108 subjects
108 things to draw, from easy to hard
Here is what to draw, sorted by level and by kind: animals, food, objects, nature, places and characters. Each level's 36 drawing ideas feed the Subject wheel, and its button loads them with that level's styles and twists.
Easy things to draw36
Simple objects, everyday tools and friendly twists. Good for warm-ups and kids.
Animals
- A sleeping cat
- A snail
- A goldfish
- A ladybug
- A penguin
- A happy whale
- A bunny
Food and treats
- An apple
- A slice of pizza
- A cupcake
- A donut with sprinkles
- An ice cream cone
- A strawberry
- A birthday cake
Everyday objects
- A coffee mug
- A pair of sneakers
- A paper boat
- A teapot
- A light bulb
- A rubber duck
- An old key
- A cozy sweater
- A balloon
- A kite
Plants, weather and landscapes
- A potted plant
- A fluffy cloud
- A sunflower
- A rainbow
- A mushroom
- A cactus in a pot
Places and vehicles
- A little house
- A toy car
- A rocket ship
People, characters and fantasy
- A snowman
- A cartoon ghost
- A cute monster
Medium things to draw36
Animals, buildings and vehicles, with styles such as ink hatching and watercolor.
Animals
- A fox in the snow
- An owl on a branch
- A frog on a lily pad
- A jellyfish
- A dog catching a ball
- A sea turtle
- A hedgehog
- A parrot on a perch
Food and treats
- A bowl of noodles
- A burger and fries
- A stack of pancakes
- A sushi platter
Everyday objects
- A school backpack
- A guitar
- An old camera
- A pair of headphones
- A typewriter
Plants, weather and landscapes
- A waterfall
- A desert island
- A mountain lake
- A cherry blossom branch
Places and vehicles
- A bicycle
- A lighthouse
- A treehouse
- A city bus
- A hot air balloon
- A tiny castle
- A sailboat
- A cozy cabin
- A food truck
People, characters and fantasy
- A friendly robot
- A dragon egg
- A garden gnome
- A pirate captain
- A wizard with a staff
- An astronaut
Hard things to draw36
Hands, faces, crowds and perspective, with tricky light and viewpoints.
Animals
- A running horse
- An octopus
- A howling wolf
- A lion's mane up close
- An eagle landing
- A stretching cat
- A butterfly up close
Food and treats
- A slice of layer cake
- A feast on a long table
Everyday objects
- A packed bookshelf
- A glass of ice water
- A crumpled paper bag
- A pocket watch
Plants, weather and landscapes
- A tree and its roots
- A forest path in fog
- A crashing ocean wave
- A pile of autumn leaves
Places and vehicles
- A crowded market
- A spiral staircase
- A busy kitchen
- A city skyline
- A ship in a storm
- A train on a bridge
- A motorcycle
- A vintage car
- A rainy street at night
People, characters and fantasy
- Your own hand
- A face in profile
- A dragon in flight
- A knight in armor
- A self-portrait
- A dancer mid-leap
- A person in a raincoat
- An old man laughing
- A phoenix rising
- A mermaid on a rock
Every list was written for this site. The wheel holds 12 of a level's subjects at a time so every slice stays readable. Choose 18 or All under Subjects on the wheel, or press New mix for a fresh 12. Mixed draws from all 108, with 10 styles and 10 twists.
Spin a prompt
How the what to draw generator works
The drawing prompt wheel is 3 wheels. Subject picks the thing, Style picks the medium or method, and Twist adds a surprise. Together they make a prompt such as "Draw a ladybug in ballpoint pen, in the rain."
Choose a level
Under Difficulty, press Easy, Medium, Hard or Mixed. The 3 wheels load that level’s lists, with 12, 18 or all of its subjects.
Set a sprint
Under Sketch sprint, choose 1, 5, 10, 20 minutes, or Off.
Press Spin all
The popup lists the subject, the style and the twist. Close it and the sprint timer starts.
Draw, then copy
The full prompt waits in Your prompt. Copy prompt pastes it next to your sketch, and Quick prompt deals a new one with no popup.
To change only one part, such as a twist you have drawn before, press that wheel's name in the wheel tabs, then press its Spin button.
Styles and twists
Drawing prompts: every style and twist
Each level has 36 subjects, 10 styles and 10 twists, which makes 3,600 drawing prompts per level. Any style works with pencil and paper if you lack the medium, so treat "in watercolor" as a hint.
Easy prompt
“Draw a ladybug in ballpoint pen, in the rain.”
Medium prompt
“Draw a jellyfish in ink with hatching, from a bird's-eye view.”
Hard prompt
“Draw a lion's mane up close with your weaker hand, lit by one candle.”
| Easy styles | Medium styles | Hard styles |
|---|---|---|
| In pencil | As a one-line drawing | In two-point perspective |
| In ballpoint pen | In ink with hatching | With your weaker hand |
| In one color | As a comic panel | Using negative space |
| As a doodle | In watercolor | In stippled dots |
| With markers | With only 3 colors | As a blind contour |
| In crayon | As a sticker design | With realistic shading |
| As a cartoon | As pixel art | As a cutaway diagram |
| With simple shapes | As a blueprint | As a mosaic of shapes |
| In colored pencil | In charcoal | With no outlines at all |
| With a thick marker | As a silhouette | As a woodcut-style print |
| Easy twists | Medium twists | Hard twists |
|---|---|---|
| Wearing a tiny hat | Inside a snow globe | From a worm's-eye view |
| With a happy face | Made of glass | In 3 frames as it changes |
| In the rain | From a bird's-eye view | Lit by one candle |
| At the beach | As a robot version | Melting in the heat |
| Covered in polka dots | Half underwater | Built from machine parts |
| Floating in the air | Lost in a jungle | Seen in a mirror |
| Next to its tiny twin | In the year 3000 | In a strong wind |
| Sitting on a cloud | Made of food | At 4 overlapping sizes |
| Under the stars | Reflected in a puddle | As if made of clouds |
| With googly eyes | Shrunk to bug size | Shown only by its shadow |
The Style wheel runs from plain pencil to two-point perspective. Twists change the viewpoint, the setting or the material, and they are where most of the fun is.
