238 ideas

Simple Drawing Ideas, Each Broken Into Basic Shapes

Press the button for three subjects and the two or three shapes each is built from, then start the clock and draw one.

All 238

Diamond kite with a bow tailA diamond with a cross inside and a wavy tail with bows.
Daisy, compass petals firstA small circle with long rounded petals. Draw the four compass petals first.
Zigzag lightning boltA zigzag made of two slanted parallelograms that share a corner.

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All 238 ideas

2 minutes 68

Acorn in a crosshatched cap An oval with a half circle cap covered in crossed lines.
Apple with a stem and one leaf A circle with a dip at the top, a short stem and one leaf.
Balloon An oval, a tiny triangle for the knot and one wavy line for the string.
Basketball A circle with a cross through it and one curve on each side.
Bedsheet ghost An upside-down U with a wavy bottom edge and two oval eyes.
Breakfast egg in its cup An oval sitting in a small trapezoid.
Candle with a teardrop flame A rectangle, a short line for the wick and a teardrop flame.
Carrot with a leafy tuft A long triangle with short cross lines and a leafy tuft.
Closed book A rectangle with a thin strip along one side for the pages.
Coffee mug A cylinder plus a C for the handle. Add a flat oval at the top for the rim.
Comet A circle with three tapering lines trailing behind it.
Crescent moon cut from two circles Two circles, offset. Keep the outer curve of one and the inner curve of the other.
Diamond kite with a bow tail A diamond with a cross inside and a wavy tail with bows.
Dog bone A thin rectangle with two small circles at each end.
Domino with dots in both halves A rectangle split across the middle, with dots in each half.
Door key with two teeth A circle, a long thin rectangle and two small square teeth.
Drum A short cylinder with zigzag lines between the top and bottom rims.
Envelope A rectangle with a wide V running from the two top corners.
Feather A curved centre line inside a long leaf shape, with two or three notches.
Five-point star Five straight lines without lifting the pencil, then rub out the inside.
Flag on a pole One line and a rectangle. Swap the top and bottom edges for S curves to make it wave.
Flat-bottomed cloud Four or five overlapping circles sitting on one flat base line.
Four-hole button A circle, a smaller circle inside it and four dots.
Fried egg with the yolk off-centre A wobbly blob with a circle placed off-centre.
Gift box A square, a cross of ribbon and a bow made of two loops.
Goldfish bowl A circle with a flat top, a wavy water line and one small fish.
Hair bow Two triangles meeting at a small square knot.
Heart built on a V Two half circles side by side on top of a V.
Ladder with evenly spaced rungs Two long lines that lean slightly together, with evenly spaced rungs.
Ladybird seen from above A half circle, a centre line, a small half circle head and dots.
Leaf with angled veins A pointed oval, one centre line and short veins angled towards the tip.
Light bulb with a striped base A circle that narrows into a small square base with two stripes.
Lollipop A circle with a spiral inside it, on one straight stick.
Magnifying glass A circle, a slightly smaller circle inside it and a rectangle handle.
Matchstick A thin rectangle with a small oval head.
One fat raindrop A circle pulled up to a point at the top.
Open umbrella with a J handle A half circle with a scalloped edge, a straight line and a J for the handle.
Paper boat A wide trapezoid hull with a triangle standing in the middle.
Paperclip Three nested U shapes, the middle one upside down.
Pear made from two circles A small circle on top of a large one, smoothed into a single outline.
Pencil with an eraser end A long rectangle, a triangle tip and a small rectangle for the eraser.
Pennant banner A sagging line with a row of triangles hanging from it.
Pine tree of three triangles Three stacked triangles on a small rectangle trunk.
Pizza slice A triangle with a curved crust along the short side and a few circles.
Ridge tent with the flap open A triangle with a smaller triangle for the door flap.
Ring doughnut with wavy icing One circle inside another, with a wavy line for the icing.
Ringed planet A circle with a flat oval around its middle. Hide the part of the oval behind it.
Simple fish An oval, a triangle tail and a dot for the eye.
Single music note with a flag A tilted oval, a straight stem and a curved flag.
Single-scoop ice cream cone A triangle pointing down with a half circle resting on top.
Slice of toast with its crust A square with two bumps at the top, and a smaller copy inside for the crust.
Smiley face, then a grumpy one A circle, two dots and a curve. Move the curve and the mood changes.
Snail with two eye stalks A spiral sitting on a long teardrop body, with two stalks.
Soap bubbles Circles of different sizes, each with one small curved highlight.
Sock An L shape with a rounded toe and heel, plus a band at the top.
Speech bubble An oval with a small triangle tail pointing at the speaker.
Spoon An oval bowl on a long thin rectangle.
Spotted toadstool A half circle cap on a short rounded rectangle, with a few spots.
Sticking plaster A rounded rectangle with a square pad in the middle and dots at each end.
Striped bumblebee with loop wings A striped oval with two loops on top for wings.
Sun with long and short rays A circle with straight rays, alternating long and short.
Sweet in a twisted wrapper An oval with a small triangle fanning out at each end.
Three-ball snowman Three stacked circles, shrinking as they go up.
Traffic cone on a flat base A triangle with its tip cut flat, on a thin rectangle base.
Tulip with three points An egg with three points at the top, on a curved stem.
Two cherries with stems that meet Two circles and two curved stems that meet at the top.
Two mountains Two overlapping triangles with a zigzag line for the snow.
Zigzag lightning bolt A zigzag made of two slanted parallelograms that share a corner.

