100 pretty subjects

Pretty Things to Draw

Press the button for one decorative subject and the pattern device behind it, then start the clock and take your time over the details.

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Tatted edging of rings and chainsRepeat: tatting is knotted into rings and chains. A row of small rings joined by arcs, a picot loop on each ring.

Next step Keep the pen moving: line art ideas Set this subject in a full scene prompt

All 100 pretty subjects

Butterflies and moths 20

Apollo butterfly, white with red spots Mirror: white wings with slightly clear edges, five black spots on each forewing, two red eyespots on each hindwing.
Atlas moth with four window panes Sheer: reddish brown wings lined in black, white, pink and purple, with a clear triangular window in each of the four.
Blue morpho, one open and one folded Sparkle: metallic blue above, plain brown below with a row of eyespots. Leave white streaks in the blue for shine.
Butterfly of your own from four teardrops Mirror: two large upper teardrops, two smaller lower ones, a bead-string body. Fill the cells with your own pattern.
Butterfly wings as a stained-glass panel Sheer: every wing cell is a pane of colour and every vein is a thick black lead line. No pane ends in a hairline point.
Comma butterfly with ragged edges Curve: bright orange with brown marks inside a deeply notched outline. Under the hindwing is a small white comma.
Dragonfly brooch with enamel wings Mirror: Art Nouveau jewellers made dragonflies. Four long wings split into cells like leaded glass, slim jointed body.
Eighty-eight butterfly with wings closed Repeat: on the hindwing underside, black dots ringed by white and black lines read as the number 88.
Filigree butterfly pendant Curve: filigree is twisted wire and tiny beads soldered into lace. Fill each wing with wire spirals, no solid areas.
Glasswing resting on a flower head Sheer: clear wing panels inside opaque dark brown borders tinted orange. Draw the flower first, then the wings over it.
Luna moth with trailing tails Curve: lime-green wings, white hairy body, long twisting hindwing tails, one eyespot per wing, maroon front edge.
Monarch wings, orange panes in black veins Mirror: tawny orange cells between black veins, black margins carrying two rows of small white dots.
Peacock butterfly with four eyespots Radial: rusty red wings, and at each wingtip one eyespot built from rings of black, blue and yellow.
Red admiral on an ivy leaf Mirror: black wings, a slanted red-orange band on each forewing, white spots near the tips, a band edging the hindwing.
Rosy maple moth in pink and yellow Mirror: pink forewings crossed by a yellow triangular band, yellow hindwings, woolly yellow body, pink legs.
Sunset moth with six tails Sparkle: black wings banded in iridescent red, blue and green, a fringe of white along the edges, six small tails.
Swallowtail with two tails Mirror: yellow wings with black vein markings and a pair of tails. Below each tail sit one red and six blue spots.
Wing seen close, scale by scale Repeat: rows of tiny overlapping rounded scales like roof tiles, with the colour changing every few rows.
Wreath of butterflies round an empty centre Radial: eight butterflies with heads pointing in, alternating two sizes. Pencil a circle guide first.
Zebra longwing in narrow stripes Repeat: long black wings crossed by narrow white and yellow stripes. Keep the stripes parallel and let them taper.

