Sleeping Cat in a Teacup
Draw a sleepy kitten curled inside a patterned teacup.
beginner12 min
Random things to draw
140 Random Things to Draw, Shuffled Every Deploy
The point of a random list is that you do not get to choose the category. A cat sits next to a bicycle wheel next to a cracked desert floor, and the jump between them is the exercise — it stops you drawing the same three subjects forever.
Catalog status
140 ideas · 48 illustrated
If you want it truly one at a time, the prompt generator gives you a single result per click with filters and a challenge timer. This page is for when you would rather scan.
How to use this list
Take the first hit
Scan, stop, draw. Reading the whole list is a way of not drawing.
Draw the one you would skip
The subject you avoid is the one with the gap in it. That is the useful one.
Give it the stated time
Random subjects tempt you to bail early. Finish the estimate before judging the result.
Randomised list
140 ideas, each with a starting point
Deliberately unsorted — no subject sections, no difficulty order. Take the first thing your eye lands on rather than reading to the end.
Every idea, unsorted
140 ideas
A rabbit with ears back, low to the ground
Flattened ears change the whole mood — keep the body compressed.
14 minbeginner
A jellyfish drifting with trailing tentacles
Bell as a soft dome, tentacles as loose repeated waves.
14 minbeginner
A witch's cauldron with something climbing out
Rim ellipse, then let the escaping shape break that ellipse.
22 minintermediate
A potted plant with one leaf clearly dying
The dead leaf gets the crisp detail; the healthy ones stay loose.
22 minintermediate
A takeaway coffee cup with a sleeve and a lid
Three ellipses stacked: lid rim, sleeve top, cup base.
14 minbeginner
A single cloud with a hard top and soft base
Bumpy on top, flat underneath — that contrast makes it read.
10 minbeginner
A spiral drawn in one unbroken line
Slow and steady. Uneven spacing is the failure mode.
8 minbeginner
A fox cub chasing its own tail
Body forms a near-circle; the tail closes the loop.
14 minbeginner
A mecha head with a visor and vents
Symmetry in perspective: build a centre line, mirror everything.
34 minadvanced
A row of mushrooms with different expressions
Same body, three faces. Change eyebrows only.
14 minbeginner
A stack of three pancakes with butter sliding off
Each pancake is a squashed ellipse; keep the stack slightly uneven.
14 minbeginner
A night sky with three sizes of star
Use three star sizes only; too many sizes reads as noise.
12 minbeginner
A chair drawn from an unusual angle
Legs converge — check them against one vanishing point.
30 minadvanced
A goldfish in a round bowl seen through the glass
The glass distorts the tail — widen anything behind the bowl.
20 minintermediate
A folded umbrella leaning in a corner
Folded fabric spirals around the shaft; keep it loose.
22 minintermediate
Lips slightly parted, seen from below
The upper lip is darker than the lower one in almost all light.
28 minadvanced
A wooden bridge over a narrow stream
Plank ends give you a free perspective check.
26 minintermediate
A toolbox with the lid open and tools inside
Establish the box in perspective, then fit tools to that space.
34 minadvanced
A corner shop with a striped awning
The awning stripes follow the awning's curve, not the wall.
26 minintermediate
A bee sitting on a cupcake
Stripes wrap the bee's abdomen and curve with it.
12 minbeginner
A snowflake built on six-fold symmetry
Draw one arm perfectly, then repeat it six times.
14 minbeginner
A bus stop with one person waiting
The shelter's roof line establishes the eye level.
26 minintermediate
A bunch of grapes drawn as overlapping circles
Overlap them front to back; hide the back ones deliberately.
14 minbeginner
A tiny fairy asleep in a flower
Scale first: draw the flower large, the figure small.
22 minintermediate
A wizard hat with a bent tip and a wide brim
Brim ellipse first; the cone leans off that ellipse's centre.
14 minbeginner
Everything on your desk drawn in five minutes flat
Set a timer. Stop when it rings, finished or not.
5 minbeginner
A wolf howling, seen in silhouette
Solid black shape only, judged entirely by the outline.
12 minbeginner
An alien plant nobody has classified
Combine two real plants, then break one rule of both.
24 minintermediate
A chameleon with a coiled tail on a thin branch
Coil the tail into a flat spiral, then wrap feet round the branch.
24 minintermediate
An eye seen straight on, with a visible catchlight
The catchlight is a hard white shape; leave it, do not add it.
24 minintermediate
A bee resting on a fingertip
Scale is the whole idea: keep the finger big and the bee tiny.
14 minbeginner
A bedroom corner with an unmade bed
Duvet folds radiate from wherever it was last pulled.
28 minintermediate
A paper cup crushed flat
Ellipses become creased polygons; find those creases first.
