Concept Art Prompt Generator

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Concept Art Prompt Generator: 30 briefs

Design a fire engine for a court that changes its fashions every full moon, with riveted copper plate where it takes wear. It must look heavier than it is. Hand in: the design in its setting, as a small scene.

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

Designfire engine
Worldfor a court that changes its fashions every full moon
Maker's notewith riveted copper plate where it takes wear
Requirementit must look heavier than it is
Hand inthe design in its setting, as a small scene

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Design a fire engine for a court that changes its fashions every full moon, with riveted copper plate where it takes wear. It must look heavier than it is. Hand in: the design in its setting, as a small scene.
Design a schoolroom for a society that votes on every new machine, patched after every winter since it was made. It must warn its user when something is wrong. Hand in: a main view above a strip of three details.
Design an ambulance wagon for a land where metal is rare and glass is common, built by a committee, and it shows. Two households argue over who looks after it. Hand in: two variants side by side with a note on the difference.
Design a stepping-stone crossing for a settlement where nothing may be thrown away, with felt padding at every edge. The eye must land on one focal point first. Hand in: twelve thumbnails, each the size of a postage stamp.
Design a lunch tin for a lane of houses each a single room wide, with small panes of thick green glass. It must show at a glance whether it is in use. Hand in: twelve thumbnails, each the size of a postage stamp.
Design a ticket office for a village at the end of a very long bus route, made by a guild that signs nothing. It is somebody's whole livelihood. Hand in: three thumbnails that each push a different shape.
Design a clock workshop for a city with too many pigeons and a plan, built by children with adult help, not the reverse. Strangers are welcome to use it, and it says so wordlessly. Hand in: five thumbnails, then the best two combined.
Design a tow vehicle for a town rebuilt inside a shopping arcade, built by a thrifty order of beekeepers. Visitors always mistake it for something else. Hand in: the design and one close-up of its best detail.
Design a weighing scale for a kingdom where every roof must be green, made by somebody who had only heard one described. An animal has made a home in part of it. Hand in: four thumbnails: two safe and two strange.
Design a boat shed for a research town at the cold edge of the map, made by somebody who had only heard one described. It must store something, and show where. Hand in: one view in use, with a person for scale.
Design a message tube for a society that votes on every new machine, with one polished part among dull iron. It is kept ready for an emergency that has never come. Hand in: two variants side by side with a note on the difference.
Design a hand bell for a mountain realm that sees the sun two months a year, with carved wooden pegs and no nails. It must not be symmetrical. Hand in: nine thumbnail silhouettes, then circle one.
Design a memorial arch for a city with too many pigeons and a plan, patched after every winter since it was made. Everyone who uses it leaves a small mark. Hand in: a three-quarter view from the front.
Design a river barge for a world with two short harvests a year, with leather straps and brass tacks. It must suit someone with only one hand free. Hand in: the same design turned to four angles.
Design a field kettle for a coast where the tide brings useful wreckage, with enamel badges fixed wherever one would fit. It is slightly too small for the job it now does. Hand in: a top view with the working parts marked.
Design a street sweeper for a lane of houses each a single room wide, with enamel badges fixed wherever one would fit. It must keep working in heavy rain. Hand in: a profile with a person standing beside it for scale.
Design a pump house for a village of very small folk in a very large ruin, with panels of woven reed. It must be usable by someone who cannot read. Hand in: two variants side by side with a note on the difference.
Design a glasshouse for seedlings for a settlement in a grounded ocean liner, built by a road crew between jobs. Its age must show without cracks or rust. Hand in: one view from low down, as a child would see it.
Design a ticket office for a seaside town in the off season, a century old and still in daily use. It must let two people use it at once. Hand in: a main view above a strip of three details.
Design a stair street for a colony in its first hard winter, with a canvas cover, waxed and patched. It must be safe to use half asleep. Hand in: a page of silhouettes made with one thick marker.
Design a bakery for a lane of houses each a single room wide, built in a single season of plenty. It must let two people use it at once. Hand in: a rear three-quarter view.
Design a rain gauge for a town proud of its bad weather, recently restored by someone too careful. It must suit someone with only one hand free. Hand in: one view in use, with a person for scale.
Design a bell tower for a lane of houses each a single room wide, built in a single season of plenty. One part must move, and you must show how. Hand in: eight thumbnails with a small figure for scale in each.
Design a lookout platform for a harvest crew living in a stadium, made by a guild that signs nothing. One person in town refuses to use it, and you show why. Hand in: a main view, two small views and a scale figure.
Design a street sign for a city carved downward into a cliff, with dark inlay on a pale ground. It is being got ready for a festival. Hand in: six thumbnails in solid black with no line inside.
Design a schoolroom for a town twinned with somewhere imaginary, made by a potter trying something new. Limit it to three tones and no more. Hand in: one angle shown two ways: working and at rest.
Design a river barge for a market town run by retired adventurers, made by somebody who had only heard one described. It must be usable by someone who cannot read. Hand in: four thumbnails: two safe and two strange.
Design a mail cart for a kingdom where every roof must be green, made by farmers in the off season. It must look handmade. Hand in: one thumbnail redrawn three times, one change each time.
Design a stepping-stone crossing for a tower with a separate trade on each level, a century old and still in daily use. It must belong to its world and not to a museum. Hand in: eight thumbnails with a small figure for scale in each.
Design a first-aid satchel for a hill camp made of stacked vehicles, built by a family, each generation adding a part. It must let two people use it at once. Hand in: the design in its setting, as a small scene.