Koi and pond 17

Arched bridge mirrored in a koi pond Mirror: a half-circle bridge over still water makes a full circle with its reflection. Two fish pass through the ring.
Asagi koi with a net of scales Repeat: light blue back drawn as a net of scale outlines, with red below along the belly and fin bases.
Butterfly koi with flowing fins Curve: long flowing fins and tail that trail like ribbons. The colour pattern is up to you, so borrow one from the list.
Kohaku koi seen from above Curve: white body in an S bend with large red patches along the back. Fins as pale fans, tail swept to one side.
Koi passing under lily pads Sheer: draw the pads first, circles with one notch. Then the fish beneath, its outline broken wherever a pad covers it.
Koi rising to a ripple ring Radial: the mouth sits at the centre of three widening ripple rings and the body fades as it goes deeper.
Kumonryu koi with curling white Curve: black fish with curling white markings. Draw the white as cloud scrolls drifting along the back.
Ogon koi in one metallic colour Sparkle: one colour all over, most often gold, platinum or orange. Leave a pale streak along the back for the sheen.
Pair of koi chasing tails in a ring Radial: two S bends chasing each other round one centre point, one fish pale and one dark.
Sanke koi with ink flecks Curve: a Kohaku with small black marks, called sumi, added over the white and red. Keep the black sparse.
Scale practice patch, koi style Repeat: rows of overlapping U shapes, each row shifted half a scale. Shade the base of every scale, leave the rim light.
Showa koi, black first Curve: a black fish with red and white markings wrapped round it. Lay in the black, then leave the white as bare paper.
Shusui koi with one row of scales Repeat: pale sky-blue back, red or orange below the side line, and a single row of large scales down the spine.
Stained-glass koi in a round frame Sheer: one S-bend fish cut into panes along its colour patches, with water as long wavy panes behind it.
Tancho koi with one red spot Radial: a koi whose only red is one patch on the head. Keep the body pale and quiet so the circle does the work.
Utsuri koi in zebra bands Repeat: black body banded with white, red or yellow. Pick a single second colour and wrap the bands round the body.
Water lily open on its pad Radial: pointed petals in three rings round a yellow centre, on a flat round leaf with one notch.

Glass and perfume bottles 20

Bell jar over a fern Sheer: tall dome with a knob on top and a wooden base. One highlight down the side, the fern a touch paler inside.
Chandelier drops on three strings Repeat: strings of small beads, each ending in a pear-shaped drop. Every drop gets the same highlight on the same side.
Crystal prism casting a rainbow Sparkle: triangular bar of glass, one thin beam in, a widening fan of colour bands out onto the table.
Cut-glass stopper seen from above Radial: a star of wedge facets round a small centre, light and dark wedges alternating.
Glass marble with a twist inside Curve: a circle holding two ribbons of colour in an S twist. One highlight, plus a bright spot in its own shadow.
Hand mirror with a scrolled frame Curve: oval glass ringed with C scrolls, a turned handle, and one diagonal band of shine across the mirror.
Heart-shaped scent bottle Mirror: heart flask with a short neck and a ball stopper. Fold the paper to match the halves, then add one highlight.
Oculus window holding one lily Radial: an oculus is a round window without tracery. One flower fills it and its stem meets the rim at the bottom.
Perfume bottle half full Sheer: the liquid is a tinted band with a curved top edge. The glass base is thick, so leave a clear gap under it.
Perfume bottle with a faceted stopper Sparkle: square-shouldered bottle with a stopper cut like a gem. Leave a white sliver on every facet edge.
Rose window in coloured petals Radial: a circle split by stone tracery into petals round a central ring. Colour every second petal the same.
Round perfume bottle with a squeeze bulb Curve: round flask, metal collar, a tube looping to a netted bulb with a tassel. The tube is one long S.
Scent bottle with a ribbon at its neck Curve: plain round bottle, so the bow does the decorating. Tails cross the glass and show through the far side.
Stained-glass border of diamond panes Repeat: a lattice of small diamonds with a coloured square wherever four lines meet.
Stained-glass iris, tall and narrow Curve: sinuous leaves in the Art Nouveau manner, a style that took its lines from plants. Three petals up, three down.
Stained-glass panel of a single rose Sheer: each petal is its own pane. The lead strips between panes are called cames, so draw them thick and even.
Stained-glass sunrise fan Radial: half circle of tapering rays in two alternating warm colours, a plain arc of sun at the base.
Stemmed glass holding one flower Sheer: the stem seen through water is shifted sideways at the waterline. Draw it broken on purpose.
Tall fluted perfume bottle Repeat: narrow column with vertical flutes. The flutes crowd together towards each side, which turns the form.
Three bottles on a mirrored tray Mirror: three different heights, each with a paler upside-down twin below the tray line.

