
    • sewing on a button
    • shaking out a rug
    • sharpening pencils
    • sketching a stranger
    • sorting buttons by colour
    • stacking crates
    • tuning a guitar
    • unrolling a carpet
    • untangling fairy lights
    • weighing vegetables
    • winding a clock

    Movement and play 36

    • balancing on one leg
    • blowing bubbles
    • bowing to an audience
    • carrying a friend piggyback
    • cartwheeling
    • catching butterflies
    • catching falling leaves
    • chasing a hat
    • chasing a runaway dog
    • climbing a ladder
    • climbing a rope
    • dancing alone
    • doing a handstand
    • flying a kite
    • holding a bunch of balloons
    • hula hooping
    • juggling lemons
    • jumping a puddle
    • leaping over a fence
    • losing a balloon
    • playing hopscotch
    • racing a snail
    • riding a bicycle that is too small
    • riding a unicycle
    • roller skating
    • running late
    • skateboarding
    • skipping stones
    • slipping on a banana skin
    • spinning a plate
    • stretching after a long nap
    • swinging on a rope swing
    • tiptoeing past a sleeping dog
    • tripping over a cat
    • walking into the wind
    • waltzing with a broom

    Quiet and odd moments 46

    • arguing with a pigeon
    • balancing a teacup on one knee
    • banging a drum
    • bargaining with a crow
    • blowing a trumpet
    • blowing out a candle
    • building a house of cards
    • conducting an invisible orchestra
    • counting stars
    • daydreaming
    • dealing cards
    • fishing with a bent rod
    • following a trail of crumbs
    • guarding a single egg
    • hiding a surprise behind one hand
    • hiding behind a newspaper
    • holding a jar of fireflies
    • humming to a houseplant
    • listening at a door
    • looking through a keyhole
    • napping in a wheelbarrow
    • peering through a telescope
    • playing chess alone
    • playing the accordion
    • practising a speech
    • pulling a rabbit from a hat
    • reading a very small book
    • reading to a cat
    • rehearsing a magic trick
    • ringing a bell
    • sharing an umbrella with a stranger
    • singing loudly
    • sleeping under a coat
    • solving a crossword
    • stacking stones
    • sulking
    • teaching a parrot to whistle
    • telling a story to nobody
    • watching a snail race
    • watching the clouds
    • watching the rain
    • waving goodbye
    • wearing a coat three sizes too big
    • whispering to a scarecrow
    • whistling a tune
    • writing in a diary

    How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Every action is written to work in any place, so that it still makes sense beside any setting. Licence: own work

    Setting: all 173 settings

    Outdoors and wild places 55

    • among ruins overgrown with ivy
    • at a campsite at dawn
    • at a desert oasis
    • at the bottom of a canyon
    • at the edge of a cliff in high wind
    • beside a campfire
    • beside a rock pool
    • beside a scarecrow in a ploughed field
    Show all 173 settings (165 more)

    Outdoors and wild places, continued

    • beside a waterfall
    • during a thunderstorm
    • in a bamboo forest
    • in a field of sunflowers
    • in a forest clearing at midnight
    • in a heatwave
    • in a hot spring in the snow
    • in a lavender field
    • in a meadow at noon
    • in a pine forest at dusk
    • in a pumpkin patch
    • in a ring of mushrooms
    • in a rowing boat on a still lake
    • in a sea cave
    • in a tea field in the mist
    • in a tulip field
    • in a vegetable garden
    • in a walled garden
    • in a wheat field before a storm
    • in an orchard in autumn
    • in heavy fog
    • in long grass at the edge of a wood
    • in the middle of a hedge maze
    • inside a hollow tree
    • on a beach at low tide
    • on a canal towpath
    • on a cliff path
    • on a desert road at noon
    • on a farm gate
    • on a frozen lake
    • on a harbour wall at dawn
    • on a hay bale at sunset
    • on a mountain summit
    • on a pier in winter
    • on a raft at sea
    • on a rice terrace
    • on a rope bridge
    • on a windy hilltop
    • on an ice floe
    • on an old stone bridge
    • on stepping stones across a river
    • on the first day of snow
    • on the last day of summer
    • under a cherry tree in blossom
    • under a full moon
    • under a huge oak
    • under the northern lights

    Town and city 36

    • at a bus stop in the snow
    • at a fairground after dark
    • at a ferry terminal at night
    • at a level crossing
    • at a night market
    • at a noodle stall in the rain
    • at a petrol station at three in the morning
    • at a zebra crossing in the rain
    • at the top of a Ferris wheel
    • beside a broken-down car
    • beside a fountain in an empty square
    • in a city of bridges
    • in a crowded market
    • in a flower market at sunrise
    • in a narrow alley hung with washing
    • in a phone box
    • in a playground at dusk
    • in a street of crooked houses
    • in an underground station
    • in the back of a taxi
    • on a balcony full of plants
    • on a carousel
    • on a ferry deck in fog
    • on a fire escape
    • on a houseboat
    • on a night train
    • on a railway platform in fog
    • on a rooftop at sunset
    • on a tram
    • on an escalator
    • on the steps of a museum
    • on the top deck of a bus
    • on the top level of a car park
    • outside a closed cinema
    • under a railway bridge in the rain
    • under a street lamp in the snow

