Blue Things to Draw, Then Pink, Green, Purple and Five More

Choose a colour in the Show only box, press the button, and get one subject, its difficulty and its shades.

Show all 44

Bottle of blue ink with one spilt dropEasy: royal blue, navy, white. Ink is darkest in the bottle and palest where the drop thins at its edge.

Next step More birds, frogs and fish: animal drawing ideas Step down: easy subjects broken into basic shapes

All 268 subjects

Blue 44

Barn swallow turning in flight Medium: steel blue, rust, cream. Steel-blue above, rufous throat, off-white below. The tail is deeply forked.
Blue and white porcelain ginger jar Hard: cobalt, pale blue, white. The blue is cobalt oxide painted under the glaze. One hue, many strengths.
Blue crab with its claws raised Medium: blue, grey-green, red. The male's claws are blue with red tips. Hold them wide apart.
Blue jay with its crest raised Medium: cobalt, sky blue, white. Black collar, barred wings. The blue comes from feather structure, not pigment.
Blue poison dart frog crossing a mossy log Easy: azure, navy, black. Bright blue skin, darker on the legs and belly, with black spots unique to each frog.
Blue sea star on a reef flat Easy: cobalt, pale blue, navy. Five long tubular arms with rounded tips. Stipple the skin and curl one arm up.
Blue tang beside a coral head Easy: royal blue, black, yellow. Royal blue body, yellow tail and a black mark shaped like a painter's palette.
Blue tit hanging from a feeder Easy: azure, lemon yellow, white. Blue crown, wings and tail, yellow front, and a dark line through the eye.
Blue whale seen from above Easy: slate blue, grey-blue, pale blue. Mottled grey-blue skin that looks bluer under water. One long tapering shape.
Blue-footed booby lifting one foot Easy: turquoise, white, brown. Bright blue webbed feet, which the male lifts and shows off as he struts.
Blue-ringed octopus showing its rings Medium: electric blue, ochre, black. Yellowish skin with blue and black rings. Draw it larger than life.
Bluebell wood in spring Medium: violet-blue, sap green, grey. A violet-blue carpet under bare trunks. Each stem nods to one side.
Blueberries with a dusty bloom Easy: indigo, navy, pale grey-blue. The bloom is a powdery wax coat. Dab it on last and keep the crown dark.
Bottle of blue ink with one spilt drop Easy: royal blue, navy, white. Ink is darkest in the bottle and palest where the drop thins at its edge.
Clear sky graded from overhead to the horizon Easy: ultramarine, cerulean, pale blue. Blend three bands, deepest at the top of the page, and leave one small cloud.
Cobalt glass bottles on a windowsill Hard: cobalt, ultramarine, white. Light through the glass throws blue shadows. Overlap two bottles for navy.
Cornflower with ragged petals Medium: cornflower blue, violet, green. Intense blue outer florets flare like torn trumpets round a darker centre.
Cyanotype print of a fern frond Medium: Prussian blue, cyan, white. The process reverses light and dark, so leave the fern pale and colour round it.
Earth from orbit, mostly ocean Medium: ultramarine, cerulean, white. Lay the ocean first and lift the cloud swirls out with white.
Eastern bluebird on a fence post Medium: bright blue, rust, white. The male has a bright blue head, back and wings over a brownish-red breast.
Faded denim jacket on a hook Medium: indigo, denim blue, pale blue. Only the warp threads are dyed indigo, so worn seams fade towards white.
Footprints in snow with blue shadows Medium: pale blue, cobalt, white. Sunlit shadows have a bluish tinge from the sky. Shade each print blue, not grey.
Forget-me-nots with yellow centres Easy: sky blue, white, lemon yellow. Small blue flowers round a yellow ring. Dot them in loose sprays.
Gas ring burning in a dark kitchen Easy: cobalt, pale blue, black. With enough air a gas flame burns blue, without soot. A ring of small cones.
Glacier cave glowing from inside Hard: turquoise, cerulean, navy. Dense ice absorbs red light, so the deepest cracks are the bluest.
Himalayan blue poppy on a tall stem Medium: sky blue, violet, green. A large blue flower, rare among poppies. Crumple the petals and shade the folds violet.
Hyacinth macaw cracking a nut Medium: cobalt, ultramarine, black. A large parrot in one deep blue. Overlap the wing feathers like roof tiles.
Hydrangea head turned blue by acid soil Medium: periwinkle, cobalt, lilac. A dome of small flat florets. Shade only its underside.
Indigo cloth drying on a line Easy: indigo, navy, pale blue. Hang three lengths. The folds are the darkest navy and the lit edges go pale.
Kingfisher diving with its wings folded Hard: azure, teal, burnt orange. Blue above, orange below, bill like a dagger. The orange makes the blue louder.
Lapis lazuli pebble flecked with gold Easy: ultramarine, navy, gold. Deep blue rock with brassy pyrite flecks and white calcite veins.
Little penguin coming ashore at dusk Easy: slate blue, indigo, white. The smallest penguin species, slate-blue above. Lean it forward as it walks.
Morning glory trumpet on a garden fence Easy: sky blue, white, green. Seen face on it is a blue disc with a pale throat. Add five faint folds like a star.
Morpho butterfly with its wings open Medium: electric blue, cobalt, black. A metallic blue made by wing structure, not pigment. Leave one white streak.
Mountain ridges fading to pale blue Easy: navy, grey-blue, pale blue. Aerial perspective: each ridge further back is paler and bluer.
Neptune with one dark storm Easy: azure, pale blue, white. Traces of methane help give it a faint blue. A plain disc with faint bands.
Oval-cut sapphire on a jeweller's cloth Hard: royal blue, navy, white. Draw the facets as flat tiles: a few near white, most mid blue, some almost black.
Peacock's neck and crest, without the train Hard: ultramarine, teal, bronze green. Long blue neck and a fan-shaped crest. Stop at the shoulders to keep it blue.
Robin's egg in a twig nest Easy: pale turquoise, sky blue, umber. The American robin's egg gave the colour robin egg blue its name.
Splendid fairywren with its tail cocked Medium: cobalt, violet, black. The breeding male is bright blue with a violet throat and black bands. Tail held upright.
Street at blue hour with the lamps just on Medium: deep blue, indigo, warm yellow. The sun is below the horizon, so everything unlit takes a blue cast.
Swimming pool with wobbling light lines Hard: turquoise, cerulean, white. Draw the bright net of lines first, then fill each cell with blue.
Turquoise stone set in a silver ring Easy: turquoise, teal, silver grey. An opaque blue-to-green stone, often webbed with dark veins. Keep the web uneven.
Whitewashed chapel with a blue dome Medium: cobalt, pale blue, white. The dome is a half sphere: darkest blue on the side away from the sun.

