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Things to Draw for Art Class

Deal an art class idea, sorted by the element of art it shows off.

Things to Draw for Art Class

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  1. A cardboard box on the floor in two-point perspectiveTwo vanishing points on the horizon; the nearest corner faces you.

Next step Scenes in perspective

All 72 ideas

Line 12

  • A calm lake and a stormy sea side by side Long flat lines for calm, jagged crossing lines for the storm.
  • A cat asleep in lines that follow its fur Draw every stroke in the direction the fur grows.
  • A classmate's profile in blind contour, then a second look Look only at them, never at the paper. Then do it again, looking.
  • A hand drawn in cross-hatching Build the dark parts with crossing lines; leave the lit parts clean.
  • A maze that spells a word from above The walls are lines; the word shows when you step back.
  • A plant drawn only with contour lines No shading at all. Thicker lines where leaves overlap, thinner where they turn away.
  • A school bag drawn without lifting the pencil Keep the pencil on the paper from start to finish. Slow down at the zips and straps.
  • A self-portrait built from short straight strokes Every curve becomes a run of short straight lines. The face still reads.
  • A tree drawn in one colour pen with no pencil first Commit to every line. Mistakes stay and become branches.
  • A windy day shown only by lines Bent trees, blown hair, flying leaves. Every line leans the same way.
  • Dew on a spider web between two stems Straight spokes first, then the spiral, then tiny circles for the drops.
  • Your name in lines that grow from thin to thick Press harder as each stroke goes down, lighter as it comes up.

Shape 12

  • A bird made from one torn-paper shape Tear first, then decide what bird it is. Add only the beak and eye.
  • A city skyline cut from simple shapes Rectangles, triangles and one circle moon. No details inside the shapes.
  • A face made of fruit shapes A pear head, grape eyes, a banana smile. Shapes before details.
  • A fish made of triangles Big triangle body, small triangle tail and fins. Two colours only.
  • A garden of flowers from geometric shapes Triangle petals, square leaves, circle centres. Repeat and vary.
  • A house front from the shapes in your kitchen A plate for a window, a spoon for a door. Trace and rearrange.
  • A mask designed from symmetrical shapes Fold the paper, draw half, and trace it onto the other side.
  • A still life of three objects in silhouette Fill each shape solid black. The outline alone must say what it is.
  • A tractor made of squares, rectangles and two circles Every part a simple shape. Vary the sizes so it looks built, not stacked.
  • An owl made of nine circles Circle body, circle head, four circles for eyes, three for the feet and belly.
  • Positive and negative shapes of a chair Draw the chair once, then draw only the spaces between its legs and bars.
  • Your bedroom from above as flat shapes A floor plan: the bed a rectangle, the rug a circle, the desk a box.

Value and form 12

  • A ball, a box and a cone lit from one side The three basic forms. The shadow side of each faces the same way.
  • A face half in shadow Split it down the middle: one side lit, one side dark.
  • A green glass bottle and the light it throws The bottle's shadow has a bright patch in it where light passes through.
  • A lunch bag scrunched shut, shaded in pencil Every fold has a light side and a shadow side. Squint to see which is which.
  • A metal spoon split into three tones Pick white, grey and black. Put every part of the spoon into one of the three.
  • A pinecone shaded with dots Close dots for dark, far apart for light. No lines.
  • A shell drawn from light to dark Start with the lightest tone over everything, then build darker layers.
  • A value scale turned into a sunset Nine bands from dark at the top to light at the horizon.
  • A white mug on a white cloth Only shadows separate them. Draw the shadows and leave the rest.
  • An egg under a lamp in five tones Paper white, light, middle, dark and the darkest shadow underneath.
  • Fruit on a plate drawn only in charcoal Smudge for the shadows, lift the highlights out with an eraser.
  • Your hand lit by a torch in a dark room Strong light, deep shadow, very little in between.

