• 80 ideas

Tuff Things to Draw

One tuff subject per press, with the trick that makes it look bold.

Tuff Things to Draw

Show all 80
  1. Cracked ground with light pouring outDraw the crack as a jagged black line, then leave a bare-paper glow each side and hatch outward.
  2. Bear at full height, seen from the groundView it from low down, so the head is small and the paws huge. Thick outline, claws as five quick ticks.
  3. Wolf's snarl in profile, teeth showingThick outline on the muzzle, thin lines for fur. The lip curls into three sharp wrinkles above the teeth.

Next step More animals to drawLetter it: graffiti ideas for paper

All 80 ideas

Animals with attitude 20

  • Bear at full height, seen from the ground View it from low down, so the head is small and the paws huge. Thick outline, claws as five quick ticks.
  • Bull lowering its head, steam from the nostrils Horns are two bold curves. Add two short puffs of steam and a dust cloud kicked up at the hooves.
  • Bulldog in a studded collar, jaw pushed out An underbite and heavy jowls. Each stud is a small cone with one shaded side.
  • Cobra reared up, hood flared like a shield The hood is a kite shape. Angular scales run down the center only, with a heavy shadow under the coil.
  • Crocodile's open jaws seen head-on Two long wedges hinged at the back, with teeth as a zigzag along each. Fill the throat solid black.
  • Eagle diving with its talons open Wings swept back into a V. Speed lines trail from the wing tips; the talons are the sharpest shapes.
  • Fin slicing the surface, wake spreading behind A triangle with a notch in its back edge. The wake spreads behind; thicken the fin's leading edge.
  • Gorilla with its arms folded Build the chest as one big block. The brow is a heavy straight line that puts the eyes in shadow.
  • Hawk's eye in extreme close-up The brow ridge is a hard diagonal over the eye. One bright dot in the pupil and nothing else white.
  • Lion with a mane drawn as flames Each lock of mane is an S-shaped flame ending in a point. The face stays calm and heavily outlined.
  • Panther's stare out of solid black Fill the page corner black and leave only two almond eyes and a few whisker lines as bare paper.
  • Piranha, all underbite and triangle teeth A round body with a jutting lower jaw. The teeth are a row of small triangles; one white glint on the eye.
  • Rattlesnake coiled with its rattle raised Hard-edged diamonds down the back. The rattle is a stack of beads with motion lines either side.
  • Rhino mid-charge with its head down A wedge-shaped body leaning forward. Dust and speed lines behind, the horn aimed at the viewer.
  • Scorpion plated like armor, stinger curled high Segments are hard-edged plates with one highlight stripe each. The tail curls up to a single point.
  • Shark breaking through the edge of the page Draw a torn-paper zigzag first, then the snout pushing through it. One white glint on the eye.
  • Stag beetle with jaws like antlers Fill the shell black and leave one long highlight stripe down each wing case. Legs are all angles.
  • Stallion rearing with its mane in spikes Fill the horse solid black against a half-circle sun. Hooves and mane end in hard points.
  • Tiger's face, half in negative, a bolt between One half as normal, the other in negative: black where it was white. The bolt between is bare paper.
  • Wolf's snarl in profile, teeth showing Thick outline on the muzzle, thin lines for fur. The lip curls into three sharp wrinkles above the teeth.