Pink 30

Bubblegum bubble about to pop Easy: bubblegum pink, rose, white. A sphere with one window highlight. The thinnest part is the palest.
Candyfloss on a paper stick Easy: pale pink, rose, white. Build it from loose scribbles and leave no hard outline at all.
Cherry blossom branch against the sky Medium: pale pink, rose, umber. Pale flowers clustered along a dark branch. Paint the sky and leave petals as gaps.
China piggy bank with a coin slot Easy: pink, rose, white. Glazed china takes one sharp white highlight. The ears are two folded triangles.
Conch shell showing its pink lip Hard: rose, peach, cream. The queen conch's flared opening is glossy pink. The outside stays sandy.
Dragon fruit cut open Easy: magenta, green, white. Pink skin with green-tipped scales, white flesh and scattered black seeds.
Elephant hawk-moth at rest Medium: pink, olive, white. Olive wings edged and striped with pink. A swept-back triangle from above.
Flamingo asleep on one leg Medium: coral, salmon, pale pink. The pink comes from carotenoids in its food. Neck in an S, one leg tucked away.
Galah with its crest up Medium: rose pink, pale pink, grey. Pink face and breast, grey back and a light pink crest it can raise.
Lotus flower opening above its leaf Medium: pink, pale pink, green. Petals deepen to pink at the tips round a flat-topped yellow seed head.
Magnolia flowers on a bare branch Medium: pink, white, plum. Big early flowers in white, pink and purple. Deepest colour at the base of each.
Orchid mantis posed as a flower Hard: pale pink, white, green. Pink and white, with flattened legs that pass for petals.
Peony in full bloom Hard: rose, blush, magenta. A bowl of crumpled petals. Darken the gaps and leave the petal edges pale.
Piglet asleep in straw Easy: peach pink, rose, ochre. Pinkest at the snout and inside the ears. A curled tail and closed eyes.
Pink axolotl with feathery gills Easy: pale pink, rose, black. The leucistic form is pale pink with black eyes. Feathery gills fan out behind the head.
Pink dawn clouds over rooftops Medium: rose, peach, slate blue. Pink only on the cloud bellies. Keep the roofs as one dark flat shape.
Pink fairy armadillo on sand Medium: pale rose, cream, white. The smallest armadillo, pink by name: a soft shell over silky yellowish-white fur.
Pink grapefruit cut in half Medium: coral pink, salmon, pale yellow. Segments radiate like spokes. Add a white pith ring, then yellow rind.
Pink river dolphin surfacing Medium: dusty pink, grey, olive brown. Amazon river dolphins turn pink as adults. The dorsal fin is low and long.
Pink salt lake seen from the air Easy: bubblegum pink, white, deep green. Lake Hillier in Western Australia was long this pink; rain has faded it lately.
Pink salt lamp glowing on a shelf Easy: salmon, orange-pink, umber. A rough lump lit from inside: palest at the core, darkest at the crust.
Pink satin ballet shoes with trailing ribbons Medium: satin pink, blush, grey. Satin shines in long soft streaks along the form. Let the ribbons twist once.
Pink tulips drooping in a jug Medium: rose, pale pink, grey-green. Let two stems hang right over the rim and one petal lie on the table.
Pink-iced doughnut with a bite missing Easy: pink, rose, tan. Icing drips unevenly. Put the highlight on the icing and the shadow in the hole.
Raspberry macarons in a leaning stack Easy: raspberry, pale pink, cream. Smooth dome, ruffled foot and a cream stripe of filling, five times over.
Rhubarb stalks tied in a bundle Easy: crimson pink, rose, pale green. Pink at the base and greener towards the leaf. Long ribbed highlights.
Rose quartz chunk with cloudy edges Easy: pale pink, rose, white. Milky and translucent. Soft edges inside the stone, hard edges outside.
Roseate spoonbill sweeping its bill Medium: rose, deep pink, pale grey. Deep pink from its diet, like a flamingo. The bill ends in a flat spoon.
Row of bleeding heart flowers on an arching stem Medium: rose pink, white, green. Heart-shaped pink flowers hang in a row, each with a white drop below.
Strawberry ice cream melting down a cone Easy: pale pink, rose, tan. Let one drip reach the waffle grid. The shadow side is warmer, not greyer.

