PromptToDraw

A quieter way to practise drawing

Look closely.
Draw deliberately.

362 things to draw, each one written with the shape to block in first, an honest time estimate, and a difficulty band you can trust. No account, no sign-up, no generated filler.

See all 362 ideasGenerate one at random
362
written drawing ideas
48
illustrated references
310
archived Inktober prompts
Purple watercolor reference of a floppy wizard hat with wide bent brim, buckled black band, curled pointed crown, gold stars, and violet background splashes

Wizard Hat

Blue watercolor reference of a smiling whale swimming left with rounded forehead, pale grooved belly, two flippers, raised tail, and bubbles

Friendly Whale

Orange colored-pencil reference of a round jack-o'-lantern with ribbed pumpkin body, tall curled green-brown stem, triangular eyes and nose, wide toothy carved grin, and ground shadow

Jack-o'-Lantern

Reference, not tutorial

The first line, named

Every idea says which shape to block in first. That instruction is what most lists leave out.

Written, not generated

Each prompt is written by hand. No noun shuffled into a template to pad a count.

Honest times and levels

Minute estimates assume a normal pace, and difficulty bands say what makes a subject hard.

Start here

Pick the list that matches what you actually want.

Things to draw362 ideasWhat to draw150 ideasEasy drawing ideas113 ideasCute drawing ideas76 ideasCool things to draw100 ideasDrawing prompts180 ideasSketchbook ideas73 ideasBored71 ideasInktober prompt lists10 years

Your session, composed

More useful than a random noun.

Set the subject, skill objective, time, medium, constraint, and whether you want to keep the reference visible.

Exercise composer

Build a practice brief

Choose what you want to practise, then compose the complete exercise in one step. Every result uses one of 48 reviewed local references and stays private to this browser.

Reference mode
Graphite reference of an open right palm angled toward the viewer with spread thumb, four raised fingers, bent joints, palm creases, wrist tendons, and warm wash behind
advanced20 mingraphitereference visible

20-minute shape design study of open hand pose using graphite pencil.

Why it fits: Open Hand Pose is a advanced reference. The subject-specific practice focus is to construct the palm as a tilted block and articulate each finger from knuckle to tip with distinct length and foreshortening. That makes it a useful fit for shape design within a 20-minute session.

  1. 1Warm up for 2 minutes: Reduce the subject to three large shapes before adding detail.
  2. 2Keep the reference visible and compare negative spaces at the halfway point.
  3. 3No extra constraint—prioritize a clear, finished study.
  4. 4Finish by checking the silhouette, the largest proportion, and the focal edge. Record one adjustment for the next attempt.
Reference notes

Nothing is uploaded or published.

Today’s reference · UTC

Open Hand Pose

Draw an open hand with visible knuckles and palm lines. The daily choice is deterministic and only draws from the reviewed 48-reference cohort.

Start today’s practice
Graphite reference of an open right palm angled toward the viewer with spread thumb, four raised fingers, bent joints, palm creases, wrist tendons, and warm wash behind

Build control

Intermediate references

Open the level guide
Storybook watercolor reference of a cream round cottage beneath a red spotted mushroom cap, with green door, chimney, path, and flowers
Mushroom House

Draw a tiny round house under a spotted mushroom cap.

intermediate18 min
Watercolor reference of a small cream cottage with green roof and door, brick chimney, four windows, garden, path, trees, and picket fence
Cozy Tiny House

Draw a friendly cottage with a small garden and chimney.

intermediate24 min
Pencil-and-watercolor reference of a small white rounded robot with black screen face, cyan glowing eyes, antenna, segmented arms, and boot-like feet
Rounded Robot

Draw a small friendly robot with a glowing screen face.

intermediate20 min

Know what you are looking at

A prompt, a reference, and a tutorial are three different things.

A prompt tells you what to draw. A reference gives you something to look at. A tutorial demonstrates the stages. PromptToDraw labels which one you are getting on every page, because a single image sold as a tutorial helps nobody.

Read the content guide