5 minutes 95

Acoustic guitar, front on Two overlapping circles for the body, a long rectangle neck and a sound hole.
Backpack with a front pocket A rounded rectangle, a smaller pocket rectangle and two strap loops.
Ball of wool A circle with bands of curved lines running in three directions.
Bear face A circle, two half circle ears and an oval muzzle holding a triangle nose.
Bent wizard hat with stars A tall bent triangle on a flat oval brim, with a band and a few stars.
Bird on a wire An oval body, a circle head, a triangle beak and a rectangle tail, on one line.
Birdhouse A square with a triangle on top, a circle hole and a short perch.
Bobble hat A half circle on a rectangle band, with a circle pompom on top.
Bowl of noodles A half circle bowl, wavy lines across the top and two straight chopsticks.
Box of popcorn A striped trapezoid with a heap of small cloud shapes on top.
Burger with three fillings Two half circles for the bun, with one wavy layer and two straight ones between.
Butterfly with teardrop wings A thin oval body, two large upper teardrops and two smaller lower ones.
Campfire of three crossed logs Three crossed log rectangles with three teardrop flames of different heights.
Camping lantern A rectangle between two smaller trapezoids, with a loop on top.
Castle tower A tall rectangle with square teeth along the top and one arched window.
Cat from behind A circle on a pear shape, two triangle ears and an S for the tail.
Ceiling light on a cord One straight line down to a cone shade, with a half circle bulb showing.
Compact camera with a round lens A rectangle, a circle inside a circle for the lens and a small block on top.
Crab with open claws A wide oval, two open C shapes for claws and three bent legs on each side.
Cupcake in a pleated case A trapezoid case with vertical lines and a cloud shape of icing on top.
Cut gem A trapezoid on top of a triangle, with facet lines running down to the point.
Daisy, compass petals first A small circle with long rounded petals. Draw the four compass petals first.
Dragonfly with four narrow wings A long thin body made of segments, with four narrow ovals for wings.
Elephant from the side A big oval body, a circle head, a J for the trunk and a large D for the ear.
Fat-armed starfish A five-point star with rounded tips, fat arms and a line of dots down each arm.
Five-point crown A rectangle band with five triangles on top and a circle on each point.
Flying saucer with a row of lights A flat oval with a half circle dome and a row of small circles.
Football A circle with one pentagon in the centre and lines running out to the edge.
Frog sitting on a notched lily pad A squashed oval with two bumps for eyes, on a circle with one wedge cut out.
Garden gate Five upright planks with pointed tops, held by a Z of three bars.
Halved avocado, stone in A pear outline, a second line just inside it and a circle for the stone.
Headphones A big arc with a rounded rectangle at each end.
Hedgehog with zigzag spikes A teardrop on its side, with zigzag spikes over the round end.
Hot air balloon with a square basket A circle that narrows at the bottom, a small square basket and four ropes.
Hot chocolate A mug with a cloud of cream, small marshmallow rectangles and a curl of steam.
Hourglass in a frame Two triangles meeting tip to tip inside a frame of two bars and two posts.
House A square and a triangle roof, a rectangle door and square windows with a cross in each.
Ice lolly with one bite missing A rounded rectangle with one bite missing, on a flat stick.
Igloo with an arched door A half circle with curved rows of bricks and a small arch for the door.
Island with a palm tree A low half oval, a curved trunk and five drooping leaves.
Jam jar A cylinder with a slightly wider flat lid and a rectangle label.
Jellyfish with a scalloped dome A half circle dome with a scalloped edge and long wavy tentacles.
Letterbox on a post A rectangle with a half circle top, a small flag and one post.
Maple leaf from five fanned lines Start with five lines fanning from one point, then zigzag from tip to tip.
Milk carton A box drawn as three faces, with a triangle fold on top.
Mittens A rounded rectangle with a thumb bump on one side, then the mirror image.
Mouse A teardrop on its side, two circle ears and one long curved tail.
