The best thing to do when you’re bored is to do something with your hands. Oftentimes, watching TV or mindlessly scrolling on your phone does not occupy your brain enough to help the boredom. A lot of people turn to doodling or drawing in times like this.
Finding what to draw when you’re bored can be the most challenging part. Drawing the same things again and again often takes the joy out of it. That is why we have compiled a list of the best things to draw for those boring times that any level of artist can enjoy.
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Key Takeaways:
- When you’re bored, there are plenty of activities to try, including drawing
- Even if you’re not good at drawing, these designs below offer great practice
- The vast range of items to draw, from dinosaurs to cars, gives you plenty of freedom to choose and try new topics.
1. Cute Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a great source of inspiration for drawing. There are hundreds of different ones to choose from, coming in various shapes, sizes, and colors. Even after picking a dinosaur, feel free to play with the style and the coloring.
A cute, pink triceratops is a quick and easy draw, taking a colorful twist on a well-known dinosaur. You can do the same with any dinosaur of your choosing. Make it cute and colorful or play with a different style and new colors.
2. Vast Mountains
Mountains are one of the most beautiful natural structures in the world. Every mountain range is distinct and comes with different features, arches, curves, and spikes. Mountains can be rocky and bare, green and lush, or snowy and white.
With how diverse mountains can be, the possibilities for creation are endless and allow for your creativity to leak into your drawing. You can play with just the mountains, or you can add your own landscape.
3. Angry Carrot
Carrots are a pretty easy thing to draw. You can draw an orange triangle with green leaves out of the top and call it a day. Even a more detailed carrot with intricate coloration and leaves can get pretty boring to draw.
However, if you put a creative spin on it, like drawing an angry carrot, things can get more fun. Give it big bushy eyebrows and a huge mouth to exaggerate the features.
Play with different facial expressions, finding new and more interesting ways to portray anger. There’s a lot to work with when you are using a simplistic base with complex features.
4. Fighter Jet
Fighter jets have gone through years of upgrades and changes. Since their development, they have grown and changed in every way including shape, size, coloration, and build. Beyond actual fighter jets, there are also dozens of versions created for science fiction.
With how diverse and complex fighter jets can be, there are a lot of different drawing opportunities. The complex curves and lines of fighter jets as well as how unique they are allow for a new challenge with each jet.
5. Giant Tree
Trees are another beautiful piece of nature that you can get inspiration from for your drawings. There are thousands of different, unique tree species to choose from. Different colors, sizes, and shapes make trees an easy model.
With something as simple as trees, you can step outside and gain inspiration from the natural world around you. Take a look out your window or take a trip down to the park for some fresh air while you draw.
If normal trees seem too basic, there are also dozens of different trees that have been created for science fiction and fantasy worlds that you can draw.
6. Cute Pony
Characters from My Little Pony are a great choice when looking for something to draw. There are thousands of references to choose from. The ponies themselves are pretty easy to draw, but that makes their potential for customization even higher.
Once you have the hang of it, you could even make your own pony. You can experiment with different cutie marks, colors, hair, and wings to create your very own.
7. Futuristic Cars
Cars have developed beyond recognition from what they were when they were first invented. We have developed well past those old cars into newer, sleek models.
This leaves a lot open to interpretation and personalization. You can draw inspiration from a variety of movies, TV shows, and other artists. Or, you can create your own version of what you think futuristic cars will be like.
8. Baby Groot
One of the cutest creatures in pop culture is Baby Groot. Baby Groot is from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. It is the child version of a beloved character, Groot, from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
With something so cute and small, there are a lot of creative choices you can make when drawing it. Make it have a big head with adorable eyes, focusing on its cute face. You can also go the exact opposite direction and focus on the intricacies of its body which is made of roots.
9. Moving Castle
The Moving Castle from Howl’s Moving Castle is an iconic creation made by Studio Ghibli. It is endlessly intricate with dozens of different layers, colors, and textures happening all over it. With every new angle and shift of the castle’s body, something new is revealed.
The castle changes throughout the movie as well. Starting as a foreboding castle wandering high in the mountains and ending as a flying spectacle full of life.
You can spend a lot of time time drawing the entire castle, slowly adding each detail. You can break down each part of the castle and focus on each individually to find new textures to work with.