Next step Design the person who uses it

Design: all 80 subjects

Props and tools 20

door knocker A small prop that tells a visitor about the whole house.
field kettle Handle, spout and lid are three chances to show who made it.
first-aid satchel The flap and its fastening must read from a distance.
folding stool Draw it folded and open. The hinge is the interesting part.

Show all 80 subjects (76 more)

Props and tools, continued

hand bell Bell, handle and clapper. Vary the proportions between thumbnails.
lockbox Hinges, corners and lock. Decide which the maker cared about most.
lunch tin Humble on purpose. The dents and the clasp tell the story.
map case Round or flat changes the silhouette completely. Try both.
message tube A cap, a seal and a way to tell at a glance whether it is full.
pair of work goggles Lenses, strap and seal. Show them on a head and off.
pocket compass Start with how it opens. The lid is half the design.
rain gauge A plain instrument. Give it one decorative part and no more.
signal horn The bell of the horn is the big shape. Keep the rest small.
solo camp stove Where does the fuel go, and where does the pot sit?
street sign Lettering is off limits: make shape and symbol do the work.
surveyor's staff A long thin prop. The top and the foot carry all the detail.
tailor's kit Many small parts in one container. Show it open.
tool roll Design the tools as a set first, then the cloth that holds them.
water flask Decide how it is carried: strap, hook or pocket.
weighing scale Two pans and a beam, or one hook and a dial. Pick one and commit.

Vehicles and vessels 20

ambulance wagon It must look fast and gentle at once.
cargo airship The envelope is huge and plain. Put the detail in the gondola.
delivery tricycle The cargo box can go in front or behind. Thumbnail both.
farm tractor Big wheels behind, small in front, or the reverse for a change.
fire engine Ladders, hoses and a water tank, arranged so each can be reached.
houseboat Half house, half boat. Decide which half wins.
ice cream wagon It has to be seen and wanted from the far end of a street.
mail cart Where do the letters go and where does the driver sit?
market boat A shop that floats. The goods on display are the decoration.
mobile library Shelves that survive a bumpy road: show how the books stay in.
night coach Lit windows in a dark body. Decide where the light comes from.
pedal taxi One who pedals and two who ride. Seat them first.
rescue boat Low, wide and easy to climb into from the water.
river barge A long flat shape. Break it with a cabin and a mast or a funnel.
school carriage Many small seats and one large driver's seat.
single-seat racer Everything leans forward. Find the one line that says speed.
sleeper carriage Draw the outside, then a cutaway of one bunk.
street sweeper A working machine. Let the brushes set the silhouette.
street tram Doors, windows and a way to take power or be pulled.
tow vehicle All hook, winch and weight at the back.