Green 30

Artichoke with overlapping scales Hard: sage green, olive, violet. Scales spiral like a pine cone. A touch of violet at the tips warms the green.
Aurora over a snowy treeline Medium: pale green, emerald, indigo. Oxygen and nitrogen high up give off green, red and purple. Drag the rays upward.
Avocado half with its stone Easy: yellow-green, olive, brown. The flesh runs from yellow by the stone to green under the dark skin.
Bamboo grove with light coming through Medium: bamboo green, yellow-green, olive. Straight jointed stems with a pale ring at each node. Leaves only at the top.
Bowl of matcha with a bamboo whisk Medium: matcha green, pale green, black. Powdered green tea whisked to a froth. Dark bowl, bright surface.
Copper dome gone green with age Medium: verdigris, pale turquoise, grey. Weathered copper grows a green coat called verdigris. Streak it downward.
Emerald cut as a rectangle Hard: emerald, viridian, white. Green from traces of chromium. Step facets run as nested rectangles.
Emerald tree boa looped over a branch Hard: emerald, white, yellow. Emerald green with a broken white zigzag along the spine. Coils hang both sides.
Fern frond uncurling Easy: sap green, olive, yellow-green. A spiral crozier at the tip with paired leaflets opening below it.
Four-leaf clover among the threes Easy: clover green, pale green, white. Egg-shaped leaflets, usually with a light mark across each. Hide the four well.
Granny Smith apple with one leaf Easy: light green, yellow-green, white. A light green skin with pale speckles. Its shadow side leans olive, not grey.
Grasshopper on a blade of grass Medium: grass green, yellow-green, brown. Long folded hind legs with the knee above the back. The blade bends under it.
Green sea glass on wet sand Medium: bottle green, pale green, white. Frosted, not shiny. Soft edges with a pale rim where the light comes through.
Kakapo peering through ferns Medium: moss green, yellow-green, brown. A large flightless parrot, blotched yellow-green, with an owl-like facial disc.
Kiwi fruit sliced across Easy: bright green, cream, black. A cream core, a ring of black seeds and pale rays running out to fuzzy skin.
Leaf insect on a real leaf Hard: leaf green, yellow-green, brown. A flat leaf-shaped body. In some species the edge even looks bitten.
Lily pads on a still pond Easy: mid green, olive, pale blue. Round leaves, each with one radial notch, shrinking toward the far bank.
Lime cut in half Easy: lime green, yellow-green, white. Green flesh as well as green skin. Segments radiate round a pale core.
Luna moth at rest Medium: lime green, pale green, white. Lime-green wings, a white body, an eyespot on each wing and long trailing tails.
Malachite slab with banded rings Medium: viridian, pale green, black-green. Concentric bands of light and dark green, like tree rings in stone.
Mallard drake's glossy green head Medium: bottle green, white, chestnut. A glossy bottle-green head, a white collar, then a purple-tinged brown breast.
Monstera leaf with its holes Easy: deep green, sap green, pale green. A heart-shaped outline. Cut slots in from the edge, then add inner holes.
Moss-covered boulder by a stream Medium: moss green, olive, grey. Stipple the moss and keep the rock smooth where it shows through.
Pea pod split open Easy: pea green, yellow-green, white. Seven peas in a row, each with its own highlight and its own small shadow.
Praying mantis on a twig Medium: leaf green, yellow-green, brown. Triangular head, bulging eyes and enlarged forelegs folded to grip.
Prickly pear with flat oval pads Easy: blue-green, sage, yellow. Pads stack like paddles, each dotted with spine clusters in diagonal rows.
Red-eyed tree frog clinging to a green stem Medium: lime green, red, orange. Bright green back, red eyes, orange toes, and blue and yellow on the flanks.
Rice terraces stepping down a hill Medium: bright green, emerald, pale blue. Curved steps that follow the hill. Water shows between the young plants.
Savoy cabbage with crinkled leaves Hard: deep green, yellow-green, white. A net of pale veins over blistered leaf. Darker outside, yellower at the heart.
Wild budgerigar in green and yellow Medium: light green, yellow, black. Wild birds are green and yellow, with black scalloped marks on nape, back and wings.

