Drawing can sometimes be difficult, especially when you’re bored. All your ideas end up locked in a chest and thrown in an ocean somewhere in your mind on days when you are bored. So if you’re wondering “What can I draw if I’m bored?” this is the post for you.
Keep reading as I have over 50 ideas that you can draw when you are bored!
What To Draw If You Have No Idea?
If you’re really out of ideas for drawing, here are some of the things you can try to look to for inspiration:
- Doodles
- Nature
- Animals
- Objects
- Architecture
- Portrait
- Figures
I’ll get to the specifics later but basically, what I’m trying to say is there are a lot of things to grab inspiration from for drawing. If that’s not enough, you can try listening to some of your favorite music and seeing what comes out of it. Whenever I’m bored or out of ideas, I listen to Taylor Swift and I almost always come up with something after a quick listening session.
If you’re not a music person, you can watch your favorite shows and see if you can draw your favorite characters or make a doodle based off of the show. Taking a quick walk can also help you clear your mind and fresh ideas can pop up when you get back to your drawing table.
What Can I Draw If I’m Bored – Full List
Doodles
3D Box
Doodling 3D boxes around your sketchbook may spark a flame in your brain, especially if you do it from different angles. You can even give it a personality and add some eyes or some colors to really get your creative engine going. Although it looks really simple, you can do a lot with a cube.
Stick Figures
Stick figures are one of the easiest things to draw, yet, depending on your imagination, so many things can be done with them. If you’re stumped, drawing stick figures may help reignite your creativity. Add more than one stick figure, give them cute little accessories, draw them doing different activities, etc. You can even give them a background for some spice.
Stars
Stars are a fun shape to doodle. No matter how hard you try, unless you use a ruler and a ritual, you can never get them right. So why not add them to your sketchbooks and relish in their inherent disproportion? This is a friendly reminder that not everything we make has to be perfect. You can also draw constellations to make it even more interesting!
Blind Contour Drawing
Contour drawing means only drawing the outline of your subject. It’s a popular method of drawing among artists and it can certainly help fight boredom, more so if you do it blindly.
Blind contour drawing basically means drawing the outline of your subject without looking at your paper. You’re going in ‘blind’, only trusting where your hand goes. This ends in some pretty abstract and sometimes funny results which can take away your boredom and may even inspire you to draw some more.
Single Line Drawing
Single line drawing does not refer to drawing one singular straight line, but rather drawing without lifting the pencil. This is a fun way to kill your boredom and tickle your brain for more ideas.
Take a simple subject and draw it without lifting your pencil. Don’t worry if the lines overlap or if it looks like a blob at first. Trust the process and you’ll end up with a pretty neat addition to your sketchbook.
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is the art of lettering. It’s basically fancy writing and while it’s not exactly drawing, it’s still a fun way to get yourself out of boredom and get your creative juices flowing!
You don’t need a calligraphy pen for this, you can simply use your pen or pencil to draw thick bold letters and color them in. You can create calligraphies for yourself, your friend, or even just a random name.
Abstract Shapes
Abstract shapes, not to be confused with abstract art, are a loose visual representation of objects. They may sometimes take the form of a typical shape but they’re representing an object. An example would be icons or logos that we often see online.
That said, abstract shapes don’t always have to represent something. Sometimes they’re downright unrecognizable. But they are quirky and may help cure your boredom. Because they’re not defined by specific angles and sides, you can let loose all your pent-up creativity and create a shape so abstract it opens a multiverse.
Mandalas
A beautiful way of getting over your boredom is by dabbling in mandala art. Mandala art is made of circles and intricate patterns, in fact, the word ‘mandala’ is Sanskrit for circle. It’s prominent in Hindu and Buddhist culture and offers a great deal of symbolism, be it about life or the universe.
Mandala art is a great way to get out of an art slump as you will be pulled by the focus of creating patterns that harmonize with each other. When looking for inspiration, you will be mesmerized by the artworks shared by millions of people online, further motivating you to draw.
