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Drawing ideas for beginners to practise.

Start simple. These ideas help you build skills, confidence and a regular drawing habit.

Easy drawing ideas for beginners.

Looking for quick inspiration or picking up a pencil for the first time? These easy drawing ideas appeal to beginners because they’re quick and encourage regular practice.

• Try 5-minute drawing ideas like simple doodles, tiny circles and dots, or a Ganapati face drawing step by step.

• Sketch with a Japanese chibi drawing technique, explore brush marks or dotted patterns, and decorate greeting cards for Diwali, Ramadan or Christmas.

• Try traditional kolam or mandala patterns or stylised flowers inspired by rangoli. Use the step-by-step drawing technique to draw tiffin boxes, bangles or mangoes.

Sketch drawing ideas for practice.

Improve your hand with sketch drawing ideas focused on form and shading.

• Hold a flower and sketch what you see.

• Sketch festive or everyday objects such as a diya, kalash, brass bell, teacup or books.

• Illustrate street vendor setups such as a paani puri cart or fruit stand.

• Sketch temple gopurams, stepwells or city corners in pencil.

As you get more confident, scan your drawings and use them to poster your wall.

Drawing ideas for school-going kids.

This section explores drawing ideas focused on Indian mythology, cartoon characters and fictional figures, appealing to those interested in animation and character design.

• Draw baby Krishna playing with a pot full of butter.

• Sketch a comic strip featuring Bheem, Hanuman or your favourite superhero.

• Create your own Holi or Diwali greeting card with cartoon characters.

• Doodle your lunchbox with smiling samosas and dancing laddoos.

• Draw your dream festival outfit – lehenga, kurta or cape and all.

Still life, people and nature drawing ideas.

Improve observation and attention to detail with real-world objects and natural inspiration.

Still life and object drawing ideas.

These are great for improving your focus and eye for detail.

• Draw a traditional thali with rotis, sabzi and sweets.

• Sketch school supplies such as a school bag, compass box or water bottle.

• Draw indoor plants, flower garlands or a jasmine gajra.

• Sketch clay pots, copper vessels and incense holders.

• Draw ethnic jewellery such as bangles, jhumkas, jhoomar, rani haar, paayal or maang tikka.

Human figure and portrait drawing ideas.

Explore expressions, poses and personalities through these ideas.

• Draw portraits and poses of deities such as Krishna, Ganapati, Lakshmi Devi and Buddha.

• Sketch your best friend.

• Draw a portrait of your dadi or dada from a photo.

• Illustrate someone dancing – Bharatanatyam, Odissi or Kathak pose.

• Show different moods: Happy, tired or surprised.

• Create your own emoji expressions.

Print your favourite drawing as a greeting card and add a tiny sketch or pressed flower to the front.

Nature drawing ideas.

Be inspired by the nature surrounding you. Observe and capture the charm and personality of animals, the beauty of plants and landscapes.

• Sketch a blooming flower such as a sunflower or a red rose using paint pens on textured watercolour paper.

• Try a tree in full bloom in spring, a lotus pond, or a garden bird like a myna, or a coconut or banyan tree silhouette.

• Capture the monsoon with rain-drenched leaves or draw an underwater landscape inspired by coastal scenes in Kerala or the Andamans.

Seasonal and holiday drawing ideas.

Celebrate festivals and seasonal beauty through drawing.

• Create rangoli or kolam patterns for Diwali or Pongal.

• Draw Holi scenes with colours, pichkaris and fun.

• Sketch decorated rakhis or Eid cards.

• Illustrate monsoon scenes with umbrellas, chai and pakoras.

• Capture winter scenes with blankets and bonfires.

Let kids draw their own characters, then stick the drawings on printed cards for birthdays or festivals.

How to make the most of these drawing ideas.

Creative, aesthetic and abstract ideas.

Express emotion and imagination with these whimsical and beautiful ideas.

Creative and fun drawing ideas.

Tap into the element of fantasy and whimsy with imaginative prompts.

• Design a blooming wreath or try butterfly and dragonfly drawing ideas.

• Create a fantasy canvas with feathers, floral still life and bold graffiti art.

• Add hummingbirds, intricate mandala-style patterns or lunar phases for a magical feel.

• Use shading techniques to bring your ideas to life – from folk-tale creatures to decorative festival scenes.

Aesthetic drawing ideas.

Add charm and beauty to your sketchbook with aesthetic illustrations that reflect mood, style and personality.

• Create mandala patterns or floral borders.

• Illustrate a sunrise or sunset over Indian landscapes.

• Draw saree pleats or jewellery-inspired designs.

• Sketch vintage scooters or rickshaws in pastel tones.

• Capture window views with a cup of chai, books and plants.

Doodle and abstract drawing ideas.

Free your mind with playful or meditative art.

• Doodle your school bag or blackboard contents.

• Create abstract shapes based on your music playlist.

• Draw Zentangles inside Indian motifs.

• Illustrate a paisley or mango pattern wall.

• Make a collage of symbols that represent your day.

Turn your aesthetic sketches into art prints. Scan and layer them onto posters or journal covers.

Calligraphy and cultural art ideas.

Explore creative ways to combine words and design in English, Hindi or regional scripts.

Lettering and typography drawing ideas.

• Start with lettering techniques using paint pens and create a blooming bookmark or a festive thank you card to your Diwali or New Year’s party hosts.

• Decorate your journal with graffiti-style quotes, patterned borders or festival greetings.

• Design your own stationery sets with themed pieces like Holi gift tags, Eid greeting cards or birthday labels. Add handwritten wishes to make each one personal and unique.

Traditional and cultural drawing ideas.

Draw your heritage and celebrate your culture.

• Illustrate Madhubani, Warli or Pattachitra-inspired scenes.

• Draw temples, ghats and historical monuments.

• Sketch Indian classical dancers in motion.

• Depict gods, goddesses or mythological stories.

• Show your family in traditional wear during festivals.

Make your calligraphy extra special — print a letterhead and add hand-drawn borders or flourishes.

Tips for creating a beautiful drawing.

• Keep a sketchbook handy. Sometimes the best ideas come when you're not trying too hard. Having a sketchbook nearby lets you capture ideas quickly, whether it’s your cup of chai or coffee, classroom doodles or random patterns during travel.

• Use drawing as a form of journaling. Drawing can be a powerful way to capture feelings, moods and moments. Try drawing something that reflects your day, your current playlist or a goal you’re working towards. Blend realism with doodles or add a Zentangle to a temple sketch. Mixing styles adds visual interest and helps you find your unique artistic voice over time.

• Turn your drawings into digital art. Scan or take a photo of your art and upload it to Adobe Express. Add text, graphics or borders, or turn your sketch into a poster, invitation or greeting card.

• Adobe Express is free to use. Adobe Express provides a free plan that you can start using immediately. Get access to many of the amazing features of the paid plans from Adobe Express for free, including professionally designed templates, Adobe fonts and royalty-free media. See our plans and pricing. Adobe Express is packed full of resources like our amazing blog where we share helpful tips, tutorials, ready-to-use templates and graphic design inspiration for social media, marketing and content creators.