Keys, lockets and jewellery 23

Briolette drop on a chain Sparkle: a pear-shaped stone faceted in triangles on every side, hung from its point by a small cap.
Cameo brooch with a swan in relief Sheer: a cameo is a raised image in a contrasting colour. Pale swan on a darker oval, framed in a rope border.
Chatelaine with scissors, thimble and key Repeat: a waist clasp with a row of chains hanging from it, each one ending in a small useful tool.
Emerald-cut stone in a ring Repeat: a rectangle with cropped corners, eight sides in all. The facets are steps running parallel to the edge.
Filigree teardrop earrings, a pair Mirror: two wire teardrops filled with scrolls and a bead at each join. The pair mirror each other.
Heart locket on a fine chain Curve: the chain hangs in a deep U, links shown as tiny ovals only near the front. One shine curve on the heart.
Jewellery box spilling chains Curve: open lid, a drawer pulled out, chains pouring over the edge in loose S curves. Link detail at the front only.
Key with a crown-shaped bow Mirror: five points on a band, a bead on each tip. Draw half, fold the paper and trace the other side.
Key with a trefoil bow Radial: three rings meeting at a centre bead form the bow. Two collars on the stem, a square bit with one notch.
Locket engraved with one flower Radial: round case, five-petal flower cut in fine lines, a border of dots. Add a bail, the loop on top.
Marquise stone on a plain band Mirror: pointed at both ends like a small boat hull, which is what its other name, navette, means.
Moonstone cabochon ring Sparkle: a cabochon is polished into a smooth dome, not faceted. One soft oval highlight and a glow along the lower rim.
Ornate key with a heart bow Curve: the bow is the end you hold. Build it as a heart of scrolls on a long plain stem with a small toothed bit.
Oval locket open on two frames Mirror: a locket opens to show a space for a photograph. Two ovals hinged side by side, both frames left empty.
Pear-cut drop earring Sparkle: one end rounded and the other pointed, like a drop of water. Facets fan out from a point near the round end.
Pocket watch with an engraved case Curve: a round case with a bow ring on top, the lid covered in leaf scrolls turning round a blank centre shield.
Ring with a centre stone and two baguettes Mirror: a baguette is a slender rectangular step cut, used to flank a larger stone. One each side, angled down.
Rose-cut stone in a claw setting Radial: flat base and a dome of triangular facets rising to a point, usually 12 or 24. No flat table on top.
Round brilliant seen from above Radial: a flat table in the centre, rings of triangle and kite facets out to the girdle. The crown alone has 33.
Star sapphire under a lamp Radial: a domed cabochon shows the star that facets would hide. Thin rays cross at the top of the dome.
String of pearls with a bow clasp Repeat: circles growing towards the centre front. Same highlight on each, same side, a small shadow where pearls touch.
Three keys tied on a ribbon Repeat: three bows of different designs fanned out from one knot. The stems all point down, the ribbon ends trail.
Tiara with graduated points Mirror: tallest point in the middle, stepping down each side, a stone at every peak and scrolls in between.

