10 Jul 2018Mont Marte

If you’re in the mood for a drawing session, we’ve got just the thing to get your creative juices flowing. Our list of 15 drawing ideas covers a range of subjects – from botanical art, to life drawing and even a recipe! So have your pencil at the ready, scroll through and get inspired.

1. Botanical art

Botanical style drawings created in watercolour on white paper.

If you have a soft spot for nature, botanical drawing is right up your alley. You can draw from a reference image or, better yet, go outside and grab a flower, leaf or branch to use as your inspiration. Don’t be afraid to draw up some rough study sketches before you start on your final piece – it’s all part of the process.

2. Your favourite animal


Realistic watercolour drawing of a racoon.

Image credit: Krystal Lee Artist
Draw inspiration from the things you love. Whether your favourite animal is a dog or a raccoon, bring it to life on your page with graphite, watercolour pencils or a pen!

3. Lips

Drawing of lips drawn in graphite on white paper next to two pencils and an eraser.

Lips can say a lot, and not just with words. As one of the most expressive parts of the face, they’re one of our favourite drawing ideas. If you need some guidance, watch our ‘How to Draw Lips’ tutorial and get started!

4. A rose

Two rose drawings in markers next to a pack of Mont Marte markers.


If you only have time for a quick drawing, give this rose design a go. Follow along as we show you how to draw a rose with our quick video tutorial, or play around and create your own design.

5. Recipes

A range of recipes drawn in a notebook in a cartoon journal style.

Image credit: Sophie Peanut

If you like food as much as we do, you’ll love this idea from Sophie Peanut. Make sure you never forget your favourite recipes by drawing the steps and ingredients!

6. A bird

Realistic bird drawing drawn in a notebook.

Let your creativity take flight with a bird drawing. Birds can be a little tricky to draw, but practicing and learning new things is all part of the process. For a step-by-step lesson, check out our Hummingbird drawing lesson.

7. Feathers

Various feathers drawn in graphite.


If you’d rather get stuck into the details, sketch up a feather or two. Feathers come in so many shapes and sizes that they’ll give you plenty of drawing inspiration.

8. Lettering

Hand holding a pen to create hand lettering in a sketchbook.

Get your creativity flowing with hand lettering. Choose a letter, word or sentence and play around with different ways to write it. This trend has taken the internet by storm, so you’ll find plenty of inspiration online if you’re looking for ideas.

9. Shells

Shells drawn in watercolour on white paper.

Bring the seaside indoors with some shell sketching! Their curves, patterns and shapes make shells a great drawing subject.

10. Your favourite shoes

Charcoal drawing of a pair of old boots.

You can find drawing ideas anywhere – even on the shoe rack. If you’re just not that into shoes, look around your home and find something else that might be interesting to draw. It could be a tea cup, ornament, food or a plant. The possibilities are endless.

11. A hand

Hand drawn in realistic style.

Challenge yourself and try your hand at this drawing idea. Use your own hand as a reference, or take some photographs and study the shapes and lines. Either way, this is a great way to practice shape, form and shading.

12. An urban scene

Architectural style drawing created in a notebook.

If you can’t find anything inside your home to draw, step outside and try an urban scene. Whether it’s the outside of your home, a photograph from your travels or an image you found online – put pen to paper and recreate it

13. Figure drawing

Human form drawing drawn in pencil in a sketchbook.

Figure drawing is a great way to practice composition, lighting and mark making. All you need is a sketchbook, a pencil and an eraser to get started. If you’re not keen on the idea of attending a class with a live model, you can draw inspiration from a book or find a guide online.

14. A butterfly

Two brightly coloured butterflies drawn in coloured pencil.

With their stunning patterns, butterflies are a masterpiece in their own right. That’s why they make a great drawing idea! Grab your coloured pencils, felt tip pen, or graphite pencil and start creating.

15. A patterned outline

A stylised fox drawing created in pencil.

Leave out the details and use patterns instead. For this idea, all you need to do is draw or trace an outline of whatever you want, and then fill it in with patterns. If you’re not sure where to start, try an animal, hand, leaf or even a basic shape like a triangle.

Do you have more drawing ideas? Tag @montmarteart or #montmarteart on social media to show us what you’ve created!