A banana half out of its peelThe peel's strips fold back with dark tips. The fruit is matte, so no bright highlight.
A boiled egg sliced in halfA yolk circle in a white oval. The yolk's edge is soft, the white's edge sharp.
A bunch of grapes with the dusty bloom on their skinsLay a pale haze over the colour first, then one sharp highlight where it has been rubbed off.
A cherry with a drop of water on itThe drop is a clear bead: a dark edge, a bright highlight and the red showing through, lighter.
A chocolate truffle dusted in cocoaA ball with a matte, powdery coat. No shine at all, and the shadow side goes almost black.
A cracked walnut beside its two shell halvesThe shell is wrinkled like a brain; the inside of each half is smooth and pale.
A croissant with its flaky layersDraw the curved layers as bands, dark in the gaps between them, and flakes breaking off the ends.
A crusty loaf with its scored top splitEach score opens into a rough pale ridge. The crust around it is darker and cracked.
A kiwi half with its fuzzy skin showingA ring of tiny black seeds round a pale middle. The brown skin breaks the outline into short hairs.
A lemon half showing every juice cellSegments fan out like wheel spokes, each packed with tiny teardrop cells. The pith is a white ring under the peel.
A pile of coffee beansEach bean is an oval with a curved crease down the middle. Vary the angle of every crease.
A strawberry with every seed sitting in its dimpleEach seed is a tiny dark dip with a light rim below it. The red round each seed is a touch darker.
A watermelon slice with its seeds in a curved rowDark rind, pale inner band, red flesh. The seeds follow a curve, each a teardrop with a small highlight.
An apple's bite mark turning brown at the edgesPale flesh in the middle, a thin brown rim where the air got to it. Keep the skin's streaks running stalk to base.
Pomegranate seeds spilled across a plateEach seed is a glossy red bead with a pale core showing through. Give each its own highlight.
Faces and hands 15
A freckled nose in close-upFreckles vary in size and bunch over the bridge. Keep them soft-edged, never neat round dots.
A nose and mouth in three-quarter viewThe far nostril nearly vanishes and the far half of the lips is shorter. Measure both.
A nose from the front, lit from one sideDraw no outline. The nose appears from the shadow down one side and the darker patch under the tip.
A plait tied off with a hair bandEach section is a curved S tucking under the next. The loose end fans out below the band.
A single curl of hairDraw the curl as a ribbon: light on the outer bend, dark where it turns under.
A single eye looking straight at youLines run out from the pupil across the iris. Leave one clean highlight that sits over both.
An eye seen from the sideFrom the side the eye is a wedge and the iris a thin tilted oval behind a clear bulge.
An eye with a tear on the lower lidThe tear is a clear bead: dark edge, bright highlight, the skin showing through it.
An eye with long lashes curving outLashes grow in clumps and curve; the top ones reach further than the bottom ones.
An eyebrow drawn hair by hairStroke each hair the way it grows: upward at the inner end, flatter toward the tail.
An open palm with its creasesThe three main creases are grooves with a lit edge, not lines. Fingertips have their own soft pads.
Closed lips seen from the frontThe top lip usually sits in shadow and the lower lip catches the light. No hard outline round either.
The knuckles of a relaxed handSkin folds in rings over each knuckle. Draw the bone's bump first, then the wrinkles round it.
Laugh lines round an eyeThe lines fan out from the corner and are deepest where the cheek pushes up.
Lips pressed together in a half smileOne corner lifts and dents the cheek. Draw the dent before the lips.
Everyday objects 16
A ball of wool with a strand pulled freeDraw the wraps as curved bands crossing each other, then the loose strand, twisted.
A brown paper lunch bag, rolled shutStraight side folds, a crisp crease at the base and a soft shadow under the rolled top.
A candle with wax drips down its sideEach drip is a rounded bead that got thinner as it ran. The wax is slightly see-through at the edges.
A cardboard box with one flap openCardboard edges show a thin wavy layer. The inside of the box is darker than the outside.
A knitted jumper sleeve with a cable patternEach cable is a twist of loops. Draw the twist lines first, then fill the stitches.
A leather belt coiled on a tableEach coil sits a little higher at the back. The buckle's metal is the only sharp highlight.
A matchbox with three matches sticking outThe tray and the sleeve share one perspective. The match heads are small dark ovals.
A muddy trainer with scuffed toesCreases across the toe, dried mud in the sole's grooves, the laces crossing over each other.
A padlock hanging closedThe shackle is a round bar with a highlight along it; the body is a block with softer edges.
A pair of jeans folded over a chairStitching shows as short dashes. Creases fan out from every fold.
A sharpened pencil lying on its sideEach flat face catches a different amount of light. The graphite tip is darker and shinier than the wood.
A single old key and its shadowDraw the key, then its shadow the same shape but stretched and softer at the far end.
A tennis ball with its fuzzNo hard edge: let the outline break into fuzz. The seam is a smooth curve round the ball.
A wine cork standing on its endThe top is an ellipse full of tiny holes; the side has fine vertical texture.
