120 ideas

Fantasy Drawing Ideas

Press the button for three subjects, read what each creature or castle part really is, then start the clock and draw one your way.

All 120

Clay golem with thumbprints in its shouldersIn Jewish folklore a golem is made of clay or mud and brought to life. Leave the maker's marks.
Moon rabbit pounding in a mortarEast Asian folklore sees a rabbit with a mortar and pestle in the Moon's dark markings.
Potion label for Instant BeardShow before and after portraits on the label. Hair is already growing on the cork.

Next step Study the real animals these hybrids borrow from Build a full prompt with a setting, a mood and a medium

All 120 ideas

Dragons 19

Amphiptere gliding over a wheat field The winged serpent of European heraldry. Draw a snake's body carried on one pair of wings.
Cave dragon with pale skin and no eyes Real cave animals often lose their pigment and eyesight. Give it long whiskers instead.
Chinese dragon threading through rain clouds Snake-like, with four legs and a stag's antlers. Tradition gives it power over water and weather.
Desert dragon basking on a dune crest Sand-coloured, with a wide flat body like a lizard and a long low-sun shadow.
Dragon skeleton half buried in a cliff Ribs as hoops and wing bones as long spread fingers, the way a bat's wing is built.
Dragon's eye in close-up with a slit pupil Scales shrink toward the eyelid. Reflect one tiny knight in the pupil.
Forest dragon with antlers and mossy scales Branching antlers, bark-like plates and ferns growing along the spine.
Glacier dragon asleep inside blue ice Draw the dragon pale and blurred. Only the cracks in the ice are sharp.
Hatchling dragon breaking out of its egg Hatching reptiles break the shell with an egg tooth on the snout. Shell bits, one wet wing.
Hoard dragon asleep on a bed of coins Draw twenty coins clearly at the edge and let the rest be glints.
Knucker rising from a village pond A water dragon of Sussex folklore. Its pool, the knuckerhole, was said to be infinitely deep.
Lindworm coiled round a standing stone In Swedish folklore the lindworm is a giant serpent with no wings and no limbs.
Marsh dragon half sunk among the reeds Only eyes, nostrils and a ridge of spines break the water, as on a crocodile lying low.
Reef dragon the size of a seahorse Borrow from the real leafy seadragon, whose leaf-like lobes serve only as camouflage.
River dragon asleep under a stone bridge The arch frames the head. The body shows as ripples further downstream.
Sea dragon coiled round a lighthouse Three loops, each half hidden behind the tower. The lamp lights one eye.
Two-headed dragon arguing with itself Two necks from one chest. Give the heads opposite expressions.
Volcano dragon wading through lava The light comes from below: undersides glow orange and the back stays dark.
Wyvern perched on a church spire A wyvern has two legs and two wings, so it grips with its feet and balances with its wings.

Creatures 21

Amphisbaena unsure which way to go A serpent, a head at either end. Make the two heads disagree.
Basilisk wearing its crown-shaped crest The serpent king of the bestiaries, reputed to have a crown-shaped crest on its head.
Bronze guardian pacing an island shore Talos of Greek myth was a bronze man who guarded Crete. Rivet lines and a calm face.
Chimera on a rocky hillside A lion with a goat's head rising from its back and a tail that ends in a snake's head.
Clay golem with thumbprints in its shoulders In Jewish folklore a golem is made of clay or mud and brought to life. Leave the maker's marks.
Cockatrice crowing on a farmyard wall Essentially a two-legged dragon with a rooster's head. Give it the comb and the wattles.
Fairy cat, black with one white spot The cat-sith of Celtic folklore: a big black cat, one white spot on the chest.
Griffin landing on a cliff ledge Eagle head, wings and front talons on a lion's body, back legs and tail.
Heraldic unicorn with a lion's tail Heraldry gives the unicorn a goat's beard and cloven hooves, a lion's tail and a spiral horn.
Hydra with every head doing something else In later tellings, two heads grew back for each one cut off. Draw at least five.
Jackalope on a prairie fence post A jackrabbit with antelope horns, from North American folklore.
Kelpie at the edge of a loch A shape-shifting water spirit of Scottish lochs that appears as a horse. Weed in the mane.
Kraken pulling at a ship's mast The sea monster of Norwegian legend, described as an octopus of tremendous size.
Manticore prowling a ruined colonnade A human face, a lion's body and a scorpion's tail held up over the back.
Moon rabbit pounding in a mortar East Asian folklore sees a rabbit with a mortar and pestle in the Moon's dark markings.
Nine-tailed kitsune under a full moon In Japanese folklore a fox spirit can have as many as nine tails. More tails mean an older fox.
Pegasus foal on its first flight Wings too big for the body, legs still running in mid-air.
Phoenix rising from its own ashes It is reborn from the ashes of the bird before it. Embers in the tail feathers.
Selkie folding her sealskin on a rock Selkies change between seal and human by taking off or putting on the sealskin.
Sphinx setting a riddle from a column The Greek sphinx has a woman's head, a lion's haunches and a bird's wings.
Wolpertinger in a Bavarian wood A small mammal given antlers, wings, fangs and a tail. No two are said to look alike.