20 minintermediate
A moose standing in shallow water
Antlers are flat paddles, not branches — block them as shapes.
32 minadvanced
A hanging plant trailing over a shelf edge
Vines fall in different lengths — never end them level.
16 minbeginner
A whale with a plant growing on its back
Two unrelated subjects, one silhouette. Merge the outlines.
16 minbeginner
A string of fairy lights looped twice
Draw the cable as a smooth catenary before adding bulbs.
16 minbeginner
A pine tree reduced to five triangles
Stack triangles widest at the bottom; keep the trunk narrow.
8 minbeginner
A cat sitting inside a teacup that is far too small
Squash the cat to fit; deformation is the point.
14 minbeginner
A heart drawn as a knot of ribbon
Track the ribbon over and under at each crossing.
22 minintermediate
A cat mid-stretch with its back arched high
Draw the spine as a single curve before any legs.
18 minintermediate
A knight's helmet with a dented visor
Dents break the highlight; that break makes the metal read.
32 minadvanced
A tree seen from directly below, branches overhead
Branches radiate outward and taper fast toward the edges.
30 minadvanced
A mandala built from six repeating segments
Draw guide spokes first, then repeat one segment exactly.
40 minadvanced
Anime eyes showing four different emotions
Change pupil size and lid curve. Nothing else.
26 minintermediate
A pair of scissors half open on a table
The X of the blades sets everything; get that angle right first.
18 minintermediate
A pier stretching out over the water
Posts repeat with shrinking gaps; reflections sit directly below.
30 minadvanced
A forest path with light coming through the canopy
Light shafts are straight-edged; everything else stays soft.
34 minadvanced
A griffin mid-landing, wings forward
Front half bird, back half cat; the join is at the shoulder.
38 minadvanced
A villain whose silhouette is all sharp angles
Angles only. Test it against a hero drawn with curves.
28 minintermediate
A city skyline reduced to rectangles
No windows until every rectangle height feels right.
16 minbeginner
A pig looking up with a wide snout
Snout is a circle with two dots; place it before the head.
10 minbeginner
A frog mid-leap with legs fully extended
Back legs are two long Zs — extend them past comfort.
20 minintermediate
A hamster with stuffed cheeks
Widen the head into a rounded triangle at the cheeks.
10 minbeginner
A polar bear against falling snow
Draw the bear light and the background darker to keep it white.
24 minintermediate
A monster hiding under a bed, only eyes visible
Two eyes in a black field. The darkness does the work.
12 minbeginner
A bouquet wrapped in paper, seen from the front
Paper cone first; flowers only fill the top third.
26 minintermediate
A pinecone with overlapping scales
Scales spiral — draw two crossing spirals as guides first.
28 minadvanced
A bowl of cereal with milk and floating pieces
Some pieces are half-sunk; cut them with the milk line.
20 minintermediate
A dog wearing oversized glasses
Glasses wider than the head; the joke is the fit.
12 minbeginner
A cartoon face built from one circle and two lines
Cross lines place the eyes; everything follows from that.
10 minbeginner
A cat loafing with both front paws tucked under
One rounded loaf shape, then find the ear triangles on top.
10 minbeginner
An anime eye with layered highlights
Big iris, dark upper lash line, two highlights: one big, one tiny.
16 minbeginner
A library aisle with shelves converging
One-point perspective; the book spines are texture, not objects.
34 minadvanced
A crescent moon with a soft halo
Two overlapping circles make the crescent; the halo is a rub-out.
10 minbeginner
A gradient made only of parallel lines
Change spacing, never pressure.
18 minbeginner
A pressed flower with flattened petals
Everything is flat: no shading, only outline and vein lines.
16 minbeginner
A manga panel with speed lines behind a running figure
Speed lines converge on one point behind the figure.
28 minintermediate
A skyline at night with only lit windows showing
Draw the buildings as black shapes and erase the windows out.
24 minintermediate
Latte art in a wide cup seen from above
The cup is a circle; the art is one leaf shape off-center.
18 minintermediate
A wristwatch with the strap curled
Strap curls in an S; the face stays a rigid ellipse.
24 minintermediate
A flamingo folded into its one-leg standing pose
Find the S of the neck, then the single vertical of the leg.
18 minintermediate
A deer looking back over its shoulder
The neck twist is the drawing; block the head plane first.
30 minadvanced
A nose in three-quarter view
Block the ball, two wings, and the bridge plane before shading.
28 minadvanced
A koi fish turning under ripples
Ripples are broken rings; break them where the fish crosses.
30 minadvanced
A skateboard standing on its tail
The deck is a long rounded rectangle in perspective.
22 minintermediate
A poppy with a papery, creased petal
Creases run from the centre outward; keep them irregular.