Buildings and rooms 20

bakery The oven and its chimney are the heart. Build outward from them.
bathhouse Steam has to get out and people have to get in.
bell tower The bell must be heard and the ringer must climb. Draw the stair.
boat shed A big door facing the water and a slip running down to it.
border watchtower Tall and narrow. Decide what the top room is for first.
clock workshop A room full of small things. Design the bench before the walls.
glasshouse for seedlings Glass and frame. The plants inside are part of the silhouette.
kitchen for forty Design the path of one plate from stove to door.
mapmaker's studio Tall windows, long tables and tubes of rolled paper everywhere.
observatory A dome or a sliding roof on a solid base.
post office Public at the front, sorting at the back. Show both doors.
pump house A small building wrapped round a machine.
ranger's hut One room, one stove, one view. Where is the door against the wind?
schoolroom Rows, a front and a window wall. Change one of the three.
signal station Its job is to be seen from far off. Start with the mast or the arm.
ticket office One window, one queue, one roof. Small enough to design in an hour.
toll booth A barrier, a shelter and somewhere to keep the coins.
waiting room Benches, a clock and a door everyone watches.
weather station Instruments on the roof, a logbook inside.
wind-driven mill Sails, cap and body. Decide which part turns to face the wind.

Built places and landmarks 20

bandstand A roof on posts over a low platform. The roof is the silhouette.
boat landing A ramp or steps into water, and posts to tie up to.
community garden Beds, a shed and a gate. The paths between are the plan.
covered walkway Repeating posts. Change one bay to give the eye somewhere to land.
fairground One tall ride, one round ride and a gate.
fishing quay Posts, ladders and a stone edge. Nets and crates dress it.
footbridge Span, rail and the two ends where it meets the ground.
lookout platform A stair, a rail and a reason to climb.
market square Stalls come and go. Design what stays: paving, a pump, a clock.
memorial arch It commemorates something. Decide what before you draw.
open-air stage A platform, a back wall and somewhere for the crowd to sit.
play yard Design three pieces of equipment as a family of shapes.
public fountain Water is part of the silhouette. Draw where it falls.
public well A head, a cover and a way to raise the water.
railway halt A platform, a shelter and a sign with no words.
rooftop garden Planters, a water tank and a way up.
stair street A street that is all steps. Doors open at every landing.
stepping-stone crossing A row of stones, a rail or rope, and a marker at each bank.
town clock A face seen from four streets. What holds it up?
town gate An opening and what frames it. Thumbnail the arch alone first.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Every subject is a made thing, so that any setting, maker and requirement on the page can apply to it. No figure, creature, weapon or natural landscape is listed. The notes are our own suggestions on where to start the design. Licence: own work

World: all 60 settings

Fantasy 15

for a city built along the tops of bridges Space is narrow and everything hangs over a drop. Design upward and outward.
for a city carved downward into a cliff Every design has a wall behind it and open air in front.
for a court that changes its fashions every full moon Design the frame plain and the decoration easy to swap.

Show all 60 settings (57 more)

Fantasy, continued

for a forest people who never cut a living tree Fallen wood, bark, vine and stone only. Show the joints.
for a guild of mapmakers who distrust straight lines Give every edge a slight curve and see what it does to the shape.
for a kingdom where every roof must be green Planted roofs, copper roofs, painted roofs: one law, many answers.
for a land where metal is rare and glass is common Glass does the jobs of iron here. Thick, green and bubbled.
for a market town run by retired adventurers Practical, patched, and a little too well defended.
for a mountain realm that sees the sun two months a year Everything is built to catch light and hold heat.
for a port that trades only by night It must be found, used and understood by a small light.
for a river people who move house each flood Light enough to lift, with handles where hands will go.
for a town whose founders were all bakers Rounded, warm and floury. Let the trade shape the taste.
for a valley where the wind is taxed Nothing may catch more breeze than its owner has paid for.
for a village of very small folk in a very large ruin Scale is the whole brief. Put a huge old object beside it.
for islands joined by rope walkways Weight matters and so does wind. Nothing wide, nothing heavy.

