Compass round with four long pointsWhite, red, navy, gold. Three dot sizes on a square canvas; walk four lines of shrinking dots out to the corners.
Eight-petal rosette on a black round rockWhite, lemon, orange, magenta. Four dot sizes on a flat round rock; start from one big centre dot.
Half round rising from the bottom edgeGold, coral, red, maroon. Four dot sizes on a long canvas; sit the centre dot on the bottom edge and build arcs.
Metallic round in gold, copper and bronzeGold, copper, bronze. Three dot sizes on a rock painted black; change metal with every ring.
Ombre rings from white to deep blueWhite, sky blue, cobalt, navy. One dot size on a black canvas; mix a little more blue into every ring.
Pastel round on a white groundPeach, mint, lilac, pale yellow, grey. Three dot sizes on a white canvas; ring each big pastel dot in tiny grey ones.
Quarter round in the corner of a cardWhite, lilac, violet. Three dot sizes on a folded black card; fan the rings out from one corner.
Rainbow rings round one white dotWhite, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. Two dot sizes on a palm-size rock; one colour a ring.
Rosette of dragged teardropsWhite, pink, magenta, plum. Two dot sizes on black card; drag each wet dot towards the centre with a cocktail stick.
Round on a plain wooden coasterWhite, mustard, rust, teal. Four dot sizes on a wood coaster; stop the last ring a finger-width from the edge.
Round on a terracotta saucerWhite, turquoise, navy. Three dot sizes on a plant saucer; let the bare clay show as a colour between rings.
Round split into a warm half and a cool halfYellow, orange, red, turquoise, blue, violet. Three dot sizes on black canvas; rule a line through the centre.
Round with a paler dot on every dotNavy, cobalt, sky blue, white. Three dot sizes on a round rock; when dry, top each dot with a smaller paler one.
Set of five button-size rounds on pebblesWhite, coral, teal, yellow. Cotton bud on small pebbles; one centre dot and two rings on each.
Snowflake round with six matching armsWhite, ice blue, silver. Three dot sizes on a navy canvas; chalk six spokes and dot every arm the same.
Spiral arms of walking dotsWhite, mint, teal. One tool on a black canvas; load it once per arm and dot until the paint runs out.
Tiny round on a jam jar lidWhite, yellow, lime, sap green. Two dot sizes on a lid painted black; the rubber end of a pencil makes the big dots.
Twelve-point starburst roundWhite, turquoise, teal, navy. Three dot sizes on a black canvas; chalk twelve clock points before the first ring.
Two rounds that share an outer ringWhite, pink, orange, turquoise, lime. Three dot sizes on a long canvas; finish both centres before the shared ring.
White-only round on blackWhite. Five dot sizes on a black canvas; the size steps do all the work, so line the tools up in order first.
Flowers, fruit and leaves 18
Allium globe on a tall stemViolet, lilac, magenta, green. One small tool on a tall canvas; fill a pencilled circle with dots, densest at the core.
Bunch of grapes with a highlight on eachPlum, violet, lilac, white, green. Pencil end on a mini canvas; one tiny white dot goes top left on every grape.
Cactus in a pot with white dot spinesSap green, lime, white, terracotta, pink. Two dot sizes on a mini canvas; run tiny white dots down each rib.
Daisy chain round a flower pot rimYellow, white, green. Two dot sizes on a terracotta pot; a yellow centre, then eight white cotton bud petals.
Dandelion clock shedding dot seedsWhite, grey, pale green. Two dot sizes on a teal canvas; tiny dots ring the head and drift off to one side.
Fern frond of shrinking dotsDark green, lime. One tool on black card; load it once per leaflet and walk the dots out until they fade.
Five dot-flower stems in a rowGreen, white, pink, coral, yellow. Two dot sizes on a long canvas; five petals round a centre on a stem of small dots.
Fly agaric toadstools with white wartsRed, white, cream, moss green. Two dot sizes on a tall rock; the white warts go on once the red cap is dry.
Hydrangea head of clustered dotsNavy, cobalt, sky blue, lilac, white. Pencil end on a mini canvas; overlap the dots dark first, palest last.
Lavender sprigs of stacked dotsSap green, violet, lilac, white. Two dot sizes on kraft card; stack paired dots up each stem, palest at the tip.
Meadow of five-dot flowersRed, white, yellow, blue. Two dot sizes on a grass green canvas; make the flowers bigger towards the bottom edge.
Monstera leaf filled with three greensDark green, sap green, lime, white. Two dot sizes on a canvas; outline in white dots and leave the splits bare.
Strawberry covered in seed dotsRed, pale yellow, green, white. One small tool on a pointed rock; stagger the seed rows like bricks.
Succulent rosette seen from aboveDark green, sage, mint, pink. Four dot sizes on a round rock; shrink the dots towards the centre, pink tips last.
Sunflower head with a spiral seed centreBurnt umber, ochre, yellow, orange. Three dot sizes on a canvas; curve the seed dots out from the middle both ways.