22 minintermediate
A watermelon slice with uneven seeds
Scatter seeds unevenly; a regular grid kills it.
10 minbeginner
The same face with three different emotions
Change eyebrows and mouth only. Nothing else moves.
24 minintermediate
An ear drawn from memory, then from life
Compare the two afterwards; that comparison is the exercise.
26 minintermediate
A person wearing headphones, eyes closed
Headphones give an easy horizontal to check the head tilt.
22 minintermediate
A candy cane with an accurate twist
The stripe is a spiral around a tube; it narrows at the edges.
12 minbeginner
A dragon curled protectively around a small egg
Body coils in one spiral; the egg sits at the spiral's centre.
38 minadvanced
A window with rain running down the glass
Drips are vertical with sideways jogs; the view behind stays soft.
24 minintermediate
A lion with a mane broken into big locks
Group the mane into six masses before adding any strands.
32 minadvanced
A rooster mid-crow, neck extended
Comb, wattle, and tail are the three shapes people recognise.
20 minintermediate
A hand-drawn map of an island you invented
Coastline first, in one nervous line. Everything else follows it.
30 minintermediate
A phoenix rising with tail feathers as long ribbons
Ribbons should curve in the same S direction for flow.
36 minadvanced
A snail carrying a spiral shell with a chipped edge
Spiral from the center outward so the coils stay even.
12 minbeginner
A doughnut with a bite taken out
The bite reveals thickness — that edge is the whole point.
12 minbeginner
A kitten tangled in a ball of yarn
The yarn ball is one circle with three stray lines. Do not overdraw it.
12 minbeginner
A floating island with a waterfall falling off the edge
Underside is a rough cone; the waterfall fades before it lands.
36 minadvanced
A snowman melting slightly on one side
Asymmetry sells the melt; drop one shoulder only.
14 minbeginner
A pair of mice sharing one strawberry
Draw the strawberry first and fit both mice around it.
14 minbeginner
A succulent seen from directly above
Rosette layers rotate; offset each ring of leaves.
20 minintermediate
A spiral seashell with growth ridges
Ridges follow the spiral; space them wider as the shell widens.
20 minintermediate
An anime side profile with a small nose and long lashes
Straight forehead-to-nose line, then a sharp step at the lip.
24 minintermediate
A bicycle seen from the side
Two circles at the correct distance apart before anything else.
34 minadvanced
A jack-o'-lantern with a face carved off-centre
Carve into the ribs, not across them.
16 minbeginner
A three-quarter face with the far eye partly hidden
The far eye is narrower and closer to the head's edge.
32 minadvanced
A golden retriever caught mid-shake, ears flying
Blur the ears with repeated light strokes, keep the skull solid.
30 minadvanced
A guitar seen from a low angle
The body ellipse and the neck line set the whole perspective.
34 minadvanced
A mountain range with the far peaks lighter
Three depth bands: dark front, mid grey, pale back.
24 minintermediate
A whale with a tiny boat above it for scale
Draw the boat last and make it smaller than feels right.
16 minbeginner
Curly hair described with only outline and shadow
Do not draw curls. Draw the shadow between the curls.
30 minadvanced
An astronaut helmet reflecting a planet
The reflection curves with the visor and gets darker at the edge.
32 minadvanced
An open hand with fingers spread
Palm is a box; fingers are cylinders that taper.
24 minintermediate
Your name written as an interlocking pattern
Letters must touch; treat the gaps as shapes too.
24 minintermediate
A bare winter tree with visible branch splits
Every branch splits into two thinner ones; never thicker.
24 minintermediate
A bowl of ramen with steam and chopsticks
Chopsticks set the perspective; place them before the bowl fills.
30 minadvanced
A single blade of grass with a bent tip
One line, one weight change. The whole exercise is control.
6 minbeginner
A river bending twice into the distance
The bends must narrow as they recede or the depth collapses.
26 minintermediate
A doodle border made from things you ate today
Repeat, shrink, and rotate — treat food as pattern units.
16 minbeginner
A koala clinging to a branch with one eye open
Round ears are the widest part of the head; place them first.
14 minbeginner
A reindeer with antlers that branch three times
Each branch thins by half; never re-thicken.
22 minintermediate
A dancer mid-turn with the skirt trailing
Draw the line of action as one sweep before any body parts.
30 minadvanced
A light bulb with a visible filament
Glass is drawn by what shows through it, not by outlines.
22 minintermediate
An anime character in a three-quarter turn
Cross the face with a curved centre line before features.
28 minintermediate
A fern frond curling open at the tip
The spiral tip is the focal point; simplify everything below it.
20 minintermediate
A match burning down to the fingers
The burnt part curls; the unburnt part stays dead straight.