Towers and places 21

Battlements at dawn with one sleepy guard The solid sections are merlons and the gaps are crenels. Light comes through the gaps.
Bridge town built along a single span Houses overhang both sides of one arch. Washing lines cross above the river.
Castle corner with a bartizan turret A bartizan is an overhanging turret, most often at a corner, carried on stepped stone corbels.
Castle gatehouse with the portcullis half down A portcullis is a heavy latticed grille that slides down grooves in the gateway. Show the grooves.
Chain of floating islands joined by rope bridges Shrink and pale each island with distance. The bridges sag in the middle.
Dolmen that frames a different sky A dolmen is a flat capstone resting on upright stones. Dusk outside, noon within.
Fairy ring of mushrooms in a moonlit meadow A naturally occurring ring of mushrooms with much folklore attached. Light it from behind.
Floating island lighthouse for airships A beam sweeping through cloud, with mooring ropes instead of a jetty.
Floating island trailing roots and a waterfall Flat on top and ragged below, like a pulled tooth. The water thins to mist.
Frozen waterfall hiding a door Blue icicle columns with a warm crack of light behind them.
Grassy barrow mound with a small lit door A barrow is earth and stones heaped over a burial. Keep it low and rounded.
Library ladder climbing out of sight Shelves converge upward to a vanishing point. One reader sits halfway up.
Mountain hall doorway carved into a cliff A door ten times human height. Two small figures on the steps give the scale.
Observatory tower with an armillary sphere An armillary sphere is a framework of rings modelling the circles of the sky. Put it on the roof.
Ruined keep with a tree growing through the hall Roots lift the flagstones. The canopy stands in for the missing roof.
Stone circle with one stone floating A ring of upright standing stones. The floating one still casts its shadow on the grass.
Town built on a giant tortoise's back The world-bearing turtle is an old myth. Rooftops follow the curve of the shell.
Witch's hut on chicken legs Baba Yaga of Slavic folklore lives deep in the forest in a hut on chicken legs. Scaly toes.
Wizard's study seen through a keyhole A keyhole-shaped frame. Inside: a desk, a shelf of jars and a quill writing by itself.
Wizard's tower grown inside a living tree Windows in the knotholes and a stair spiralling round the trunk.
Wizard's tower with a room added each century Stack mismatched storeys of stone, timber and brick, each overhanging the last.