Check out this full Guide on Animation in Clip Studio Paint.
10. Rose
Roses are one of the most popular flowers thanks to their beauty and rich color. They are a symbol of love and affection that can be found at any flower store. Because they are so well loved and easy to find, they are also a great inspiration for drawing.
Roses in every stage of life offer different shapes to draw and various shadings to practice. The way the petals bend creates a new dynamic each time, making for fun challenges. You can buy a rose and draw it as it continues on its life or use an online model.
11. Baby Dragon
Dragons from various mythologies, fairy tales, and fantasy stories can differ in various ways, including size, coloration, and powers. The one thing that always remains the same however is that they are much bigger than humans and that they are terrifying.
With something as big and scary as a dragon, it is fun to play with contrast. Turning a monster into something adorable is always a fun twist when it comes to creation. Take a big vicious dragon from your favorite show or movie and imagine how adorable it would have been as a baby.
You can play around with the proportions of its body, making it have big feet and eyes with tiny wings. Imagining different scenarios a baby dragon might be in can allow for new positions and facial expressions to emerge as a source of inspiration.
12. Human Eyes Expressions
The eyes are called the window to the soul for a reason. They are one of the most expressive parts of the body and are a dead giveaway to how someone is feeling. You can tell a lot of things just by someone’s eyes.
Sketching out different eye expressions is a great drawing exercise because there are so many different options of emotions and models to choose from.
13. Squirrel
Squirrels are adorable furry creatures known for getting up to mischief. They will do anything to get their hands on the food they want, disregarding everything else. Their cuteness coupled with their silliness makes them lovable little creatures.
They are used constantly in animation because of their popularity, meaning there are dozens of references out there to make something cute and fun. Depending on where you are, you could also easily look outside and see the references for yourself to get some inspiration.
14. Fantasy Landscapes
Fantasy worlds create new, amazing places for our minds to journey through. Each world is designed to fit in with different stories, making the place as unique as the tale. The landscapes in fantasy worlds stretch the imagination.
You can use the landscape from your favorite fantasy movie or TV show as a reference, draw up what you think the world from your favorite novel looks like, or create your own new world. There are so many details that go into creating a world or landscape.
15. Butterfly
Butterflies are the most popular bug thanks to their unintimidating build, beautiful wings, and graceful movements. Even people who hate bugs often find butterflies to be an exception. There are thousands of species of different shapes, sizes, and colors, each more stunning than the last.
Butterflies are a simplistic thing to draw. Create the body as a simple line with two antennas and then identical wings on either side. Then, get as creative as you want.
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16. Penguin Bot
Penguins are easy animals to draw. Their bodies are distinct without many intricate details. You could draw an oval, two wings, and a beak to make a recognizable penguin. Even while there are a dozen different kinds of penguins, it is sometimes repetitive to draw.
Instead of drawing your everyday penguin, kick it up a notch and draw a robotic penguin. Imagine different types of penguins and how they would look if they were robots instead. Play with different mechanical parts, sizes, shapes, and colors for each type of penguin.
With something as broad as robotics, you can go any direction with it. Combining that with something simple and cute to draw like a penguin makes for an interesting challenge.
17. White Clouds
Clouds are a feature of nature. They are enjoyed by everyone around the world. Each texture, shape, and color of a cloud tells a story, warning us of incoming weather or telling us it’ll be a beautiful day out.
Big white fluffy clouds have been celebrated by people for generations. Sitting under the clouds and trying to find shapes or pictures in them is a fun way to pass the time.
When you are bored, take time to watch the clouds roll by and try to find a story hidden within. Draw this story and every shape that you see. You can replicate the clouds you see or you can create your own.
When creating your own clouds, make them look more realistic by using the bubble method shown in the link above, or have fun with it and make whatever shapes you want. You get to tell your own story in the clouds you draw.
18. Cute Robot
Robots and mechanical creatures have been imagined by people for decades. Different types of robots have become the main characters in some of the most popular media. These robots can be evil and trying to take over the world, non-sentient and just here to help, or even conscious and closer to humans than machines.
The more technology and actual robotics develop, the more stories of robots develop with it. Robots are fun to draw thanks to the endless possibilities available. With technological advancements, there’s no telling what direction actual robotics will take, so it is fun to get creative.