Science fiction 15

for a city that runs entirely on tides Power arrives twice a day. Design for the wait between.
for a city under one enormous roof No rain and no sun. Light and air come through pipes and panels.
for a coast that floods on a timetable Half its life is spent wet to the waist. Mark the tide line on it.
for a colony in its first hard winter Made from what the ship brought and what the ground gave. Nothing spare.
for a far future that has forgotten plastic Wood, glass, ceramic and metal, used with very good tools.
for a farm belt lit by mirrors in orbit Light falls in moving patches. Shade and glare both matter.
for a frontier where the mail comes twice a year It must last, and it must be fixable by its owner alone.
for a planet with low gravity and strong wind Tall and thin is possible. Tied down is necessary.
for a research town at the cold edge of the map Bright markings, thick walls and nothing left outside overnight.
for a settlement where nothing may be thrown away Every part unbolts. Show the fasteners.
for a society that votes on every new machine It had to win an argument. Make it look agreeable.
for a town staffed mostly by polite machines Design it for machine hands and human eyes, or the reverse.
for a town that prints most things and treasures the rest Printed parts are plain. The handmade part is the proud one.
for a world of week-long nights Lit from inside, with a store of something for the dark.
for a world with two short harvests a year Built for speed and stored the rest of the time.

After a collapse 15

for a coast where the tide brings useful wreckage No two parts match and all of them are salt-worn.
for a community that reads by daylight only Big openings, pale surfaces and work placed near windows.
for a harvest crew living in a stadium Rows of seats, a field in the middle and floodlight towers.
for a hill camp made of stacked vehicles Doors, seats and windows reused as walls, benches and vents.
for a library town guarding the last printing press Paper is wealth here. Design to keep it dry.
for a people who remember machines only from songs The shapes are right and the workings are guesses.
for a school in a former power station Huge old machinery nearby and small new things beside it.
for a settlement in a grounded ocean liner Portholes, railings and rivets turn up in every design.
for a town rebuilt inside a shopping arcade Old shopfronts and escalators are the bones. Build onto them.
for a town that has just voted to rebuild Hopeful and unfinished. Fresh timber against old concrete.
for a valley where the old signs are still obeyed Faded symbols from before, repainted with care and half understood.
for a village that keeps one generator running Power is precious. One switch, one light, one clear purpose.
for scavengers who return what they borrow Careful joints that undo cleanly, and tags saying where a part came from.
for survivors who farm an old six-lane road Long, straight and paved. Everything stands on what used to be traffic.
for traders who cross a drowned city by raft Rooftops are the ground now. Things tie on and float.

Ordinary but odd 15

for a city with too many pigeons and a plan Spikes, ledges, nets and perches enter every design.
for a hot springs town in midwinter Steam, snow and wet stone. Pipes run everywhere.
for a lane of houses each a single room wide Narrow fronts and tall designs. Everything goes up.
for a market that sets up at midnight and is gone by dawn It unfolds fast and packs flat, and it carries its own light.
for a railway junction where nobody ever gets off Built for crowds that never came. Too large and very clean.
for a school with more staircases than classrooms Things get carried up and down. Give it a handle.
for a seaside town in the off season Shuttered, repainted and waiting. Covers and padlocks.
for a suburb where the trains run on the roofs Supports, stairs and shadows from above.
for a tower with a separate trade on each level Decide which floor it belongs to and borrow that trade's tools.
for a town proud of its bad weather Rain is the local feature. Gutters, hoods and drains get decorated.
for a town that floods to the knee every spring Raised on legs or built to be mopped out.
for a town twinned with somewhere imaginary Add one feature in the style of the place that does not exist.
for a village at the end of a very long bus route Deliveries are rare, so things are mended and mismatched.
for a village that takes its fair very seriously Rosettes, bunting and a judging table are never far away.
for an island with one road and forty cyclists Small, light and parked against a wall.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Each setting is one sentence about a place and the people in it, with weather and water possible everywhere so that any subject on the page can belong there. No setting comes from a film, game, show or book. The notes are our own suggestions on what the setting asks of a design. Licence: own work

