Cute Doodles to Draw – 19 Easy and Adorable Ideas for Creativity
Doodle drawing is a really fun way to explore different subject matter, and a great way to work on your observational skills. Cute little doodles can be something that we explore from our imagination, but the surrounding environment can also be a great source of inspiration. You can explore variations of easy doodles as a way of reimagining spaces and objects around you. There are many ways to explore fun doodles to draw and how they can function as an exercise to work on your drawing and shading techniques. There is a lot to be explored with the genre of doodle drawing as it develops your understanding of line work, shape, and how to represent unique structures in a simplified version. This unique drawing process will also keep you practiced as an artist, and will help to enhance your observational skills and creative understanding of the environment around you.
Easy Doodles for Beginners
In this tutorial, we explore various fun doodles to draw by learning how to establish our unique style through some simple doodles. We will learn how to establish our style by starting with some simple ideas and doodles of basic items. As we gain some comfort, we can slowly start to work our way into doodling more unique items. We can continue this process until we eventually have created a variety of unique doodles that explore various subject matter.
Pizza Slice
Donut
Foods generally have simple forms, for instance, we could sketch a doughnut as a simple circular tube-like structure. We also want to think about keeping details to a minimum for a more doodle-like quality.
Burger
For instance, we can draw all the ingredients seen on a burger, but we don’t need to worry about defining them to a degree that realistically defines textures.
Coke
For instance, we can still represent textures but we can make them much more basic. This is where gesture lines become a useful trick that helps to define the shape and form of various objects.
Tacco
We will also find that foods provide us with an array of unique shapes to provide us with variety in form. The main aim in the beginning is to draw items that can be done quickly.
Soft Ice
To sketch a soft serve ice cream, start with a tall, swirling top that tapers down into a crisp, waffle cone, capturing the creamy and smooth texture. Use light, swirling lines for the ice cream and crosshatching on the cone for texture, bringing this classic treat to life.
Jellyfish
Gestural lines can be described as lines that emphasize the form and structure of a subject. In the case of a jellyfish, we can have some wavy lines that run vertically through the mushroom shape of the animal.
Getting Comfortable With Your Style
Once you have become more comfortable, you can then start exploring more complicated structures. A good suggestion is to slowly start working through other structures that are unique in shape.
Mushrooms
Butterfly
With structures that have symmetry, in this case, a butterfly, we don’t have to make the features perfect. We can use imperfect qualities to emphasize the cartoon likeness of the doodle.
Cactus
You can also start to explore some simple aspects of three-dimensionality, in this case, a cylindrical vase. Always try to notice the main shapes with three-dimensional structures.
Exploring Unique Textures
Texture is a unique aspect of doodling because we don’t need to worry too much about them, but at the same time, we want to represent them in a way that defines them in a simplified version.
Fish
Naturally, the main shape of the fish will define the fish as a fish, however, we can take the doodle further by integrating gestural lines that define various features. In this case, it can be spots, blobs, lines that run parallel with the body shape, and so on. We can also emphasize the fins with these types of lines that define the skeletal structure that runs through the shape of the various fins.
Gun
With metallic structures, our lines will be more rigid and smooth when they curve. This is the same for gestural lines within the doodle, which can emphasize the mechanical form.
Bottle with Pills
With more unique items like transparency, we can consider utilizing some shading to emphasize a glossy surface.
As you continue to explore different subject matter in your doodling exercise, start to challenge yourself with interesting ideas. This can be a playful way to represent otherwise simple structures.
Embracing Inconsistency as a Style
It’s important to remember that doodles are never intended to be realistic representations of the subject that we are drawing. Allow for little irregularities in shape and form to define quirky styles in your simple doodles.
Chopped Off Hand
This allows us to play a little bit with the character aspects of the subject matter, making them funny, goofy, or silly in various ways.
Characters
This is especially true for character-like subjects, such as animals, people, limbs, or anything that we associate with a character. Warping the form and structure can add a lot of quirky aspects to a character doodle.
Technical Devices
As we start to embrace these inconsistencies and simplified details, we can create doodles that represent various structures in super simplified and cartoon-like variations.
As we continue with the sketching process, try to have as much variety in your doodles as possible, exploring various surfaces, shapes, and forms.
Skull
To draw a skull, start with an oval shape for the cranium and add the lower jaw at the bottom. Emphasize the hollow eye sockets, nasal cavity, and teeth with distinct lines and shading for a detailed appearance.
Retro Cell Phone
To draw a retro-style flip phone, start with a rectangular base for the lower part and a similar, slightly smaller rectangle above for the flip screen, connected at one edge. Add details like buttons on the base, a small screen on the flip part, and use shading to give it a classic, nostalgic feel.
Rocket
As we continue with the sketching process, try to have as much variety in your doodles as possible, exploring various surfaces, shapes, and forms – for example in the form of a rocket.
Tips and Tricks to Remember
- Start simple. Start with simple cute doodles to draw, as this is the best way to get comfortable with the drawing process.
- Allow your marks to evolve. Allow yourself to create an aesthetic that is unique to you by experimenting with linework, details, and medium.
- Make a daily habit out of doodling. The more you practice, the easier it will become.
Doodling is an interesting aspect of creative exploration, as it can be used as a way to enhance your drawing skills and also a way to explore your imagination. Cute little doodles are also something that can be done easily every day and are a great way to keep your drawing skills refined in this particular style of drawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Best Way to Start Doodling?
The best way to start doodling is to just start with whatever tools you have available to you. The idea is to work out your unique style at first by creating easy doodles that represent basic subject matter. For instance, you can start by drawing food items or basic shapes like boxes to get comfortable. As you slowly start to evolve with your style, you can then start to explore more complicated subject matter, such as technology, animals, and so on. The idea is to also try to minimize aspects of the subject to a degree so that the subject at hand is still identifiable but with fewer details. Most importantly, you want to experiment with different mark-making styles, and try different styles of representing subject matter through linework, shading, color, and so on.
Which Tools Are Best for Doodles?
The best tools are the ones that you have available to you, and the intention is to always make a daily practice out of doodling. A good suggestion would be to buy a journal or a drawing book, as that way you can have an object on hand to doodle daily. When it comes to an art form, you want to make sure you make incremental steps to improve your drawing, and the best way to do that is to have fun. You want to make sure you enjoy the process and have fun with creating interesting and unique doodles. So, consider getting a journal and some simple tools, as that way you can keep them on hand anytime you want to make a few cute doodles!
Matthew Matthysen is an educated multidisciplinary artist and illustrator. He successfully completed his art degree at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, majoring in art history and contemporary drawing. The focus of his thesis was to explore the philosophical implications of the macro and micro-universe on the human experience. Matthew uses diverse media, such as written and hands-on components, to explore various approaches that are on the border between philosophy and science.
Matthew organized various exhibitions before and during his years as a student and is still passionate about doing so today. He currently works as a freelance artist and writer in various fields. He also has a permanent position at a renowned online gallery (ArtGazette) where he produces various works on commission. As a freelance artist, he creates several series and successfully sells them to galleries and collectors. He loves to use his work and skills in various fields of interest.
Matthew has been creating drawing and painting tutorials since the relaunch in 2020. Through his involvement with artincontext.org, he has been able to deepen his knowledge of various painting mediums. For example, watercolor techniques, calligraphy and lately digital drawing, which is becoming more and more popular.
Learn more about Matthew Matthysen and the Art in Context Team.