A wooden spoon showing its grainThe grain runs down the handle and curves round the bowl. Keep the lines faint and long.
An old book with dog-eared pagesThe page edges are a stack of fine lines; the folded corners throw small shadows.
Nature close up 15
A bird's nest in a fork of branchesTwigs cross in every direction. Draw the darker hollow first, then twigs over its rim.
A cloud with a sunlit edgeKeep the lit rim white and the belly grey. Cloud edges are soft, never an outline.
A dandelion seed head with a few seeds goneEach seed is a thin stalk with a tuft. The gaps show the bald dome. Draw it light on a darker ground.
A fallen oak leaf with its veinsThe middle vein is widest at the stalk. Side veins run out to the lobes and taper away.
A field mushroom cut in halfThe cut shows a pale stem running into the cap and the dark gills as a fringe under it.
A glossy conker with its pale patchPolished brown with wavy grain, a dull pale patch on one side and one bright window highlight.
A piece of driftwoodSmoothed and bleached with deep cracks along the grain. Few details, lots of long lines.
A rock with moss on its shady sideRock is hard-edged and cracked; moss is a soft, bumpy blanket. Change your pencil pressure between them.
A rose petal curling at the edgeThe curl is lighter on its top edge and darkest just underneath the roll.
A scallop shell with its ridgesRidges fan out from the hinge and widen toward the edge. Shade one side of every ridge.
A small cactus with its spinesSpines grow in little star clusters along the ribs. Draw the ribs first, then the clusters.
A smooth pebble with specklesA simple shape carried by shading. Speckles follow the curve and thin out on the lit side.
An empty snail shell on a stoneDark spiral lines on the shell; the opening is the darkest shape.
Rosemary needles along a woody stemNarrow leaves along one stem, paler underneath. Draw each as one short stroke.
Tree bark in close-upDeep grooves are the darkest marks; the ridges between them catch light. Work from the grooves out.
Animals 16
A beetle's shiny backMostly dark, with bright stripes of reflection that follow the shell's curve.
A bumblebee's furry stripes in close-upFuzz breaks every edge. Two pairs of see-through wings, pollen on the back legs.
A cat's eye in close-upA narrow slit pupil in bright light, a flecked iris and one sharp highlight.
A dog's nose in close-upLeathery and covered in tiny bumps. The shine sits on top; the nostrils curve like commas.
A duck swimming with ripples round itRipples are rings squashed into flat ovals, broken by the duck's reflection.
A frog on a leafWet skin with small bright highlights; the belly is paler than the back.
A goldfish in profileScales in overlapping rows, fins so thin you can see through them at the edges.
A hen side onFeathers overlap like roof tiles; the comb on top is bumpy and bright.
A horse's eye with its lashesA large dark eye with a bright window highlight and lashes on the top lid.
A kitten's paw showing its padsRound pads, the big one shaped a little like a heart. Fur grows between them.
A ladybird's shell with its wing edge peeking outA shiny dome with spots and a split down the middle. A thin folded wing shows at the back edge.
A pigeon side onSmooth grey feathers, a shimmer of green and purple at the neck, pink feet.
A rabbit's ear lit from behindThin enough to glow at the edge with light behind it. Draw the veins as fine darker lines.
A red fox's face turned partly awayThe far eye and ear shrink. The white cheek fur meets the orange in a soft line.
A sheep's woolly faceThe face is smooth and short-haired; the wool round it is lumpy, drawn as small curls.
A tabby cat's coat patternStripes bend round the body like hoops. Draw them in short fur strokes, not solid bands.
How it works
Realistic drawing ideas from the kitchen, the mirror, the garden and the pet basket: 77 subjects, each with the one thing that makes it look real.
Read the full guide
Easy realistic things to draw first
Easy holds 25, each one simple form with one clear cue: a cherry with a drop of water on it, a single eye looking straight at you, a wooden spoon showing its grain. Get the cue right and the rest can stay plain.
Draw from the thing, not a photo
These are real drawing ideas: every subject can sit on a table or be seen in a mirror. A photo flattens the light. The thing itself shows you where a shadow softens and where an edge turns sharp.
Real things to draw look best lit from one side. Turn a lamp until one side is bright and the other in shadow.
For creative realistic drawing ideas, pair two subjects at life size, such as a lemon half beside a sharpened pencil.
Questions and answers
What makes a drawing look realistic?
Tone more than outline. Real things have no black line round them; an edge is where a light area meets a darker one. Every hint here names the cue for one subject, such as the slit pupil in a cat's eye in close-up.
Which real animals to draw suit a beginner?
Start close up, not with the whole animal: a dog's nose, a kitten's paw showing its pads, a cat's eye. Animals holds 16, and full faces, such as a red fox's face turned partly away, sit under Hard.
How is this different from hard things to draw?
Hard things to draw is sorted by the skill each subject tests: foreshortening, ellipses, reflections. This list is sorted by subject and level, and starts easy, so it is the place to begin.