Fire, bolts and chrome 20

  • Basketball trailing three tongues of flame A circle with its curved seams, then long flames behind. Speed lines show where it came from.
  • Chrome capitals spelling your initials Band each letter: dark at the bottom, a sharp horizon line, pale at the top. Add one four-point glint.
  • Chrome chain with one link snapped open Each link is an oval ring with a dark band and a light band. The broken one ends in two sharp tips.
  • Chrome wing emblem with feathers like blades Each feather gets a dark band and a bright band. Bring every tip to a hard point.
  • Comic-book blast cloud with a double outline A spiky star shape with a second one inside it. No words needed: the points do the shouting.
  • Cracked ground with light pouring out Draw the crack as a jagged black line, then leave a bare-paper glow each side and hatch outward.
  • Electric arc jumping between two metal spheres The arc is a shaky bare-paper line with small forks. Darken the air round it so it glows.
  • Fat zigzag bolt tearing a thunderhead in half Give the bolt a thick outline and leave it bare paper. Darken the cloud on either side of it.
  • Flaming tire tracks swerving off the page Two wavy bands of tread pattern. Small flames stand along each and shrink with distance.
  • Meteor with a tail of fire and gravel The rock is angular with flat facets. Its tail is long flame tongues with small chips flying off.
  • Pane of glass shattering from one point Cracks radiate as straight lines and the shards are triangles. Give three of them a glint.
  • Phoenix wing built from flame tongues Each feather is one flame, longest at the wing tip. Thick outline outside, thin lines inside.
  • Racing stripes that turn into flames Two straight bands from the left; halfway across they break into S-curve tongues. Ink the outer edge thick.
  • Spray of sparks off a grinding wheel Sparks are straight lines fanning from one point, each ending in a dot. Longest in the middle.
  • Sun with a jagged corona of spikes A circle ringed with long and short triangles by turns. Thick outline; leave the disc empty.
  • Three forks of lightning hitting a rooftop antenna Fat at the top and thin at the tip. Everything else on the skyline is flat black.
  • Thunderbolt inside a shield badge A pointed shield outline, doubled. Let the bolt overlap the frame at top and bottom to break it.
  • TUFF in block capitals, a bolt cracking through all four Thick outline round each letter. One zigzag of bare paper runs through all four and breaks every outline it crosses.
  • Volcano blowing its top at night A solid black cone. The lava is bare paper running in forks; the ash cloud is rough scribble.
  • Your lucky number with flames off the top A block numeral with a thick outline. Flames rise from the top edge only; the base stays crisp.

Wheels and machines 20

  • BMX bike in mid-air off a ramp The frame is two triangles. Leave a wide gap between wheels and ramp, with three short lines for lift.
  • Bulldozer blade pushing straight at you The blade fills the lower half as one curved, scratched slab. The cab is a small box above it.
  • Chopper with long forks and a fat rear tire The forks reach far ahead of the frame. Chrome bands on forks and exhaust; solid black seat.
  • Dirt bike up on its back wheel Tilt the whole frame steeply. A knobby tire, a fan of dirt behind, the rider's helmet one visor shape.
  • Dragster with huge rear tires and a parachute A long thin body, tiny front wheels, enormous back ones. The chute opens behind like a flower.
  • Engine with exhaust pipes coiled like snakes Overlap six curved pipes. Each gets a dark edge and a bright stripe, so it reads as polished metal.
  • Excavator bucket closing its teeth Hard-edged teeth along the lip. The hydraulic arms are cylinders with one long highlight each.
  • Go-kart drifting round a cone Turn the front wheels against the slide. Smoke curls off the rear tires and the cone leans in the wind.
  • Hot rod with flames painted down its side Open engine in front, big wheels behind. The painted flames run back from the front wheel arch.
  • Jet climbing straight up on twin flames A dart shape seen from below. The engine flames are long diamonds; speed lines run off the wings.
  • Lifted pickup climbing over a boulder The body tilts nose-up with one wheel in the air. Draw chunky tread as blocks round the tire edge.
  • Mech leg stamping a crack into the road A blocky shin over a wide foot plate. Cracks radiate from the heel and dust puffs out either side.
  • Motorbike headlight coming out of fog One bare-paper circle with a haze round it and the handlebars as a dark line. Nothing else.
  • Muscle car from a low angle at the front corner The near wheel is huge and the far end small. Wide grille, hood scoop, thick line under the chassis.
  • Robot fist held up, knuckles to the viewer The fist is a big box in front with the arm shrinking behind. One highlight stripe per knuckle plate.
  • Robot head with one glowing visor strip A boxy head with bolts at the jaw. The visor is a bare-paper slot; shade everything round it.
  • Skateboard grinding a rail, sparks flying Side-on, board tilted. Sparks fan out from the metal truck at the spot where it touches the rail.
  • Snowmobile throwing up an arc of snow The body leans into the turn. Snow flies up behind in one big curve of dots and flicks.
  • Speedboat bouncing off the top of a wave The hull is a wedge, clear of the water at the front. Spray flies back in a fan of short strokes.
  • Train bursting head-on out of a tunnel A round tunnel mouth with the engine's face inside it and speed lines radiating outward.