20 minintermediate
A chibi character with a head as tall as the body
Two-head-tall proportion; tiny hands, no neck.
16 minbeginner
A bento box with five compartments
Draw the grid in perspective first, then fill each cell.
30 minadvanced
A page split into four thumbnails of the same scene
Change only the crop between the four.
28 minintermediate
A tide pool with three kinds of shell
Draw the water line last so the shells sit underneath it.
24 minintermediate
A pair of well-worn trainers
Creases follow where the foot bends — put them all in one zone.
30 minadvanced
A potion bottle with something glowing inside
Glow means the darkest values sit right beside the light.
22 minintermediate
A zentangle heart divided into eight sections
Each section gets one pattern only; never mix inside a section.
24 minintermediate
A value scale from white to black in seven steps
Do the ends first, then the middle, then split the gaps.
18 minbeginner
A kitchen counter with three things on it
Three objects, clear gaps, one shared light direction.
26 minintermediate
A person seen from behind, hood up
The hood shape is the whole character; face is unnecessary.
20 minintermediate
A fist seen from the knuckle side
Knuckles sit on an arc, not a straight line.
28 minadvanced
A worn leather boot with laces undone
Laces are ribbons that twist; show at least one flat and one edge.
30 minadvanced
An anime character shouting, mouth wide open
Mouth becomes a rounded trapezoid; eyes close to arcs.
24 minintermediate
Two hands holding a mug
The mug's cylinder tells you where the fingers wrap.
32 minadvanced
A fountain pen resting on a written page
Write the text as a texture, not as real letters.
22 minintermediate
A house plant, a candle, and a book arranged as a still life
Overlap all three so nothing floats in isolation.
28 minintermediate
A crab holding one claw up in warning
Body is a rounded rectangle; the raised claw is the focal point.
14 minbeginner
A teapot pouring into a small cup
The stream is a single tapering ribbon, widest at the spout.
22 minintermediate
An acorn with its textured cap
Cap texture is a grid of tiny dashes wrapping the dome.
12 minbeginner
Cross-hatching practice on a simple sphere
Two directions maximum. The third direction turns it to mud.
22 minintermediate
With a picture
48 of these have an illustrated reference
Each reference page pairs one checked illustration with construction order, common mistakes, a self-check, and easier or harder variations of the same exercise.
Want one at random?
Spin the generator for a fresh, shareable drawing prompt in one click — filters, challenge timer, and result card included.
Striped Pot Cactus
Draw a small cactus in a striped ceramic pot.
beginner8 min
Mushroom House
Draw a tiny round house under a spotted mushroom cap.
intermediate18 min
Folded Paper Airplane
Draw a crisp paper airplane with simple folded planes.
beginner6 min
Crescent Moon and Stars
Draw a soft crescent moon floating through small stars.
beginner10 min
Cozy Tiny House
Draw a friendly cottage with a small garden and chimney.
intermediate24 min
Puppy With a Scarf
Draw a happy puppy wearing a soft scarf.
beginner14 min
Single Strawberry
Draw a bright strawberry with seeds and leafy top.
beginner9 min
Friendly Whale
Draw a gentle whale with bubbles and a simple smile.
beginner11 min
Rounded Robot
Draw a small friendly robot with a glowing screen face.
intermediate20 min
Watercolor Butterfly
Draw a butterfly with balanced wings and soft color blocks.
intermediate22 min
Stacked Sketchbooks
Draw a neat stack of sketchbooks with spiral bindings.
beginner16 min
Curled Red Fox
Draw a fox curled up with its tail wrapped around.
intermediate28 min
Owl on a Branch
Draw a small owl perched on a branch with alert eyes.
intermediate26 min
Koi Fish With Ripples
Draw a koi fish turning through circular water ripples.
advanced34 min
Frog on a Lily Pad
Draw a round frog sitting on a lily pad.
beginner14 min
Dragonfly Wing Study
Draw a dragonfly with transparent wings and thin legs.
advanced32 min
Single Rose Bloom
Draw a rose bloom with layered petals.
intermediate24 min
Bright Sunflower
Draw a sunflower with a textured center and broad leaves.
intermediate24 min
Simple Pine Tree
Draw a layered pine tree with clean branch tiers.
beginner10 min
Mountain Lake
Draw a quiet mountain lake with a reflected peak.
advanced38 min
Soft Rain Cloud
Draw a rounded rain cloud with small falling drops.
beginner7 min
Spiral Seashell
Draw a shell with a clean spiral and soft shadow.
intermediate18 min
Little Turtle
Draw a turtle with a patterned shell.
beginner15 min
Questions
random things to draw, answered
Practical answers rather than restated keywords. If something here is wrong or missing, the contact page reaches the editors.