Wanna know easy patterns for mandala art? Have a quick look at this video:
Draw a Portrait With Your Eyes Closed
A good source of creative amusement is drawing with your eyes closed. Similar to blind contour drawing, you will have no idea what you’re doing and will have to trust your gut and your hand to create your piece, except this time, instead of just the outline of an object, you will be drawing a portrait.
Portraits are already difficult to do when looking, imagine how hard it will be with your eyes closed. Difficult or not, it will surely get you to draw and use your imagination. Since your eyes will be closed and you’ll have no point of reference, you’re gonna have to conjure up an image in your brain, lighting up a creative fire that’ll enable you to keep drawing later on.
Nature
Forest
Drawing a forest can help take your mind off boredom as a forest can be so many things. It can be haunting, mystical, enchanting, or a mixture of all three. Let your imagination run loose and create the forest of your fantasies. Add strange mushrooms, oddly patterned trees, the Slenderman, etc.
You can do so much with the concept of forests alone that you are guaranteed to never get bored when you add this to your sketchbook.
Ocean
While the ocean is often terrifying to most, drawing it can be pretty relaxing and therapeutic. The vast expanse of a deep blue ocean juxtaposed with a calming sky can be the medicine you need to fight your boredom. Or if you’re feeling a bit chaotic, drawing the ocean in a storm can also be helpful.
The waves engaged in a spar against thunder and lightning while dark clouds loom over is quite the scene to depict.
Flower
Flowers are pretty and study has it that they actually carry a positive impact on our moods. So if you’re feeling bored or frustrated, drawing flowers may just be the solution! There are different types of flowers, all of varied shapes and colors, so it’s up to you which flower you’d like to lose yourself in.
If you can’t pick a flower, plant a garden! Not only will this really get you fixated in the process of drawing so many leaves and petals, but it’ll also make up for a breathtaking addition to your sketchbook or portfolio.
Insects
If you’re looking for a more diverse subject, insects are a great alternative to flowers! They may not be as beautiful, but they will still add an interesting page to your sketchbook or portfolio.
There are many types of insects, from beetles to crickets, all with varying numbers of legs and wings. Enough to keep you entertained until your creative ideas return and you spawn a concept for a masterpiece.
Night Sky
Nothing will be as exhilarating as looking up and seeing a canvas of stars laid out in front of you. So replicate that canvas onto your sketchbook and add the night sky. I suggested drawing stars before, but if that’s not enough to get your blood pumping to create some art, then the night sky might just be the inspiration you need.
Solar System
If the night sky is still not enough to get you going, then think bigger and try to take ideas from our solar system. Paint planets, sketch the moon, or study the sun. All this can help take you out of your boredom as there is nothing more interesting than space and the cosmos.
Mountain Scene
Take a page from the artistic icon, Bob Ross, and draw a scenery from the mountains. Mountains, sans lions and wildlife, can be so relaxing, so capturing that relaxing feeling via art may give you a sense of peace and clear up your mind. This will then allow you to break free from your boredom and open your mind to more creative ideas.
Lake Scene
A lake scene can also bring in a sense of peace. If the mountains weren’t cutting it out for you, the beautiful scenery overlooking a lake can be quite relaxing. Coupled with a clear blue sky where birds are flying overhead, this might just be what breaks the art block spell. There are many lakes around the world so finding a reference or inspiration won’t be too difficult.
Recreate a Famous Work of Art
You can also fight your boredom by recreating a famous artwork. Be it Picasso, Da Vinci, Van Gogh, etc. whoever’s artwork you decide to create may cause a trickle of inspiration to fall into your mind and ignite a firework of original ideas. Most artists take inspiration from famous artists anyway and who knows, you may find your artwork dubbed as a famous work of art one day.
Animals
Horse
Horses are funky animals to draw. Though they may look simple, they can actually be quite difficult to get right, especially when you add a human on top of them.