Purple 30

Amethyst geode cracked open Hard: violet, lilac, white. Amethyst is a violet quartz. Pointed crystals line the hollow like rows of teeth.
Aubergine with one long highlight Easy: aubergine, plum, green. Nearly black purple with a single white streak. Green star cap on top.
Bearded iris with falling petals Hard: violet, lilac, yellow. Three standards rise, three falls droop, and each fall carries a fuzzy beard.
Bunch of purple grapes with bloom Medium: purple, plum, pale blue-grey. Every grape a sphere with a highlight and some pale bloom. Overlap them.
Crocuses pushing through snow Easy: lilac, purple, white. Purple goblets on short stems with grass-thin leaves. Snow makes the purple glow.
Dusk sky going from violet to indigo Easy: violet, indigo, peach. A smooth wash: peach at the horizon, violet in the middle, indigo overhead.
Elderberries in drooping clusters Medium: purple-black, plum, crimson. Glossy dark purple to black berries in drooping clusters. Highlight only a few.
Figs on a plate, one torn open Medium: plum, purple, rose. Skin ripening toward purple round a pink seedy centre. Tear it, do not slice it.
Fluorite crystals in stacked cubes Hard: purple, violet, white. Fluorite grows in cubes. Pure, it is colourless; impurities tint it purple.
Foxglove spire with spotted throats Medium: purple, pink-purple, white. Tubular hanging flowers, typically purple, heavily spotted inside the tube.
Giant allium globes on tall bare stems Medium: purple, violet, green. A tight, intensely purple globe on a bare stem. Shade one sphere, then add florets.
Lavender field in rows to the horizon Medium: lavender, violet, grey-green. Rows converge on one point. Stipple the near rows and blur the far ones.
Lilac bush in flower Medium: lilac, mauve, green. Dense panicles of tiny four-lobed flowers, lilac to mauve. Dab the mass, detail the edge.
Passion fruit halved Easy: dark purple, yellow, black. Wrinkled purple rind round yellow pulp and black seeds.
Plum with a dusty bloom Easy: plum, violet, pale blue-grey. A cleft down one side. Rub the pale bloom on, then wipe a thumbprint off.
Purple carrots pulled from the soil Easy: purple, plum, green. Purple heirloom kinds exist alongside the orange. Show one in cross-section.
Purple cauliflower, whole Medium: purple, violet, pale green. The same knobbly florets as the white kind, coloured by anthocyanins.
Purple emperor butterfly tilting to the light Hard: violet, brown, white. Only the male has the purple-blue sheen, and it is iridescent. Paint one wing brown.
Purple heart plant trailing from a pot Easy: purple, violet, grey-green. Purple leaves on trailing stems, with small three-petalled flowers at the tips.
Purple honeycreeper on a twig Medium: violet-blue, black, yellow. The male is mostly violet-blue with a narrow black mask and yellow legs.
Purple sea fan swaying Hard: purple, violet, teal. A flat net of branches, all pressed into the one plane of the fan.
Purple sea urchin in a rock pool Medium: deep purple, violet, grey. A deep purple ball of spines. Draw the spines from the centre outward.
Red cabbage cut in half Hard: purple, magenta, white. Called red, plainly purple. Tight white-edged folds packed round a solid core.
Saffron crocus with red threads Medium: lilac, purple, crimson. Purple autumn flowers with three crimson stigmas, which are the spice itself.
Scoop of ube ice cream Easy: violet, lilac, cream. Purple yam gives a vivid violet. Ragged scoop marks on top, smooth melt below.
Spanish shawl sea slug Medium: purple, orange, scarlet. A purple body, orange cerata along the back and two scarlet rhinophores in front.
Spear thistle head above spined leaves Medium: purple, pink-purple, grey-green. A pink-purple brush of florets, all alike, over stoutly spined grey-green leaf.
Violet-backed starling on a branch Medium: violet, magenta, white. The male has an iridescent violet head and back over pure white underparts.
Violets in a jam jar Easy: violet, deep purple, leaf green. Five petals: four swept up, one broad one pointing down. Stems cross in the jar.
Wisteria hanging from a pergola Medium: lilac, violet, grey-green. Drooping racemes of lilac to purple flowers. Fullest at the top, tapering to buds.