    Indoors 50

    • at an ice rink
    • backstage at a theatre
    • during a power cut
    • in a bakery before opening
    • in a barber's chair
    • in a barn loft
    • in a bowling alley
    • in a cafe window seat
    • in a caravan
    • in a cellar lit by one bulb
    • in a classroom on a Saturday
    • in a clock shop
    • in a darkroom
    • in a diner at dawn
    • in a garden shed
    • in a greenhouse at noon
    • in a greenhouse full of cacti
    • in a laundrette at midnight
    • in a library after closing
    • in a lift stuck between floors
    • in a lighthouse kitchen
    • in a lighthouse lamp room
    • in a mountain hut
    • in a museum at night
    • in a painter's studio
    • in a photo booth
    • in a planetarium
    • in a post office queue
    • in a recording studio
    • in a room with one window and no door
    • in a second-hand bookshop
    • in a ship's galley
    • in a stable
    • in a stairwell
    • in a supermarket aisle
    • in a tailor's shop
    • in a tiny kitchen
    • in a toy shop at night
    • in a treehouse
    • in a waiting room
    • in a zoo after closing
    • in an aquarium tunnel
    • in an attic full of clocks
    • in an empty swimming pool
    • in an observatory
    • in an office after hours
    • in the front row of a cinema
    • inside a circus tent
    • on a high diving board
    • on an empty stage

    Far away and imaginary 32

    • at a crossroads with no signpost
    • at the bottom of a crater
    • at the end of a rainbow
    • at the north pole
    • in a city built in the treetops
    • in a crow's nest
    • in a forest of giant mushrooms
    • in a hot air balloon basket
    • in a library with no ceiling
    • in a ruined castle
    • in a spice market
    • in a submarine
    • in a tent in a sandstorm
    • in a throne room
    • in a town at the bottom of the sea
    • in a wizard's study
    • in an airlock
    • in an alchemist's workshop
    • in an igloo
    • inside a clock tower
    • inside a giant seashell
    • on a cloud
    • on a dragon's hoard
    • on a floating island
    • on a red planet
    • on a space station
    • on a staircase that leads nowhere
    • on an asteroid
    • on castle battlements
    • on the back of a giant turtle
    • on the deck of a sailing ship in a storm
    • on the moon

    How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Each setting is a place plus, where it helps, a time of day or a kind of weather, because light is half of a picture. Licence: own work

    Limit: all 134 limits

    Materials and colour 34

    • in black ink only
    • in coloured pencil
    • in cool colours only
    • in light lines on dark paper
    • in one colour plus black
    • in pastel colours
    • in pencil, with no eraser
    • in red, yellow and black
    Show all 134 limits (126 more)

    Materials and colour, continued

    • in shades of blue
    • in shades of green
    • in two greys and white
    • in warm colours only
    • on coloured paper
    • on the back of an envelope
    • using a ballpoint pen
    • using flat colour with no shading
    • using only dots
    • using only hatching for shade
    • using only straight lines
    • using only three colours
    • using three tones: light, mid and dark
    • using two opposite colours on the colour wheel
    • with a brush pen
    • with a highlighter and a pen
    • with a marker that is running dry
    • with crayons
    • with cut paper shapes
    • with no black at all
    • with no outlines
    • with one bright colour against grey
    • with the background in one flat colour
    • with the biggest brush you have
    • with the thickest pen you own
    • with your other hand

    Time and process 22

    • as a one-minute gesture
    • as five thumbnails before one final
    • as three 30-second sketches
    • drawn small first, then large
    • drawn twice, the second time faster
    • from memory, with no reference
    • in a single continuous line
    • in exactly ten minutes
    • in five minutes flat
    • in one sitting, with no going back
    • in sixty seconds, then again in six minutes
    • in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea
    • in three passes: shapes, lines, shade
    • in twenty minutes with a timer running
    • in under two minutes
    • starting with the background
    • starting with the shadow shapes
    • starting with the smallest detail
    • with no under-drawing
    • with the first line in pen
    • without drawing the face until last
    • without looking at the paper

    Viewpoint and framing 37

    • as a close-up of the face
    • as a close-up of the hands
    • as a view over someone's shoulder
    • as close to symmetrical as you can
    • as the middle panel of a three-panel comic
    • filling the page to every edge
    • framed by something in the foreground
    • from the point of view of a bird
    • from the point of view of a mouse
    • from very far away
    • in a square no bigger than a playing card
    • in a tall, narrow frame
    • in a wide, cinema-shaped frame
    • in silhouette
    • inside a circle
    • reflected in a mirror
    • reflected in a puddle
    • seen from above
    • seen from behind
    • seen from below
    • showing only the shadow
    • showing the moment just after
    • showing the moment just before
    • split across two panels
    • through a window
    • with a long shadow
    • with a strong diagonal
    • with everything tilted
    • with most of the page left empty
    • with one thing cropped by the edge
    • with the figure huge and the place tiny
    • with the figure tiny and the place huge
    • with the horizon very high
    • with the horizon very low
    • with the light coming from behind
    • with the light coming from one side
    • with the subject in the bottom corner

