60 ideas

Quick Drawing Ideas

Three drawings sized to the time you have, each with what to catch and what to skip.

Quick Drawing Ideas

Show all 60

Socked feet up on a stoolTwo soles facing you, toes first, then the stool's edge.
A car parked outsideTwo boxes, two wheels. Keep the wheels the same size.
A rocket leaving a smoke trailA tall capsule, fins and puffs getting bigger behind.

Next step Easy drawing ideas, step by step Everyday objects to sketch

All 60 ideas

30 seconds 15

A balloon on a string, tugged by the wind One oval, one wavy line. Lean the oval away from the wind.
A crescent moon hanging a star on a string A C shape, a short line and a five-point star.
A fish jumping out of a ripple A leaf shape curved like a bow over two rings of water.
A footprint in wet sand One oval and five dots of different sizes.
A kite tugging a small figure off its feet A diamond, a long line and a stick person leaning back.
A lolly stick poking out of a snowdrift One stick, one soft hump and three dots of snow.
A match just struck A thin stick, a round head and a teardrop flame.
A mushroom with three spots A dome on a stalk. Spots last, near the edge.
A paper plane looping the loop Two long triangles and a dashed circle where it has been.
A rain cloud over one tiny umbrella A cloud, short dashes and a half circle on a hook.
A snail leaving a wet trail A spiral on a slug shape and one line behind it.
A sun setting behind one wave Half a circle and a curl of water in front.
A thunderstorm in three strokes A bumpy cloud line and two zigzags. Stop there.
A tulip leaning on its stem A cup with three points on a curved line and one leaf.
An apple core on a plate An hourglass of a core, a stalk and two pips.

1 minute 15

A bee visiting a flower A striped oval with wings, and a five-petal flower.
A cactus wearing a knitted hat A tall capsule, a small bobble hat and one arm.
A cat stretching on its front paws A long arch, raised back end and a straight tail.
A cup of cocoa with steam rising A mug from the side and three wavy lines of steam.
A dog's head peeking round a door Half a head, one floppy ear and the door edge.
A hot-air balloon over hills A bulb shape, a basket and two wavy lines below.
A lighthouse with its beam on A tall tapering tower and two long wedges of light.
A rocket leaving a smoke trail A tall capsule, fins and puffs getting bigger behind.
A sailing boat on a flat sea A half-moon hull, a triangle sail and one line of sea.
A slice of pizza with a cheese string A triangle, a crust band and one stretched line.
A snowman losing his hat Three circles and a hat lifting off in the wind.
A turtle poking its head out A dome with a hexagon pattern and a small head.
A watering can with a flower drinking A can, a spray of dashes and a flower leaning in.
An orange peeled in one spiral A ball and a curling ribbon of peel beside it.
An owl turning its head right round An egg shape, then the face on the side of the body.

5 minutes 15

A bowl of fruit in outline only One line round each piece and where each overlaps.
A bunch of bananas on the table Curved tubes that overlap. Mark the bruises last.
A car parked outside Two boxes, two wheels. Keep the wheels the same size.
A chair from the side The seat, the back and the legs as straight lines.
A cloud outside, before it changes Only the outline and one shaded underside.
A face from memory, three quarters Oval, the eye line and the nose pointing away.
A mug with a spoon left in it Ellipse, handle, then the spoon crossing the rim.
A person on the bus or across the room Head, shoulders and the angle of the back. Go before they move.
A pet asleep on the sofa Big shapes only. Pets move when they wake.
A plant on a windowsill in silhouette Fill the whole shape in dark. Light behind it does the rest.
The nearest tree in one outline Trunk, main branches, then the edge of the crown.
Socked feet up on a stool Two soles facing you, toes first, then the stool's edge.
The top of the window frame and the sky above Frame, then one cloud shape. No detail.
Your left hand if you draw with your right Draw the other hand, resting. Outline first, then knuckles.
Your pencil case, open A soft box with things spilling out of the zip.

10 minutes 15

A bag of shopping on the kitchen floor The bag's slump and what sticks out of the top.
A crowd at a café, just shapes Heads and backs as blobs. Leave the faces out.
A houseplant, leaf by leaf from the stem Work from the stem outward, each leaf overlapping the last.
A kettle in one line without lifting the pen Never lift the pen. Body, then spout and handle.
A pair of trainers kicked off by the door Two shoes at different angles, overlapping.
A shelf of mugs and jars Line them up on one shelf line and vary their heights.
A sunset over rooftops in pencil tone Roof shapes dark against a pale sky.
A tabby cat in pen Stripes follow the body's curve. Do not outline first.
A table laid for two, straight down Circles of plates, lines of cutlery, two cup rings.
A teacup and saucer in light and shadow The ellipses first, then one dark side.
A tree in three values Light, middle and dark. No outlines at all.
The end of your street Two lines of rooftops meeting and one tall post.
Someone reading, in five-minute stages Pose first, then the book, then the hands.
Your bed as you left it this morning The big folds of the covers. Skip the pattern.
Yourself in a mirror, just head and shoulders Oval, the eye line, the neck. Everything reversed.

How it works

Quick drawing ideas sorted by the time you have: 15 each for 30 seconds, one minute, five minutes and ten. Each hint says what to catch and, just as useful, what to leave out.

Read the full guide

The 30 second drawing

Thirty seconds is the easy end, two or three shapes and nothing else: A match just struck is a stick, a round head and a teardrop. Stop when the time is up, even mid-line. That is the practice.

Fast drawing ideas from life

The five and ten minute groups are things in the room with you: your mug, the end of your street, someone reading. Real objects hold still long enough, and people make you choose fast.

Use a pen, not a pencil. You cannot rub out, so you stop trying to.
Do three half-minute sketches before a longer one, as a warm-up.

Questions and answers

What can I draw in 5 minutes?

One real object in outline: the shoe on your foot, a mug with a spoon left in it, the nearest tree. Skip shading and texture; five minutes is for the shape.

Why do quick drawings help?

A short limit makes you look for the biggest shapes and leave out the rest, which is what a longer drawing needs first anyway. It also stops you rubbing out.

What if I do not finish in time?

Stop anyway. An unfinished 1 minute drawing still shows what you saw first. Draw the same thing again in the next round and compare.