Things to Draw When Bored – Creative Drawing When You’re Bored

Do you find yourself getting bored at home on a lazy Sunday afternoon? Maybe you travel a lot and find yourself getting bored as you wait to board your next flight. Drawing is a simple way to pass the time and have a little creative fun. However, what can you draw? There are many things to draw when bored, but if you are low on inspiration, we have some ideas that might help. Read further to discover some of our fun things to draw!

Simple Things to Draw When Bored

Sometimes, you are looking for something to draw that is simple and quick, perhaps because you are waiting at the airport. Drawing wherever you find yourself is a great habit to form, as these skills take time and practice. Remember to always carry a sketchbook and some pencils with you when you are on the go. Let us take a look at a few ideas for some simple and fun things to draw.

Drawing Basic Shapes

It does not matter if you are a beginner at drawing or have more experience, you will always gain something by practicing basic shapes. So, when considering what to draw when bored, this idea is a good place to start. You can start by becoming proficient at drawing cubes and spheres. Bubbles are the perfect sphere shape to draw, have a look at our tutorial on how to draw bubbles to get you started.

Capture the overall shapes and then try to capture a more three-dimensional look.

You can also try drawing pyramid and cone shapes as well as prisms. All of these will help you to master drawing three-dimensional shapes on a two-dimensional surface. You can then move on to create some amazing geometric shapes and patterns.

Drawing Designs Within Shapes

Moving on from the basic and geometric shapes and patterns, you can take this a step further. All that you do is create an outline of a shape, for example, an animal’s head or a heart shape, and then fill this with the various geometric shapes and other patterns. You can draw in pencil and then go over the image in pen.

Doodling

Doodling falls under simple things to draw when bored because it is so easy to produce, and there are no rules. Create lines, circles, or any repetitive pattern to fill the page. Consider creating a spiral wave shape, and then combining the smaller waves into a larger waveform. Try your hand at zentangle, which uses lines, dots, and simple shapes to create patterns. Doodling can also be drawing simple shapes of everyday items. Take a look at a few of our ideas for doodling.

Mandala Drawings

When looking at stuff to draw when you are bored, mandalas can be pretty interesting and fun. You can find plenty of designs and patterns to try out. You can use dots, lines, shapes, and colors to create a mandala. However, if you are a bit intimidated by so

You might get a few ideas for drawing your own mandala in the future.

Simple Animal and Flower Drawings

There are many simple things to draw when bored in this category. Some use simple lines, while others are slightly more detailed. However, to give you a bit more inspiration, here are some ideas you can try.

Dogs and Cats

When drawing cats and dogs, you can begin by simply outlining the animal from various positions. For example, facing forward or as a profile. You can draw just the head, or maybe a simple drawing of paws. If you want more of a challenge, you can add more details, such as drawing more realistic-looking fur. Have a look at some of our tutorials from how to draw a dog face to how to draw a dog. If you are more of a cat person, take a look at our guide on how to draw cats.

Wild Animals

Maybe you are more interested in wild animals. There are a lot of suggestions to consider, so you can easily select something you would enjoy. If you are not sure what this could be, here are some of our step-by-step tutorials on wild animals. To start, take a look at how to draw a lion. Maybe try learning how to draw a cute polar bear? Maybe you are into snakes, here is the opportunity to learn how to draw snakes.

Birds

There is such a variety of birds you can draw, and all you have to do is go outside to find one. Again, try to keep it as simple as you want by only drawing the bird outline. You can also make it more detailed and incorporate other elements, such as a bird holding a flower in its beak. You can also focus on bird wings and try to perfect the feathers and shape. Follow our guide on learning how to draw birds. Other tutorials you might be interested in include how to draw a parrot and how to draw a hummingbird.

These are ideal if you want to create colorful bird drawings.

Fish

Fish might be one of the easier animal drawings you can do. You can find a lot of different ideas, for example, you can begin with something simple like a starfish. Maybe you have a pet goldfish, then you can learn how to draw a goldfish. Have something a little bigger in mind, consider learning how to draw a whale.

Flowers

What to draw when you are bored? Flowers are a wonderful place to start. You can go out into your garden or try something more exotic. Take a look at our simple flower drawings for some inspiration. Roses are among the most popular flowers, so here is a guide on how to draw a rose for the next time you are feeling a bit bored. Dandelions are also easy to create, and you can even use a stencil if you find it too difficult to draw. However, first, try our tutorial on how to draw a dandelion before going down that road.

Leaves and Trees

If you are looking for stuff to draw when you are bored, leaves and trees are also something for you to consider. You can draw the different seasons with the trees, from full of leaves to bare branches. For something easier, focus on only the leaves, which can be different shapes and colors. Our guide on how to draw a tree can help. If you are struggling with drawing leaves, then you must look at our guide to realistic leaf drawing. There are also other ideas you can follow within this category. For example, why not learn how to draw a cactus?

Insects Drawings

Simple bugs and insects are easy to draw, who has not made a drawing of a cute bee or caterpillar? There are also numerous other ideas as well, from snails and butterflies to dragonflies, stick insects, grasshoppers, and lots more. Below are some of our drawing tutorials that can help you with drawing all the different types of insects.

