October Drawing Prompts

Three sets of 31 prompts, each a subject plus a twist. Pick eerie, harvest or cosy, start at day 1 and draw one a day.

October Drawing Prompts

  1. A bat that is scared of the darkDay 1. Hang it upside down holding a tiny torch. Light the face from below and shade the wings.
  2. A black cat casting somebody else's shadowDay 2. Draw the cat plainly on a wall top. The shadow behind it belongs to a much larger animal.
  3. A broomstick parked where a bicycle should beDay 3. A bike rack, a row of wheels, and one broom chained up with a padlock.
  4. A candle whose smoke draws a pictureDay 4. A short candle and one rising line. Halfway up the page the line turns into a shape.
  5. A cauldron cooking something ordinaryDay 5. Big pot, three feet, steam. Then a ladle of plain porridge and a recipe card propped behind.
  6. A clock with thirteen hoursDay 6. A plain round face. Squeeze the extra numeral in at the top and point both hands at it.
  7. A fog with very good mannersDay 7. Soft edges only, no outlines. Give the fog a hat to tip and let it hold a gate open.
  8. A gate that guards nothing at allDay 8. A tall iron gate, two stone posts and no wall either side. Let a worn path walk round it.
  9. A ghost caught on the washing lineDay 9. Pegs, a line and three sheets in a breeze. Only one of the sheets has eyes.
  10. A ghost reading the instructions for hauntingDay 10. A sheet shape with two hands and a booklet. Let the pages show faintly through the ghost.
  11. A graveyard where something cheerful growsDay 11. Tilted stones in a row, then one bright patch. Save your only colour for that patch.
  12. A haunted house that is afraid of its visitorsDay 12. Windows are the eyes and the door is the mouth. Lean the whole house back from the path.
  13. A key that opens a door in a treeDay 13. Trunk first, then a keyhole at knee height. Hang the key on a nail that is far too high.
  14. A lantern that lights the wrong thingDay 14. Draw the lantern small and its pool of light big. Decide what it shows and keep the rest in shadow.
  15. A mask with a second mask underneathDay 15. Show a hand lifting the first mask away. The one below has the same hollow eyes.
  16. A mirror that shows yesterdayDay 16. The same room twice: once round the frame, once inside it. Change three things in the glass.
  17. A monster hiding under a very small bedDay 17. A doll's bed and a lot of monster. Draw what does not fit: a tail, two elbows, one foot.
  18. A moon that has come down for a closer lookDay 18. Put the moon low and huge behind a roofline. Arrange the craters into a curious face.
  19. A pair of boots walking with nobody in themDay 19. Two boots mid-stride with the laces flying. Puddle splashes show there is weight in them.
  20. A potion bottle with weather inside itDay 20. A round flask and a cork, with a storm or a sunrise under the glass. Add one highlight on top.
  21. A pumpkin seen from the inside, looking outDay 21. Put the viewpoint inside the shell. The carved face is now three bright holes onto a street.
  22. A raven wearing borrowed jewelleryDay 22. A glossy black bird and one bright necklace. Leave white paper for the shine on both.
  23. A skeleton trying on winter coatsDay 23. Ribs first, then hang the coat from the shoulders. The sleeves fall flat where the arms are thin.
  24. A spider knitting instead of spinningDay 24. Eight legs and two needles. Let the web behind it trail off into a half-made scarf.
  25. A staircase that ends in the skyDay 25. Draw the steps side on and let them leave the house through the roof. Add one climber.
  26. A trick-or-treat bag with something alive in itDay 26. A paper bag with string handles. Two eyes or one tail at the top are enough.
  27. A turnip lantern glaring at a pumpkinDay 27. Turnips were the carved lantern in Ireland and Scotland. Small and knobbly beside big and smooth.
  28. A witch's hat being used as something elseDay 28. An upturned cone makes a plant pot, a nest or a cornet. Pick one and add the clue that sells it.
  29. A wolf howling at a street lampDay 29. Head back, neck long, ears flat. The lamp sits exactly where the moon should be.
  30. An owl delivering the wrong parcelDay 30. Wings wide, parcel in the claws. The label and the doorstep below should not match.
  31. Your own front door on the night of the 31stDay 31. Halloween falls on 31 October. Draw your door as a caller sees it, with one thing waiting on the step.