Yellow 30

American goldfinch on a thistle head Medium: lemon yellow, black, white. The summer male is vibrant yellow with a black cap. In winter he turns olive.
Banana slug crossing a log Medium: yellow, ochre, brown. Often bright yellow. Add a wet highlight along the back and a slime trail behind.
Banana with two brown freckles Easy: yellow, ochre, brown. A gentle curve with flat sides, not a tube. Freckle it sparingly.
Brimstone butterfly on a leaf Medium: lemon yellow, pale green, orange. The male's wings are yellow, each with a small orange spot. Females are paler.
Bumblebee dusted in pollen Easy: yellow, black, white. A furry oval in yellow and black bands, with clear wings and pollen specks.
Buttercups in long grass Easy: butter yellow, green, white. The petals are highly lustrous, so each takes a sharp white highlight.
Canary in mid-song Easy: canary yellow, pale yellow, orange. Head up, throat feathers puffed, bill open.
Corn cob with the husk pulled back Medium: yellow, pale yellow, green. Kernels in straight rows, each a rounded square with its own highlight.
Daffodils in a jug Medium: yellow, orange-yellow, green. Six petal-like tepals behind a trumpet-shaped corona, the deeper yellow part.
Dandelion in a pavement crack Easy: yellow, green, grey. A flat disc of strap petals, squared at the tips, over toothed leaves.
Day-old chick beside its eggshell Easy: pale yellow, yellow, orange. A fluffy ball, so no hard outline. Orange bill and feet.
Forsythia branch in bloom Medium: bright yellow, brown, green. Bright yellow, deeply four-lobed flowers that open in spring before the leaves.
Freshly sharpened yellow pencil Easy: yellow, tan, grey. A hexagonal barrel shows three faces: light, mid and dark.
Fried egg in a black pan, yolk unbroken Easy: yolk yellow, white, black. A dome of yolk with one highlight. The white frills and browns at the edge.
Ginkgo leaves in autumn Easy: golden yellow, ochre, green. Fan-shaped leaves that turn a striking yellow in autumn. Veins fan from the stalk.
Golden poison frog on a wet leaf Medium: yellow, gold, green. Pale to deep golden yellow all over. A plain colour, so shadow does the modelling.
Honey running off a wooden dipper Hard: gold, amber, ochre. Honey is a transparent yellow: brightest where it is thinnest.
Lemon with a leaf still attached Easy: lemon yellow, ochre, green. A pointed oval with a nub at each end. Pit the skin with tiny dots.
Mimosa sprigs in a glass Medium: yellow, grey-green, white. Spherical heads of yellow flowers in branching sprays. Stipple each ball.
Rapeseed field under a grey sky Easy: bright yellow, grey, green. One flat yellow band under a dark sky. The grey makes the yellow brighter.
Rubber duck on bathwater Easy: yellow, orange, white. Two ovals and an orange bill, with a wobbly reflection below.
School bus seen side-on Medium: school bus yellow, black, grey. School bus yellow was formulated for North American buses in 1939. Many windows.
Starfruit sliced into stars Easy: yellow, yellow-green, white. Usually five or six ridges run down the fruit, so every slice is a star.
Sulphur crystals on grey rock Medium: lemon yellow, pale yellow, grey. Sulphur is a bright yellow crystalline element. Blocky crystals, glassy faces.
Sunflower with one petal folded over Medium: cadmium yellow, ochre, brown. Yellow ray petals round a brown disc. Deepen each petal base with ochre.
Tennis ball in mid-bounce Easy: optic yellow, white, grey. Most are a fluorescent colour known as optic yellow. One curved white seam.
Yellow raincoat dripping on a peg Medium: yellow, ochre, grey. Shiny fabric makes hard-edged highlights along every fold.
Yellow tang over a reef Easy: bright yellow, white, pale blue. A bright yellow disc with a pointed snout. Blue water makes the yellow glow.
Yellow taxi in the rain Hard: yellow, black, grey. Wet tarmac doubles the yellow. Smear the reflection straight down.
Yellow wedge of cheese with holes Easy: yellow, ochre, cream. A triangular prism. Holes on the cut face are ovals, deeper yellow inside.