Enchanted objects 25

Apothecary jar labelled Mandrake Root Mandrake roots often resemble human figures. Folklore says the root screams when dug up.
Bestiary page for a creature you invented A medieval bestiary gave each beast a picture, a description and a moral lesson. Write all three.
Crystal ball showing a different room A crystal ball works as a lens. Bend the real room round its rim and put the other in the middle.
Gauntlet with a rune on each knuckle Runes have angular shapes suited to carving, so use straight strokes and no curves.
Glaive with a crescent moon for a blade A glaive is a pole weapon ending in a blade with one edge.
Grimoire with a lock and an eye-shaped clasp A grimoire is a textbook of magic. Thick boards, metal corners, ragged page edges.
Halberd with a dragon-shaped axe blade A halberd is an axe blade topped with a spike on a long shaft, sometimes with a hook behind.
Illuminated capital with a dragon curled through it An inhabited initial is an enlarged first letter with animal or human figures inside. Use your own.
Map corner with a decorated title cartouche A cartouche is the decorative emblem that holds a map's title. Build it from scrolls and ribbon.
Map fragment of an island shaped like a sleeping cat Coastline first, then hills on the spine, a bay at the belly, a reef for the tail.
Map fragment with a sea serpent and a compass rose Loops of serpent break the waves. On a compass rose a fleur-de-lis customarily marks north.
Map fragment with mountains drawn side-on Draw each mountain as a small shaded bump and each forest as a cluster of tiny trees.
Pauldron shaped like a dragon's head A pauldron is the plate armour that covers the shoulder. The arm comes out of the mouth.
Potion label for Borrowed Bravery A lion emblem, a wax seal and small print about returning the bravery by dawn.
Potion label for Bottled Thunderstorm Hand-lettered name, cloud emblem, dose in tiny script. A small storm inside the glass.
Potion label for Instant Beard Show before and after portraits on the label. Hair is already growing on the cork.
Potion label for One Hour of Invisibility The bottle is drawn only by its highlights, its cork and its label.
Rack of five wands, each a different wood Wands are traditionally wooden. Vary grain, knots and handle. One still has a leaf on it.
Sea chart crossed with rhumb lines Portolan charts are covered in straight lines fanning out from compass roses in 32 directions.
Shelf of seven potions in seven bottle shapes Round, square, tall, flask, teardrop, twisted and one shaped like what it cures.
Shield painted with a lion rampant In heraldry a beast rampant stands erect in profile with its forepaws raised.
Staff topped with a caged star Twisted wood opening into a claw of roots round a light. It casts the only shadows.
Sword overgrown with ivy in a forest clearing Point down in the earth, guard wrapped in leaves, one beam of light on the pommel.
Torn map where the road ends at the tear Draw the tear as a ragged pale edge and age the paper with stains and fold lines.
Warhammer with a storm cloud in its head Later war hammers had a hammer face on one side and a spike on the other. Small lightning.

Spirits and folk 16

Brownie sweeping a kitchen at midnight The household spirit of Scottish folklore does the chores at night while the owners sleep.
Centaur archer at full draw A human upper body on a horse's body and legs. Line the bow arm up with the horse's back.
Dryad half emerged from an oak trunk An oak tree nymph of Greek myth. Hair becomes leaves and arms become boughs.
Faun playing pipes at the edge of a wood Human head, torso and arms with a goat's horns, legs and tail, and often pointed ears.
Forest giant asleep as a hillside A shoulder is a hill, the beard a waterfall, and trees grow along one arm.
Frost spirit drawing ferns on a window Window frost is also called fern frost. Grow feathery fronds out from one fingertip.
Green Man face made of oak leaves A face made of foliage, carved in many old churches. Leafy shoots often grow from the mouth.
Hearth spirit curled up in the embers A cat-sized glow with two brighter eyes. The warm light falls on the fender.
Leprechaun at his cobbler's bench In Irish folklore he is a solitary shoemaker: a last, a hammer and one tiny shoe.
Leshy stepping out between two birches The forest guardian of Slavic folklore: skin like bark, a beard of lichen and, some say, no shadow.
Naiad resting in a woodland spring The Greek nymph of springs, streams and other fresh water. Her hem is the stream itself.
Nisse on a barn beam with a bowl of porridge The Nordic household spirit: small, red-capped and rewarded with a bowl of porridge.
Pixies riding a moth Pixies belong to the folklore of Devon and Cornwall. Feathery antennae mark the moth.
Troll turned to stone at sunrise In Scandinavian folklore trolls are said to turn to stone in sunlight. Half rock already, mid-yawn.
Will-o'-the-wisp leading off the marsh path A ghostly light seen over bogs and marshes at night. One pale flame and its reflection.
Wind spirit seen only by what it moves Draw leaves, a scarf and washing on a line all bending round an empty human shape.