Lace, ribbon and borders 20

Ballet shoes with crossed ribbons Curve: two slim pointed slippers, ribbons crossing twice then trailing off in loose loops.
Bobbin lace growing on its pillow Radial: a strip of lace pinned to a pillow, threads fanning down to a dozen hanging bobbins.
Broderie anglaise corner Repeat: round and oval eyelets cut out of white cloth, each ringed with stitches, arranged as flowers, leaves and stems.
Corner ornament of scrolls Curve: one C scroll, one S scroll and a leaf, mirrored across the diagonal. Repeat it in all four corners of a page.
Daisy chain border Repeat: small daisies joined stem to stem through a slit, flower heads facing alternate ways.
Heart-shaped lace frame Mirror: a heart outline with two rows of scallops outside and a row of eyelets inside. The middle stays empty.
Initial inside a lace oval Mirror: your own letter in the centre of an oval frame of eyelets and scallops, with a small bow on top.
Lace collar with a ribbon tie Mirror: two rounded flaps meeting at a bow, each filled with net and edged in scallops.
Lace fan, half open Radial: sticks spreading from one pivot, a scalloped lace leaf across the top, a tassel hanging from the rivet.
Lace parasol seen from above Radial: eight ribs from a centre cap, a scalloped rim, and the same net pattern in every panel.
Lace-edged handkerchief folded in quarters Repeat: a square with one corner showing, two rows of scallops, and an initial stitched near the point.
Oval wreath of roses and ribbon Mirror: spiral roses and leaf pairs round an oval guide, a bow at the bottom. The left side copies the right.
Picot edge along a ribbon Repeat: a picot is a small loop of thread on an edge. Tiny loops at even gaps turn a plain band into trim.
Ribbon bow with long tails Curve: two loops, a knot and tails that twist once to show the back. Cut the ends in a V.
Ribbon looping across the page Curve: one band folding over itself in slow S bends, used as a divider. Shade the underside of each fold.
Ribbon rosette with two tails Radial: a spiral of folded loops round a button centre, with two V-cut tails hanging below.
Round doily in eight repeats Radial: split a circle into eight wedges, design one wedge, then repeat it round. Finish with a scalloped rim.
Scalloped lace border Repeat: a row of half circles, each holding a fan of lines and topped with a dot. Rule two guide lines first.
Tatted edging of rings and chains Repeat: tatting is knotted into rings and chains. A row of small rings joined by arcs, a picot loop on each ring.
Whiplash border ending in a lily Curve: one long sinuous stem that snaps back on itself at the end, the whiplash line of Art Nouveau. Lily at the tip.

How it works

A Luna moth with trailing tails, a Kohaku koi seen from above, an Ornate key with a heart bow: these 100 pretty things to draw are decorative subjects with their real markings. Every hint opens with the pattern device that does the decorating, such as Mirror or Radial, then says what goes where.

Read the full guide

Six pattern devices behind the decoration

Ornament is organised, and each hint says how. Mirror (20 hints) copies one half across a centre line. Repeat (20) runs one small unit along an edge, as in Picot edge along a ribbon. Radial (20) spins a wedge round a centre, like Rose window in coloured petals. Curve (22) is built on S bends. Sheer (10) lets one thing show through another, and Sparkle (8) is mostly white paper left alone.

Real wings, real koi, real cuts

The real markings were checked. A swallowtail carries one red spot and six blue below each tail. A Tancho koi has a single red patch, on its head. An emerald cut is a rectangle with cropped corners and facets in steps, while a cabochon has no facets at all. Craft words such as filigree, picot, tatting and came are explained in the hint where they turn up.

For Mirror subjects, draw the left half in soft pencil, fold on the centre line and rub the back with a spoon. A faint right half appears.
White gel pen goes on last. One dot per pearl, always on the same side, reads as light from a single window.
Rule two pencil lines before any border. Lace only looks like lace when every scallop is the same height.

Questions and answers

Which are the easiest pretty things to draw?

Start with Lace, ribbon and borders: 22 subjects made from one small unit repeated, such as Scalloped lace border or Daisy chain border. Ribbon bow with long tails is two loops and a knot. Leave the 20 butterflies and moths until your hand is steady, because both wings have to match.

Are these girly things to draw?

Ribbons, lockets and perfume bottles are often filed under girly things to draw, but ornament has no owner: the same devices decorate cathedral windows and pocket watches. Draw what you like looking at. For cute girly things to draw, with faces and blush, see cute easy things to draw.

Can I colour these, or are they pencil subjects?

Either. Lace, keys and cut stones make good pencil sketches. The wing and koi hints give real colours: lime green for the luna moth, tawny orange and black for the monarch, light blue over red for an Asagi. Choose Glass and perfume bottles for 22 subjects where bare paper is the brightest colour you have.