Tulips built from three big dotsRed, pink, yellow, green. Pencil end on a white card; three touching dots make a head, dragged to points at the top.
Wisteria hanging from a top cornerViolet, lilac, white, sap green. Cotton bud on a pale canvas; start each cluster wide and dark and end on one pale dot.
Wreath of dotted leaves and red berriesDark green, sap green, red, white. Two dot sizes on a card; draw round a bowl and keep berries in threes.
Dotted animals 17
Butterfly with matching dot wingsBlack, orange, yellow, white. Three dot sizes on a card; copy each dot across to the other wing before moving on.
Caterpillar of eleven shrinking dotsLime, green, yellow, black. Four dot sizes along a long pebble; the biggest dot is the head, then step down.
Cheetah face with tear streaksOchre, cream, black, white. Two dot sizes on a canvas; solid black spots, then a dark streak from each eye to the mouth.
Dalmatian portrait in black on whiteWhite, black, grey, pink. Three dot sizes on a white canvas; vary the spots and keep a gap round each.
Dragonfly with dotted wingsTeal, turquoise, white, black. Two dot sizes on a pale canvas; a tail of shrinking dots and four wings of tiny ones.
Goldfish with overlapping dot scalesOrange, gold, white, black. Pencil end on a blue canvas; work from tail to head so each row overlaps the last.
Guineafowl speckled with whiteGrey-black, white, ochre. One small tool on kraft card; cover the round body evenly with tiny white dots.
Hedgehog with dot-tipped spinesBurnt umber, tan, cream, black. Two dot sizes on an oval rock; rows of cream dots over a dark back, face left bare.
Jellyfish with trailing dot tentaclesWhite, lilac, pink. One tool on a navy canvas; load it once per tentacle and walk the dots down until they fade.
Octopus with dotted suckersCoral, pink, white, navy. Two dot sizes on a navy canvas; run a row of shrinking white dots down each arm.
Owl with a dotted chestBurnt umber, tan, cream, yellow. Three dot sizes on a tall rock; rows of cream dots down the chest and two big eye dots.
Peacock with a fan of dotted eyesCobalt, turquoise, lime, gold, navy. Four dot sizes on a black canvas; stack four shrinking dots for each eye.
Seven-spot ladybird seen from aboveRed, black, white. Two dot sizes on an oval rock; three spots a side plus one on the join makes seven.
Snail with a spiral dotted shellTan, rust, cream, olive. Three dot sizes on a round pebble; spiral out from the shell centre, growing the dots.
Spotted eagle ray glidingNavy, white, pale blue. Two dot sizes on a teal canvas; white dots and small white rings cover the dark back.
Turtle with a rosette on every shell plateDark green, lime, yellow, white. Three dot sizes on an oval rock; one small rosette fills each plate.
Whale shark seen from aboveDark grey, pale grey, white. Two dot sizes on a long blue canvas; pale dots sit in rows between thin pale stripes.
Hearts, suns and patterns 21
Bunting flags filled with dotsRed, yellow, blue, green, white. Cotton bud on kraft card; one colour a flag, hung from a string of tiny dots.
Cassiopeia's W in five star dotsWhite, pale blue. Two dot sizes on black card; five big dots make the W, then a dust of tiny ones round it.
Christmas tree built from rows of dotsDark green, lime, red, gold. Pencil end on a card; shorten each row by one dot up to a single gold dot.
Crescent moon among scattered star dotsWhite, pale yellow, silver. Three dot sizes on a navy canvas; pack the crescent tight and thin the stars outward.
Dot frame round a small mirrorWhite, gold, teal. Three dot sizes on a plain wooden frame; repeat one five-dot unit along all four sides.
Dot galaxy with two spiral armsWhite, lilac, turquoise, magenta. Three dot sizes on a black canvas; a dense core, arms thinning to single dots.
Dotted bands round a wooden eggWhite, yellow, pink, turquoise. Two dot sizes on a wooden egg; stand it in an egg cup and work band by band.
Dotted border down a bookmarkBlack, white, coral, teal. Two dot sizes on a card strip painted black; repeat big, small, small all the way down.
Feather of slanted dot rowsTeal, turquoise, gold, white. Two dot sizes on black card; a spine of shrinking dots, then rows slanting up from it.
Firework bursts of walking dotsGold, pink, turquoise, white. One tool on black card; every line leaves the centre big and fades as the paint runs out.
Heart filled from dark edge to pale centreMaroon, red, coral, pink, white. Three dot sizes on a canvas; dot the outline first, then fill inwards.
Heart left bare in a field of dotsPink, coral, gold. Cotton bud on a white card; hold down a paper heart and crowd the dots round its edge.
Hills built from rows of dotsPale blue, mint, sap green, dark green. One dot size on a canvas; each nearer hill is a darker row of curves.
Hot-air balloon with dotted stripesRed, yellow, turquoise, white, brown. Two dot sizes on a sky blue canvas; curve each stripe with the balloon.
Polka dot card in two coloursMustard, white. Pencil end on a folded card; mark a light pencil grid so every dot has the same size and spacing.
Pop-art lips over equal red dotsWhite, red, black, pink. Pencil end on a white canvas; grid the equal background dots, then paint the lips flat.
Rainbow arc over two dot cloudsRed, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, white. Cotton bud on pale blue card; one bud a colour, arcs touching.
Swirl sun with curling dot raysYellow, orange, red, white. Three dot sizes on a blue canvas; spiral the disc from its centre, then curl shrinking rays.
Umbrella under a shower of blue dotsRed, white, cobalt, sky blue. Two dot sizes on a grey card; keep the space under the umbrella bare.
Wave of graded blue dotsNavy, cobalt, turquoise, white. Three dot sizes on a long canvas; big dark dots low, tiny white ones along the crest.
Your initial built from dots aloneNavy, teal, mint. Three dot sizes on a white card; pencil the letter lightly and rub the line out when dry.
Dot drawings in pen 15
Comic-book face with equal-dot shadingBlack, red. Fine markers on white card; shade the cheek with a grid of equal red dots and no lines.
Cumulus cloud against a stippled skyBlue fineliner. One nib on white paper; stipple the sky, not the cloud, and grey only the cloud's base.
Green hill from blue and yellow dots onlyBlue, yellow. Two fine markers on white card; more blue in the hollows, more yellow on the crest.
Halftone apple with dots that grow in the shadowBlack marker, black fineliner. Three dot sizes on white card; keep the spacing even and change only size.
Pointillist orange in red and yellow dotsRed, yellow, blue. Fine markers on white paper; mix no orange, and put blue dots only in the shadow.
Stippled crescent moon with cratersWhite gel pen. One nib on black paper; dots build the lit side, and each crater gets one bright rim.
Stippled egg on a dark groundBlack fineliner. One nib on white card; stipple the background nearly black so the egg stays mostly bare paper.
Stippled jug with a bare highlightBlue fineliner. One nib on white card; leave one tall strip of paper as the shine and darken beside it.
Stippled pear with a cast shadowBlack fineliner. One nib on sketchbook paper; the cast shadow is the densest patch, the pear's dark side next.
Stippled pile of beach pebblesBlack fineliner, grey marker. Two nib sizes in a sketchbook; the darkest dots go in the gaps between stones.
Stippled pine coneSepia fineliner. One nib on cream paper; shade under every scale and leave its tip bare.
Stippled sand dunesBrown fineliner. One nib on cream paper; dots thicken down each shadowed slope and stop dead at the ridge.
Stippled sphere with one light sourceBlack fineliner. One nib on smooth card; pack dots on the shadow side and leave the highlight bare.
Tone strip from black to white in dotsBlack fineliner. One nib on a strip of card; five boxes, with about half as many dots in each as the last.
Your own hand in stippled tonesBlack fineliner. One nib in a sketchbook; draw round your hand in pencil, then shade between the fingers first.
How it works
A dot design is built one press at a time, so each of these 91 dot painting ideas gives its colours from the centre outwards, its dot sizes and the surface it suits. Fifteen are drawn in pen.
Read the full guide
Dot art ideas that grow from one centre dot
Most designs start with one big dot in the middle. Each ring takes a smaller tool and the next colour in the detail line. Set each new dot in the gap between two dots of the ring before. A tool loaded once leaves smaller dots as it empties: Fern frond of shrinking dots is built on that.
Dot drawing ideas: stippling and halftone
Fifteen designs swap paint for a pen. Stippling builds tone from dots of a single colour, and denser dots read darker. A halftone fakes tone with dots that change in size or spacing; Halftone apple with dots that grow in the shadow changes only the size. Pointillist orange in red and yellow dots mixes no orange: the eye blends it.
White is in 58 of the 76 painted designs, and 20 designs sit on black or navy: buy it large.
No dotting tools yet? 14 designs name a cotton bud or a pencil end.
Snowflake round with six matching arms chalks six spokes first, because a snow crystal grows six arms.
Questions and answers
Is this the same as Aboriginal dot painting?
No. These are craft designs of our own, and none copies a sacred or cultural design. Painting began at Papunya, Northern Territory, in 1971, and in 1972 its artists formed Papunya Tula, a cooperative owned by Aboriginal people. The style belongs to its artists.
Which dot designs are easiest for a beginner?
Tulips built from three big dots needs only a pencil end: three touching dots make a head. Polka dot card in two colours is a pencil grid and one size. Set of five button-size rounds on pebbles is one centre dot and two rings each.
Which dot designs work on rocks?
Under More filters, Surface holds 20 for rocks, pots and objects. Seven-spot ladybird seen from above wants an oval rock: three spots a side plus one on the join makes seven. Dotted bands round a wooden egg stands in an egg cup.