Maker's note: all 60 maker's notes

Fittings and patches 20

with a canvas cover, waxed and patched Dull sheen, stitched seams and a darker square where a patch went on.
with bamboo lashed on where it needed strengthening Diagonal cord wrapping at each joint.
with carved wooden pegs and no nails Round peg heads standing a little proud of the surface.

Show all 60 maker's notes (57 more)

Fittings and patches, continued

with dark inlay on a pale ground A thin dark line doing the decorating. Keep the pattern simple.
with details in glazed tile A band of shine against matte. Chip one tile.
with enamel badges fixed wherever one would fit Small bright shapes on a plain body. Vary their sizes.
with felt padding at every edge Soft thick outlines. It changes the whole silhouette.
with fittings of brass gone green at the edges Keep the green in the creases and the bright metal where hands rub.
with handles of horn, worn smooth A warm translucent material. Let light pass through its thin edge.
with knotted cord in place of every hinge Loops and toggles. Show one undone.
with lacquered paper panels Flat, glossy and light. One has been replaced and is a shade off.
with leather straps and brass tacks Straps sag between tacks. That curve is the detail.
with old signs and sheet tin used as patches Fragments of symbols, cut off mid-shape.
with one polished part among dull iron The polished part is the focal point. Put the highlight there only.
with panels of woven reed Draw the weave as a tone, with a few strands picked out.
with patches of mismatched scrap, carefully fitted Different textures, tidy seams. Care shows in the edges.
with repairs in salvaged ship timber and rope Curved planks in a straight job. Show old bolt holes.
with riveted copper plate where it takes wear Rows of dots along every seam. Space them evenly.
with small panes of thick green glass Bubbles and ripples. Draw what is behind them slightly bent.
with the stencils of old packing crates still showing Broken lettering shapes with no readable words.

Who made it 20

built by a committee, and it shows Three ideas in one object. Let them disagree visibly.
built by a family, each generation adding a part Three styles stacked. The oldest is at the core.
built by a road crew between jobs Painted in warning stripes with leftover paint.
built by a thrifty order of beekeepers Hexagons turn up where squares would do.
built by a whole street over one summer Many hands, many skills. Each part is a different person's best.
built by children with adult help, not the reverse Bright, uneven and held together better than it looks.
built by one stubborn person over ten years The style changes partway. Show where they got better at it.
designed by an engineer who wanted to be a sculptor The structure is sound and the surface cannot stop posing.
made by a clockmaker as a side job Tiny screws, fine engraving and far more gears than the job needs.
made by a guild that signs nothing Flawless, anonymous and a little cold. No ornament.
made by a potter trying something new Rounded forms, thick walls and a thumbprint somewhere.
made by a shipwright far from any sea Curved ribs and caulked seams where nobody needed them.
made by a toy maker, so everything is a little rounded Soft corners and proportions a touch too cheerful.
made by apprentices as a final test Showy technique in every corner, and one nervous mistake.
made by farmers in the off season Sturdy, plain and overbuilt. Every joint is thicker than it needs to be.
made by people who move often and build light Thin members, tied joints, nothing that cannot be carried.
made by somebody who had only heard one described Right in outline and wrong in every detail.
made by someone who never trusted a square corner Tilt every corner a few degrees and keep it standing.
made in a workshop that made only this Perfected by repetition. Nothing extra, nothing missing.
ordered by someone rich and finished by someone poor A grand top half and a plain bottom half, or the other way.