This animal is a perfect subject to challenge your brain and wake it up from boredom. It’s also a great way to practice drawing a complicated animal in general. If someone commissions you for a renaissance painting, you’re good to go on the horses.
Dog
Everybody loves dogs except those who are allergic and liars. So why not draw a dog? There are several dogs to choose from but even just drawing Scooby-Doo can probably get your brain brewing for more creative ideas. An internationally well-loved animal can do that to you.
Cat
Some people are not a fan of cats and those people are wrong. These majestic creatures who walk as if they own the planet are the perfect subject to get you out of your boredom. People used to worship cats. Let’s bring that tradition back and begin with creating portraits of our feline masters.
Fish
Another diverse set of subjects to lose yourself in is fish. They come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and colors, and drawing them would for sure light a creative spark in you. You can even pair them with the ‘Ocean’ idea and create an ocean full of fish.
Lion
Lions make for a great subject since they’re basically just cats but bigger. These majestic kings of the jungles are also simple in design so learning to draw them will be easy. When boredom strikes, a quick sketch of this apex predator is enough to keep you entertained until your next big idea comes. If one lion is too quick and too easy for you then draw a pride! Add a warthog and a meerkat in the mix and you’ll have the whole cast of The Lion King at the tip of your pencil.
Elephant
Drawing the biggest land mammal may help remedy your creative stump. With their long trunks and large ears, their anatomy is easy to figure out. They are also monochrome in color, perfect if you only have graphite pencils and an eraser.
Fantasy Creature (Dragon, Unicorn, Ogre, Fairies)
If the real world bores you, dive into fantasy and draw fantasy creatures! Drawing creatures like dragons, unicorns, and fairies is a fun way to exercise the creative part of your brain. Imagining something that does not exist and creating it takes a great deal of effort.
To take it a step further, you can even mix two creatures and create a whole new fantasy creature altogether!
Objects
Coffee Cup
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of learning animal anatomy and would like a simpler subject to draw while bored, turn to objects! Objects are a lot easier to draw than animals or nature.
A coffee cup for example. Their shape is simple but not so simple that it’s boring to draw. Coffee cups also come in different forms so if the standard coffee cup doesn’t excite you, add some spice and draw an oddly shaped coffee cup!
Water in Glass
A glass of water may sound like a dull thing to draw, but when nothing else comes to mind, try drawing a class of water. Be it half full or half empty it’s up to you. To take it up a notch, add some light and study how the light hits the water and how it interacts with the glass.
Candle Stick
A melting candle stick on a dark backdrop is another interesting thing you can draw when your mind feels blank. It’s easy to draw but, depending on how melted your candlestick is, can be pretty detailed. It’s also the perfect subject to study light and shadow.
Knife
Another relatively easy subject for an understimulated mind is a knife. It’s only made up of two parts, both being clearly defined shapes, so you can simply draw this object without a reference.
Arrows
Arrows, although very simple, can make for a fun and entertaining subject to draw when bored. There are different types of archery arrows and you can try to draw all of them to help stimulate your mind! To make it more exciting, you can add little designs on the sticks of the arrows like vines or a stream of flames.
Sword
If you want a drawing where the premise is simple but the possibilities are endless, try a sword. Swords are simple yet how you draw them and the details you choose to add can make drawing them a never-ending entertainment which makes them an awesome thing to draw when you’re bored.
Knight’s Armor
To pair with your sword, try drawing an armor! Although armors are a lot more complicated than a sword, it still makes for a super cool drawing, especially if you match it with your sword! Depending on where you look, there are many different types of armor out there. If you’re only looking to pass time, I suggest choosing a simple design.
Chair
Wake yourself up from your boredom by drawing a chair. Chairs come in many different forms; couches, ottomans, reclining chairs, etc., and they’re all made by easy-to-define shapes. If you’re also looking to train your eyes to break objects down to their basic shapes, you can start by drawing chairs.
Car
Cars, although simple when you break them down into shapes, can actually be quite the challenge to draw. So if you’re bored and can’t think of anything to draw, drawing a car might be the answer. There are all sorts of cars but I suggest, especially if you’re new to bringing vehicles onto paper, going for simple models that are easy to recreate. If you wanna make it more challenging, draw the car from different angles and perspectives.
Train
Populate your sketchbook with trains on a boring day and maybe it won’t be so boring. Although we’re most familiar with a few certain types of trains, you’ll be surprised to know that trains change in appearance, especially if you take the time period into account. So rather than just drawing one type of train, why not get invested and make a quick sketch of all of them?
Plane
If you’re tired of drawing land transportation, how about drawing an aircraft? Though planes may not be as popular as cars (I’m talking about both the vehicle and the movie), they’re still pretty cool to draw. Pair this with a nice background of a bright blue sky and you got yourself a masterpiece.
Space Ship
If the earth and its atmosphere are still too boring for you then maybe it’s time to leave the earth and fly to space. A spaceship makes for an impressive drawing, especially on a day when everything seems unimpressive. You can choose to go down a realistic route and draw a spaceship from NASA or take a page from fiction and draw Battlestar Galactica. Either way, you’re fixing to have a blast. (I’m sorry)
Architecture
Skyscraper
Drawing a high-rise building on a lazy day might just be what you need to get your creativity going. Skyscrapers are tall buildings that can be found all over the world so it won’t be difficult for you to find inspiration.
Country Cabin
Country cabins will make a cozy addition to your sketchbook. Often situated in woodsy areas, this will go great with a drawing of a forest. So not only will you be drawing a cozy cabin, you’ll also be able to work on drawing forests and trees!
Suburban Home
If you’re all for that city life, a drawing of a suburban home might just be for you. While most suburban homes look the same, doesn’t mean you can’t add your own personal flair to your drawing. The point of this whole article is to get you out of your slump and exercise your creativity so if drawing a simple suburban home feels too dull for you, you can spice it up with a bit of color or your own original design.
Portrait
Eyes
The perfect time to practice and improve how you draw portraits is when you’re bored! Take it one feature at a time, for instance, you can work on improving drawing eyes. Although eyes look like they’d be easy to draw (just an almond and a circle, right?) they’re actually much more complicated than you think. So on the days when you can’t think of anything to draw, draw eyes!
Nose
A lot of artists struggle with drawing noses, and rightfully so. They may look simple, but when it comes to the proportion and proper shading of noses, they can really leave you frustrated, especially since noses come in many shapes and sizes. So on dull and tedious days, try to practice drawing noses! Here’s a quick tutorial of how I do it:
Mouth
Another feature of the face that you can work on while you’re bored is the mouth. Compared to the other features of the face, the mouth is actually pretty easy to draw. However, it still takes practice to perfect. Draw it under different expressions to make it more interesting.
Side View Portrait
If individual parts of the faces just aren’t cutting it out for you, you can practice drawing side profiles. Most artists tend to get side profiles all wrong because they’re so used to a front-facing portrait. But a little consistent practice and you’ll be able to draw the face from all different angles! And when’s the best time to practice if not on the days when everything seems so monotone?
Figures
Cartoon Character
Feel passionless and uncreative? Draw cartoon characters! What better way to color your dull gray days and shake yourself out of boredom than drawing characters from cartoons? Drawn in funky ways with specific and cool character designs, they’re bound to inspire you out of your boredom.
Here are a few simple cartoon characters I suggest drawing:
| Character | Show |
| Jake the Dog | Adventure Time |
| SpongeBob | SpongeBob SquarePants |
| Perry the Platypus | Phineas & Ferb |
| Garfield | Garfield |
Fictional Characters from Movies/TV/Books
If you’re not a fan of cartoons then don’t worry. You can still pull inspiration from fiction by taking some of your favorite characters from movies and TV shows and putting them on paper, or in popular terms, create fan art. Fan art is a wonderful way to kill your boredom as not only will you be drawing from imagination, but you’ll also be drawing something you’re actually invested in.
Sketch People on the Street
Another way to kill your boredom is to sketch random everyday people you see on the street. The street is always bustling with references and if you have nothing to draw, then why not turn to the street? There’ll be a hundred different strangers constantly passing you by, just waiting for you to capture them with your pen and paper.
Sketch Nude Figures
If a moving subject isn’t really all that appealing to you, you can go down the road of a traditional artist and sketch nude figures. This is not only a great way to put a stopper to your boredom, but also in learning anatomy! The absence of clothes will make it easier for you to understand and study how the body bends and stretches.
Hands
A more specific and yet still entertaining target of practice would be to draw hands. Every artist, and I mean every, struggles with drawing hands. If you’ve got nothing planned in your day and are open to eventually pulling your hair out in frustration then try to improve drawing hands. Draw them in different positions and angles and I can assure you, your boredom will die and be rebirthed as passionate anger.
Feet
The other side of the coin. The feet. Not as frustrating as drawing hands but still frustrating nonetheless. Most artists tend to overlook practicing drawing feet as they usually just draw shoes, but learning to draw feet is just as important as learning how to draw hands. So on a nice quiet day when the box of ideas in your brain sits empty, try drawing feet!
Aliens
If you’re looking for a subject that grants you full creative liberty then draw aliens! Anything, and I mean anything, can be an alien. The best part is you can add infinite amounts of anything (hands, feet, eyes, nose, etc.) and it’ll still qualify. The perfect remedy for boredom!
Of course, you can opt to just draw the typical large-eyed lanky soulless green aliens but where’s the fun in that?
Monsters
Last on this list is monsters! Similar to aliens you can create your own monsters and get away with it. But you can also turn to myths and legends and spook the boredom out of your mind by drawing them! There are many popular monsters known throughout the world that you can pick for inspiration, some being:
- Loch Ness Monster
- Chupacabra
- Bigfoot
- Werewolf
What Are the Most Fun Things to Draw?
Fun is subjective so it depends on the person what they think is fun to draw. I find drawing shapes boring but an artist somewhere might think it’s the most exhilarating thing in the world.
Personally, the things I find most fun to draw are characters from my favorite shows and movies, mythical creatures like monsters and fairies, and portraits.
Subjects that require you to sit down and actually focus on your drawing are the most fun. You’ll end up so fixated on your artwork that you won’t notice hours have passed you by. That, for me, is the most fun thing to draw.
Time is relative; its only worth depends upon what we do as it is passing.
Albert Einstein
What to Draw When Bored for 10-Year-Olds?
If you’re 10 years old and bored, you can draw these things:
- Your favorite cartoon characters
- Trace your hand
- Monsters
- Flowers
- Stick Figures
- Insects
What Is the Easiest Thing to Sketch?
The easiest thing to sketch is gesture drawings of stickmen. They’re literally just lines and a circle doing a pose.
If you’re bored and you want to sketch the easiest thing on this list, then go with a stickman doing a funky little dance. Right behind stickmen are cubes. They’re simple and quick to do. Sure you may need a ruler to guarantee each side is equal, but who’s measuring?
If you want something with a more specific form that will only take you less than five minutes to draw then draw flowers. Although they come in a variety of forms, drawing the most basic flower will give you less than five minutes to put your boredom to sleep.
That’s all for this list. Thanks for reading! I hope this help and happy drawing!
Other Articles
- Why is Shading So Difficult?
- What Are the Best Pencils for Drawing? (Top 5 Recommendations)
- Sketchbook Ideas for Beginners
Ren is an artist who has been drawing from the moment she could pick up a pencil. If she’s not on her computer or stuck with a book, she’s drawing and or thinking about drawing. She’s also a computer science student with an addiction to video games and comic books.