Whimsical 18

Bees in tiny armour guarding a hive Helmets and breastplates only, so the wings stay free. Stingers carried as spears.
Brass beetle messenger carrying a rolled note Hinged wing cases open to show gears. The scroll is tied on with red thread.
Cat-sized dragon asleep on a warm radiator Wings folded like an umbrella, tail hanging down, one curl of smoke.
Clockwork owl with a key in its back Riveted plates for feathers and lens eyes. The key is a butterfly shape.
Cloud whale towing a small boat through the sky The whale is built from cloud edges. The tow rope is the only straight line.
Fox in a travelling cloak reading a signpost Every arm of the signpost points a different way. Lantern on a stick.
Frog wizard on a lily pad casting at a fly Pointed hat, reed staff and one spark. The fly is unimpressed.
Garden gnome who has clearly moved overnight Footprints in the dew lead from the old spot. Same fixed smile.
Hedgehog alchemist balancing vials on its spines Round spectacles and corked vials stuck among the quills like fruit.
Lamplighter lighting the stars with a long pole A ladder against a cloud. Lit stars are bright and the unlit ones are outlines.
Mouse knight riding a sparrow A thimble helmet, a needle lance and reins of thread.
Mushroom village with a door in every stem Three cap shapes: dome, flat and cone. Ladders lead to the gills.
Pair of boots walking down a road by themselves Bend them as if feet were inside and add small puffs of dust at each heel.
Snail carrying a cottage with a smoking chimney Keep the shell spiral as the roof line. One round window and a flower box.
Teapot house with a spout for a chimney The door goes in the belly and the lid is a lifting roof. Steam, not smoke.
Tin knight rusted in mid-bow in a garden One arm across the chest. Ivy climbs the legs and a robin sits on the helmet.
Two beetles sharing a toadstool in the rain Rain runs off the cap edge in a curtain. The ground under it is dry.
Wind-up dragon toy breathing a real puff of smoke Pressed tin with tab joints, wheels for feet and a surprised child's hand.

How it works

Marsh dragon half sunk among the reeds, Castle corner with a bartizan turret, Potion label for Borrowed Bravery: all 120 of these fantasy drawing ideas are whole scenes, never bare nouns. Each hint says how to build the drawing, and wherever it leans on folklore, heraldry or castle terms, that fact was checked. Six groups sort them by kind.

Read the full guide

Mythical creatures come with a parts list

Draw to the list and the creature reads at once. A wyvern has two legs and two wings, so Wyvern perched on a church spire grips like a bird. A griffin is eagle in front and lion behind. Heraldry gives the unicorn a goat's beard, cloven hooves and a lion's tail. The Swedish lindworm has no wings and no limbs, which makes it the simplest dragon here.

Towers, relics and maps

Forty-six of these fantasy things to draw are settings and objects, with no creature in sight. Towers and places holds 21, and the castle words are explained: on Battlements at dawn with one sleepy guard the solid sections are merlons and the gaps are crenels. Enchanted objects holds 25, among them four potion labels and six maps. A fleur-de-lis customarily marks north on a compass rose, so yours can too.

Choose Easy for 45 starters. Amphisbaena unsure which way to go is one snake with two heads, and no wings to get wrong.
Whimsical holds 18 whimsical drawing ideas, from Mouse knight riding a sparrow to Teapot house with a spout for a chimney.
Borrow a real skeleton. Look up a bat wing before you draw a dragon wing, and an eagle foot before a griffin claw.

Questions and answers

Do any of these come from games, films or books?

No. They come from folklore, heraldry, castle building and our own invention, and none names a franchise or its characters. A kelpie, a leshy and a nisse are creatures of folklore. The hint gives the traditional parts; the look is yours.

How do I draw a dragon that is not the usual one?

Start from where it lives. The Dragons group sorts 19 by habitat. Cave dragon with pale skin and no eyes borrows from cave animals, which often lose pigment and eyesight. Reef dragon the size of a seahorse borrows the leaf-like camouflage of the leafy seadragon. Habitat settles colour, body and pose.

How long should one of these take?

The clock runs five minutes, which suits Dragon's eye in close-up with a slit pupil. Give a tower two rounds and call it a first pass. Maps take longest of all, because coastline and lettering both eat time.