How old it is 20

a century old and still in daily use Worn hollow where hands and feet go, sharp everywhere else.
a copy of a much older one that was lost Faithful in shape, but the maker's own habits slipped in.
brand new and not yet trusted Crisp edges, no marks, and a cautious distance from older things.
built in a single season of plenty Generous materials and no shortcuts. Thicker and finer than usual.
due for replacement for as long as anyone recalls Propped, wedged and tied, with a notice nobody reads.
finished last week, paint still tacky One glove print in the paint.
half finished, and used anyway One side complete, the other bare frame.
the last of its kind still working Kept alive with parts from others of its kind.
left unused for a generation and just brought back Dust lines, stiff hinges and one freshly oiled part.
newer than it looks, by design Fake wear in places real wear would never reach.
old enough to have gone out of fashion and come back Ornament from another era, proudly cleaned.
older than anyone now living nearby Sunk a little, leaning a little, and nobody questions it.
patched after every winter since it was made Count the patches. Each is a slightly different material.
rebuilt so often that no first part remains A patchwork of ages with one overall shape.
recently restored by someone too careful Too clean. The new parts match so well it looks wrong.
repainted every spring, a different shade each time Flaking spots show the layers like tree rings.
so old that nobody remembers who made it Soften every edge. Details have blurred into the form.
twenty years old and showing every one Faded on the sunny side, stained on the wet side.
the very first one, made before anyone knew how Awkward and overcomplicated. Later ones were simpler.
worn by one hard decade of daily work Scuffed at every corner, with a shine where hands go.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Materials are given as fittings, patches and trim, never as the whole build, so that each note can apply to something held in the hand or something as large as a building. The notes are our own suggestions on how to show it in a drawing. Licence: own work

Requirement: all 60 requirements

What it must do 20

it must be easy to clean Smooth surfaces, rounded corners and no deep creases.
it must be easy to find in fog A strong outline, one bright band and perhaps a sound.
it must be quiet in use Padding, wrapped joints and nothing loose to rattle.

Show all 60 requirements (57 more)

What it must do, continued

it must be repairable with simple hand tools Visible bolts and panels that lift off.
it must be safe to use half asleep Nothing sharp, nothing that can be put in backwards.
it must be usable by someone who cannot read Symbols, shapes and arrows carry every instruction.
it must do a second job, and you choose which The second job should change the shape, not hide inside it.
it must keep one thing out of sight A panel, a false bottom or a door that looks like a wall.
it must keep working in heavy rain Add overhangs, drains and covers, and draw the water running off.
it must let two people use it at once Two of the key part, or one part reachable from both sides.
it must show at a glance whether it is in use A flag, a shutter, a light or an open lid.
it must signal to people far away A tall element, a reflecting surface or something that can be raised.
it must stand up to careless use Guard the corners and thicken whatever sticks out.
it must store something, and show where A compartment with its own lid, placed where a hand falls.
it must suit both a small child and a very tall adult Two heights of handle, step or opening.
it must suit someone with only one hand free Big handles, single catches, nothing that needs two grips.
it must warn its user when something is wrong One part that changes position or shows a different side.
it must work in the dark Think touch: raised marks, different textures, a glow in one spot.
its most worn part must be easy to replace Design that part as a separate piece with its own fastening.
one part must move, and you must show how Draw the part in two positions with an arrow between.

What is going on around it 20

an animal has made a home in part of it A nest, a web or a sleeping cat in the warmest corner.
children have clearly been at it Low scratches, chalk marks and something small left behind.
everyone who uses it leaves a small mark Notches, ribbons, initials or stones. Pick one and repeat it.
it has a nickname, and the shape explains it Decide the nickname first. Push the silhouette toward it.
it is about to be judged in a competition A number tag, fresh polish and one last-minute repair.
it is being got ready for a festival Half the decorations are up and the rest are in a box beside it.
it is kept ready for an emergency that has never come Spotless, sealed and painted in a warning stripe.
it is officially forbidden and openly used A warning notice with something casually propped against it.
it is shared by a whole street Many kinds of wear and a rota chalked somewhere near.
it is slightly too small for the job it now does Extensions, extra hooks and things strapped to the outside.
it is somebody's whole livelihood Looked after before anything else its owner has.
it is the only one for a day's walk in any direction Signs of a queue: worn ground, a bench, hooks for waiting things.
it is used for something its maker never intended Show the original purpose in the form and the new one in the additions.
its owner is proud of it, and it shows Polish, a small ornament and a cloth kept nearby.
one person in town refuses to use it, and you show why A flaw only a careful eye would spot. Put it in a call-out.
somebody has decorated it against the rules One part is brighter and odder than the rest allows.
strangers are welcome to use it, and it says so wordlessly An open side, a low step, a cup or seat left out.
two households argue over who looks after it A line down the middle: one half cared for one way, one another.
visitors always mistake it for something else Borrow the outline of the wrong thing and keep the details right.
whoever looks after it is clearly very tidy Everything squared up, marked by symbol and hung in order.