Next step More eerie subjects, each with its scare named

All 93 prompts

Set 1: eerie 31

  • A bat that is scared of the dark Day 1. Hang it upside down holding a tiny torch. Light the face from below and shade the wings.
  • A black cat casting somebody else's shadow Day 2. Draw the cat plainly on a wall top. The shadow behind it belongs to a much larger animal.
  • A broomstick parked where a bicycle should be Day 3. A bike rack, a row of wheels, and one broom chained up with a padlock.
  • A candle whose smoke draws a picture Day 4. A short candle and one rising line. Halfway up the page the line turns into a shape.
  • A cauldron cooking something ordinary Day 5. Big pot, three feet, steam. Then a ladle of plain porridge and a recipe card propped behind.
  • A clock with thirteen hours Day 6. A plain round face. Squeeze the extra numeral in at the top and point both hands at it.
  • A fog with very good manners Day 7. Soft edges only, no outlines. Give the fog a hat to tip and let it hold a gate open.
  • A gate that guards nothing at all Day 8. A tall iron gate, two stone posts and no wall either side. Let a worn path walk round it.
  • A ghost caught on the washing line Day 9. Pegs, a line and three sheets in a breeze. Only one of the sheets has eyes.
  • A ghost reading the instructions for haunting Day 10. A sheet shape with two hands and a booklet. Let the pages show faintly through the ghost.
  • A graveyard where something cheerful grows Day 11. Tilted stones in a row, then one bright patch. Save your only colour for that patch.
  • A haunted house that is afraid of its visitors Day 12. Windows are the eyes and the door is the mouth. Lean the whole house back from the path.
  • A key that opens a door in a tree Day 13. Trunk first, then a keyhole at knee height. Hang the key on a nail that is far too high.
  • A lantern that lights the wrong thing Day 14. Draw the lantern small and its pool of light big. Decide what it shows and keep the rest in shadow.
  • A mask with a second mask underneath Day 15. Show a hand lifting the first mask away. The one below has the same hollow eyes.
  • A mirror that shows yesterday Day 16. The same room twice: once round the frame, once inside it. Change three things in the glass.
  • A monster hiding under a very small bed Day 17. A doll's bed and a lot of monster. Draw what does not fit: a tail, two elbows, one foot.
  • A moon that has come down for a closer look Day 18. Put the moon low and huge behind a roofline. Arrange the craters into a curious face.
  • A pair of boots walking with nobody in them Day 19. Two boots mid-stride with the laces flying. Puddle splashes show there is weight in them.
  • A potion bottle with weather inside it Day 20. A round flask and a cork, with a storm or a sunrise under the glass. Add one highlight on top.
  • A pumpkin seen from the inside, looking out Day 21. Put the viewpoint inside the shell. The carved face is now three bright holes onto a street.
  • A raven wearing borrowed jewellery Day 22. A glossy black bird and one bright necklace. Leave white paper for the shine on both.
  • A skeleton trying on winter coats Day 23. Ribs first, then hang the coat from the shoulders. The sleeves fall flat where the arms are thin.
  • A spider knitting instead of spinning Day 24. Eight legs and two needles. Let the web behind it trail off into a half-made scarf.
  • A staircase that ends in the sky Day 25. Draw the steps side on and let them leave the house through the roof. Add one climber.
  • A trick-or-treat bag with something alive in it Day 26. A paper bag with string handles. Two eyes or one tail at the top are enough.
  • A turnip lantern glaring at a pumpkin Day 27. Turnips were the carved lantern in Ireland and Scotland. Small and knobbly beside big and smooth.
  • A witch's hat being used as something else Day 28. An upturned cone makes a plant pot, a nest or a cornet. Pick one and add the clue that sells it.
  • A wolf howling at a street lamp Day 29. Head back, neck long, ears flat. The lamp sits exactly where the moon should be.
  • An owl delivering the wrong parcel Day 30. Wings wide, parcel in the claws. The label and the doorstep below should not match.
  • Your own front door on the night of the 31st Day 31. Halloween falls on 31 October. Draw your door as a caller sees it, with one thing waiting on the step.