Red 30

Cardinal on a snowy branch Medium: scarlet, black, white. The male is vibrant red with a black mask and a pointed crest.
Chilli peppers strung up to dry Medium: scarlet, crimson, ochre. Wrinkles run along the length. Dried chillies are darker and duller than fresh.
Deep red rose, half open Hard: crimson, maroon, scarlet. Petals spiral out of a tight centre. The darkest red sits deep between them.
Field poppy with crumpled petals Medium: scarlet, black, green. Four vivid red petals, most often with a black spot at the base, slightly overlapping.
Fire engine with its ladder raised Hard: fire engine red, silver, black. Large flat reds. Carry the form with reflections in the chrome.
Fly agaric with white warts on a red cap Easy: scarlet, white, cream. A bright red cap dotted with white warts, over white gills and a white stem.
Maple leaf in autumn red Easy: crimson, scarlet, orange. Pointed lobes with veins fanning from one point at the stalk.
Mars with a polar cap Easy: rust red, ochre, white. The red-orange is iron oxide on the surface. A disc, darker patches, one white pole.
Pair of cherries on a shared stalk Easy: cherry red, crimson, green. A dimple where the stalk enters and one sharp highlight on each cherry.
Poinsettia with red bracts Medium: red, green, yellow. The red parts are bracts, not petals. The flowers sit in the small yellow centre.
Pomegranate split open Hard: crimson, ruby, cream. Seeds are translucent, so each holds a highlight and a darker core.
Radishes in a tied bunch Easy: red, pink, white. Red globes that fade to a white root tip, under floppy green tops.
Red barn in a snowy field Easy: barn red, white, grey. A big plain shape with a split-pitch roof and white trim.
Red crabs crossing a road Medium: bright red, orange, grey. Christmas Island red crabs migrate to the sea in a mass each year. Repeat one crab.
Red paper lantern lit from inside Medium: red, orange, gold. The glow is orange at the middle and red at the ribs. Gold tassel below.
Red phone box on a village green Medium: red, black, white. A tall red kiosk with a domed top and grids of small glass panes.
Red pillar box on a street corner Medium: pillar-box red, black, white. Britain standardised its pillar boxes to red in 1874. A capped cylinder, one slot.
Red sandstone arch in low sun Medium: brick red, orange, violet. Warm red where lit, violet in the shadow. Sky seen through the arch.
Red umbrella in a grey crowd Medium: scarlet, crimson, grey. One red among greys. Keep every other colour out so the umbrella carries the page.
Redcurrants on a stem Hard: red, crimson, white. Translucent berries: a bright spot on the side away from the light.
Rooster's comb and wattles Medium: scarlet, crimson, ochre. The fleshy comb is matt, not shiny. Draw the head in profile, bill open.
Ruby cut as an oval Hard: ruby red, crimson, pink. Red from traces of chromium. Facets are flat patches of light and dark red.
Scarlet ibis wading Medium: scarlet, black, pink. Scarlet all over except inky black wing tips. Long down-curved bill.
Scarlet lily beetle on a leaf Easy: scarlet, black, green. Shiny scarlet wing cases; legs, head and antennae all black. No spots at all.
Seven-spot ladybird on a grass blade Easy: scarlet, black, white. Three spots on each wing case and a seventh across the join.
Stop sign at an empty crossroads Easy: red, white, grey. A red octagon, the word usually in white. Tilt it a little for a lonely mood.
Strawberry with its seeds in rows Easy: scarlet, crimson, green. A heart shape with seeds in dimples. Skip a few where the highlight sits.
Summer tanager among green leaves Medium: rose red, green, ochre. Adult males are rose red. Green leaves push the red forward.
Vermilion flycatcher on a wire Medium: vermilion, brown, black. The male has a bright red crown, chest and underparts, with brownish wings.
Vine tomatoes on a chopping board Easy: tomato red, orange, green. Glossy spheres under a star-shaped green calyx. Put a window highlight on each.

Orange 30

Baltimore oriole at an orange half Medium: orange, black, white. The male is orange below and on the rump, black elsewhere, with white wing bars.
Basketball on a court line Easy: orange, burnt orange, black. Pebbled orange leather with black channels curving over the sphere.
Bird of paradise flower Hard: orange, blue, green. Three orange sepals and purplish-blue petals rise from a hard, beak-like sheath.
California poppies closing for the evening Easy: orange, yellow-orange, blue-green. Four silky petals that close at night, over blue-green foliage.
Campfire throwing sparks Medium: orange, yellow, black. Yellow at the base, orange tongues and a dark surround. Sparks curve as they rise.
Carrots with their tops on Easy: carrot orange, burnt orange, green. Tapered roots with fine rings across them and feathery tops.
Chinese lantern seed pods Medium: bright orange, red-orange, brown. A papery orange to red calyx covers each fruit, like a paper lantern.
Clownfish in an anemone Easy: orange, white, black. Three vertical white stripes, each outlined with a fine black line.
European robin on a spade handle Medium: orange, brown, grey. The famous red breast is an orange-toned red, lined with grey. Brown above.
Garibaldi fish in a kelp forest Easy: bright orange, olive, teal. A deep-bodied fish, bright orange all over. Kelp green sets it off.
Ginger tabby cat in a loaf Medium: orange, cream, pink. Stripes of darker orange on paler orange, with an M on the forehead.
Golden Gate Bridge in fog Hard: international orange, grey, white. Its famous colour is called International Orange. Let fog hide the deck.
Goldfish turning in a round bowl Medium: orange, gold, white. The glass bends the fish, so draw what you see. Tail like a veil.
Lifebuoy on a harbour wall Easy: orange, white, grey. A ring with four white bands and a rope looped round the outside.
Marigolds in a row Easy: orange, gold, green. Ruffled pompoms of overlapping petals, darker orange at the centre.
Monarch butterfly on milkweed Medium: orange, black, white. A black, orange and white pattern: dark veins, white dots in the black border.
Orange segments fanned on a plate Easy: orange, yellow-orange, white. Each segment is a wedge of tiny juice sacs. White pith threads cling on.
Orangutan hanging by one arm Hard: rust, burnt orange, grey. Reddish-brown hair drawn in hanging strokes, and very long arms.
Papaya cut lengthways Easy: orange, coral, black. Orange-red flesh round a central cavity lined with black seeds.
Persimmons on a bare branch Easy: orange, burnt orange, brown. Glossy yellow-orange to red-orange fruit that can hang on the tree into winter.
Pumpkin patch at dusk Medium: orange, burnt orange, green. Ribbed globes among big leaves. Each rib is a separate curved band.
Raked pile of autumn leaves Medium: orange, ochre, brown. Draw a dozen leaves clearly on top and let the rest become texture.
Red eft on damp moss Medium: bright orange, red, green. The land-dwelling young of the eastern newt, a striking bright orange.
Red fox curled up asleep Medium: burnt orange, rust, white. Despite the name the coat reads orange. The tip of the tail is white.
Rusty padlock on a gate Medium: rust, burnt sienna, ochre. Rust is iron oxide, a reddish-brown flake. Stipple it and leave bare metal grey.
Slot canyon with a shaft of light Hard: orange, rust, violet. Sandstone glows orange where light bounces and turns violet in deep shade.
Sun touching the sea horizon Easy: orange, scarlet, violet. A flattened disc with a broken orange path across the water.
Tiger lily in full flower Medium: orange, brown-black, green. Showy orange and black flowers. Add the dark freckles last, over dry orange.
Tiger's face, front on Hard: orange, black, white. Orange fur with black, mostly vertical stripes, fading to white in places.
Traffic cone on wet tarmac Easy: orange, white, grey. A cone on a square base with a white reflective band.