• If you love butterflies, then this how-to-draw monarch butterfly is perfect for you.
• One of the cutest and easiest bugs to draw are ladybugs, click on this link to go to the tutorial.
• Learn how to draw a dragonfly, an interesting and fun drawing idea.
• Another easy drawing idea is learning how to draw a snail.
• Maybe you love creepy crawlies, so you would enjoy learning how to draw a spider.
• Caterpillars are cute and easy to draw and can become an amazing piece of artwork. If you are looking to draw something more realistic, take a look at our how to draw a caterpillar.

Raindrop Drawings

Raindrops are interesting and easy to draw. You can create an entire rain shower or focus on a single raindrop. You can also play around with the raindrop, for example, give it a face, or create a mini scene or reflection within the raindrop.

Create rain and puddles forming on the ground or add clouds and rain, or even a rainbow.

Simple Line Drawings

Simple line drawings can involve creating an image without lifting the pencil, but you are not bound by this rule and there are a few techniques. You can keep to simple shapes, such as hearts, or try something more challenging like a woman’s face. There are many other ideas like flowers, birds, animals, and forms of all kinds. 

Letter Drawings

You can create beautiful letter drawings by forming the letter shapes, and then adding details. This could simply be lines and shading, or you can try something more elaborate and detailed. For example, create the capital letter “A” in a block form and draw detailed flowers and leaves inside. You can also create the letters and draw designs and details all around the letter. Here is a simple guide on how to draw block letters.

Beach Drawings

There are a lot of things you can draw that are related to the beach. Some of the ideas include beach balls, beautiful shells, beach umbrellas, sunglasses, sun hats, a surfboard, a bucket, and spade, or a sandcastle. A beach ball might be the easiest option, but if you are stuck on the umbrella idea, here is a how-to-draw an umbrella just for you.

Cute Things to Draw When Bored

Everybody likes cute things, no matter what they are, so it is safe to say that you might also be interested in finding cute things to draw when bored. However, what makes a drawing cute? There are a few things, but the face is what provides character. The trick to a cute face is in the eyes, which should be big, and add in large black ovals for the eyes and smaller white circles to represent the eyes glinting.

Larger heads and smaller bodies are also used to create cute characters. Let us now see what ideas there are to draw.

Cute Character Drawings

There are a few different types of character drawings from comic book style and cartoons to anime and manga character drawings. Whatever your favorite character is, try to draw them, for example, baby Groot, baby Yoda, or Scooby Doo. One of the simpler ideas is to create different emojis, with various facial expressions. 

Cute Animal Drawings

There are many cute animal drawings, most of them of cute babies. These can be anything from cute kittens, chicks, baby hippos, and elephants to baby rabbits and monkeys. Have a look at our easy drawing guides on how to draw a puppy, how to draw a cute hamster, and how to draw a cute panda.

Cute Food Drawings

If you love food, then you will love drawing cute food items. What makes them cute is the small eyes, mouth, and nose you can include. You can include these in all the food types; however, you can also simply draw a cute cookie or cupcake. There are many different cute items you can draw, let us have a look at some ideas.

• Lolli pops
• Ice cream
• Sandwiches
• Slice of cake
• Cup of coffee or tea
• Cooldrink or a milkshake
• Cooked egg or hamburger
• Slice of pizza
• Donut
• Strawberry

Cute Mushroom Drawings

Mushrooms are very easy to draw, and you can make them as cute or realistic as you want. Draw a simple cute mushroom and add some cute eyes and a mouth. Draw a single mushroom or create a family of mushrooms. Follow our easy guide to drawing mushrooms.

Cute Monster Drawings

This is almost like doodling because you can easily draw a blob shape and simply add eyes and a mouth to create a cute monster, without putting much thought into it. You can easily use different shapes, add faces, and other “monster” features like horns, a single eye, or big teeth.

Drawing in Perspective

If you wish to improve your perspective drawing, why not do it when you are bored? Any artist must learn how to draw a three-dimensional form on a two-dimensional surface. This can help you to create more precise drawings that contain depth. This is a good drawing skill to have, especially if you are interested in more technical drawings. Here is our guide to learning perspective art.

Staircase into the Sky

Learning how to draw stairs is easy, and it can be done in many different ways. You need to create perspective to make the stairs seem as real as possible. You can create the stairs inside a room or be more creative and draw stairs that stretch into the sky. Follow our tutorial on how to draw stairs to get you going.

Drawing the Human Form

To some, drawing the human form can be challenging, as the human body is quite complex. You need to have patience and you must practice these drawings so that you can get good at drawing the human form.

Eye Drawings

There are many ideas besides drawing an entire body, so why not tackle some individual points first, such as the eye? The human eye can be very expressive and individual, which makes it quite difficult. However, if you break it down into a few simple steps, the process can become easier. Practicing these skills is a great way to stop boredom from setting in. Learn how to create realistic eyes with our step-by-step tutorial.