Octopus with eight wavy arms A dome head with eight wavy arms that taper to a point.
Owl with big circle eyes An oval body, two large circles for eyes, a small triangle beak and two ear tufts.
Paintbrush and palette A bean shape with a thumb hole and blobs, plus a long thin brush.
Pair of dice A square with a parallelogram on top and one on the side. Then add the dots.
Paper plane One long triangle with a fold line and a smaller triangle wing beneath it.
Park bench Two long rectangles for the seat and the back, on two pairs of legs.
Pig with a curly tail An oval body, a circle head, a smaller oval snout with two dots and a curly tail.
Pineapple in crisscross diamonds An oval covered in crisscross diamonds, with a spiky crown of leaves.
Pocket compass with a diamond needle A circle inside a circle, with a thin diamond needle and four letters.
Potted plant A trapezoid pot with five leaf shapes fanning out of it.
Rabbit face A circle, two tall ovals for ears, a Y for the nose and mouth.
Rainbow Nested arcs landing on a cloud at each end.
Robot head A square, two circle eyes, a grille for a mouth and one antenna.
Rocket with a round window A tall oval with a pointed top, two triangle fins and a circle window.
Roller skate with a toe stopper A boot shape on a flat plate with two circles, plus a small stopper at the toe.
Rubber duck A circle head on a larger oval with a pointed tail and a flat beak.
Sailboat with two triangle sails A half circle hull, one vertical mast and two triangles of different sizes.
Scissors Two ovals for handles and two long triangles crossing in an X.
Seashell A fan shape with ribs spreading from a small base.
Seaside bucket and spade A trapezoid with an arc handle, plus a rounded square on a stick.
Ship's anchor with arrow tips A cross with a ring on top and a wide U at the bottom with arrow tips.
Single wellington boot A tall L shape with a rounded toe and a thick sole.
Skateboard A long thin plank curving up at both ends, with two small circles beneath.
Snake Two parallel S curves that join at a rounded head and a pointed tail.
Spider web Four lines crossing at one point, joined by sagging curves in rings.
Spinning top A circle seen as an oval, a cone underneath and a short stick on top.
Strawberry with a leafy star A rounded triangle with small seed marks and a leafy star on top.
Street lamp A tall thin pole, a curved arm and a small trapezoid shade.
Striped lighthouse A tall trapezoid with stripes, a small lamp room and a triangle roof.
Sunflower with two leaves A circle centre, a ring of pointed ovals and a thick stem with two leaves.
Sunglasses Two rounded squares joined by a short bridge, with an arm angled back on each side.
Swimming goggles Two ovals joined by a short bridge, with a strap curving away behind.
Taco with zigzag lettuce A half circle on its flat side, with zigzag lettuce along the curved top.
Teapot A circle body, an S for the spout, a C for the handle and a half circle lid.
Tennis racket An oval with a grid of strings, a small triangle throat and a rectangle grip.
Toy train engine A rectangle boiler, a square cab, a funnel and three circles for wheels.
Trainer seen side on A wedge that is low at the toe and high at the heel, with a thick sole line.
Trophy A U for the cup, two C handles, a short stem and a block base.
Turtle with a dome shell A half circle shell on a flat oval, with a round head and four stubby legs.
Twin-bell alarm clock A circle, two half circle bells on top, two short legs and two hands.
Two-tier birthday cake with candles Two stacked cylinders, a wavy icing line on each and a row of candles.
Upright penguin with two flippers A tall oval with a smaller oval inside for the belly, plus two flipper triangles.
Volcano A trapezoid with a dip in the top, plus a plume of cloud shapes.
Watering can with a long spout A cylinder, a long thin spout ending in a small oval and a big arched handle.
Watermelon slice with a rind line A half circle with a second curve inside for the rind and teardrop seeds.
Whale with a two-leaf tail A long teardrop, a tail made of two leaf shapes and a small fountain spout.
Windmill with four sails A trapezoid tower with an X of four long rectangles pinned at the top.
Wristwatch A circle between two tapering rectangles for the strap.