Imagine a robot and what its purpose might be. You can take this in any direction you want from factory work to singing and dancing. Create what you think that robot would look like. For a little added fun, make it cute and approachable with rounded features or a smiling face.
19. Stylized Rocks
Rocks are found everywhere on the planet. There are thousands of types and those types come in thousands of different shapes and sizes. Rocks may sound boring, but this is a board category to work with.
With rocks, you can go with the everyday ones you see outside. Take those and draw them using your own style. Create different rocks in various shapes and sizes. Practice the different textures, angles, and shading that can be found on a rock.
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That is just the start of what you do with your everyday rock. Imagine what you can do with something like a gemstone with new opportunities to explore. Start with a regular rock and take it in every direction you can then elevate your stylized rocks to the next level by using different gemstones and crystals as your base.
20. Tank
Tanks are intricate machinery designed to withstand anything. They are designed to push through any circumstance, take every hit, and leave destruction in their path. Tanks have undergone many different models since their original creation and are being further developed still.
For your tank drawing, you can practice your mechanical drawing skills by pulling up a picture of any tank and getting to work. You can get into each detail with as much specificity as you want. You could also take a different approach and try to reimagine the tank.
You can create a tank of your own and draw it in any style. Take the big, bulky tank and turn it into something more round and lifted. Put your own guns and weaponry on it. Imagine new technology you think a tank should have. There are many ways to go.
21. Cute Broccoli
Broccoli are vegetables that look like miniature trees. They have thick stems with lush green tops. In terms of drawing them, they are pretty similar to drawing a thick or dense tree. Drawing what is basically a tree over and over again can get pretty boring, so let’s spice it up.
Turn your broccoli into a cute character and give them a story, drawing events that may happen to them throughout their life. With these different events can come different facial expressions, outfits, haircuts, and body positions.
Using broccoli as your character rather than a person allows for an easy-to-draw base while still being able to practice character design and facial expressions. You can have multiple different characters and create a whole story using just a piece of broccoli as the base.
22. Hand Gestures
Drawing hands is known for being complex and difficult. Human hands have so many different dimensions and shapes that they are hard to navigate, even with experience. Having a reference doesn’t always help either if you don’t know where to start.
Practicing this tough skill is a great thing when you’re bored. The human hands can make many different shapes, be in different planes, and need different shading depending on hundreds of different scenarios. You can even use your own hand as a reference as you practice.
23. Baby Yoda
Baby Yoda is another cute creature that has blown up in pop culture. Baby Yoda is the child version of a popular Star Wars character, Yoda. Yoda has always been poked fun at for being weird-looking and ugly, so when Baby Yoda was revealed, it gave the fans whiplash.
What once was a wrinkly, odd alien, turned into the most adorable, cuddly creature. Thankfully, this cutie is not only nice to look at, it’s easy to draw. It wears a baggy robe of sorts that hides all features, leaving the head as the main subject.
For a perfect Baby Yoda head, all you have to do is draw a football with big eyes and big ears. Because of how easy he is to draw, you can play around with putting him in different scenarios, replicating those in the TV show he is from or new ones of your imagining.
Things To Draw FAQS
What Should You Focus on While Drawing?
Focus on anything you feel is weak. Perhaps your lines are shaky, or you’re not good at where shadows go. When you’re drawing out of boredom, you can pass the time and improve your skills by focusing on your weak points.
How Do You Pick What to Draw?
Go with what interests you the most, or what challenges your weak points the best. That way, you’re actually excited about what you’re drawing, and you’re improving your skills.
What Should I Draw With?
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to drawing. Many people start with pencils to get outlines, but pens, markers, colored pencils, pastels, or even crayons are all viable options.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of subjects to draw when you’re bored. And you don’t have to copy these exactly. Use these images for inspiration, or find a way to make the image feel like yours.
Having a simple drawing like this can also be helpful when you’re struggling with a certain part of the drawing. For example, if you’re not good with shadows or proportions, some of these designs offer a perfect way to practice your weak areas.
Overall, don’t worry about making it perfect or always drawing something to be shared and published. Like with any form of art, practice is important. What better time to practice than when you’re bored?
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