Texture 12

  • A basket from the side Weave lines going over and under, curving round the shape.
  • A hedgehog snuffling through leaves Short spine strokes all leaning back from the nose; the leaves are flat and smooth.
  • A knitted glove Rows of tiny V shapes that bend round each finger.
  • A lemon and an orange side by side Both have dimpled skin; draw the dimples bigger on the orange.
  • A pile of feathers, stones and a fur scarf Three textures side by side: soft, hard and fluffy.
  • A rubbing of three textures turned into a picture Rub a leaf, a coin and a grater through paper, then draw into them.
  • A sponge, a brick and a cloud Three objects full of holes, each drawn differently.
  • An old wooden door with peeling paint Wood grain under flaking patches of paint.
  • The bark of the nearest tree, life size Draw the bark's grooves as dark shapes and the ridges as light.
  • Six squares of six textures from your classroom Carpet, wood, brick, fabric, metal, paper. One in each box.
  • Your hair from behind Draw strands in groups, not one by one, following the parting.
  • Your own jeans at the knee, close up Denim lines, a stitched seam and the soft fold behind the knee.

Colour 12

  • A bird with every feather a different colour Plan the order across the wing so neighbouring colours blend.
  • A colour wheel made from objects you can find Twelve things, one for each colour, arranged in a circle.
  • A fruit bowl in analogous colours Three colours next to each other on the wheel, such as yellow, orange and red.
  • A grey pencil scene with one red object Everything in grey except one thing, which is the point of the picture.
  • A monochrome picture of your street One colour in many tints and shades, from nearly white to nearly black.
  • A mood drawn only in colour No objects: happy, angry or calm as colours and shapes on the page.
  • A portrait in unexpected colours A green face, a purple shadow. Keep the tones right and the colours wild.
  • A rainbow made of animals One animal for each colour band, in order.
  • A sky from dawn to night in six boxes The same view, the colour of the sky changing each time.
  • A still life in complementary colours Pick one pair, such as blue and orange, and use only those.
  • The same window view in cool colours Blues, greens and purples. Draw it next to the warm one.
  • The view from the classroom window in warm colours Reds, oranges and yellows only. See how the mood changes.

Space 12

  • A cardboard box on the floor in two-point perspective Two vanishing points on the horizon; the nearest corner faces you.
  • A giant and a tiny person in the same picture Scale shows space. Put the tiny person far behind or at the giant's feet.
  • A road that disappears into the distance Both edges run to one point on the horizon.
  • A row of lockers running to one vanishing point Every locker top and bottom line meets at one point at the far end.
  • A street corner seen from across the road Two streets going off in different directions.
  • A window view with near and far things A cup on the sill sharp, the street outside simpler.
  • The art room framed by its doorway, easels inside The near door frame sharp and dark; the room beyond lighter and smaller.
  • Fence posts along a country lane Each post smaller and closer to the next as they go back.
  • Overlapping hills fading into the distance Each hill paler than the one in front.
  • Three trees in the foreground, middle ground and background Big and sharp at the front, smaller and paler at the back.
  • Your desk from directly above Look straight down: the pencil pot is a circle, the book a rectangle.
  • Your school building from the ground, looking up The walls lean in toward the top.

How it works

Things to draw for art class, sorted the way art teachers mark: line, shape, value and form, texture, colour and space. Each of the 72 shows one element clearly. Press once, then choose the one you are studying.

Read the full guide

What to draw for art class when the brief names an element

Briefs often name one: a line drawing, a study in value. Choose that group and every idea shows it plainly, such as a self-portrait built from short straight strokes for line, or a metal spoon split into three tones for value.

Things to draw in art class with the stuff in the room

Many ideas use what is already there: the view from the classroom window in warm colours, then again in cool; your desk from directly above; six squares of six textures from your classroom.

  • Write the element you chose on the back. It helps when you explain the piece.
  • Do a small thumbnail first. A teacher likes to see the plan as well as the piece.

Questions and answers

What are the elements of art?

Line, shape, form, space, texture, value and colour. This list joins value and form, since shading is how a drawing shows form. The elements of art worksheet prints them.

What is a good first drawing for a new art class?

Something quick that shows one skill: a school bag drawn without lifting the pencil, or an owl made of nine circles. Both fit in one lesson and are easy to talk about.

Can I use these for art homework?

Yes. Most need only a pencil and something at home, such as your own jeans at the knee, close up, or a cardboard box on the floor in two-point perspective.

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