Set 2: harvest 31

  • A bonfire where the sparks turn into birds Day 1. Stack the logs into a cone. Halfway up the page the sparks grow wings.
  • A calendula still flowering in the frost Day 2. Calendula is October's birth flower. Rings of orange petals round a dark centre, frost on the tips.
  • A crow collecting buttons in its nest Day 3. A bowl of twigs in a forked branch. Fill it with circles, some with two holes and some with four.
  • A field of maize with a door cut in it Day 4. Tall stalks in rows make a wall. Cut a neat door in it and leave the door ajar.
  • A fox in a scarf the colour of its tail Day 5. Pointed face, white chest. Wrap the scarf twice and let its end match the brush.
  • A harvest table laid for animals Day 6. A low table under a tree, acorn cups, leaf plates. Seat three guests of three sizes.
  • A hedgehog using a leaf as an umbrella Day 7. A spiky dome and a pointed snout. One big maple leaf held by its stalk does the rest.
  • A jar of honey holding the last of summer Day 8. A jar on a windowsill, lit from behind. Inside the honey, a tiny meadow in full flower.
  • A kite that has caught a cloud Day 9. A diamond kite with a long tail. The string is taut and the cloud is coming along behind.
  • A market stall selling weather by the jar Day 10. A trestle table and a striped awning. Label the jars fog, drizzle and one last sunbeam.
  • A pile of leaves with something asleep in it Day 11. A heap of overlapping leaf shapes. Show one ear, one paw or the tip of a tail.
  • A puddle that reflects a different season Day 12. Wet pavement and a pair of boots above. Down in the puddle, blossom or snow.
  • A pumpkin patch with one square pumpkin Day 13. Rows of round shapes shrinking into the distance. One is a cube and nobody minds.
  • A rake that has grown leaves of its own Day 14. Lean a rake on a fence. Each tine has sprouted a leaf, as if it has changed sides.
  • A road sign half eaten by ivy Day 15. Draw the whole sign first, then cover it. Leave just enough letters to guess at the place.
  • A scarecrow that the crows have befriended Day 16. A cross of sticks and a stuffed shirt. Perch the crows on its arms like old friends.
  • A spider web hung with raindrops and one earring Day 17. Spokes first, then the spiral. Dot the drops along it and add the one that glitters.
  • A squirrel burying something that is not a nut Day 18. Tail up, front paws down. The treasure could be a key, a coin or a wristwatch.
  • A tractor pulling a trailer of clouds Day 19. A boxy cab and one big back wheel. Pile the trailer with cumulus and rope it down.
  • A weathervane pointing at something it should not see Day 20. A cockerel on an arrow on a ridge tile. Follow the arrow across the page to the surprise.
  • A wheat sheaf tied with a shoelace Day 21. A bundle of straight lines pinched at the waist. The bow is a bootlace with metal tips.
  • A wheelbarrow carrying the full moon home Day 22. Tilt the barrow back on its wheel. The moon sits in it like a big pale pumpkin.
  • A wind that steals a hat and keeps it Day 23. Show only the hat and the hand that missed it. Every leaf in the picture flies the same way.
  • An acorn with a tiny front door Day 24. A cap, a nut and a door with a knocker. Add a doormat the size of a seed.
  • An apple tree growing the wrong fruit Day 25. Draw a sound tree with a ladder against it. Then hang it with lanterns, socks or teapots.
  • An umbrella that rains on the inside Day 26. A dry street, an open umbrella and a small private shower underneath it.
  • Geese flying in the shape of a question mark Day 27. Plot the curve in dots first. Then put a small bird on each dot, wings at different heights.
  • The last leaf refusing to let go Day 28. One bare branch, one leaf, and wind lines bending everything except that leaf.
  • Mushrooms arranged like a small village Day 29. The caps are roofs. Give one stalk a door, another a window and a third a chimney.
  • Wellington boots planted with autumn flowers Day 30. Two boots beside a step with stems coming out of the tops. One boot has sprung a leak.
  • Your street with every tree the wrong colour Day 31. Draw the view from your door. Colour the trees blue, pink or silver and keep all else true.