Monochrome 20

Bar of white soap on the edge of a basin Hard: one colour of your choice, black, white. Almost all tints. The only dark is the thin shadow under the soap.
Bare lightbulb hanging on its flex, switched off Hard: one blue, black, white. Glass is drawn by its darks and one hard highlight. The filament is one thin line.
Bare winter tree against a pale sky Easy: one brown or violet, black, white. Trunk darkest, twigs paler as they thin. A flat pale tint for the sky.
Cat curled in a patch of sun Easy: one orange or grey, black, white. One rounded shape. A hard-edged sun patch puts half the cat in tint.
City skyline at dusk in one violet Easy: one violet, black, white. Three layers of buildings, far ones palest. Lit windows are the pure tint.
Crumpled paper bag under a desk lamp Medium: one brown or blue, black, white. Every crease is a plane change. Squint and paint only three values first.
Foggy pine ridges in five steps of one colour Easy: one blue or green, black, white. Mix five steps first. Far ridge palest, each nearer ridge a step darker.
Forest path with light at the far end Medium: one green, black, white. Darkest trunks nearest you. The palest tint is the gap at the end.
Lighthouse beam sweeping through fog Medium: one colour of your choice, black, white. The beam is a pale wedge that widens and fades into mid grey.
Moonlit harbour with moored boats Medium: ultramarine, black, white. Save pure white for the moon and its path. Boats are flat dark shapes.
Old family photograph repainted in one brown Medium: burnt umber, black, white. Brown plus white gives an old-photo look. Soften every edge a little.
Rainy window with blurred lights beyond Medium: one blue or green, black, white. Blur the background, then add sharp drops, each with a tiny bright spot.
Rowing boat on a still lake at dawn Medium: one blue or green, black, white. Pale sky, mid-value water, dark boat. Keep those three apart.
Self-portrait lit from one side Hard: one red or blue, black, white. Split the face into a light side and a shadow side before any features.
Sheet draped over a chair Hard: one colour of your choice, black, white. Folds are tubes and cones. Find where each one turns from light.
Single pear in strong side light Easy: one green or ochre, black, white. Highlight, light, halftone, core shadow, reflected light, cast shadow.
Snowy street under one streetlamp Medium: one blue or violet, black, white. A cone of light with falling flakes. Everything outside it stays dark.
Stack of white cups and their shadows Medium: one colour of your choice, black, white. Cast shadows are darker than shaded sides. Ellipses open as they drop.
Storm clouds stacking over a flat field Medium: one blue or grey-blue, black, white. The dark base of the cloud against a pale strip of sky at the horizon.
Your shoes by the door Medium: one colour of your choice, black, white. Mix the dark inside the shoe first and judge the rest against it.