How it must read 20

big, medium and small shapes must all be present One of each is enough. Do not let two match in size.
choose straight lines only or curves only, and commit Mixed designs are easier. This is harder and reads stronger.
the eye must land on one focal point first Put the strongest contrast there and quieten everything else.
it must be built from one repeated shape Choose circle, triangle or square and use it at three sizes.
it must be known at once from an unusual angle Test it from above and from behind before you settle.
it must belong to its world and not to a museum Add dirt, a repair and something left on it by its user.
it must look friendly without a face Round corners, a slight forward lean and a low wide stance.
it must look handmade Slightly uneven spacing, tool marks and no perfect circles.
it must look heavier than it is Wide base, thick lower edges, dark at the bottom.
it must look lighter than it is Lift it on thin supports and open up gaps.
it must not be symmetrical Move one part off the middle and balance it with something small.
it must read as a silhouette from across a room Fill it in black. If the purpose is lost, change the outline.
its age must show without cracks or rust Use softened edges, fading and wear where hands go.
its purpose must be clear with no writing on it Let the working part be the largest or the brightest.
limit it to three tones and no more Squint. Each value should make one connected shape.
limit it to two hues and one accent Give the accent to the part the user touches.
one material must clearly differ from the rest Change the texture and the value together.
the part people touch must stand out from the rest A different material, a brighter value or a worn shine.
the scale must be shown by one familiar object beside it A cup, a boot or a door. Pick the one nearest its size.
the top third must hold the most detail Leave the lower two thirds plain so the eye climbs.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Each requirement is one constraint on use, on the people around the design or on how it reads, worded so that it can apply to a hand tool, a vehicle, a building or a public place. None states an age or a history, which the maker's note already gives. The notes are our own suggestions on how to meet it. Licence: own work

Hand in: all 40 deliverables

Thumbnails 14

a page of silhouettes made with one thick marker A thick tip keeps you on the big shapes.
a sheet of thumbnails with the weakest three crossed out Crossing out is part of the job. Leave them visible.
eight thumbnails with a small figure for scale in each The same figure every time, so the sizes can be compared.

Show all 40 deliverables (37 more)

Thumbnails, continued

five thumbnails, then the best two combined Take the outline of one and the detail of the other.
four silhouettes and a note on which reads best Ask someone else to pick before you write the note.
four thumbnails: two safe and two strange The strange ones often lend a part to the final.
nine thumbnail silhouettes, then circle one Fill each shape in solid. Judge them from arm's length.
one thumbnail redrawn three times, one change each time Change proportion first, then the largest shape, then a detail.
six small value sketches in three tones Light, middle and dark only. No outlines.
six thumbnails in solid black with no line inside If two look alike, replace one.
ten quick sketches, numbered in the order you made them The numbering shows where the idea turned.
three thumbnails that each push a different shape One tall, one wide, one round.
twelve thumbnails, each the size of a postage stamp Small on purpose: there is no room to hide in detail.
two rows of thumbnails, before and after the requirement The second row should look different, not just annotated.