Set 3: cosy 31

  • A bathtub with an autumn pond in it Day 1. A roll-top tub seen side on. Floating leaves, reeds at the tap end and one duck.
  • A blanket fort with a working drawbridge Day 2. Chairs, sheets and pegs. A tea tray on two strings is the bridge; post a guard.
  • A bookshelf where one book is breathing Day 3. Rows of plain spines. One bulges, its cover lifting, with a ribbon marker for a tongue.
  • A bowl of soup with a lighthouse in it Day 4. A wide bowl seen at an angle. Stand a small tower on a crouton island and add its beam.
  • A candle that melts upwards Day 5. The wax drips climb to the ceiling and pool there. The flame stays where it should.
  • A cat asleep on a pile of unanswered letters Day 6. A loaf of cat on a slope of envelopes. One stamp has stuck to a paw.
  • A chessboard after the pieces have gone home Day 7. Empty squares in perspective. One pawn has been left behind with a note.
  • A clock that someone has put to bed Day 8. A mantel clock under a tiny quilt, its hands drooping at twenty past eight.
  • A coat rack where one coat is not empty Day 9. Four coats hang limp. The fifth has a shape to it, and a pair of shoes below.
  • A fireplace with a staircase going down Day 10. Mantel, hearth and grate. Behind the grate a flight of steps is lit from below.
  • A houseplant reaching for the biscuit tin Day 11. A pot on a shelf and a tin one shelf along. One long stem has the lid half off.
  • A jumper knitted for something with too many arms Day 12. Lay it flat like a shop display. Count the sleeves, then add two more.
  • A knitting basket the wool has escaped from Day 13. Follow one strand out of the basket, round a chair leg, under a door and off the page.
  • A lamp that casts a patch of daylight Day 14. A dark room and a lit lamp. Its patch on the wall shows a sunny garden.
  • A letterbox that takes in leaves instead of post Day 15. The inside of a front door. A drift of leaves lies on the mat, each with a stamp on.
  • A mouse reading by the glow of one fairy light Day 16. One bulb on a wire, one mouse, and a book the size of a postage stamp.
  • A mug of cocoa with a small boat crossing it Day 17. Look straight down on the circle. A boat, its wake and one marshmallow iceberg.
  • A night light keeping the monsters comfortable Day 18. A small plug-in light with big gentle shapes round it, each under its own blanket.
  • A pair of glasses that see the room as it was Day 19. Draw the glasses large on a table. Inside the lenses the wallpaper and the chair are older.
  • A pair of slippers with plans of their own Day 20. Two slippers by the door with their toes pointing out and a tiny suitcase between them.
  • A piano whose keys are all small doors Day 21. A side view of the keyboard. Open three keys on hinges and let light out of each.
  • A pie cooling on a sill, watched by three noses Day 22. Pie in the middle with steam rising. Along the bottom edge, three different snouts.
  • A radiator of drying socks, and one sock leaving Day 23. The ribs of the radiator, a row of socks on top, and one inching away across the floor.
  • A recipe that has started cooking itself Day 24. An open book on a counter. The spoon, the whisk and two eggs are busy and no cook is there.
  • A scarf long enough to need its own chair Day 25. One person and one scarf, with the rest of it coiled on the seat beside them.
  • A sketchbook drawing the person who owns it Day 26. A pencil stands on the page by itself. The portrait it is making is half finished.
  • A spice rack with one jar that glows Day 27. A row of labelled jars. One has no label and lights up its neighbours from the side.
  • A teapot that pours out fog Day 28. Round pot, curved spout. The pour is soft cloud that rolls off the edge of the table.
  • A window seat with a view of another planet Day 29. Cushions, a blanket and a mug. Outside the glass, a ringed horizon and two moons.
  • An opal ring with a storm inside the stone Day 30. Opal is an October birthstone. Draw the stone big: cloud, flecks of colour and one bolt.
  • Your desk at the end of the month, drawn honestly Day 31. Thirty drawings later. Draw the pens, the stack of paper and the mug just as they sit.

How it works

October has 31 days, and each of the three sets here holds 31 October drawing prompts, one for each date. Every prompt is a subject plus a twist, such as A lantern that lights the wrong thing, so there is a problem to solve and not only a noun to copy. Pick a set, start at day 1, and draw one a day.

Read the full guide

Three sets, so next October is not a rerun

Set 1 is eerie but friendly, Set 2 stays outdoors with the harvest and the weather, and Set 3 is cosy and mostly indoors. Each hint opens with its day number, and the full list below runs day 1 to day 31 in each set. That order is A to Z and carries no meaning, so swap days freely. Print this list puts the set in the menu on paper, with a box for each day. Day 31 always starts with Your: your door, your street, your desk.

Why every prompt carries a twist

A one-word prompt gives you a subject and nothing to decide. A twist hands you the decision. A pumpkin seen from the inside, looking out fixes the viewpoint before you start. A black cat casting somebody else's shadow asks which animal, and how big. Answer it in a matchbox-sized thumbnail, then draw it properly.

  • Set a limit you can keep for 31 days. Twenty minutes and one pen beats a full page you abandon by the 9th.
  • Missed a day? Do not double up. Draw today's number and fill the gap at the weekend, or leave it blank.
  • South of the equator October is spring, so pick Set 1 or Set 3, which are mostly night and indoors.

Questions and answers

Do I have to start on 1 October?

No. October has 31 days and so does each set, so the numbers match the calendar. Start late and you can jump in at today's date, or begin at day 1 and run into November.

Can I use these as October drawing ideas without doing a challenge?

Yes. Draw any row on its own, in any order; the menu changes set. The fall and Halloween lists hold plainer seasonal subjects with no twist.

Is this the list for an official October drawing challenge?

No. These 93 prompts are our own and belong to no organised challenge or its yearly list, so there are no rules about materials. Use a fineliner, a brush pen, a pencil or a tablet.

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