Colourful 24

Bismuth crystal with stair-step edges Hard: pink, gold, blue, green. A spiral, stair-stepped crystal. Its oxide film shows colours from yellow to blue.
Box of crayons with one snapped Easy: the whole set. Each crayon is a cylinder with a cone tip and a paper sleeve. Use every colour once.
Coral reef crowded with fish Hard: orange, pink, yellow, blue, green. Blue water fades things with distance. Keep the brightest colour in front.
Double rainbow over a wet road Medium: red, yellow, green, blue, violet. Red is outermost on the main bow. The fainter second bow runs in reverse.
Glass prism throwing a spectrum on a wall Medium: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. White light goes in, a fan of colours comes out. Red bends least.
Gouldian finch on a grass stem Medium: green, yellow, purple, red, black. Black, green, yellow and red markings, and a purple chest on the male.
Hot air balloons at a dawn launch Medium: any six brights, pale blue. Stripes curve round each envelope. Far balloons are smaller and paler.
Lilac-breasted roller on a thorn branch Hard: lilac, olive, blue, black. Lilac throat and breast, an olive crown and long black tail streamers.
Mandarin duck drake on still water Hard: orange, purple, red, green, cream. Red bill, purple breast with two white bars, and two orange sail feathers.
Mandarinfish over coral rubble Hard: blue, orange, green, yellow. Swirly orange stripes on bright blue, and a blue-green face with blue stripes.
Market fruit stall seen from above Medium: red, orange, yellow, green, purple. A grid of crates, one fruit each. Put opposite colours side by side.
Oil-slick rainbow in a car park puddle Hard: magenta, cyan, yellow, green, grey. Thin-film interference, as on a soap bubble. Wobbling contour bands of colour.
Painted bunting at a feeder Medium: blue, red, green, yellow. The male has a dark blue head, a green back and a red rump and underparts.
Paua shell interior Hard: blue, green, purple, pink. Striking blue, green and purple iridescence. Blend wet, then add black lines.
Peacock mantis shrimp at its burrow Hard: green, orange, red, blue. Mostly green with orange legs and leopard-like spots on the front.
Rainbow eucalyptus trunk with peeling bark Medium: pale green, red, orange, purple-brown. Bark sheds in strips, leaving streaks of green, red, orange and grey.
Rainbow in a garden sprinkler's spray Easy: red, yellow, green, blue, violet. A rainbow sits opposite the sun, so the viewer's shadow points at its centre.
Rainbow in the mist of a waterfall Medium: red, yellow, green, blue, white. Only an arc shows. Glaze thin colour over the mist, never opaque paint.
Rainbow lorikeet hanging upside down Medium: blue, green, orange, yellow. Deep blue head and belly, green wings and back, and an orange and yellow chest.
Row of beach huts, each a different colour Easy: red, yellow, blue, green, pink. Identical shapes, so the colour does the work. One long shadow ties them.
Scarlet macaw with its wings spread Hard: scarlet, yellow, green, blue. Red, yellow, green and blue on one large parrot. Fan the wing to show the bands.
Soap bubble with swirling colours Hard: magenta, cyan, yellow, green, white. Thin-film colours, as on oil. Swirling bands and one window highlight.
Stained glass window colouring a stone floor Hard: ruby, cobalt, emerald, gold, black. Black leading between colours. Floor patches are softer and stretched.
Tulip fields in stripes from the air Easy: red, yellow, pink, purple, green. Parallel bands running to a vanishing point. Texture only in the nearest band.

How it works

Forty-four blue things to draw, each blue in real life, from Blue jay with its crest raised to Lapis lazuli pebble flecked with gold. Six more colour groups hold 30 subjects apiece. Every hint opens with Easy, Medium or Hard, then names its shades.

Read the full guide

Truly that colour, and checked

Every subject is that colour in life, and where a hint says why, the reason was checked. Blue jay with its crest raised owes its blue to feather structure, not pigment. The pink things to draw include Galah with its crest up, the green things to draw Copper dome gone green with age. Among the purple things to draw is Red cabbage cut in half, called red and plainly purple. The yellow things to draw include Tennis ball in mid-bounce, in optic yellow. Under Red, Mars with a polar cap is red with iron oxide.

One tube or the whole box

The Monochrome group holds 20 monochromatic painting ideas, each in one colour plus black and white. White makes a tint and black makes a shade, so Foggy pine ridges in five steps of one colour is a mixing drill first. The Colourful group is the reverse: 24 colorful things to draw that need the whole set.

New to colour? Candyfloss on a paper stick and Strawberry ice cream melting down a cone are both tagged Easy.
Opposite colours side by side make a strong contrast: Kingfisher diving with its wings folded is cool blue above and warm orange below. For a cool palette, pick an all-blue hint like Blue sea star on a reef flat.
Own only a few pencils? Read the shades first. Lemon with a leaf still attached needs lemon yellow, ochre and green.

Questions and answers

Which stuff uses the whole pencil box?

Choose the Colourful group. Box of crayons with one snapped asks for the whole set, and Row of beach huts, each a different colour gives every hue the same shape to fill. For colorful drawing ideas with less work, try Red umbrella in a grey crowd: one red against grey.

Can I filter by colour and by difficulty together?

Not yet. One group filters at a time, and the groups here are colours. The difficulty is the first word of each hint, so press again until it suits you. In all, 99 subjects are Easy, 121 Medium and 48 Hard, and every group has some of each.

Pencils, markers or paint?

Coloured pencils suit most of the list, because two or three layered shades give the mixes each hint names. Markers suit flat, bold subjects such as Traffic cone on wet tarmac. Paint the Monochrome group: tints and shades mix on a palette, which pencils do badly.