Portrait Drawings

Creating portraits can be very rewarding and a fun way to spend your time without getting bored. If you are just learning how to sketch, portraits can seem daunting. However, if you learn the various techniques and practice, you should be able to create basic portraits in no time. To help get you started, try following our easy guide to drawing a girl.

Hand Drawings

Drawing hands and feet can be quite complicated and is the perfect idea if you are bored as it will take time and practice to complete. In our guide on how to draw hands, you will go through a few of our steps and learn some guiding principles to create realistic-looking hands. You might also want to try our guide on how to draw feet.

Lip Drawings

Drawing a simple lip sketch is not too difficult; however, if you want to create more realistic-looking lips, you will need some practice. There are many facial expressions, and the lips are what help you to create these expressions. Try reading our guide on creating realistic mouth drawings, to help you perfect this aspect of drawing.

Landscape Drawings

Drawing landscapes can be interesting and fun to do. There are also many different ideas for this process, which can be done by simply walking around your neighborhood. Even just looking out of your window can produce an amazing, framed look at the outside world. Go to our guide on how to draw landscapes for beginners for more inspiration.

Below you will also find a few ideas that might interest you.

City Landscapes

If you live in a city, then you are in the perfect position to draw this type of landscape. Drawing buildings and street corners does involve some perspective drawing skills, or you can simply draw a city outline on the horizon. The drawings can be as detailed or simple as you want them to be.

Mountain Landscapes

Mountains and river landscapes are always very popular drawings. This can simply be a few mountains in the background, with a river running past. Again, it does not have to be too detailed, but you can add whatever you feel, such as trees or the sun rising from behind the mountain. To help, go to our guide on how to draw mountains.

Forest Landscapes

Forest landscapes can be quite dark; however, you can also have a river running through, including wild animals, or a log cabin. Take up the challenge and consider trying to draw a misty forest landscape. 

Beach Sunsets

If you are on holiday at the beach or simply just enjoy drawing beach landscapes, then you will want to try creating the perfect beach sunset. For this, you might also want to use some color to get the full effect.

A Road into the Horizon

This is another form of perspective drawing that is quite easy to accomplish. All you need are two parallel lines that meet in the distance, which form your road. You can then include the rest of the environment, such as a forest, field, or desert.

Fantasy Drawings

Fantasy drawings are great if you are looking for ideas on what to draw when bored. Here, you can use your imagination or draw a familiar fantasy creature or character. There are plenty of ideas for this that include drawing dragons, unicorns, mysterious castles, faeries, or even ideas like a sailboat in a bottle. Follow our drawing guides on how to draw a unicorn and how to draw a dragon.

Below are a few more fantasy drawing ideas for when you are bored.

• Angel wings
• Griffin
• Werewolf or vampire
• A pot of gold at the end of a rainbow
• Elves
• Alien
• Wizard
• Troll or ogre
• Zombie or mummy

We hope that these drawing ideas have inspired you to take up drawing or practice even more. It is not difficult at all to decide on what to draw when you are bored, as all you need is a little inspiration, and you will never be bored again. Drawing is also an ideal way to keep the kids busy while teaching them drawing skills. So, these ideas on stuff to draw when you are bored are perfect for the whole family!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Some Easy Things to Draw When Bored?

Keep drawings simple and pick ideas that are not beyond your skill level. Try doodling or creating shapes and patterns. Consider drawing things you can find around you, such as your dog or cat, trees and flowers, or even your house and car.

How to Find Fun Things to Draw?

To find inspiration, you can search for things around you, go outside and take a walk, or consider joining a drawing challenge, where the ideas are given to you. The drawing challenges are a fun and exciting way to draw, and ideas are provided daily, weekly, or monthly.

How Often Should You Practice Drawing?

Drawing is a skill that needs time to develop, so you should practice it every day. Some say a few hours a day is good, but even if it is only a few minutes every day, being consistent is what is important. If you practice drawing each day, you should not have any problems with boredom!

Charlene Lewis( Content Creator and Creativity Writer )

In 2005, Charlene completed her Wellness Diplomas in Therapeutic Aromatherapy and Reflexology from the International School of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy. She worked for a company offering corporate wellness programs for a couple of years, before opening up her own therapy practice. It was in 2015 that a friend, who was a digital marketer, asked her to join her company as a content creator, and this is where she found her excitement for writing.

Since joining the content writing world, she has gained a lot of experience over the years writing on a diverse selection of topics, from beauty, health, wellness, travel, and more. Due to various circumstances, she had to close her therapy practice and is now a full-time freelance writer. Being a creative person, she could not pass up the opportunity to contribute to the Art in Context team, where is was in her element, writing about a variety of art and craft topics. Contributing articles for over three years now, her knowledge in this area has grown, and she has gotten to explore her creativity and improve her research and writing skills.

Charlene Lewis has been working for artincontext.org since the relaunch in 2020. She is an experienced writer and mainly focuses on the topics of color theory, painting and drawing.

Learn more about Charlene Lewis and the Art in Context Team.