    Style and format 41

    • as a blueprint
    • as a book cover
    • as a cave painting
    • as a chalk pavement drawing
    • as a character sheet with three poses
    • as a children's book illustration
    • as a coin design
    • as a doodle in the margin of a manuscript
    • as a four-panel comic strip
    • as a linocut print
    • as a mosaic
    • as a newspaper cartoon
    • as a paper cut-out
    • as a playing card
    • as a postage stamp
    • as a poster
    • as a repeating pattern
    • as a shadow puppet
    • as a simple logo
    • as a stained glass window
    • as a sticker design
    • as a tattoo design
    • as a travel poster
    • as a woodcut
    • as an embroidery pattern
    • as pixel art on a 32 by 32 grid
    • as simply as you can
    • built from circles only
    • built from triangles only
    • in a cute, rounded style
    • in a flat, graphic style
    • in a loose, scribbly style
    • in a realistic style
    • in a spooky style
    • using basic shapes only
    • with a very big head and tiny feet
    • with as much detail as you can
    • with exaggerated proportions
    • with no face showing
    • with the scale wrong on purpose
    • with very long legs

    How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Each limit is a rule for how to make the picture (tools, time, viewpoint or format), never a rule about what is in it. Licence: own work

    How it works

    This art prompt generator builds one sentence from four fixed lists: a subject, an action, a setting and a limit on how you draw it. Press New prompt, or lock the part you like and reroll the rest. It works as a drawing prompt generator for a sketchbook warm-up, a class starter or a stubborn case of art block, and all four lists are printed in full below.

    Read the full guide

    Reroll, and keep the parts you like

    Each art prompt reads as a small scene: A tired lighthouse keeper feeding gulls on a harbour wall at dawn, using only three colours. Lock a part and New prompt changes only the others. Words are dealt like cards from a shuffled deck, so a list runs right through before a word comes round again. Unlike a plain drawing ideas generator or a page of random drawing ideas, you steer it.

    Draw against the clock

    The timer runs for 30 seconds, one, two, five or ten minutes. It can deal a fresh random drawing prompt when time runs out and restart the clock, so a run of two-minute rounds becomes a hands-free warm-up. At 30 seconds the page behaves like a doodle prompt generator: big shapes, no detail. Ten minutes is enough for a thumbnail with a clear light and dark.

    Print and save

    Print 30 prompts makes a numbered list, a month of daily drawing prompts, and locked parts stay locked on it. Every press prints a different 30. A prompt you save waits on the Saved page in this browser.

    • For things to draw when you have art block, press New prompt five times and draw the one you liked least. It usually holds the problem worth solving.
    • Lock one limit, such as using only three colours, and reroll the rest. Art block ideas come easier with one decision already made.
    • For simple drawing prompts, leave out the setting. A subject, an action and a limit are plenty for a first sketch.
    • In October it doubles as a Halloween prompt generator: lock the limit in a spooky style and press until a vampire or a polite ghost turns up.
    • Treat the sentence as inspiration, not an order. If it says harbour wall and you see a bus stop, draw the bus stop.

    Questions and answers

    How many prompts can it make, and where do the words come from?

    There are 355 subjects, 177 actions, 173 settings and 134 limits, which multiply to 1,456,640,970 possible sentences. Every word comes from a fixed list, and the page only shuffles and joins them. No real person, brand or existing character appears in any list.

    Why does every prompt end with a limit?

    A limit is what gets a drawing started. Seen from above, in black ink only, in under two minutes: each removes a decision you would otherwise stall on, and turns creative drawing prompts into exercises in composition, value or speed.

    Are these good drawing prompts for beginners?

    Yes, with one adjustment. Press until the limit is a gentle one, such as using basic shapes only, then lock it. For single subjects with shape hints, begin with the simple drawing ideas list.

    Can I get one word or one thing instead of a sentence?

    This page always deals a full sentence, because a bare noun rarely settles what to draw. For a single word, use the one-word drawing prompts. For one thing at a time, use the random things to draw generator.

    Can I use it with a class or a drawing group?

    Yes. The lists are clean and nothing needs an account. Put one prompt on the board so everyone draws the same scene, or print 30 prompts and cut the list into strips. With the subject locked, the whole room draws one character in different situations, which makes for fun drawing prompts.

    What should I draw for a drawing contest?

    Press until the subject or the setting fits the contest theme, lock it and reroll the rest. The obvious answer turns up in many entries, and an odd action or limit gives yours an angle. Running the contest? The art theme generator deals themes on their own.