Gear 20

  • Ball chain with a blank pendant plate The chain is a row of dots. The plate is a rounded rectangle with one bevel line and a glint.
  • Barbell bending under its plates The bar bows in the middle. Plates are thick ellipses stacked at each end, with a heavy shadow below.
  • Boxing gloves hanging on a hook Two padded mitts tied by their laces. Thick outline, one curved highlight on each knuckle pad.
  • Carabiner clipped to a climbing rope A rounded D shape with a gate line and one highlight stripe. The rope is a twist of short diagonals.
  • Chunky skate shoe, tongue flopped forward Laces trail loose on the ground. Draw the sole thick, the stitching as short dashes, one glint on the toe.
  • Duffel bag unzipped with a glow inside The bag is dark and blocky. The open zipper is a bare-paper slit with rays coming out of it.
  • Flat-brim cap seen from below The brim is a wide ellipse toward the viewer. Six panels meet at a button; leave the front blank.
  • Football helmet seen head-on The face-mask bars are thick tubes that overlap. One stripe over the dome, hard shadow inside.
  • Football shoulder pads set on a bench Two big domes joined by a chest plate. Thick outline, one highlight stripe on each dome, straps hanging loose.
  • Helmet with a glare across the visor A dome and a dark visor band. One diagonal bare-paper slash across the visor does the shine.
  • Hoodie with the hood up and nobody inside The opening is a solid black oval. Drawstrings hang as two lines; shoulders slope wide and blocky.
  • Motocross goggles splattered with mud One wide lens in a thick frame, strap flying. Splatter is dots and teardrops, heavier at one corner.
  • Racing gloves gripping a steering wheel Fingers wrap as overlapping boxes. Knuckle seams are short curves; the rim gets a chrome band.
  • Sneaker with wings at the heel A chunky sole with deep tread. Two small feathered wings at the ankle and speed lines behind.
  • Speaker stack with the cones thumping Stacked boxes with two circles each. Curved shock lines pulse outward from every cone.
  • Stopwatch stopped on a record time A circle, a crown and two buttons. Thick rim with a glint; the hands are two sharp lines.
  • Title belt with a blank center plate A big oval plate with a beveled rim and two side plates. Fill the strap in heavy black.
  • Tread pattern of a basketball shoe sole Outline the sole and fill it with zigzags and circles. Press hard: the pattern is the picture.
  • Trophy with zigzag bolts for handles Chrome banding on the bowl. Each handle is a zigzag in place of a curve.
  • Wraparound sunglasses reflecting an open road One lens band in a solid black frame. Inside it, a road shrinking to a point on the horizon.

How it works

Tuff, a slang spelling of tough, means impressive or cool. These 80 tuff things to draw get there by looks: a shark breaking through the page edge, a dirt bike on its back wheel, your initials in chrome.

Read the full guide

Four tricks that make a drawing look tuff

Most hints lean on one of four. A thick outline, heavier than the lines inside it, lifts a shape off the page. Sharp angles in place of curves read as hard: teeth, bolts, shards of glass. One bright highlight, left as bare paper, turns flat black into chrome or a wet eye. Speed lines behind a shape say it is moving fast.

What each group holds

Animals with attitude are snarls, stares and claws. Fire, bolts and chrome covers flames, lightning and polished metal. Wheels and machines are often drawn from a low angle so they loom. Gear is the kit: helmets, gloves, sneakers, a trophy.

  • Ink the outside line last, with a thicker pen than the one you used inside.
  • Decide where the light comes from before you leave a highlight. Every glint sits on that side.

Questions and answers

What does tuff mean in drawing?

Tuff is slang for cool or tough-looking. On paper that means bold shapes with hard edges: thick outlines, sharp points, flames, bolts and chrome shine, as in Fat zigzag bolt tearing a thunderhead in half.

What are easy tuff things to draw?

Press once, then choose Easy in the list under the button. Panther's stare out of solid black is two eyes left as bare paper, and Thunderbolt inside a shield badge is a zigzag inside a doubled outline.

What pens make a drawing look bold?

A black marker or brush pen for the outline and the solid fills, and a fine liner for the lines inside. A white gel pen puts a glint back where ink has covered it.

How is this different from cool things to draw?

The Cool group on things to draw when bored is clever ideas, such as a whole city inside a bottle. This list is about the look: flames, chrome, snarls and hard outlines.

More tools

Show 5 more

Browse Drawing Ideas