10 minutes 75

Armchair built from four boxes A box seat, a taller box for the back and two rounded boxes for arms.
Astronaut helmet A large circle, a rounded rectangle visor and a ring for the collar.
Bicycle, wheels first Two circles, then a diamond frame between them. Add the seat and handlebars last.
Bird's nest with eggs A shallow bowl made of scribbled curved lines, with three ovals inside.
Bookshelf with leaning spines A tall rectangle divided by shelves, filled with upright and leaning spines.
Bowl of fruit with a banana on top A half circle bowl filled with overlapping circles, an oval and a banana curve.
Boxy robot with claw hands A square head, a rectangle body, tube arms with C claws and two block feet.
Bridge over a river One long arc, vertical lines dropping to a flat deck and wavy water below.
Bus A long box with rounded corners, a row of square windows and two wheels.
Camper van with a pop-up roof A rounded box, a split windscreen, two wheels and a pop-up roof.
Campsite at night A triangle tent, a small fire, a crescent moon and a scatter of stars.
Car from the side A long rounded rectangle, a trapezoid cabin on top and two circles for wheels.
Cartoon face A circle with a cross guide: eyes on the side-to-side line, nose on the centre line.
Castle Two tall towers joined by a lower wall, with an arched gate in the middle.
City skyline A row of rectangles of different heights, with a few spires and lit windows.
Cooked breakfast A large oval plate seen from an angle, with a fried egg, two sausages and beans.
Desk lamp with an elbow joint A circle base, two thin arms joined at an elbow and a cone shade.
Fern frond with shrinking leaflets One curved centre line with leaflets that shrink towards the tip.
Ferris wheel A large circle, eight spokes, small cabins on the rim and an A-frame stand.
Flamingo standing on one long leg An oval body, an S neck, a bent beak and one long leg with a knee.
Friendly dragon A pear body, a rounded head with two horns, small bat wings and a tail with a spade tip.
Garden shed with tools outside A box with a sloping roof, a plank door and a row of tools leaning outside.
Gingerbread house with icing eaves A house shape with wavy icing along the roof edges and round sweets.
Horse head in profile A long tapering wedge with a circle for the cheek and a leaf-shaped ear.
Jar of pencils A cylinder with a dozen thin rectangles leaning at different angles.
Kitchen shelf with jars and a jug One long plank on two brackets, holding jars, a jug and a hanging cup.
Knight's helmet with a slit visor A dome on a cylinder, with a slit visor and a plume curving back.
Long-necked dinosaur A large oval, a long curve for the neck, a longer one for the tail and four pillar legs.
Market stall under a striped awning A striped awning over a table of crates filled with circles.
Mask and cape A figure-of-eight eye mask above a cape that fans out from two shoulder points.
Mermaid tail in the waves A long tapering curve, two leaf-shaped flukes and scalloped lines for the splash.
Message in a bottle A cylinder that narrows to a neck, a cork and a rolled paper tube inside.
Mountain lake with a broken reflection Overlapping triangles, a straight shoreline and a broken mirror image below it.
Old dial telephone A sloped box, a circle dial with finger holes and a curved handset on top.
Open laptop Two thin rectangles hinged at an angle, the lower one with a grid of keys.
Open suitcase Two shallow boxes hinged along one edge, with folded rectangles inside.
Open umbrella in the rain A scalloped dome, slanted dashes of rain and a puddle of ovals beneath.
Pair of ballet shoes, ribbons crossed Two slim slipper shapes with ribbons crossing and trailing.
Parrot on a perch A teardrop body, a round head, a hooked beak and long rectangle tail feathers.
Patterned koi seen from above A long teardrop with two side fins, a split tail and patches of pattern.
Piano keys A row of tall white rectangles with black ones in groups of two and three.
Pine forest silhouette A row of thin triangles at different heights, filled in dark.
Pirate ship with three masts A curved hull, three masts, square sails that bulge and one small flag.
Pumpkin built from C curves One centre oval, then C curves stacked on each side, with a short bent stem.
Record player with its arm down A square box, a large circle, a smaller label circle and a thin arm.
Retro television with a V aerial A rounded box, a rounded screen, two dials, two legs and a V aerial.
Road to the horizon Two lines meeting at one point, with a dashed centre line and poles that shrink.
Rooster with a fan tail An oval body, a fan of curved tail feathers and a zigzag comb.
Round tree on a Y trunk A cloud shape sitting on a Y-shaped trunk, with a few loops inside for leaves.
Row of houses Tall rectangles sharing walls, each with a different roof, door and chimney.
Rowing boat on a lake A shallow curved hull, two oars and short broken lines for ripples.
Sewing kit A cotton reel cylinder, a needle, a pin cushion dome and a pair of scissors.
Simple eye A leaf shape, a circle iris tucked under the top lid, a pupil and one highlight.
Sitting dog A circle head, a bean body leaning back, straight front legs and folded back legs.
Sleeping fox A ring shape with two triangle ears, and the tail wrapped along the front.
Snow globe with a tiny scene A circle on a trapezoid base, with a tiny scene and dots of snow inside.
Solar system One large half circle sun at the edge, then planets on widening curved paths.
Spiral rose Start with a small spiral and wrap C-shaped petals around it, each one larger.
Stack of three books, slightly askew Three flat boxes at slightly different angles, each with a curved spine.
Steam train seen side on A cylinder boiler on its side, a box cab, a funnel and a row of wheels joined by a rod.
Steaming teacup on a saucer A half circle cup with a C handle, on a flat oval, with two lines of steam.
Stone bridge and stream A half circle arch in a block wall, with curved lines of water running through.
Succulent from above Rings of pointed petals, small in the centre and larger towards the outside.
Swan that starts as a number 2 A number 2 for the neck and chest, a teardrop body and a folded wing shape.
Three cacti in pots One tall column, one round ball and one paddle shape, each in a different pot.
Torn treasure map with an X A torn rectangle with a dashed path, a few landmarks and an X.
Tractor A small circle at the front, a large one at the back, a box cab and a bonnet.
Treasure chest with a curved lid A box with a half cylinder lid, two metal bands and a lock plate.
Ukulele A small figure of eight, a short neck, four strings and four pegs.
Unicorn head with a spiral horn A horse head wedge with a spiral cone horn and a mane made of S curves.
Vase of tulips A tall rounded vase, five curved stems and five egg shapes at different heights.
Windowsill with plants A rectangle window frame with three small pots lined up along the bottom.
Wooden chair A flat square seat in simple perspective, four legs and two back posts.
Woven picnic basket with flap lids A box covered in woven lines, two flap lids and an arched handle.
Your own hand Block the palm as a square and the fingers as one mitten shape, then divide it into four.