Blank page
What to draw when you’re bored
When you're bored or stuck, let the Subject wheel choose what to draw and keep a style you already know. The twist can wait until the first lines are down.
Boredom drawing works best small and fast. Try a 5-minute sprint on an easy subject, such as a rubber duck or a slice of pizza. It is long enough to get going and too short to worry about the result.
Draw the same subject twice: once plain, then again with the twist. Comparing the 2 versions shows you what the twist changed, and the second one is usually more fun to make.
Get unstuck in under a minute
- Spin one wheel at a time. Press Subject in the wheel tabs, spin only that wheel, and draw it your usual way.
- Practice one medium. Delete every Style line except the one you are learning, such as "In watercolor".
- Save the twist for a second version. Draw the subject first, then spin the Twist wheel and draw it again.
- Keep the sprint short. A 1-minute or 5-minute sprint leaves no time to worry about the result.
Beginners and kids
Easy things to draw for kids and beginners
The Easy level suits kids and beginners, with 36 subjects built from simple shapes, such as a rubber duck, a cupcake or a snail. If you are new and unsure what to draw, start here. Every easy twist is friendly, such as googly eyes or a tiny hat.
Cute things to draw
Animals and treats with round shapes are the easiest to make cute. Big eyes and a small smile do the rest.
Start with shapes
Block in circles, ovals and boxes first, then join them. A penguin is an oval with a circle on top.
Kids who can’t read yet
Select the Subject wheel and turn on "Read the result aloud" in Customize. Spin all then speaks each part, in browsers with speech voices.
A parent or teacher can delete any line from the Entries box before the session starts. Pair the Easy level with a 5-minute sprint and crayons or markers.
Timer
How to run a sketch sprint
To run a sketch sprint, choose a length under Sketch sprint, then spin. The countdown starts when you close the prompt, and a chime plays at zero unless sound is muted.
| Sprint | Good for |
|---|---|
| 1 minute | Gesture drawing: catch the main shape and movement, no detail |
| 5 minutes | A thumbnail sketch with the main shapes and some shading |
| 10 minutes | A clean drawing of the prompt with its twist |
| 20 minutes | A finished piece with a background, shading or color |
The timer has pause and reset buttons. "Start a sprint now" runs it again without a new spin. Quick prompt starts the timer straight away, because no popup needs closing.
By the numbers
How many drawing ideas can the wheel make?
Across every level the lists make 97,200 different prompts, and each single level's lists make 3,600. Every wheel draws its pick with your browser's secure random generator before it starts turning. See how the randomness is tested with a 10,000-spin simulator.
- 108Subjects36 at each level, in 6 kinds
- 3,600Prompts per level36 × 10 × 10
- 46.3%Repeat in a weekChance that daily spins with all 36 subjects of a level repeat one within 7 days
- 150Days to see allAverage daily spins before all 36 subjects of a level have come up
Want no repeats for a month?
Choose All under Subjects on the wheel. Then select the Subject wheel, open Customize and set "Remove the winner automatically" to That entry. Each subject you draw leaves the wheel, so 36 daily prompts go by before one can come back.
Class, games, practice
Drawing ideas for class, games and daily practice
Random drawing prompts suit daily practice, art class warm-ups and drawing games with friends. A prompt you did not choose settles what to draw and pushes you toward things you would usually skip.
Daily sketchbook
Spin one prompt a day on Easy, then move to Medium when it feels comfortable.
Art class warm-up
Put the wheel on a projector, run a 5-minute sprint, and compare drawings at the end.
Drawing party
Everyone draws the same prompt in 10 minutes, then the group votes for a favorite.
Practice a weak spot
Load Hard, then delete any subject that already feels easy, so only the tough ones are left.
For Pictionary-style games, where one person draws and the rest guess, the random word generator deals drawable words by difficulty. The emoji wheel has emoji story and charades modes, and the things to do when bored list has more ideas for a slow afternoon.
FAQ
Drawing prompt wheel FAQ
How many drawing prompts can the wheel make?
97,200 prompts across all levels. Each single level makes 3,600.
What should I draw if I have no ideas?
Start with an easy subject from the list, such as a teapot or a sleeping cat, and draw it in pencil. Or press Spin all and let the what to draw generator choose for you.
Can I add my own subjects or twists?
Yes. Press a wheel’s name, then type your own lines in the Entries box. The prompt uses whatever the wheels land on.
Is the drawing prompt wheel good for kids?
Yes. The Easy level uses simple objects and friendly twists, such as a rubber duck with googly eyes.
Does the timer make a sound?
Yes. A chime plays when time is up, unless "Mute all sounds" is on in Customize.
Can I copy the prompt?
Yes. Copy prompt copies the full sentence, ready for a caption or a class worksheet.
Is the drawing prompt wheel free?
Yes. Every level, the timer and all other features are free, with no account or download.
Last updated · Written and tested by Melissa T. Brown