Views 13

a cutaway that shows what is inside Remove part of the outer surface and shade the cut edges flat.
a front view and a profile at matching scale Rule light lines across so heights match in both.
a profile with a person standing beside it for scale Stand the figure on the same ground line.
a rear three-quarter view The back is where designs get lazy. Give it one idea of its own.
a three-quarter view from the front The view that shows most of the form in one drawing.
a top view with the working parts marked Number the parts and list them at the side.
an exploded view, every part separated Pull each part straight out along one line, in the order it fits.
front, side and top views lined up Features must line up between views. Check with a ruler.
one angle shown two ways: working and at rest Keep the angle identical so only the change shows.
one view drawn twice: at noon and after dark Decide where its own light comes from, if it has one.
one view from low down, as a child would see it Undersides, edges and whatever a child's hand would reach.
one view in use, with a person for scale The pose explains the design better than notes can.
the same design turned to four angles Front, side, back and three-quarter, all on one ground line.

A finished sheet 13

a clean line drawing with flat tones and no rendering Three flat tones are enough to separate the forms.
a main view above a strip of three details Pick a joint, a surface and a moving part.
a main view with a key of materials down one side One swatch a material, each with a two-word note.
a main view with notes on how each part moves Arrows for movement, short notes for the rest.
a main view, two small views and a scale figure Give the main view at least half the sheet.
a sheet titled and dated as if for a client A neat border and a title make you finish what is inside.
the design and one close-up of its best detail Box the detail on the main view so the eye can find it.
the design in its setting, as a small scene Keep the scene simple. It is there to show size and use.
the final drawing with its first thumbnail pinned beside it Showing where it began is a good habit and good manners.
one painted view and a row of five swatches Paint the swatches first and take every mix from them.
one three-quarter view with three call-outs A call-out is a short note joined by a line to the feature it explains.
one view with call-outs for wear, repair and material Three short notes, each with a line to the spot it describes.
two variants side by side with a note on the difference Change one decision between them, not five.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. The working terms were checked on 2026-09-30 against Wikipedia: a thumbnail sketch is a small drawing, usually one of a group, used to explore several ideas quickly (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumbnail); a silhouette is a solid shape of one tone with no detail inside (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silhouette); front, top and side views are the three usual views of a multiview projection (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiview_orthographic_projection); a call-out is a short note joined by a line to a feature of a drawing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callout); an exploded view shows how the parts fit together (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploded-view_drawing); a cutaway removes part of the surface to show the inside (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutaway_drawing); and concept art explores several solutions before one design is settled on (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_art). The drawing notes are our own suggestions. Licence: own work

How it works

These concept art prompts are written for people who draw. The concept art prompt generator deals a brief: a thing to design, its world, how it was made, one requirement and what to hand in.

Read the full guide

Read it as a client would write it

A brief reads: Design a border watchtower for a valley where the wind is taxed, with panels of woven reed. It must be easy to find in fog. Hand in: nine thumbnail silhouettes, then circle one. The requirement is the test. A design that ignores it has failed, however good it looks.

Work small before you work clean

Concept art explores several answers before one is chosen, so begin with thumbnails even when the brief asks for a finished sheet. As design drawing prompts for a class, print 30 briefs and hand out one each.

Draw the requirement into the silhouette. If it shows only in a note, the design has not answered the brief.
Collect five photographs of real things of the same kind before the first thumbnail.
Put a figure beside every design. Scale is the first thing a reviewer asks about.

Questions and answers

Are these prompts for a text-to-image tool?

No. They are briefs for a person with a pencil or a tablet. Each asks for thumbnails, views or a finished sheet, which a text-to-image tool cannot hand in.

Can I use it for a 30 day concept art challenge?

Yes. Print 30 briefs puts a month on paper: do one a day and keep every page of thumbnails. For a gentler month, hand in only thumbnails and finish your best four at the end.

Does it give art environment prompts?

Half the subjects are buildings, rooms and built places, such as a border watchtower, a bathhouse or a stair street, and every brief names the world round it. Press New brief until one of those comes up.

What do thumbnail, call-out and cutaway mean?

A thumbnail is a small quick sketch, one of a group, for trying ideas. A call-out is a short note joined by a line to a feature. A cutaway removes part of the outside to show what is inside.