How it works

Here are 238 simple drawing ideas a beginner can finish in ten minutes or less. Under each sits a shape hint, the few basic shapes it is built from, so a Coffee mug becomes a cylinder plus a C. Filter by 2, 5 or 10 minutes. They are easy art ideas for beginners with any pencil or pen.

Read the full guide

How the shape hints work

Draw the shapes lightly, join them, darken the outline and rub out the scaffolding. A Teapot is a circle, an S for the spout, a C for the handle and a half circle lid. A circle or an oval turns up in 119 of the 238 hints, exactly half, so a page of loose circles is the honest warm-up. Letters work too: a J makes the elephant's trunk.

Two, five and ten minute drawings

The groups sort the list by time: 68 ideas of about two minutes, 95 of five and 75 of ten. For quick easy things to draw before the kettle boils, tap 2 minutes. The fun ones there include Bedsheet ghost and Ring doughnut with wavy icing. The ten-minute group adds small scenes and first perspective, such as Wooden chair. Start the clock and stop when it runs out, finished or not. Six rough mugs teach more than one careful one.

An ellipse has round ends, never points. The rims of Coffee mug, Jam jar and Drum look wrong until the corners go.
Draw through. Sketch the ring of Ringed planet as one whole flat oval, then rub out the part behind the planet.
For simple cool things to draw, pick straight-line subjects: Cut gem, Pair of dice and Road to the horizon look sharp with a ruler.

Questions and answers

What should a beginner draw first?

Choose 2 minutes and draw Envelope, Balloon or Paper boat. Each is two or three shapes with nothing hidden. These are beginner things to draw with no shading and no reference photo. Move to 5 minutes once the shapes stop wobbling.

How do I improve with subjects this simple?

Repeat them. Draw the same subject three times in a row: the first finds the shapes, the second fixes the proportions and the third is quick. When 2 minutes feels dull, move to 5. When a ten-minute scene such as Wooden chair comes out square, try hard things to draw, where each idea names the skill it tests.

Do these work in pen, marker or paint?

Yes. In pen, sketch the shapes in pencil first, ink the outline and erase once it is dry. The closed outlines take flat marker colour well. With a brush, try the easy painting ideas list.