What to draw as a beginner: 12 ideas in the order that teaches you

What to draw as a beginner: 12 everyday subjects in four steps, from a box to your pet, each with what it teaches and a check that tells you when to move on.

Published November 9, 20263 min read

Not sure what to draw as a beginner? Draw what is on your table: a box, a mug, an apple. Real objects hold still, have simple shapes and let you check your drawing against them. Then climb in order: hard edges, round forms, plants, and only then pets, hands and faces.

Why draw the things around you first?

Because seeing is the skill you are training. A 1997 study asked why most adults can't draw what they see: the hand turned out to be a very minor cause, and misjudging the object the main one. An object you can look at again and again is the best teacher for that.

A kitchen table with a cardboard box, a mug, an apple, an egg, a potted plant and a sneaker in a row, a blank sheet of paper and a pencil in front — Already in your home, lined up from easiest to hardest.

Put one lamp to the side so every object has one clear shadow.

12 beginner drawing ideas, easiest first

1. Hard edgesA book, a tissue box, a mug. Ready when the mug's ellipses have no pointed ends.
2. Round formsAn apple, an egg, an orange. Ready when you see a light side, a dark side and a cast shadow.
3. PlantsA leaf, a cactus, a potted herb. Ready when leaves overlap instead of floating side by side.
4. Complex shapesA sneaker, your sleeping pet, your own hand. Ready when the measured height and width match.

Three subjects per rung, one new problem each. Stay a few days, move on when the check passes.

Each rung adds one problem. That is why a mug comes before a face: a face asks for every skill at once, the pencil mug lesson for one.

Rung 3 in four stages: a long oval, outline and veins, a pale wash, darker veins. About ten minutes.

Pencil only? Draw the watercolor leaf up to its second stage and shade it instead of painting.

How to draw one idea in 20 minutes

Pick one object and light it from one side.
Box it lightly: how wide is it against how tall?
Block in the big shapes: a cylinder, a ball, an oval.
Shade the big shadow in one pale tone.
Step back two meters (six feet), compare with the real object and name one fix.

Rung 4 follows the same order with more stages: big shapes first, fur last.

What to draw when you run out of ideas?

Draw the same thing again, differently. The second mug shows you what the first one missed.

New angle
New light
Five-minute version
Your own photo

One subject, four new drawings. A mug drawn ten ways teaches more than ten random ideas.

For a ready list, the 30 day drawing challenge gives one subject a day, and six drawing exercises for beginners train each skill on its own.

At rung 4, a photo helps, because a sleeping cat does not stay asleep. Sketchwise turns any photo you pick into a staged lesson with a guide image for every stage, and you draw it on paper. In a Community challenge, friends draw the same lesson and vote, so the subject is picked for you.

Frequently asked questions

What should I draw first as a beginner?

A mug or a box from your table. It has straight lines and one ellipse, and you can check it in seconds.

What can I draw when I'm bored?

Whatever is in front of you, timed at five minutes: your keys, a cup, your shoe. Short and imperfect still counts as practice.

Should beginners draw from photos or from real life?

Start from real life, where you can walk around the form. Photos are best for things that move: here is how to draw from a photo.