12 Vibrant Doodle Prompts To Play With Drawing
Doodling has many amazing benefits. It improves focus and emotional well-being, relaxes, helps you decompress from stress, and develops creativity. If you’re new to doodling, here are 12 beginner-friendly prompts you can start with right away.
Food and Drinks Prompts
Still-life art shows a long-standing history of people using fruits and vegetables as a reference for sketching. It’s also a great way to rouse your appetite for some juicy fruits or aesthetically pleasing meals like sushi.
Ideas: bread, baguette, burger, cupcakes, donuts, teapots, coffee cups, avocados, apples, bananas, grape vines, sushi
Hobbies and Activities Prompts
What better way to doodle than pick your favorite hobbies and translate them into visual art? Your favorite painting brush or palette, a guitar, or a barbell from your local gym are playful ways to have fun with your newfound craft.
Ideas: guitar, notebook, painting brush, running shoes, barbell, pen, tennis ball, tennis racket
Animal Prompts
Animals are always a fun way to start sketching. The most popular ones are dogs and cats, as there are many ways to draw your favorite fluffy-tailed pets. Make it cute, minimalist, or colorful; the choice is yours, as long as you have fun with it.
Ideas: cat, dog, giraffe, horse, cow, chicken, bird, zebra, snake, hamster, butterfly, raven, swan
Nature and Flowers Prompts
Nature surrounds us with its infinitely beautiful diversity, offering all the inspiration we need. Take a dive into the vibrant world of flowers, trees, valleys and mountains or into the exotic realm of palm trees and waterfalls right in the four borders of your sketchbook.
Ideas: potted plants, roses, tulips, daisies, palm trees, oak trees, mountains, valleys, waterfalls, hills, cactus
Fashion and Accessories Prompts
If you’re a fashionista or just enjoy drawing pretty things, play around with lacey dresses, ruffled skirts, necklaces, dainty heels or other fashion-related ideas. If you prefer other fashion-related ideas, you can get inspired by the fashion style of various decades, like the classy 1920s, the glamorous ‘50s, creative ‘60s, stylish ‘70s or colorful and playful ‘80s.
Ideas: shirts, dresses, heels, necklaces, earrings, tiaras, skirts, gloves, cute patterned socks, hats, suits and ties, jackets
Beauty and Bath Prompts
Beauty and bath products are some of the most fun ones to start doodling. Whether it’s an ornamental mirror from the 1800s, a somber grandfather clock from the 1800s, a luxury lipstick, or just some cute facemasks, you can play around with many colors and shapes.
Ideas: hairbrush, mirror, make-up brushes, make-up palettes, lipstick, facemasks, mascara, soap bubbles
Traveling and Adventure Prompts
Wanderers and travelers will love this one. If your heart sings amid regal mountains or the birdsong of wild forests, these adventure prompts will be perfect for you. Create your own little adventure with these mountain, bonfire, or tent prompts.
Ideas: tent, hiking shoes, bonfire, hot air balloon, car, boat, taxi cab, backpack, map, pin, compass
Vacation Prompts
If you’re looking for a dopamine boost, play around with some travel and vacation prompts as you envision faraway palm trees with snowy-white beaches or misty mountains hidden in the heart of remote lands.
Ideas: palm trees, islands, ocean waves, sand dunes, margaritas, beach shores, swimsuits, straw hats, airplanes, sunscreen bottle, umbrella
Seasonal Prompts
Try your hand at some cute Halloween motifs like carved pumpkins, spiders, and orange treats. Or, if you’re a Christmas aficionado, opt for fancy Christmas trees with rainbow lights, shiny glass balls, and other cute ornaments.
Ideas: Valentine’s chocolate boxes, Easter bunny, carved pumpkins, spiderwebs, Thanksgiving turkey, snowman, Christmas tree, glass balls
Architecture and Decor Prompts
You don’t need perspective or artistic skills to doodle around with gorgeous architecture or interior decor. It’s enough to have a passion for beautiful things, organizing, or just doodling. Sketch out your own little dream home or countryside cottage and furnish it to your heart’s content!
Ideas: house, mansion, palace, marble pillars, fenced garden, painting frame, vase, box, table, chair, wardrobe, gazebo, Mediterranean terrace, pool, hot tub
Fun Shapes and Symbols Prompts
Simple shapes or symbols are some of the easiest prompts you can start with. Whether it’s an artsy musical symbol like clefs, cute hearts, or trippy space motifs like planets and stars, there’s an array of ideas to choose from.
Ideas: squares, ellipses, rectangles, spirals, swirlies; clefs, hearts, diamonds, cash, fire, rain, sun, moon, stars
Colors and Rainbows Prompts
Last but not least, you can always enjoy the therapeutic use of colors by sketching rainbows or coloring shapes. It’s a wonderful way to tap into your playful, creative energy and heal your inner child.
Ideas: all colors of the rainbow, from red, orange, and yellow to green, blue, purple, and pink
How to Start a Doodle Journal
Doodling is a great way to release stress, express yourself, and have fun with art. Here's how to get started: