summer sketchbook assignment ideas

Artjournalist

365 Drawing Ideas for Your Sketchbook

Need some ideas for what to draw in your sketchbook? This list of 365 drawing ideas is sure to inspire you to doodle, draw, or sketch something every single day of the year!

This list of 365 drawing ideas is sure to inspire you to doodle, draw, or sketch something every single day of the year! You can choose whether to draw one drawing a day, go in the list in order, or simply skip around and choose the ones you like best!

Here are 365 Drawing Ideas to Inspire:

1. view from the park.

Parks are great sources of inspiration for drawing. Snap a few of your own reference photos of monuments, benches, and scenes that capture your eye or spend some time in the park with your sketchbook drawing the different scenes you notice.

2. Hot Air Balloon

Hot air balloons are mesmerizing to watch in the sky and can be a beautiful and whimsical thing to learn how to draw. While it’s not too common anymore to see one floating past you in real-life, there are MANY photos out there that you can use as a reference.

Snap a photo of yourself or try drawing yourself while you look in a mirror.

You might see leaves on the ground during autumn or notice them on trees in the spring and summer. Choose a few different leaf shapes to draw.

They say once you learn how to ride a bike you never forget – so why not try the same thing with learning to draw a bicycle? You can make it realistic or simply create a fun doodle.

6. Hedgehog

Hedgehogs are adorable spiny creatures most commonly found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand. Draw one today!

7. Baseball and/or Baseball Glove

This was actually an assignment we had in high school to practice realistic sketching and shading using nothing more than a #2 pencil!

8. Fruit Bowl

The classic fruit bowl still life might not sound like the most creative idea for drawing, but have you tried it? You might just be surprised. You could also draw a still life of bananas, oranges, apples, or grapes.

9. Tropical Fish

There are so many types of tropical fish to consider as an idea for things that are easy to draw – choose from an angel fish, a clown fish or even maybe a butterflyfish!

10. Skyscrapers

We see so many great examples of skyscraper architecture in our cities that there are endless sources of inspiration for types of skyscrapers you could draw. Take your sketchbook out locally to a city near you, or spend some time drawing iconic skyscrapers such as the Bank of China Tower, the Taipei 101, or the Chrysler Building.

Dragons are mythical creatures that have been a drawing subject since ancient times. Draw a dragon with a knight in shining armor, a Chinese dragon, or maybe even a friendly dragon that helps you roast marshmallows.

Unlock the power of your creativity by drawing some keys! You can choose to draw old fashioned skeleton keys or draw a sketch of the keys out of your purse or your house key.

13. Volcano

Have you ever seen a volcano in real life? Even if you’ve only seen one in movies or in photographs they can be fascinating subjects for art and sketching.

14. Sail Boat

Sailboats are often see on lakes and at marinas and can have all sorts of beautiful designs on the sails.

Draw a teddy bear, a brown bear or a grizzly bear – your choice!

Lay down on a blanket in your yard or at a park and spend some time cloud-gazing for inspiration on what to draw.

17. Family Member

You can have a family member pose while you create a portrait sketch of them, or draw a portrait based on a photo of someone you know.

What can I say about sharks? They have big teeth, they live in the ocean, and they can be very fun and popular to draw.

19. Feather

Birds of a feather…are a great thing to draw! You can make them icon style, or try to recreate a realistic feather on paper.

20. T-Shirt

Surely you have a t-shirt in your closet that would make for a great subject for drawing.

21. The Kitchen

Kitchens are where food is made and are often overlooked as the perfect place to sketch to get a glimpse into your everyday life.

22. Satellite:

Satellites are constantly in orbit around our earth, and they are very interesting looking items with many different geometric lines to use to build your drawing skills.

23. Penguin

Penguins are seabirds that live in mostly cold climates. They don’t fly but they sure do love to swim!

24. Fashion Sketch

What’s trending in the fashion world? Come up with your own fashion designs or take inspiration from some of the leading fashion designers to create your own fashion sketches.

The best part about aliens as a drawing idea? You can make them look like almost anything your imagination can think of, since it is very rare to actually see them in real-life.

26. Pirate Ship

Ahoy Matey! Pirate ships are a great thing to draw in your sketchbook and can be realistic or make your own cartoon.

27. Skateboard

The nice thing about drawing a skateboard is its not nearly as intimidating as trying to actually ride a skateboard.

Celebrate today by drawing a beautiful cake! You can choose how many layers, what kind of icing, and what type of topper fits the occasion. There are so many ideas to draw for what kind of cake you make!

29. Butterfly

There are so many different kinds of beautiful butterflies you could draw, such as monarchs or swallowtail butterflies.

30. Race Car

Vroom vroom, race cars are designed for speed. Draw your favorite kind of race car, whether it’s an old fashioned derby style car or a racecar fit for Nascar tournament.

If you have a cat you can draw a portrait of your own pet or of course you could make a cartoon cat – we all know and love Garfield the Cat and his affinity for lasagna.

With over 190 registered dog breeds by the American Kennel Club you could almost make it a daily challenge just to draw a different type of dog.

33. Super Hero

It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s super man! Draw one of your favorite super heroes or create your own!

34. Cup of Coffee or Tea

If you’re going to drink coffee or tea every day, you might as well sketch it, right? Not a coffee or tea drinker? You can always sketch a glass of water.

35. Dinosaur

Dinosaur…roar! Draw a T-rex, a brontosaurus, a triceratops, pterodactyl or a velociraptor if you wish – there are so many great dinosaurs to choose from as sketchbook inspiration!

36. Web Icons

Web icons have become so common place we see them everywhere online. Sketch some icons for your favorite social media channels or visit a site like flaticon.com  for inspiration!

Pizza can be a lot of fun to draw, especially because you get to choose the toppings! Will you make it a veggie pizza, pepperoni pizza or maybe a Hawaiian pizza with pineapple and ham?

38. Dandelions

Every kid knows if you blow on a dandelion and make a wish your wish will come true, much to the dismay of gardeners everywhere who view them as weeds. These edible flowers make for a great easy drawing idea.

39. Hair Styles

Draw a braid, an up-do, or even crazy Medusa inspired snake hair if you wish.

40. Necklace, Bracelet or Rings

Jewelry can be a very interesting thing to sketch or draw, especially if the jewelry has special meaning to you, such as a necklace or ring passed on through your family or given to you by someone special.

41. Ice Cream Cone

Ice cream comes in all sorts of different flavors, and of course there are many different shapes and sizes of cones to choose from, whether its a cake cone, a sugar cone or a waffle cone!

42. Aquarium

Aquariums are beautiful habitats for all sorts of fish and can include plants or even decorative items.

43. Haunted House

It doesn’t have to be Halloween to enjoy drawing a spooky and haunted house. Don’t forget details like cracked windows and bent railings – and maybe even a few spirits peeking through.

Whether you draw a beautiful covered bridge scene or a bridge that goes over a river or harbor through the city, bridges give you plenty of architectural inspiration to use as drawing ideas!

45. Crazy Hats

Go ahead, give yourself permission to be a mad hatter and design as many crazy hats as you can think of!

46. Chevron Patterns

Chevrons are fun to draw and there are so many different pattern variations you can try!

You could draw a chandelier, a bedside table lamp, or maybe even a lava lamp!

48. Cruise Ship

Cruise ships are designed to take tourists to view the sights and scenes along the ocean coast. Draw the view from the deck or draw the view from one you can see passing by on the coast.

49. Planets in Outer Space

Draw a single planet like Mars, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Neptune or Jupiter – or draw the whole solar system!

They say eyes are the window of the soul, and it’s true you can learn a lot about a person’s feelings and thoughts based on how their eyes look. Draw your own eyes or draw the mesmerizing eyes of different animals.

51. Caricature

A caricature is a type of cartoon drawing where something about the subject is exaggerated to be funny. For example, if your friend loves to knit or crochet, you might exaggerate the ball of yarn in their hand. Use this drawing idea to make a funny sketch of your friends, family members or even a pet or celebrity.

Everybody needs shoes to walk around, so go ahead and grab the pair of shoes you wear everyday and sketch them!

53. Dream Catcher

Dream catchers are designed to catch bad dreams and keep nightmares away. They are a lot of fun to draw!

54. Rocket Ship

Fly to the moon or a distant galaxy far, far away in your very own rocket ship you can design with this simple idea for drawing.

55. House Plants

Whether it’s a succulent, an aloe vera plant, or a terrarium, if you have anything green growing in your house it can be an excellent source of inspiration for drawing ideas.

56. Inspiring Quote

Practice your hand-lettering by illustrating one of your favorite quotes, sayings, or verse from a poem.

Guitars are stringed instruments that can instantly make us tap our feet and sing along. You can choose to sketch an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar.

58. Deciduous Trees

Deciduous trees are the type of trees that lose their leaves in the winter. Examples include oak trees, maple trees, cherry trees, and ash trees. You can choose what season to show the tree – is it spring, winter, summer or autumn?

59. Circus Clown

Clowns can be funny, happy, sad…or even scary! You get to decide which you wish to draw with this drawing prompt.

60. Fairy Tale

Illustrate a scene from your favorite fairy tale. Some examples include Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, or Hansel and Gretel.

Bottles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You could draw a message in a bottle, soda bottles, apothecary bottles and more.

62. What You Last Ate:

What you last ate for breakfast, lunch or dinner is a simple and obvious drawing idea, but so few people think to actually do it and is a great idea for something to include in a sketchbook.

63. Parrot:

Parrots are colorful and tropical birds, so pull out the colored pencils or some inks to make this come alive in your journal.

What is your favorite book? You could choose to draw a stack of books or draw the cover of a recent book you’ve read and enjoyed. 

65. Elephants

They say an elephant never forgets, and if you draw one you will have a picture to remember an elephant by forever!

66. Camping Scene

Whether you want to draw a travel trailer or a tent, sketch a camping scene. Don’t forget the campfire and marshmallows!

Tigers are big cats with interesting black and orange striped patterns, making them the perfect subject for a page in your sketchbook.

Cartoon-like roses can be easy to draw – they are just a spiral and a circle. Or, challenge your skills to draw a life-like rose complete with petals and stem – just watch out for those thorns!

Zebras are native to Africa and are another interesting animal to draw that are best well known for their black and white stripes.

70. Monster

Could there be a monster hiding under your bed, or in your closet? Probably not, but you never know – which is why you should draw a bigger, more friendlier monster to protect you and scare away all other monsters.

You might remember globes from school and they make for fantastic drawing objects, especially if you are a travel or geography buff.

72. Staircase

We see steps everywhere in regular life, whether it’s in your house, in a park, or maybe even a spiraling staircase along a water tower like in the photo above I took at a nearby park by my house.

73. Peacock

My grandparents used to have peacocks when I was a kid, and they are absolutely beautiful and incredible birds with detailed feathers that are perfect for drawing!

74. The Ocean

You could create an under water scene complete with coral and sea creatures like whales, an octopus and more.

75. Crocodile or Alligator

Crocodiles have a longer, V-shaped snout, while alligators have broad U shaped snouts. Either way, you could draw a snapping good crocodile or alligator in your journal – maybe even both!

76. A Clock

What’s the time? There’s always time to draw something daily! Draw a clock tower, a grandfather’s clock, or an alarm clock.

77. Gumball Machine

A gumball machine can be a lot of fun to draw, and of course there is no rule you have to fill it with gumballs – you can always choose to fill it with a different type of candy, it is your drawing afterall!

78. Giraffes

Known for their long necks, make sure you don’t forget their third horn at the top of their heads. We love visiting the giraffes named Louis and Socks at the local zoo where we live.

79. Bubbles

Bubbles make for a great ideas for what to draw, especially because they are relatively easy for beginners and you could fill a whole page with bubbles in no time!

80. Sports Player

Do you have a favorite sport? Sketch a player in action whether its soccer, baseball, football, hockey or badminton.

81. Airplane

There are so many options for what you could draw with an airplane, whether its the plane’s exterior, the interior, the view from the window, or even possibly the pilot’s cockpit.

82. Sunflowers

Sunflowers are bright, cheerful, and one of my favorite flowers to see standing tall in the summer sun.

83. Mountains

Try your hand at this idea for drawing mountains by sketching a Rocky Mountain or Appalachian mountain landscape.

84. Bath Tub

Rub-a-dub Dub, draw a bathtub! Don’t forget your rubber duckie!

There are so many great herbs that you can use for drawing. If you grow your own fresh herbs, set them up in a way you can sketch them as a real subject or use reference photos for herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme.

86. Family heirlooms

Family heirlooms are always special, and what better way to preserve them than to sketch them in your art journal?

If you’re a lucky duck, you might even be able to see these water birds at a nearby park or lake by you, but plenty of reference photos abound – you can even use the photo I took of a duck here if you’d like as inspiration!

88. Wildflowers

Draw a beautiful landscape meadow of wildflowers, or take inspiration from botanists through history who meticulously sketched and documented wildflowers in the field.

Someone once told me I didn’t draw a very serious spider, so I gave this spider a briefcase, neck tie and his own private office with a certificate just to prove how serious he was.

90. Drawing Supplies

You already have the perfect subject for drawing in your hand – a pen, pencil, bottle of ink or charcoal set all make for great things to draw.

Fairies are enchanting, tiny human-like creatures that have wings and can fly.

92. Woodland Animals

Draw a deer, a raccoon, a fox, a squirrel, or other woodland animals with this drawing idea.

93. Hippie Van

While you may not be able to actually own and live in a hippie van, you can draw one and that’s the next best thing.

94. Ostrich

Ostriches are fun to draw – and you can decide whether or not it sticks its head in the sand! {Of course, they don’t *actually do this* but that’s the nice thing about drawing, you can use your imagination!}

Whether it is just a slice of your favorite kind of pie or the whole thing, your mouth will be watering by the time you are done drawing this one!

Eggs are a great way to practice your shadowing and depth in drawing. And don’t think you’re limited to just plain white eggs like you get at the grocery store – you can always make them different hues and sizes or decorate with patterns and shapes!

Grab a dollar bill or some loose change and try drawing it. This is a great way to practice shading, depth and more if you want to create realistic drawings.

98. Cooking Utensils & Kitchen Gadgets

Don’t use your blender that often? It’s the perfect opportunity to finally put it to use as a drawing subject! You could also sketch your pots and pans, eating utensils, or other kitchen gadgets you have around the house.

99. Your House

Where we live makes for an excellent idea of what to draw, and you can choose whether to draw the interior or the exterior.

Old fashioned radios are fascinating objects, and many times they still work even in today’s world of digital media. Go for a classic vintage radio, or maybe even draw a 90’s style boombox.

101. Fast Food

You know the drill: soda, burger and fries.

We have smart phones with us almost every day – why not draw it in your sketchbook and document that? Or, draw an old rotary phone for a throwback to the days before cell phones existed.

You could draw a hammer, screw driver, drill, saw, wrench or draw the whole toolbox.

104. Arrows

There are so many different styles of arrows you could try drawing, whether you make arrow doodles or draw a realistic bow and arrow set.

105. Jelly Beans

Known for their unique shape, multiple colors and best found in Easter baskets, jelly beans are a great idea for something to draw!

106. Game Controller

Are you a gamer? Whether it’s Play Station, X-Box, a Gaming Keyboard, or an old school Atari controller, draw a game controller that reminds you of your favorite video games.

107. Soup Can

Take inspiration from Andy Warhol and try your hand at drawing a soup can.

108. Fireworks

Let your paper be the sky for a colorful display of patterns of light.

109. Forest Scene

Think trees, moss covered rocks and maybe even a stream winding through a forest scene perfect for a landscape sketch.

110. Astrological Signs & Symbols

What’s your sign? You could draw a Pisces fish, the Scales of Libra, the Scorpion of Scorpio or the Archer of Sagittarius for example.

111. Banners

Banners are a lot of fun to draw and you can make them as whimsical as you wish. I love drawing banners in my art journals!

112. Wristwatch

Do you wear a watch? Whether its a smartwatch or a classic watch you wind up, draw a wristwatch in your sketchbook.

113. Nuts, Bolts & Other Hardware

Take a walk down a hardware aisle or go through your garage to find nuts, bolts, and other miscellaneous hardware to sketch and draw.

114. Typewriter

There is something cool about a typewriter, even if they don’t make much sense in today’s digital age…they are definitely fun to draw!

115. Bunnies or Rabbits

Bunnies and rabbits are cute, soft and fluffy. I used to have one as a kid!

Ivy is a plant that spreads, often times along a wall, window or trellis and is best known for beautiful leaf shapes – perfect for drawing in your sketchbook!

117. Machines

We see all kinds of machines in our daily lives – from the washing machine, to the dishwasher to the furnace that keeps our homes warm. You could also invent your own machine!

118. Garden Tools

A garden shovel, gloves, trowel etc are all examples of common garden tools that make the perfect subject for still life drawing ideas.

119. City Skylines

Draw a silhouette of a city skyline, whether it is a local city where you live or one you want to visit someday.

120. What’s on your desk?

Take a look at what is on your desk today and sketch it – no matter how messy your desk may be!

121. Pineapple

Pineapples were named pine apples because of their exterior resembles a pine cone. Often viewed as a symbol of friendship, these tropical fruits are the perfect thing to try drawing!

122. Hearts

You can choose to draw doodle hearts, or draw an anatomically correct depiction of a human heart.

The first steam train was invented in 1804 and many people were afraid to ride them. Today, trains are still used for transportation and shipping. You can make a passenger train or a cargo train. Draw a single box car, the engine, or the caboose!

124. Lawnmower

My husband is always talking about fixing his broken lawnmower, so I had to include it on this list. You can draw a riding mower or a push mower or even a commercial lawnmower.

125. Hourglass

An hourglass is a type of sand filled timer which you’ve probably seen more often in board games.

126. Scissors

A basic and important office supply, drawing realistic scissors can be more challenging than you might think!

127. Mailbox

Everybody gets mail, so why not sketch your mailbox?

128. Ticket

Have you recently gone to an event where you needed a ticket? Draw or sketch that ticket in your sketchbook.

129. Circles

Circles might seem like a mundane drawing idea, but there are so many great ideas for drawing circular patterns and different circle sizes!

If you are lucky enough to have a grape vineyard nearby, you can find a LOT of inspiration to sketch and draw vines! Many different types of vines also grow on trees.

X-rays allow us to see inside someone or something. You can draw an X-ray view of a person or an object.

132. Tunnels

Tunnels are a great way to practice drawing perspective, especially if you are drawing the view from the beginning to the end of a tunnel.

133. People at Work

Millions of people go t work every single day. This could be construction workers, people in your office, or even the cashiers at the store.

134. Ladders

Ladders are another great exercise for drawing perspective. There are also many different kinds of ladders – from step ladders to paint ladders to imaginary ladders that climb all the way to the clouds.

135. Playground

Draw a swingset, sliding board, the view in the sandbox at a nearby park or playground where you live.

136. Swirls

Swirls are fun to draw and can be highly meditative and addictive! Fill a page with swirls or practice drawing some swirly flourishes.

137. Dancing

Draw people who are dancing, and be sure their clothes and dance moves reflect the type of music they are dancing to!

138. Sunglasses or Eyeglasses

Set up a pair of your sunglasses or eyeglasses on a table and start sketching them.

139. Hills & Valleys

Rolling hills and valleys can give a typical landscape sketch a lot of visual interest.

140. Rocks & Stones

Are you a rock collector? Have you ever been to a rocky beach or noticed rocks along the shore of a river? Take some time to draw the details of rocks or stones.

Good fences make good neighbors, according to poet Robert Frost. They also make for great drawing subjects, whether it’s a white picket fence, a split rail fence or a wrought-iron fence.

142. Triangles

There are so many different kinds of patterns you can create just with a simple triangle!

Moo! Cows can be found on farms around the world and are a great animal to try drawing – this sketch of a baby calf is so cute!

There are over 6,300 known species of frogs in the world, which means you have a lot of choices on what kind of frog to draw! Draw a tree frog, a bullfrog, an African claw frog, or other frog of your choosing.

145. Spool of Thread & Other Sewing Notions

Do you have a sewing box? A simple spool of thread and other sewing notions can make for a great still life.

146. Tomato

Some people love tomatoes, others could leave them. Either way, they make for a n excellent drawing subject.

147. Squares and Rectangles

Drawing squares and rectangles gives you plenty of opportunities to discover new patterns in your doodles. Tip: For straight lines, use a ruler!

148. Tea kettle

How about a nice relaxing cup of tea? Sketch a tea kettle in your journal.

149. Lightbulb

The symbol for creativity and ideas, light bulbs are an invention we still rely on heavily today. Try drawing something inside of a lightbulb for an illuminating challenge.

150. Party Supplies

What do you need to throw a party? You could draw party hats, noise makers, or keep it simple with just party foods.

151. Railroad tracks

Railroad tracks are very dangerous to be around, so I do not suggest trying to go near them for sketching, but there are many pictures you can use as reference and they are great practice for perspective.

Porches are welcoming gathering places for company and the perfect scene to sketch.

153. Rainbow

Rainbows are easy to draw and a great excuse to pull out the colored pencils. An easy way to remember the order of the colors is the acronym Roy G. Biv: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.

154. Lemonade Stand

Every kid dreams of having a lemonade stand someday, and now is your chance to finally design the lemonade stand of your dreams.

Do you play piano? You can choose to draw a close-up of the keys, someone playing the piano, an upright piano, or a baby grand piano.

156. Hallways

Interior hallways can be a great way to practice drawing perspective, especially if the hallway has a lot of doors or wall decor.

157. Watch Gears

What’s inside a watch? Lots of little gear parts that make for fun and easy drawing ideas.

It doesn’t have to be taco tuesday to draw a taco. Fill up that shell with all your favorite ingredients and toppings!

159. Paint & Paint Brush

Pull out your paints and paint brushes to set up a still life scene of an artist at work.

160. Faces With Different Emotions

So often in portraits we see people happy – try drawing faces with different emotions such as angry, sad, frustrated, or calm.

161. Dishes

Dishes can have all sorts of different patterns and styles that can make for fantastic creative inspiration.

162. Fountain

Whether its an outdoor or indoor fountain, there are all sorts of interesting details to capture when drawing a fountain.

163. Puzzle Pieces

Puzzles are always entertaining. Grab a puzzle off your game shelf and scatter a few pieces around to sketch and draw.

164. Monkey

You probably can’t have a pet monkey like Curious George in real life, but you can always draw a character of your own.

165. Angels

Angels are majestic divine beings of light, and a fantastic source of inspiration for sketching and drawing.

One of the nice things about drawing hands is you always have a realistic model attached to you! Try different poses or holding different objects.

167. Pair of Socks

Do you have a pair of crazy socks? You can sketch a pair of socks you already own, or make your own crazy sock designs.

168. Bag or Purse

We use bags all the time in our everyday life, whether it’s a shopping bag or a purse where you keep your keys, wallet and more. Draw the bag itself or draw a fashion sketch of a person wearing a bag.

169. Umbrella

Rainy days are a lot more bearable when you have a good umbrella to keep you dry!

170. Beach Scene

The beach is a relaxing and serene place to sit with a sketchbook and sketch the sights.

171. Bowling Ball and Pins

Bowling can be a lot of fun, and drawing a bowling ball and pins makes for a good drawing exercise.

172. Roller Coaster

Do you have a favorite rollercoaster ride? You can draw a lifelike imitation of a rollercoaster you love, or design your own with plenty of ups, downs, twists and turns.

We often associate witches with mean and scary looking old ladies, but Glenda the Good witch from the Wizard of Oz reminds us that not all witches are bad.

174. Headphones

Love listening to music? Don’t forget to sketch your headphones.

Are ghosts real? What do they look like? Now is your chance to draw one!

176. Paper Clips

Pull out a handful of paper clips from your office desk and sketch them.

177. King or Queen

You can draw a king or queen from history, or even imagine yourself as king or queen for the day.

178. Graffiti

Graffiti is a unique form of art and perfectly legal when done on paper.

179. Ladybugs

Ladybugs are cute beneficial insects in any garden.

180. Abstract Line Art

Use this as a chance to draw stripes or have fun with experimenting with different line angles on paper.

181. Mermaid

Fictional characters that live under the sea, mermaids have captivated the imagination of sailors and storytellers for ages.

Do you have any toys from your childhood? Pull them out and sketch them.

183. Junk Drawer

Everybody has a junk drawer – that place where stuff just ends up somehow. Go through your junk drawer and pick a couple of random objects to draw.

184. Highway road

Have you been on a any recent road trips lately? Highway roads are always an interesting thing to draw.

185. Backpack

What’s in your backpack? Whether you’re a hiker or a student or carry your laptop in a backpack, there’s plenty of different styles and shapes to choose from to draw!

186. Mushrooms

Did you know there are over 10,000 different types of mushrooms? That gives you a LOT of options for what to draw, whether you draw realistic mushrooms or fantasy style mushrooms in an enchanted forest.

187. Cactus

Whether you have a cactus growing at home or want to take inspiration from a desert landscape, cacti make for excellent drawing subjects.

188. Turtle

Don’t be shy – draw a turtle! You can make it realistic, cartoonish, or somewhere in between.

189. Seashells

Seashells are abundant in the world and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, giving you plenty of creative options to explore when it comes to drawing them.

190. Photo Frames

Every piece of art needs a good frame, and this is a great prompt to make doodle frames or draw ornate frames inspired from vintage and antique photograph displays.

Where does the gate lead? You can draw a garden gate, a gateway to a new portal or maybe a gate to a haunted and spooky hollow.

192. Vegetables

Don’t want to eat your vegetables? Draw them instead!

I am always fascinated by the details in patchwork quilts. You can try drawing different quilt block designs, or even take inspiration from a crazy quilt with elaborate stitching and embroidery embellishing each patch!

194. Sunrise/sunset

The sun rises and sets every single day and that itself is pretty amazing! What’s a drawing prompt list without a sunset or sunrise?

You can draw your state or country’s flag, or choose to draw different flags from around the world.

There are many different types of bells, from bell towers to school bells to jingle bells.

197. Potato Chips

Are you in need of a snack? Next time you reach for that bag of potato chips, sketch it!

198. Your Closet

Open up your closet doors and sketch a scene of your current wardrobe. Hopefully you won’t find too many skeletons in there!

199. Vintage Photographs

Old vintage photos make for great drawing reference photo idea, especially when they feature historical lifestyles.

Heat things up by drawing flames or fire. You can draw a campfire, a fire in a fireplace, or flames surrounding another object.

201. Raindrops

Raindrops are their very own shape, and there are so many different ways you could interpret this! You could make raindrop patterns, or try to realistically capture what raindrops may look like on a pane of glass or when they fall and hit the ground.

Your choice – make a map of where you live, somewhere you’ve visited, or maybe even a map of a completely fictional and imaginary fantasy world.

203. Optical illusions

Optical illusions play with lines, shadows, and depth to create images that aren’t always what they appear to be. Play around with different ideas until you get a drawing that makes you look twice.

204. Snowman

Do you want to draw a snowman? You can make your snowman as elaborate or as simple as you’d like!

205. Steampunk

Steampunk is a type of science fiction where everything is steam powered. Think gears, flying contraptions, and all sorts of odd inventions. Prefer figure drawing? You could also draw people in steampunk attire!

206. Seagulls

These birds may be noisy, squacky, and annoying to deal with at the beach, but they are still beautiful to look at and the perfect subject for drawing.

207. Computer

We spend enough time at the computer, so take a break from the digital world and get out that sketchpad!

208. Chickens

Chickens come in all sorts of varieties – the American Poultry Association recognizes over 50 different breeds of chickens. You can choose to make this as simple or as complex as you wish!

209. Historic Scene

Scenes from history are always fun to illustrate, especially if you choose to depict a time before cameras were invented, which was in 1816.

210. The library

Go visit your local library and bring your sketchbook! You can choose to sketch the outside of the building or sit at a table where you can get a good view of the rows and rows of books.

211. Your grocery store

Shopping for food is an everyday necessity, and chances are you’ve been to the grocery store at least once in the past year. Draw some of the aisles, a grocery display case, or draw the exterior of the building.

212. Jar of Something

Everything in mason jars is all the rage in decor, or maybe you’re like me and love a jar of bread and butter pickles or homemade jam.

213. Numbers

You don’t have to be a mathematician to appreciate there are so many different ways to draw numbers! Practice hand-lettering in different styles or use basic numbers as a base for more elaborate doodles.

214. Your Bed

Researchers estimate the average person spends about 26 years of our lives in bed…which is a LOT of time sleeping! Give your bed its proper tribute by illustrating it in your sketchbook.

215. Impossible World

Maybe there’s an imaginary world where fish fly in the sky, or the moon is underwater…invent an imaginary fantasy world and draw it!

216. Speech Bubbles

How do you convey spoken words in your drawings? With speech bubbles of course! You can draw them comic book style or practice creating new patterns using a basic speech bubble shape.

217. Farm or Barn Scene

The Barn is an iconic image of the countryside, and no wonder – these giant buildings serve as a place to store farm equipment and provide shelter to animals. Draw a barn!

218. Labyrinth

A labyrinth is a meandering path that leads to the center of a shape. Traditionally circular in nature, they are often used in common times for reflection and meditation.

Go fly a kite! And if there’s no wind or you don’t have a kite, you can always draw one! Again, there are so many different shapes and types here to choose from!

220. Astronaut

Remember that rocket ship you drew in prompt number 54? What about the person flying that thing? Draw a picture of the astronaut brave enough to travel in your spacecraft.

Balls of yarn can be a fun challenge to draw, especially when you get into different types of hand spun yarns or art yarn!

Go ahead, take a chance…and draw some dice! Did you know there are more dice than just the average 6-sided dice? They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, as I learned from playing Dungeons & Dragons.

223. Pumpkins

You can draw a pumpkin patch, a fall themed still life display, or maybe even carve out a face on your pumpkin and create a jack-o-lantern!

224. Flooring

Have you ever spent time staring at the floor? I know that sounds sarcastic, but you might just be surprised how many different textures and patterns exist on what we walk all over every single day.

225. Scene from a Dream

Have any crazy dreams lately? Illustrate a scene from a dream in your sketchbook. Bonus? You can interpret what that dream means based on the image you drew!

Imagine a bench. Who is sitting on it? Draw it!

227. Garden

There are so many different things you can draw for a garden, whether its a vegetable garden or a flower garden or maybe just a peaceful place outside surrounded by plants.

228. Blue Jeans

Get a pair of blue jeans out from your closet and try putting them in different poses on a table or the floor and draw what you see.

229. Wild West Scene

Cowboys, outlaws, and a good saloon make for the perfect backdrop for a wild west scene you could draw.

230. Children playing

Kids are always a source of inspiration to draw, especially when they are playing.

231. Silhouette

Silhouettes are outlines of an object, person or place. Try drawing silhouettes of people in different poses, or draw silhouettes of everyday objects around the house.

Hopefully there are no mice in your house – but they are cute, when they don’t sneak up on you! You could draw a realistic mouse, or draw personified mice characters who live in their own burrow in a meadow.

233. Baby/Infant

Like kids, babies are another great source for portrait photos. You can use a baby you know as inspiration, or dig out those old photos of you as a baby when you were new to this world.

I’d never want to see a hippo close in real life {I hear they can be very aggressive and dangerous!} but I’m definitely okay with drawing them!

When the cold wind blows you get ice! You can draw icicles hanging from the eaves of a roof, or maybe even ice cubes that are guaranteed not to melt.

236. Favorite Animated/Cartoon Character

When I was in the second grade I was so lucky to take a cartooning class where I learned to draw Mickey Mouse, Snoopy, and more. Do you have a favorite cartoon character or anime character? Try to draw them as close as the original as you can.

237. Camera

So often as artists we use reference photos to inspire our work, but we forget the camera itself can be a great drawing idea!

238. Mad Scientist’s Lab

Think bubbling potions, beakers, and oh my, what’s that monster doing under the sheet over there in the corner?

239. Wood Texture

Wood grain can be a beautiful texture to draw, especially in pencil, ink, or charcoal. There are so many options for patterns and shading!

240. Gnomes

Who doesn’t love garden gnomes? Maybe they’re tacky, but I think they’re the perfect thing to draw – especially if you draw them in different clothes and styles.

241. Life Underground

Most of the time we think about life on the surface of earth, but there’s all sorts of things that happen underground, from coal mines to subway train stations to fault lines and magma…what world do you imagine? Draw it!

Ever hear the phrase, I’m all ears? Now’s your chance to illustrate it!

We drive in cars every day and there are so many different types we see on the road. You can choose to draw your first car, your current car, or the cars you see passing by on the street near where you live.

244. Holiday scenes

There’s so many holidays we celebrate around the world – you can choose from Easter, Halloween, Christmas, Fourth of July or maybe even St. Patrick’s Day.

245. Song Lyrics

Do you have a favorite song? Illustrate a scene from the song, or practice your hand-lettering by drawing a quote of the lyrics.

246. Parking Lot

Parking lots might not sound like that exciting of an idea for drawing, but you can be surprised what happens in them! They are great places for people watching, or you could sketch the scene of one to continue a series of drawings of places around where you live.

247. Movie Scene

What’s your favorite movie? Draw a scene from a movie you love or have watched recently.

248. Xylophone

Xylophone is pretty much the only word we could think of that begins with the letter X, so it made our list. 🙂

249. City Street Scene

Walk around the city and sketch the sights on the street.

250. Award or Trophy

Have you ever been given a trophy or award for an achievement? You could also draw trophies or awards for your pets or friends, like “Best Listener” or “Most Furry”.

Look up to the night sky and draw the stars. You could also research and draw different constellations.

From dump trucks to tractor trailer trucks to pick-up trucks, there are all kinds of trucks you can draw. Above is a picture of a pick-up my brother drew.

253. Skeleton or Skull

Skeletons and skulls might be creepy to some, but they can be a lot less scary if you opt to draw a sugar skull from the Mexican Day of the Dead holiday.

Bird watchers know there are thousands of different species of birds, which means you have a lot of options here! To keep things simple, try drawing birds that are native to where you live and can be found regularly in your backyard and parks.

255. Friend

Ask a friend for a photo or see if they would be willing to pose while you draw a portrait of them.

256. Cleaning Supplies

Fact: It’s more fun to draw cleaning supplies than it is to actually do the laundry, dishes, and other household chores.

257. Wheels

From wagon wheels to car rims, there are all sorts of different types of wheels you could draw. You could also use wheels as a base for making repetitive patterns.

258. Sled Ride

Have you ever been on a sled in the winter? You can draw kids sledding or draw an old fashioned Christmas sleigh!

What’s behind that door? You can draw the door of your house, or draw a door that captures your eye and makes you want to open it…or avoid it.

260. Diamonds

Diamonds are easy things to draw and you can play with all sorts of different patterns and repetitions with them.

261. Favorite Things

What are your favorite things in the whole wide world? Draw them!

Waves are a very cool thing you can draw, whether its realistic waves in the ocean, or simply waves of lines that create a pattern.

263. School

Draw a picture of what you remember school looked like when you were a kid, or draw all the school supplies you remember needing.

264. Abandoned Warehouse

Abandoned warehouses are cool architecture places to draw, just remember that you shouldn’t actually go into an abandoned warehouse without proper permission and safety clearances – it can be VERY dangerous!

265. Cooking Spices

What’s on your spice rack? Draw it!

266. Favorite Place From Your Childhood

What is a place you remember from your childhood? It can be any place you visited that brings back happy memories.

267. Vase of Flowers

The classic still life is the perfect opportunity to practice drawing!

268. Vacation Spot

Think back on all of the places you’ve visited and vacationed at over the years. Draw a scene of one of your favorite spots!

269. News Headline

Look to the news today and draw a headline from the current events.

270. Village

Draw a whimsical village of cute little houses.

Artists like Van Gogh are famous for painting a chair, so get your start by drawing one!

Horses are incredible creatures admired for the beauty and strength. Draw wild horses or someone riding a horse.

273. Drum Set

Not everybody has room for a drum set in their house or the talent to play one, but you can always draw one!

274. Exercise Poses

Draw a figure in different exercise poses, such as yoga or aerobics.

275. Something That Smells Nice

What’s your favorite smell? Draw something that you think smells nice.

276. Illustrate Onomatopoeia Words

Onomatopoeia words are words that are spelled exactly like they sound – and they can be fun to illustrate. Some example words are splash, buzz, pop, fizz, and swish.

277. Detective

Take inspiration from Sherlock Holmes and draw a detective on the case to solve the next mystery.

278. Mythological Creatures

Centaur, griffins, and manticores are all examples of different types of mythological creatures you could draw in your journal.

Draw a game board, game pieces or make up a design that could be used on your very own deck of illustrated cards.

280. Picnic

Set the scene for the perfect picnic lunch – hopefully there won’t be any ants to ruin the fun!

With over 200 owl species to choose from, you could draw a barn owl, a snowy owl, or great horned owl. The above picture my daughter drew when she was six.

282. Your Favorite Decade

Draw a scene from your favorite decade, whether it’s the roaring 1920’s or the fun and colorful 1980’s.

283. Flash Light

No need to stay in the dark – you can draw your own light with a flash light!

284. Bathroom Cabinet

Draw your toothbrush, a bar of soap, or anything else you may regularly keep in your bathroom cabinets.

Idioms are expressions and phrases that generally don’t make any literal sense in the real world…one example being it’s raining cats and dogs. Illustrate a silly idiom or other expression that we don’t take literally. You can find more idioms at the Free Dictionary Idiom Search .

286. Rock Star

Everybody thinks about becoming a rock star at some point, take inspiration from one of your favorite artists or bands or draw yourself rocking out to your favorite kind of music.

287. Party Animals

Draw animals going to a party. Don’t forget their party hats!

What’s hiding up in the attic of that old house? Draw it!

289. Happy Couple

Draw a couple that is happy and in love together.

290. Neighborhood

Sketch a street scene from your local neighborhood.

291. Bar or Restaurant

Where’s the last place you’ve eaten or gone out to? Draw a picture of the exterior or interior of the building.

292. Time Machine

Time machines don’t exist yet, but here’s your chance to design one that will help you travel back and forth in time.

293. Runner

They say life is a marathon and not a sprint…unless a lion is chasing you. Draw someone who is running from something, or maybe they are competing in a 5k or marathon.

294. Treehouse

Wouldn’t it be great to live in a treehouse for a day? Design and draw a Pete Nelson worthy treehouse for you to escape to.

295. Museum

Museums are full of interesting artifacts from history. Visit a museum near you or do a virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History online here .

Boxes can be empty or they can be full of surprises. You can draw just one box or a whole stack of them!

Draw a humanoid-like robot, or draw a robot straight out of a science fiction movie. Cartoon robots are also always fun!

Drawing glass can be a fun way to explore drawing reflections and shadows.

299. Mechanic’s Garage

Draw a mechanic’s garage with cars needing repaired.

300. Helicopter

Did you know the fastest speed of a helicopter ever recorded is 248 mph? That’s crazy!

301. Brick Wall

Brick patterns are a great idea for something to draw.

302. Lighthouse

Lighthouses help keep sailors and ships safe while out at sea. They are also beautiful tourist attractions all around the world.

303. Gifts and Presents

Did you receive any gifts or presents recently? Draw them! You could also draw wrapped presents.

304. Christmas Tree

Deck the halls and put up a Christmas tree, in your art journal or sketchbook at least! Not Christmas time or don’t celebrate Christmas? You could always decorate your tree to be more to your liking.

Towers have been used historically for many different reasons, and they stand tall along the skyline. Draw one!

There are so many famous hotels you could choose to draw, or draw the outside of the last hotel you stayed at.

307. Ant Farm

Ants build the most fascinating tunnels in ant farms. Illustrate an ant farm to show their secret lives in their homes.

308. Battle

You could draw a historic battle or you could draw a fantasy battle between an ogre and a dragon.

309. Waterfall

There are so many waterfalls in the world, experts can’t even agree how many there are! They are beautiful cascading natural elements perfect for sketching.

310. Remote Control

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a remote control that does everything? Take inspiration from the remote control you have for your TV or design your own with custom buttons you could use in your life.

311. Bakery

Cakes, cookies, bread…mmmm…all of my favorite foods can be found at a bakery, so draw one!

312. Suitcase

Packing to go somewhere? You could draw a suitcase ready to travel the world, or draw yours.

We live on this great big earth, so draw it.

314. Mandala

A mandala is a geometric figure that represents the universe. They are often used for meditative purposes and can be so relaxing to draw.

315. Cassette Tape

Am I showing my age here? Even if everything is digital today, cassette tapes are still cool to draw in my book.

316. Antique Car

Cars from the 1900’s look a lot different than the ones we drive today! Draw an antique or classic car that was manufactured before 1970.

317. Castle

You drew the queen and king in prompt number 177, now where are they going to live? Draw a castle fit for royalty, or take inspiration from one of the famous 500+ castles that already exist in the world.

318. Lightning

Lightning can be mesmerizing and the earth is struck by lightning an estimated 1,400,000,000 times a year – now that’s electrifying!

319. Snakes

Some people are scared of snakes, but the best way to overcome that fear is to draw one on paper. Besides, it’s your imagination – you can make the snake a friendly, non-biting one!

I heard you can really draw a crowd…haha…I know, that’s a terribly punny joke but I couldn’t resist.

Swords are often seen in coats of armor and in historical fiction stories like the sword in the stone…try drawing one!

322. Compass

Which way north? Draw a compass rose.

Pigs are very intelligent creatures…and they are cute!

Be careful if you drew three pigs in the last prompt, this could get hairy and become the story of three little pigs quick, which doesn’t end too well for the wolf.

325. Anchor

Anchors are symbols of strength and safety and often used in logos and tattoo designs.

Who doesn’t love a good donut? Draw your favorite flavor donut.

327. Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are very fast to see in real life, but they are beautiful birds to draw.

328. Statues and Sculptures

Draw your own life-like statue or sculpture, or try to draw a realistic rendition of a famous statue such as The Statue of Liberty or the sculpture of Discobolus .

329. Zipper

Zippers are something we use all the time, and they are fun to draw! You can also use the basic shape of a zipper for all sorts of pattern drawing ideas!

330. Television Set

You can draw a retro TV set or draw a more modern day version of a smart TV.

That alien that you drew in prompt #25…what kind of spacecraft were they flying? Draw an unidentified flying object.

332. Scarecrow

Scarecrows are not really all that useful for scaring away crows, but they have become an iconic decoration around the fall and autumn season.

One of the popular games for kids to play in the woods is to go snipe hunting…of course you never find one because snipes don’t exist. No one knows what a snipe really is, but this is your chance to imagine what one would look like if it were real.

334. Chameleon

Chameleons are best known for being able to change their colors to blend into their environment. This is a great opportunity to practice shading or draw with multiple colors.

335. Jellyfish

The nice thing about drawing a jellyfish on paper is they can’t sting you! While you’d never want to get too close to one in real life, they are beautifully amazing creatures of the sea.

336. Unicorn

A unicorn is a mythical creature that looks much like a horse with a single horn on its forehead. They are often depicted in art and folklore, making it the perfect drawing prompt.

Tulips mean spring is coming, and they are fun beautiful flowers to draw in any weather or season. Because they are bulbs, you can even force them to grow in the winter like I did with my flowers. See my post on the seasons of being an artist .

338. Pinwheel

Pinwheels are toys that twirl around when someone blows on them. They are symbolically seen as a way of “turing one’s luck around” and often signify playfulness and happiness.

339. Palm Tree

Did you know palm trees are actually evergreen trees? They are characterized by broad fan-like leaves and usually found in tropical regions around the world.

340. Rainforests

Rainforests are home to thousands of exotic plant species and animals and are typically found around the earth’s equator.

341. Deserted Island

What would you do if you were stuck on a deserted island? What would it look like? I hope you brought a notebook and pencil!

342. Snowflakes

No two snowflakes are alike, and you can have so much fun drawing different patterns and designs of snowflakes.

343. Ball or Sphere

Balls and spheres are a great opportunity to play around with drawing different shadow angles and light sources.

344. Goldfish

Goldfish are easy to draw and are a favorite pet for many people.

345. DNA Helix

It’s crazy to think we have DNA and I even recently just did a DNA test on Ancestry.com – it’s so fascinating to me to trace back all of my ancestors. Drawing the helix is a great way to practice different shading techniques as well.

One of my favorite songs is You Are the Moon by the Hush Sound , and I can’t think but illustrating a beautiful moonlit landscape everytime I hear it.

347. Trapeze Artist

Trapeze artists are highly skilled entertainers who perform all sorts of aerial tricks on ropes. Often seen at circuses, many modern artists can be seen in cities and other places.

348. Atoms and Molecules

You don’t have to be a chemistry major to recognize that atoms and molecule diagrams can be fascinating subjects for drawing ideas!

349. Carousel

I’ve always loved merry go round carousel rides and still ride them even now whenever I get a chance. You can choose to draw the whole carousel or just draw a carousel horse.

350. Cabin or Cottage in the Woods

Draw your own artists retreat place in the form of a cabin or cottage in the woods.

351. Buttons

Buttons make for great doodles, or you can always draw a magic button that you can push for when things go awry.

352. Pot of Gold

What’s at the end of your rainbow from prompt #153? Shamrock optional.

353. Doctor’s Office

Have you ever noticed all the different things they have at the doctor’s office when you go in for a check-up?

354. Panda Bear

Panda bears are just cute and that is why you should draw one.

355. Building Blocks

Building blocks are a great way to play with different angles, lines, and shadows.

356. Ferris Wheel

Ferris wheels are popular carnival rides and a great thing to draw.

357. Turkey

You can draw a turkey – it’s as simple as tracing your hand. Of course, you could always opt to draw a turkey that’s a bit more realistic.

358. Lollipops and Candy

Craving something sweet? Draw a lollipop or another favorite type of Candy.

You could draw a city bus, a school bus, or even a double-decker bus.

360. Flamingo

Flamingos are graceful birds most well known for their ability to balance on just one leg.

361. Ukulele

Ukulele’s only have 4 strings and are smaller and higher pitched than a guitar. Both of my daughters play the Ukulele!

362. Strawberry

Strawberries are amazingly detailed when you look at one up close, making them a great option for a close-up sketch.

363. Sandcastle

Did you know people build sandcastles at a competitive level? It’s amazing what architects, engineers, and creative designers and make out of sand at sand castle competitions!

364. Record Player

We may not play records that often anymore, but they are still a totally fun vintage thing to draw.

365. Magic Wand

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a magic wand? Well, you can always draw one!

I hope you enjoyed this list of 365 Drawing Ideas and of course if you create any of these things to draw I would love to see it in our Artjournalist Facebook community group !

Do you have any ideas for things to draw that I might have missed? I’d love to hear your ideas and how you will use these drawing prompts – tell me in the comments below!

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19 Comments

How about flowers

she said sunflowers which are technically flowers

great list of inspiration

This was a wonderful list

i like these thanks for curing my dreadful boredom 😃😄😊

I’ve read a lot of lists for drawing prompts, this one is by far the best! Thank you so much! I’m sure it took some time to come up with all of these!!

I’m glad you’re enjoying them!

Can you please share some painting ideas?

Sounds like a great idea Amy, I will get on it 🙂

great list i cant wait to fill lots of sketchbooks up with ideas oh also how about fidget toys they are great to draw

Hmm cant think of any! It sure helped me. I run art contests every week and like gettin opinions from people on themes, seeing this I may never have trouble picking a theme again! lol😂

I was stuck trying to think of ideas of what to draw during a pandemic. Thanks for all the great ideas. I better get started, I have hundreds of drawings to do. Joyce

Glad it inspired you Joyce!

I actually had a drawing competition in my school and the topic was “dreaming with eyes open” and this really helped thanks!

thanks for this great list of inspiration. defiantly cured my boredom. I really liked the coffee idea. i made a really good painting for my kitchen with it. it says: “Key To My Morning. it is is painting of a blue coffee cup, with i red back round. my parents drink coffe every morning so i made it for them.

you should add hallway

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Sketchbook Ideas for Any Classroom

Tools, supplies, strategies, challenges, prompts, lesson ideas, and assessments.

In this guide, you’ll be introduced to a variety of sketchbook ideas, processes, and techniques that can help you use this in any classroom and with any group of students.

Interestingly, artistic talent has nothing to do with this process. Making sketchbooks look pretty is NOT the point! Instead, it’s the simple practice of sketchnoting that makes this beneficial for all students – no matter what age.

Jump to a section:

The Benefits of Sketchbooks

Better for Our Brains?

Journaling for Yourself

4 Essential Sketchbook Tips

Creating Student Buy-In

Building Relationships through Sketchbooks

Idea 1: Combined Weekly Journals and Sketchbooks

Idea 2: Use Thinking or Drawing Prompts

Idea 3: Sketchbook Challenges

Idea 4: STEAM Journaling

Idea 5: Sketchbooks for Assessment

Idea 6: Providing Choice

Idea 7: Group Journaling

Idea 8: Embracing Icons

Process Over Product

Ahh, sketchbooks. You might hear some people call them visual journals, others call them doodles. Whatever term you use, the process of sketching has been around since prehistoric times. 

The sketchnoting process provides a space to construct meaning and provide better recall. Many people create them when they are taking notes. A big trend right now is creating sketchbooks based on what you’re reading . Sketchnoting helps people of all ages understand and process knowledge. They also help us recall details from a meeting, talk, book, or even a podcast!

There is plenty of research to back this up. Let’s start with Marzano and Classroom Instruction that Works . Non-linguistic representations are one of the research-based strategies proven to increase student achievement. Non-linguistic strategies can be sketches, graphic organizers or mind maps to make learning and comprehension visible. Perhaps you have provided these types of outlines for your students:

Students of all ages can use frames like this. Older students can create their own, or you can provide a few examples for them. 

Check out the resources of these sketchnote stars: Tanny McGregor , Sunni Brown and Silvia Tolisano. Their websites and books have many easy, usable sketch note ideas for you and your students. Start documenting that learning, today!

Better for our Brains?

Is it really better for our brains to take notes by hand instead of typing on a computer? Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer, two scientists at Princeton University, wanted to find out. Mueller had switched from taking notes on her computer to pencil and paper and noticed that she remembered much more from lectures. While typing notes on his computer, Oppenheimer discovered when he looked up, he had no idea what the speaker was currently talking about. These two personal experiences prompted their 2014 study.

Mueller and Oppenheimer discovered that college students had better long-term comprehension when they take notes by hand. Handwriting notes forces us to process the information; typing on a computer merely transcribes it. By offering sketchbooks as a tool for taking notes, we’re supporting this long-term comprehension. 

But “taking notes” can look different for everyone. For some, it’s simply writing things down by hand. For others, it’s drawing, sketching, and doodling. Whatever the method, the act of pulling out a sketchbook for learning is powerful.

Start with Visual Journaling for Yourself

Before we can teach something, we typically need to feel comfortable doing it ourselves. So now is a great time to start this practice for your own purposes.

To begin, try to use black thin and thick permanent markers plus just one colored marker . As you listen or participate in a conversation, book study, or even a podcast, write down keywords and phrases and add lines and shapes wherever there is space. 

You can sketch for:

• Self-reflection
• Improve memory
• Creativity, expression, reflective practice
• Note-taking

A visual journal can be your place for unstructured structure. Write your ideas down, and then play with words, shapes, and figures. 

Now that you’re ready to get started, here are my four essential visual journaling tips:

• Use a blank, unlined notebook, or create your own with some drawing paper in a manila folder.
• Simplify your notes with color, line, and shape! You can really jazz things up with colored markers, repetition, use of space and balance.
• Add your own graphics! Look at these free icon sites for inspiration: The Noun Project , FlatIcon or Open Clip Art . It’s much easier to start drawing when you can look at a simplified drawing of an object.
• Not into writing on actual paper? Try out a digital app! I have dabbled with Paper , Notability , and Inkflow Visual Notebook . Find one that suits your needs!

Once you’ve tried it out, plan how visual journaling will work best in your classroom with your students. “Cement” that learning with visual journaling!

Creating Student Buy-In for Sketchbooks

Now that you’ve tried some visual journaling on your own, let’s look at how to bring this practice into the classroom. To start, it’s helpful to look at historical examples.

We can learn so much by exploring journals from great minds of the past and present, and thanks to technology, now we can bring them into our classrooms!  Sharing DaVinci’s journals with students is a fantastic way to show an example of how these great thinkers recorded their findings. Take a look at DaVinci’s journals , Thomas Edison’s complete notebook , and Alexander Graham Bell’s sketchbooks .

A page from Alexander Graham Bell’s notebook 

These primary documents can even be treated as works of art, and observing them using the See, Think, Wonder strategy is very effective in helping students determine the purpose of journaling. Students are always amazed when learning about Marie Curie’s radioactive journals . Although they will be radioactive for another 1,500 years, students can safely view pages through a device.

Providing these mentor journals, combined with guided observation and discussion, gives students motivation and purpose when creating and using a journal of their own.

Often, sketchbooks can offer a gateway into communication with students. Here’s an example from educator Holly Valentine:

“Within my literacy block, as so many teachers do, I had a reader’s notebook. In it, one section was dedicated to weekly letters from the kids. In these letters, they were to write about their reading, how it was going and what they were struggling with. I would write back to them and the notebooks became a quiet, insightful written dialogue between myself and each student. As we got more comfortable with doing this – or I should say I got more comfortable and wasn’t trying to make each student appear to be perfect in my responses back to them – these letters began to morph into so much more than a reading discussion. Students opened up about everything and anything – events both in and out of school. And I started to see them so much more individually, and gain so much insight into these little souls in front of me.  I began to know each student so well, academically and personally, that when problems did arise, I felt like I really knew each student and what made them tick. I was often finding myself being able to address struggles before they got too big, or to understand what was at the root of them.”

Let’s take a look at some practical sketchbook ideas that you can start to implement in your own classroom.

Idea #1: Combined Weekly Journal and Sketchbook

You can use this process in your own classroom to maintain a weekly journal with the kids that combined not only writing but sketchnoting, the arts, perhaps even music. 

How would this work?

• So many kids have a hard time breaking away from the traditional linear notebooks, and as a result, struggle with looking at a blank page. Let them be inspired, and attack a weekly entry from any direction – how will they layout their thinking and ideas? What format will it take? It could be a combination of mediums and no right way to approach the entry.
• The use of and choice of color could add so much to the entry. It’s no secret that color choices often align to moods. Think of how insightful this could be as a getting to know your students exercise. You would learn how to connect outside events and emotions with what they are expressing through their journal.
• Caffeine for the Creative Mind – by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield
• Journal Sparks: Fire up your creativity with spontaneous art, wild writing and inventive thinking – by Emily K. Neuburger
• 52 Sketch Prompts – by Samantha Cole

What a wonderful memory this could be for you and each of your students by the end of the year, tracing through art the journey through your time together. 

In order to increase communication and facilitate that relationship between the two of you, it is important that the journal would become a place for you both to share. You will each find ways to add creativity and to comment on the work the other person is doing. 

Ideally, the journal will become a combination of art and writing, a natural flow of ideas.

Idea #2: Use Thinking or Drawing Prompts

Another idea is to allow students to free-sketch as a means of processing information. But looking at a blank page can be daunting. This is where thinking or drawing prompts can help.

Art Educator Michael Bell shares his practice for using drawing prompts with students:

“ When students are first getting into visual journaling I usually provide them with the drawing prompts, but also choices as to whether they want to use those prompts or create their own.  I give them a template of 10/10/10 to knock out their first 30 pages. 10 pages of notes, diary entries, text messages, etc., 10 pages of observational drawings or photographs, and 10 pages of mixed-media/painting with an overarching goal of FILL THE PAGE (every square inch!)”

Here’s a list of 25 drawing prompts if you need some inspiration:

• Choose something from the “Assorted Collage Items” box. Use that as your inspiration.
• Use the iPad mini to look  our Instagram pictures to get an idea.
• Get a piece of paper and draw with stencils. Overlap shapes.
• Use your favorite type of paint on a piece of paper. Fill in all of the space.
• Use stencils to create a border around a piece of paper. Create a collage in the middle.
• Look on the walls to get an idea. Where is your favorite artwork? Which one has your favorite colors?
• Look in your sketchbook and folder for an idea.
• What is your favorite center? Go, get supplies and start creating!
• Go to the drawing books and pick one you never used before and find something inspiring.
• Make 21 dots on a paper without looking at it. Now create something out of those random dots.
• Get a small piece of paper and draw tiny things on it.
• Create something with materials you have not used before.
• Draw a family portrait. Plot twist: It is a family of insects or animals.
• Create an animal playing a musical instrument.
• Draw the most terrifying animal you can imagine. Or the most adorable.
• Draw fresh fruit or vegetables, or something fresh from the oven.
• Make a drawing of some drawing materials. Or make a painting of some painting materials.
• Draw a collection of something, like: dogs, baseballs, bags, shirts, toys…
• Create a clock, a watch or a piece of jewelry.
• Create a robot that can do a chore that you do not like to do.
• Create an artwork that is made with only primary colors.
• Create an artwork that has only cool colors.
• Create a mysterious doorway or staircase.
• Create something that should have been invented by now.
• Create an interesting form of transportation.

Idea #3: Sketchbook Challenges

Sketchbook challenges are perfect for building your students’ creative skills in a low-stakes way that can be a personal collection of their own artistic and academic growth.

The challenges are collections of artistic prompts like the examples above which get the problem-solving creative juices flowing in short exercises. They provide an opportunity to build skill-sets and create a pattern of “making” every day.  They can easily give your students new sketchbook ideas to run with and eliminate the question of “what do I write/sketch/draw next?”

These challenges typically tackle drawing skills, but they can also include photography, painting, printmaking, etc. So find one, or a collection of challenges, to spark a daily practice! 

Sketchbook Challenges can:

Be Habit-Forming

• They can hold you accountable for doing something creative every day. This creates a habit of artistic accomplishment and builds confidence in the practice.

Be Time Flexible

• You can work on a project for as little or as much time as you’d like

Be Experimental

• If you like pen and ink drawing over painting, the challenges still work for you. Use the medium of your choice or challenge yourself with one that you’ve never tried before.

Be Inspirational

• These challenges might start out simple and then inspire you to complete a more complete project with more time and detail. I’ve developed some of my most interesting lessons from sketchbook challenge prompts.

Be Customized

• You can look at a few challenge examples from online resources and pick your favorites. Put them together on your own for a personal challenge that only includes prompts that you are interested in.

Here’s a list of 28 Sketchbook Challenges you can start with in your classroom: 

Looking for more challenges? ​​Explore the Sketchbook Skool Blog . This site is a fantastic collection of ideas, tips, tricks, and inspiration. If you get really into it, they offer classes as well. Co-founded by Danny Gregory , who brings humor and freedom to those who are creative and those who need more creative confidence.

Idea #4: STEAM Journaling

STEAM challenges may seem hard to assess. There are so many components, and it doesn’t make sense to give a paper pencil test to assess a performance-based activity. STEAM journaling, combined with a single point rubric, can solve the problem of this assessment quandary AND it can be used as a formative OR summative assessment.

A STEAM journal is not something that takes a lot of teacher preparation. It can be as simple as a 3 ring binder with plain paper, a composition book, or a stapled packet of paper. Or, it can be designed by students, like these student-created nature journals . 

Journals could also be digital so that students can add photos, videos, and captions to record the process of their learning. The app Seesaw can be an efficient tool for this, and Google Slides is another great tool for digital journaling. Whatever the design, the purpose is the same: an organizational tool that can help develop beneficial habits of mind .

Here are two suggestions for making this a natural part of the learning process:

• When first starting a journal, it is helpful to assign times for students to record . To do this, add a writing component as you build background knowledge. For example, if you ask students to turn and talk to a peer, require them to record a thought in their journal after they turn and talk. This holds students accountable, and it also helps them to retain information.
• Turn the “Think Pair Share” strategy into “Think Pair WRITE Share” . This means students will have a record of their conversations. In addition, your more introverted students, or your students who need more processing time, will have an equal opportunity (and a higher comfort level) to share their thoughts with the class.

Idea #5: Use Sketchbooks as an Assessment Tool

Sketchbooks can be used as both formative and summative assessment. Using a single point rubric is an effective way to do this. If you aren’t familiar with these rubrics, take a look at this article by Cult of Pedagogy and give them a try immediately. These rubrics have revolutionized the assessment process, making self-reflection easier for students, allowing for more student creativity, and making teacher feedback more useful and personalized.

A single point rubric is basically a stripped down traditional rubric. Create a three-column chart. Choose your criteria for proficiency, and list that in the center column. The column on the left is a place to provide feedback for someone who has not yet reached proficiency in that criterion, and the column on the right allows space for feedback for those exceeding that criterion. Here is an example of a single-point rubric for artist statements:

When assessing STEAM journals, try to crowdsource your class to create the criteria. This is typically done after you’ve had students using a journal for at least one STEAM challenge. 

Once students have a little experience, they have ideas to share related to the journal organization and what it means to have a useful journal as a tool. You can also look back at famous journals and sample student journals from previous years, both exceptional and slightly off. After an initial student brainstorm, summarize the students’ criteria into categories, add anything that is missing, and create the rubric to share.

Using Sketchbooks for Formative Assessment

As a formative assessment, students can use the single point rubric to self-score and reflect on their journal periodically. This is a great sponge activity task– something that students can do as they wait for class to officially begin, as they arrive in the morning, or as they wait for their bus in the afternoon. 

After this self-reflection, conference with each student and use the rubric to direct your conversation. This conference gives you an opportunity to check in with students and set some goals for students who are struggling. 

You can also provide extensions for higher level students. Keeping a record of these conversations provides you with a progression of student learning.

Using Sketchbooks for Summative Assessment

Each marking period, after you’ve conferenced with each student two or three times, collect these sketchbooks and score them using the same single point rubric. 

Students have the opportunity to perfect their journal prior to turning it in, but the conferences and goal setting, along with the clear expectations provided on the rubric, give students a high chance of success. 

You can analyze the results to find if there are any patterns of misconceptions that you need to address, or if you notice that students are struggling with a part of the design process, such as making observations. Then, you can adjust your instruction accordingly.

Idea #6: Providing Choice

As teachers, we need to give our students opportunities to learn, understand and then use information. Imagery is important in our world. Allan Paivio’s dual coding theory says this: when we present information in visual and linguistic form, recall and learning improves. Creating sketchnotes will help students construct meaning and remember their learning.

Sketchnoting is also a great way to provide some choices. Many teachers have a few different organizers for students to choose from. You can display a few simple ideas for students to refer to, like these:

Idea #7: Group Doodling

All students benefit from cooperative learning and being active during a lesson. Group doodling is a great way to learn sketchnoting with your students! This strategy in The Doodle Revolution is perfect for when a class needs a visual of the lesson. 

For this idea, students create a large, visual reminder together. They will use a yard or two of wide paper from a roll or very large poster board, along with broad-tipped markers. These markers are a must since you can’t erase them and the drawings and words can be seen from far away. 

After the group doodle is created, it can be posted in the classroom for reference throughout the year. A group doodle will be much more meaningful to students than a visual that the teacher creates. 

Other bonuses to these sketchbook ideas of group doodling and choice offerings are that everyone is heard, and students can capture the content of the lesson quickly.

Idea #8: Embrace Icons

Let’s address the common concern that many people have:  “I can’t draw a straight line.” 

That old, ridiculous line is not true for anybody. You, and everyone else in the world can draw lines and shapes. 

If you need an image to look at to draw an object, use The Noun Project . There are over one million simple icons for EVERYTHING. The creators call it “global visual language,” and it is!

Try having students use these icon representations as a connection to ancient Hieroglyphics, and create their own visual language. Or, use the icons as a quick way to document their learning. So much can be done with such simple lines and shapes.

Process over Product

In the end, these sketchbook ideas offer a starting point for any student in any classroom to begin processing their thinking and sharing their interpretations. This isn’t meant as the end product; rather, the value is in the process of the work itself.

Much like the goal of learning is to continue to learn, the goal of sketchbooks are to continue to sketch. It’s through action that we make progress.

Additional Guides

Looking for more helpful ideas, strategies, and tools? Try one of our other resource guides:

Sketchbook Ideas

Sketchbook assignment ideas.

Current HS Sketchbook Assignment Handout :  

Sb assigns-adv hs art q3 2018-19, sb assigns-adv hs art q2 2018-19a.

SB ASSIGNS-ADV HS ART Q1 2018-19

Sketchbook Ideas to Boost your Creativity FREE PDF -Sign up for my Create Art with ME Newsletter!

NEEDED Sketchbook Supplies:

Great books on building creativity:

* Affiliate links-products that I love , use, and recommend

Requirements for my HS Art Sketchbook Assignments:

You must complete a minimum of 4- 5 assignments listed below in each 9-week period.

• Drawings should fill the ENTIRE sketchbook page (points will be deducted for small drawings.)
• Include DETAILS (include textures & value, unless otherwise specified.)
• Spend a minimum of 45 minutes on each assignment.
• Each sketchbook counts as a QUIZ grade!
• Sketchbooks handed in late will be accepted but 30 points removed for lateness, 2 days late will receive a “0”.
• DRAWINGS NEEDS TO BE FROM DIRECT OBSERVATION ie: you LOOKING at the objects ! That means NOT from memory, photos, or imagination. (except where otherwise noted). Pay close attention to proportions (size relationships)

YOU MUST LABEL EACH PICTURE at the top with the appropriate title (ex: SB #1: Black & White Design )

Size                 0-5

Effort             0-10

Creativity       0-8

Title               0- 2

                     25 pts.

Sketchbook Assignments:

Below are just some of the sketchbook assignments we have done throughout the years. Not listed are the essential contour line & gesture drawings that are required throughout the year.

SB #2: Juxtaposition Drawing: Create a new object by combining 2 unrelated objects-one needs to be from nature, the other needs to be mechanical. Render with full shading. Medium: colored pencil

SB #3: Contour line: Look in your backpack or purse, pull out 5 things you use on a regular basis (phone can not be one!) arrange them in an interesting way, then draw a contour line drawing (outline only) of the composition. Medium: drawing pencils

SB #4: Scissor Metamorphosis : Use a pair of scissors as a beginning point, creatively transform the scissors into something else- a monster, a robot, a machine, a vehicle, an animal. Change its scale & it purpose. Render with full shading . Medium: colored pencils

SB #5: Student Choice: Choose your own subject and complete a drawing using skills & techniques learned in class. Medium: Your Choice

SB #6: Preposterous Cross-links: Choose any 2 words below to combine together in one image:

Turtle      Octopus      Snake        Bird       Bee          Rat    Fish      Cat

Pencil      Saw            Hammer    Pliers     Scissors  Tire    Clock   Drum

Medium: colored pencil

SB #7: Futuristic Mutation : Take an everyday object and use your imagination to redesign it with a futuristic look. Medium: colored pencils

SB #9: Shoe: Draw one of your shoes from your closet. Or a shoe that you think is very interesting (ballet, boot, etc.) ADD FULL SHADING Medium: colored pencil

SB #10: Wheels : Draw something with wheels (Real or imaginary). Medium: your choice

SB #11: 2D & 3D Arrows : Create a full page composition using a combination of 3-dimensional and 2-dimensional arrows. Use overlapping to break up the spaces into interesting positive and negative shapes. Medium: Outline with sharpie and fill the shapes with markers

SB #12: Non-objective: Create a non-objective drawing using lines, shapes (geometric) & color-use a color scheme ! Look at artwork by Wassily Kandinsky for inspiration. Medium: Markers or colored pencils

SB #13: Pet Portrait : Draw a picture of your pet or the pet you would LOVE to have. Medium: Colored Pencils

SB #15: Hand Value Study:  Draw your hand in 2 different appropriate positions (both on the same page). Render with full shading. Medium: drawing pencils

SB #16: Eye Study:   Find 4 different eyes in magazines. Cut them out & glue them to your sketchbook page. Draw the eyes underneath the picture & render with a FULL range of shading. Medium: pencils or colored pencils

SB #17: Color Scheme: Choose your own subject, create an obvious focal point and complete the drawing by coloring it in a color scheme of your choice. Label what color scheme you used next to the title. Medium: Colored Pencils, Paint, or Markers

SB #18: Realistic VS Abstract: Choose one object to draw (an interesting one! NOT simple!) Divide you sketchbook page in half with a pencil line. Label at the top of one side “Realistic” & on the other side label “Abstract.” Under the Realistic side, use a pencil to draw the object as realistically as you possibly can. On the Abstract side, distort your object so that it is still somewhat recognizable-use abstracted colors to color it. Medium: Colored Pencils

SB #19: Crushed Soda Can: Draw a crushed soda can, include details like the logo. Render with full shading. Medium: drawing pencils

SB #20: Worm’s Eye Point of View: Draw your choice of subject matter from a worm’s eye point of view. From below looking up at the subject. Add shading to indicate highlights & shadows. Medium: drawing pencil

Sketching Improves Your Skills

SB #21: Bird’s Eye Point of View: Draw your choice of subject matter from a bird’s eye point of view. From above looking down at the subject. Add shading to indicate highlights & shadows. Medium: drawing pencil

SB# 22: Paper Airplane:     Fold a paper airplane, place it in front of you & draw from direct observation as accurately as you can. ADD FULL SHADING Medium: drawing pencil

SB #23 : Creative Hand Drawing:   Trace you hand -yes I said Trace your hand on your page (tracing is usually forbidden). Use your imagination to turn you hand into something totally different. Add details-make it creative and interesting!    Medium: colored pencil

SB #24 : Cloth Drawing :    Draw the cloth that is hanging on the art room wall. ADD FULL SHADING Medium: Drawing pencil or Charcoal pencil (spray when finished)

SB #25: Interactive Drawing & Photo :  Fine a photo either of yourself or someone else (can be from a magazine). Cut the person out & brainstorm how you can create a drawing that combines the two so that they interact with each other. ADD FULL SHADING Medium: drawing pencils

SB #26: Flat to 3D- Come Alive: Look at the two examples below of a flat drawing-mostly lines/no shading that slowly transforms to become 3D with full shading. See MC Escher’s Drawing Hands for an example. Design your own drawing that morphs from flat to 3D. Medium: drawing pencils

SB #27: Visual Puns : Illustrate 2  visual puns (a visual rendering of a two-word noun phrase that illustrates the combination of the nouns with their literal meaning). Look at artist Don Stewart’s artwork  https://dsart.com/ Examples: hot dog, cat fish, hair brush, two face, fish face, bone head, Angel fish, Bat man, iron man, flower bed, Bed Bug, Boxing Match, Car pool, Card Shark, deviled Eggs, Fire Drill, Fish Tank, Football, Fruit Flies, Hammerhead, Handbag, Home Run, horse Fly, Jail Bird, Lightening Bug, Photo Bug, Strong Box, Submarine Sandwich, Swordfish, Watch Dog, Bird Brain, French Fries Medium: colored pencil

SB #28: Procreate Or Sketchbook App Drawing:  Use your iPad to create an ORIGINAL drawing of subject matter of your choice.  Medium: ipad

S B #29: Botanical Study:  Find a flower or plant from nature. Study it carefully before drawing. Draw the whole plant on 2/3rds of the page. Select 3 areas to “magnify” & draw smaller, partial up-close drawings of those 3 areas including all the details. ADD FULL SHADING Medium: watercolor, watercolor pencil, or drawing pencils

SB #31: Mixed Media Experiments: Have fun experimenting with mixed media techniques. Do the experimenting on other paper, then cut out the different experiments & glue them in your sketchbook. Label each experiment with a brief description of how you created it. Try at least 6 of these different experiments. Use up a minimum of 2 pages in your sketchbook. Medium:  various art supplies

SB #32: Collaged Music Sheet Drawing:  Glue a music sheet onto a page in your sketchbook-Let it dry completely (do at least one day in advance). Choose an image or two to draw with India ink & draw it directly onto the music sheet. Add color with watercolors or colored pencils. Medium: collage, ink, watercolors or colored pencils

Sketching Challenges Your Design Concepts

SB# 34: Line Inventory:   Draw two rows of four squares; one row of four vertical rectangles; and one row of four circles. When you have drawn your blank template, place four different kinds of lines in the first row of squares. Refer to the example below, but do not copy — come up with your own kinds of lines. Then, invent a series of variations on each line in the remaining columns. Medium: ink or sharpie

SB #35: Tool Metamorphosis: See Idea from Stan Winston School Choose a tool (hammer, ax, wrench, pliers, drill) as a beginning point, creatively transform the head of the tool into something else – a monster, a robot, a machine, a vehicle, and instruments, an animal, etc. Change its scale & it purpose. Render with full shading . Medium: colored pencils

SB #36 Balance Sketchbook Assignment: Draw 3 squares or circles. Use shape templates & rulers to create non-objective design examples of each type of balance (symmetrical, asymmetrical, & radial). See Types of Balance Lesson. Use Shape templates to create designs that illustrate each type of balance. Fit ALL designs on one page. Label & color them with colored pencils or markers.  Medium: colored pencils or markers

SB #37 Adult Portrait: Find a frontal view of an adult male or female. Cut it out or print it out. Open your sketchbook so it is showing 2 pages (a spread), glue onto the left side your sketchbook. On the right side use what we learned about adult human facial proportions to draw the portrait from the picture. Use light shading to indicate major values (highlights & shadows) or to lightly shade the nose. Medium: drawing pencils

SB #38 Refraction Drawing: Refraction is the visual distortion that happens when an object is viewed through a glass container filled with water (or some liquid). Find an interesting glass container (drinking glass, vase, jar, etc) and place a spoon or fork inside. Fill the container only half-way with water and place it on a light colored surface.  Carefully observe the distortion. Use observational drawing skills to draw the glass, spoon, water & any lights/ shadows you see on the table surface. Medium: drawing pencils

SB #39 Illuminated Letter :   Choose a letter to draw. Go on a computer & play with the letter in different fonts- choose one & print it out. Look up examples of illuminated letters for inspiration. Draw the letter large in your sketchbook in pencil. Add decoration to the letter, possibly even a border Medium: colored pencils, sharpies & markers

Sketching is an integral part of the creative process

SB #40 Fantasy Landscape: Use your imagination to draw a fantasy landscape. It can be anytime period on earth, in space or some other world. What type of plants, flowers, and trees would you see? What does the typography look like? can you see other worlds from the planet you are on? Are there buildings? What is gravity like in the land you are drawing? Medium: colored pencils

SB #42 Color Mood- Know about colors and their effect. Certain colors inspire certain emotions; learn to use them! Choose a color to explore, compose a realistic, abstract or non-objective drawing based on the emotion produced by a single color. Use the tints and shades of a color to add different values to the drawing.  Medium: colored pencils, watercolor pencils, or markers

• Black – authority, discipline, strength and promoting independence.
• Blue – cool, calming, relaxing, and promotes feelings of tranquility and peace.
• Green – balance, refreshing, normalizing, and promotes emotional growth.
• Orange – cheerful, commanding, and stimulates goodwill, conversation and appetites.
• Pink – calming, accepting, and encourages affection and socialization.
• Purple – comforting, spiritual, and generates mystery and a good sense of intuition.
• Red – empowerment, stimulation, drama, competition and passion.
• White – purification, energy, unity, and gives vigor to other colors it is used in combination with.
• Yellow – cheerful, expanding, and increases energy.

SB #43 Cast Shadows: Choose an object that has a lot of broken negative space (like a bike wheel). Using either natural light (Sun) or a lamp, position the light on the object so it creates a long and interesting cast shadow ( see bike example ). Compose a drawing that shows only a portion of the object & MOSTLY the cast shadow . Add value to the SHADOW, the rest can be contour line only. Medium: drawing pencils

How to Draw Steampunk Books:

SB #45 Broken Object Drawing : **ASK parents for an object that is not valuable. Break the object a little and then draw it showing all the broken fragments, tears, and loose debris. ***If you break something glass or metal, please wear protective gear (gloves and goggles) See Example by Armin Mersmann Medium: drawing pencils or colored pencils

SB #46 Travel Drawing : Draw a place you want to visit. Find a reference picture and create your drawing from that. Idea is from Art is Medicine Medium: colored pencils, drawing pencils, or watercolor pencils

SB #48 Merging Animals:  Combine 2 real animals to become a fantasy creature. Use characteristics of both and colors of both in the new design Medium: colored pencils

SB #49 Animal Eyes: Choose an eye to draw from these 4 types of creatures: Animal (land or sea), Bird, Reptile, and Insect. Draw 2 per page so they take up approximately ½ the page. Render with full shading.  Medium: colored pencils or Pen & Watercolor

Sketching brings new ideas & techniques to the surface

SB #50 Small to LARGE Enlargement Drawing : Choose 1-2 small objects to draw (less than 2”). Draw 3 preliminary sketches focusing on an interesting composition that enlarges the object (s) so much that it goes off the page on at least 3 sides of the paper. Medium: drawing pencils

SB #51 Magnification Drawing: Using a magnifying glass, look at an object or insect very closely. Draw the details of what you see. See The Helpful Art Teacher: Drawing Magnified Leaves Medium: colored pencils

SB #52 Sculpted Paper Strips Drawing : Credit- A Faithful Attempt-Curled Paper Drawings Give each student 2 strips of paper (½x11” & 1×11). Have students twist/bend/manipulate them into some type of curl or even add zig-zags. Tape them onto a sheet of paper so they are spread apart. Draw lightly with a HB pencil until they get the proportion just right. Use Drawing pencils 4B to add shading. Medium: Drawing Pencils

SB #55 New & Old: Find 2 objects to draw something new and something old or vintage. It would be most interesting to find an old and new example of one type of object (like phones, computers, mixers, anything that can show the progression of technology) Place them side by side or slightly overlapping each other and then draw them with full shading . Do research on the internet if needed Medium : drawing pencils

SB #56 Grid Journal: Read MilliAnde’s What is Grid Journaling  article, watch her video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmlEY5TK1zo , and view her examples. Choose a piece of architecture to explore (best to be physically present, but if you cannot then find several reference pictures to work from). In NONE of the grids will you draw the whole structure, you will focus on smaller sections.  Following her instructions draw your first box and one detail from the architecture. Next choose another detail to draw, make sure to draw the box to fit the detail. All the boxes should be different sizes. Continue to draw until you have between 7-10 boxes on one page.  Medium : Pen & Ink

Sketching Develops Communication Skills

SB #58: Skeleton of Animal Study: Choose an animal (living or extinct) to draw its skeletal structure. First, draw a contour line -outline ONLY- of the animal (FULL body). Second, draw the skeletal structure inside the outline. Third, use a sharpie to fill in the negative space behind the skeleton. Medium: Drawing pencil & Sharpie

 SB #61: Realistic & Geometric: Choose an animal to draw a head portrait of. Draw a line down the center of the face vertically. On the left hand side draw the animal realistically with color and shading and go over major lines with sharpie. On the right hand side draw the animal as if it were make up of simple triangles, circles and squares (simple geometric shapes) that follow the major contours and textures of the animal. Go over major lines with sharpie and add shading. See examples here &  here .    Medium: Sharpies and Colored Pencils

SB #62 See a Need Fill a Need:  Think of a common problem that humans or animals struggle with. Design a solution to fixing that problem. Write down what the problem is and write out your intentions to fix the problem. Draw the new solution with full coloring. Add descriptions of gadgets to help us understand your ideas. See Invention Idea List below to kick-start your thinking.  Medium: Colored Pencils and Ultra-thin Sharpie

Invention Idea List

• New utensil or tool
• Help someone break a bad habit
• A new way to prevent ___________
• Something to help children who have a certain disability
• Make something safer
• Help find or keep track of _____________
• A better way to ____________
• Recycle ____________ to make or do ____________

 SB #63: Texture Spheres: Draw 6 spheres (2-3″). Apply 6 different textures to the different spheres: fur, fish or dragon scales, craters, basket weaving, spikes, lumpy, bricks or stones .  Make sure your textures follow the contour of the sphere! Watch Video: Pen & Ink Drawing Tutorials | How to create realistic textures (Part 3) Medium: P en and Ink or sharpies 

SB #64: Unique Door Handles:  Find a reference photo of a unique door handle. Draw the door handle large on your page including part of the door in pencil, then use watercolor pencils to paint it. Add DETAILS and shading!  Medium: Watercolor Pencils

SB #65: Story Dice Cubes Drawing: Use Rory’s Story Cubes to roll 3-4 images. Develop a story or scene with these images and illustrate it in your sketchbook. Medium: Colored Pencils and Ultra-thin Sharpie

SB #69 Personification Drawing: According to Dictionary.com Personification is “the attribution of a human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.” Choose a man-made object to draw (stapler, hair dryer, etc) then draw the object, but personify it by giving it a face and other human characteristics. Medium: Sharpie and Colored Pencils

SB #70 Splatter Creature: Splatter some liquid watercolor on your page, blow it around with a straw. Let it dry. Now turn it into a creative creature (obviously fantasy). ADD LOTS OF DETAILS! Medium: Liquid Watercolors, Sharpie and markers

SB #71 Word Illustration: Choose a word (like Autumn, Flower, Candy, Science, etc) and create a FONT in which the letters are illustrations of the word you chose. See https://www.edinaschools.org/Page/4373 for examples of Mr.Henricksen’s 6th grade Word Art Project. EACH letter should be a different illustration of the word (ex: autumn: A-shape of candy corn, u-basket of apples, t-scarecrow, etc.) Medium: Sharpie and Colored Pencils

Sketching Builds Hand-eye Coordination and Develops Fine Motor Skills 

SB #72 Ball Point Pen Drawing: Choose a subject to draw. Render it with shading using only a ballpoint pen. Medium: Black or blue ballpoint pen

SB #73 Board Game Observational Drawing: Set up a board game with some of the game pieces on it. Choose a small section of the board to draw from. Render with shading. See Full Project from Nicole Brisco https://www.incredibleart.org/files/Nicole.htm#Mixed Medium: Drawing Pencils

SB #74 Organic Design Building: Design a building derived from an organic form (form found in nature). Draw the basic organic form and alter it into a building. Add details to the building that are influenced by the shapes, colors and textures of the organic form. See Example at https://www.studentartguide.com/lessons/art-lessons-for-substitute-teachers Medium: Colored Pencils

SB #75 Board Game Observational Drawing: Set up a board game with some of the game pieces on it. Choose a small section of the board to compose your drawing. Render with shading. Medium: Drawing Pencils

SB #76 Design Your Dream Swimming Pool: Design your dream swimming pool. What kinds of special features will it have-slides, bridges, pirate ships, fountains, etc. You can either draw from a bird’s eye view (directly above) or from a frontal view. Medium: Colored Pencils

SB #77  Candy Drawing:  Choose 3 different pieces of candy  (lollipop, ring-pop, gummy bear, peppermint, tootsie roll, candy cane, etc.). Arrange them so the partially overlap each other in an interesting way. Keep the candy in its wrapper (except for lollipops & ring pops). Take a picture of your composition from the viewpoint where you will be drawing from (so you can finish it later if needed). Draw in pencil as accurately as you can while looking at the candy directly. ( Look twice, Draw once ). Once drawn, render with shading in colored pencils. Medium: Drawing & Colored Pencils

SB #78  Thankful :  Think of something or someone you are thankful for. Draw it or them with SHADING! Medium: Drawing Pencils

SB #80 8 Ways of Seeing Part 1: (This assignment will be finished in 2 Parts) Website: https://medium.com/@katerutter/sketch-things-better-with-the-7-ways-of-seeing-6f9a24e5b9dd (my class’s assignment was slightly altered from the article)

Use a full spread (2 facing pages) & divide your sketchbook page into 8 sections- 4 on each page. Choose 1 object to draw & find a reference picture of it (Save to Photos). At the top of each section, write these titles: Symbolic, Gesture, Blind Contour, Simple Shapes, Contrast, Negative Space, Guided Contour, and Cartoon. Medium: 2B Pencil

1: Symbolic: Without looking at the object, draw a simple version of it. Sketch the “idea” of the object, not the specific thing. (think of logo symbols and how simple they are) 2: Gesture: Look at the object and make a very quick sketch of it, using only a few lines. Try to capture the “energy” and “rhythm” of the subject. Work super-fast! 3: Blind Contour: Without looking at your pen or your paper, use your eyes to “trace” the edges of the object, while, at the same time, using your pen to draw the outline in a steady, continuous line. Don’t look at your paper, and don’t pick up your pen! Go slow. 4: Simple Shapes: Stare at the object and break it down into basic shapes in your head. Aim for 3–4 shapes…no more than 6! Draw the shapes on your paper.

8 Ways of Seeing Part 2:  Using the same object from SB#5, create these drawings: 5: Contrast: Stare at the object and identify the shadows and darkest parts. Draw ONLY the darkest parts. Don’t draw outlines or lines unless they are the darkest parts. 6: Negative Space: Draw the space AROUND the object. Try to get as much detail in the shape as possible. When you’re done, draw a box around the shape and quickly fill it in. 7: Guided Contour: Look intently at the object and use your eyes to “trace” the edges of the object, while simultaneously using your pen to draw the outlines and shapes. Glance back and forth between the object and your paper. Try to get as much accurate detail as possible while still working at a quick pace. 8: Cartoon: Turn the object into a cartoon. Use abstraction methods: simplify edges, twist, stretch, pull, distort color, resize, exaggerate.

SB #81 Anthropomorphic: Anthropomorphic , derived from the Greek word anthrōposi , which means “human being”. It means suggesting human characteristics for animals or inanimate things. Toys can move, think and can talk; candlesticks and teapots can sing and dance. Choose an object or animal to transform anthropomorphically. Medium: Colored Pencil

HOW to Draw Anthropomorphic Animals and Objects:

• Make them bipedal (walking on two legs)
• Give them clothing and human accessories (make-up, glasses, hats, etc)
• Create animated facial expressions
• Change their proportions to more human-like body proportions
• Show them holding objects and otherwise change their physical abilities to include human abilities
• Show them doing human tasks (painting, driving a car, etc)

This Website has good ideas of how to create anthropomorphic characters: https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/how-to-draw-furries-aka-anthropomorphic-characters–cms-30243

SB #82 Texture Rubbings: Explore physical texture through texture rubbings. Divide your sketchbook page into 10 boxes. Find 10 actual textures from your surroundings. Create rubbings from the textures in your sketchbook by placing the object under your page and rubbing a crayon (on its side) over the object. Label the box with the object. Medium: Crayons & Watercolors

SB #83 16 Circle Challenge: (Modified 30 Circle Challenge ) Use a circle template to draw 16 circles on your page in pencil. Turn each of the circles into unique recognizable objects. You can draw inside and outside the circles. Medium: Drawing Pencils

Additional Sketchbook Resource s:

Student Art Guide: Tips for Producing an Amazing GCSE or A Level Art Sketchbook

Deep Space Sparkle- The Sketchbook Project (k-5th grades)

Other HS Art Project Ideas

• Beyond the Border Pen & Watercolor HS Project
• Mixed Media Drawing Collage
• Motorcycle Mixed-Media Art Lesson High School
• Ceramics Roll-A-Beast Animal Sculptures

Have you done any unique sketchbook assignments with your students? If so, I would love to hear about them! //

PLEASE Share this Post:

Just found your blog while doing some research on sketchbook assignments. This is a life saver! I am going to assign 10 for now to see how it goes with my students. Thank you for sharing!

Great Cynthia! These are good assignments for developing creativity & imagination. I have used all of these in my classroom & seen success with them! Let me know if you have any suggestions. Michelle

This is amazing! I always struggle with inspiring myself on what to draw, and this is perfect! Something new for every day 🙂

Thank you for the ideas! I am just starting out and find these very helpful. Are these assignments done at home or in class? What type of sketch books do you require? Spiral, bound, hand made?

Hi! These assignments are homework-outside of class (unless they finish a project, then they can work on the sketchbook assignment). I require a 70+ page spiral bound sketchbook (I like the single loop & if it has a folder that’s awesome!). I also prefer a heavier weight (80-90#). I will add a link to the top of this page with what I prefer.

Blessings on your school year!!

These are some great ideas for use as home work, thank you!

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10 Sketchbook Prompts Your Students Will Love!

Wooo! You decided to (or at least thinking about) start bringing in student sketchbooks in your art class! In my previous blog post, I talked about the many benefits I have found from having students work in sketchbooks every single day. These range from enhancing creativity, improving drawing skills to building classroom communities. I genuinely cannot say enough positive things about the possibilities they can create. But the burning question is always: What the HECK do we draw in them? The short answer is- a variety of different things. With prompts I try to find ideas that are simple enough for a beginning artist to complete, but broad enough that an advanced student can expand upon and add lots of details. I also try to give prompts that require them to put their own interests into to allow me to learn more about them. I also open up my supply cabinets and let them experiment with whatever medium they choose- charcoal, watercolor paint, markers, color pencils, gel pens, etc. I have found by giving them a range of options and choices they feel more inspired to actually *do* the assignments. I also try to find time during the week to do the prompt with them during class. This is just a fun thing to do. It gives me an opportunity to make art with them and they see me modeling what I want them to do. With that being said- here are some of my all time favorite prompts I have done with my students throughout the years. These are all images of my students’ artwork! Feel free to check out the packet of these prompts and others in my TPT shop if you are interested in trying them out with your students!

Circle Challenge

“Fill a page in your sketchbook up with circles and decorate each of them however you want. No less than 45 circles.” Why it’s great: This is a great prompt that pushes their creative skills. What are all the different ways you can take a circle and turn it into something else? How many things can make up a circle? (Donuts, fruit, planets, pizza, peace signs, emojis, more..) It’s also a great exercise to create variety in artwork.

Design a skateboard.

Why it’s great: This is the first prompt I give every year. It’s simple and easy for the students to come up with different ideas. Who doesn’t love a good skateboard design??

Watercolor Doodle Strokes

My students love working with watercolor paint. And the ones that are a bit iffy with it, this is a great way for them to get their feet wet in it (no pun intended). Why it’s great: There’s very minimal drawing needed for this one! They pick a color scheme, fill their pages up with watercolor strokes and fill them in with fun doodles. The doodles can be simply line designs or patterns- or they can be detailed little drawings that advanced students will enjoy doing.

Arrows Challenge

Similar to the circle challenge except it’s “fill up a page with different arrows”. Once they have them all sketched out, they pick a fun color scheme. Why it’s great: One of the biggest challenges with my students and their sketchbooks is making sure they utilize ALL their page space. This prompt is a great way to practice overlapping, variety and space usage.

Song Illustration

Everybody and I mean eeeeeeeverybody loves music and has that one song that speaks to them on so many levels. I love seeing what my students’ favorite songs and music groups are. Why it’s great: The majority of this prompt can be text from the lyrics with a smaller, simpler drawing to compliment the design. Good for beginner art students but your advanced kids will come up with a plethora of creative ideas!

Draw something inside of a jar/envelope.

These are 2 different prompts with the same idea. It’s basically a “free draw” prompt but in a more enclosed space. Why it’s great: These give the students a lot of freedom to draw whatever they want but they don’t have to worry about filling up the *entire* page.

Favorite Decades

Dedicate a page in your sketchbook to your favorite decade. You can include everything from music, toys, fashion, fads and trends to celebrities and movies/TV shows. Why it’s great: This is another prompt that allows you to see your students’ interests. It always warms my millenial heart when someone does a 90s spread!

Keyhole Bedrooms

For this, I recommend they look up photo references (you can also show them a few from the internet). Pinterest (if it’s not blocked from your school server) tends to have the best pictures of bedrooms. I recommend dorm room photos as well because the furniture tends to be very simple and not elaborate. I tell the kids to not worry about achieving a realistic perspective on this one… just try and design a really cool looking room. Why it’s great: This prompt is challenging for many students! It definitely pushes them but they usually end up really enjoying it in the end. If you want to incorporate writing, have them write a story about their room on the back of their sketchbook page. 

Rubber Duck Challenge

I did not even know this was a thing until I saw it in one of my many art teacher facebook groups. It’s definitely being used by many teachers everywhere and for good reason. Ya’ll. They are HILARIOUS. I was seriously wheezing laughter when I was flipping through grading them. It makes me want to turn it into a full blown project- which I may actually do in the future. Why it’s great: This prompt is so freaking weird. And the kids LOVE. IT. They come up with SO many great ideas and it always ends up being a class favorite.

I hope these prompts give you a good place to start with your students. Feel free once again to check out my prompt packet on TPT if you would like to try them out with your students. Happy Art Making!

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25+ Summer Drawing Ideas: Get Creative with These Simple and Fun Techniques!

July 27, 2023 August 4, 2023 | Dee

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Are you looking for fun and creative ways to express your artistic side this summer? Look no further than these summer drawing ideas! Whether you’re an experienced artist or just starting out during the summer holidays, these ideas are perfect for anyone looking to create some colorful and unique artwork.

From drawing summer-themed flowers and landscapes to experimenting with different mediums and techniques, there are endless possibilities for summer drawing ideas.

You can use bright and bold colors to capture the essence of the season or try out more muted and pastel tones for a softer look. With so many options, you’re sure to find something that sparks your creativity and inspires you to create something truly special.

So why not grab your favorite sketchbook or drawing pad and get started on some summer drawing ideas today? Whether you’re looking to create something for yourself or to share with others, these ideas are a great way to explore your artistic abilities and have some fun in the sun. So go ahead and let your imagination run wild – the possibilities are endless!

Summer Drawing Ideas for Kids

Looking for fun and creative ways to keep your kids entertained this summer? Drawing is a great way to let your child express their creativity while developing their problem-solving skills. Here are some summer drawing ideas for kids that will keep them busy and engaged.

Beach Inspired Drawings

The beach is a classic summer destination, and it’s a great source of inspiration for your kids’ drawings. Encourage your child to draw a beach scene, complete with sand, waves, and seagulls.

They can also draw their favorite beach activities, such as building sandcastles or playing beach volleyball. For more inspiration, check out these beach-inspired drawing prompts that will get your child’s creative juices flowing.

Park and Picnic Scenes

Parks and picnics are another great summer activity that your child can draw. Have them draw a park scene with trees, grass, and a playground.

They can also draw a picnic scene with a checkered blanket, sandwiches, and lemonade. These scenes are perfect for practicing perspective and shading.

For more ideas, check out these summer art ideas for kids that will keep your child entertained all summer long.

4th of July Themes

The 4th of July is a patriotic holiday that your child can draw inspiration from. Encourage your child to draw a scene from a 4th of July parade, complete with floats, marching bands, and American flags.

They can also draw a fireworks display, using bright colors and bold lines to capture the excitement of the event. For more ideas, check out these summer drawing prompts that will inspire your child’s creativity.

Drawing is a fun and engaging activity that your child can enjoy all summer long. These summer drawing ideas for kids will keep them entertained and help them develop their artistic skills. So grab some paper and pencils, and let your child’s imagination run wild!

Drawing Projects for Adults

If you’re looking for a fun and creative way to spend your summer, why not try some drawing projects? Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, there are plenty of ideas out there to inspire you. Here are a few drawing projects for adults that you might enjoy.

Capturing Summer Memories

One of the best things about summer is all the memories you make. Why not capture some of those memories in your drawings? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Draw a picture of your favorite summer vacation spot
• Sketch a scene from a memorable summer party or barbecue
• Create a still life of summer fruits and vegetables
• Draw a portrait of a friend or family member enjoying a summer activity, like swimming or hiking

By capturing your summer memories in your drawings, you’ll be able to relive those moments again and again.

Holiday and Festival Drawings

Summer is also a time for holidays and festivals. Why not celebrate these events with some festive drawings? Here are a few ideas:

• Draw a scene from your favorite holiday, like the Fourth of July or Labor Day
• Sketch a portrait of someone in a festive costume, like a parade participant or a Renaissance fair attendee
• Create a still life of holiday decorations, like a Christmas tree or Halloween jack-o’-lanterns
• Draw a landscape of a festival or fair, with all the colorful booths and attractions

By creating drawings that celebrate holidays and festivals, you’ll be able to get into the spirit of the season and share your joy with others.

Whether you’re capturing summer memories or celebrating holidays and festivals, there are plenty of drawing projects for adults to enjoy. So grab your sketchbook and pencils and start creating!

Exploring Different Mediums

Summer is the perfect time to try out new art mediums and techniques. With the warm weather and sunny days, you can draw inspiration from the colors and textures of nature. Here are some ideas for exploring different mediums for your summer drawings.

Pencil Sketches

Pencil sketches are a classic medium that can be used to create a wide range of effects. You can use different types of pencils, such as H, HB, and B, to create different shades and textures. You can also experiment with different techniques, such as cross-hatching, stippling, and shading, to create depth and dimension in your drawings.

To make your pencil sketches stand out, try using colored paper as your background. This can add a pop of color and create a unique look for your drawings. You can also try using different types of erasers, such as kneaded erasers or electric erasers, to create highlights and textures in your drawings.

Colorful Creations

Summer is all about bright colors and bold patterns. To capture the essence of summer in your drawings, try using a variety of colorful art supplies. You can use markers, colored pencils, or watercolors to create vibrant and eye-catching drawings.

To add texture and dimension to your drawings, try using different techniques, such as blending, layering, and mixing colors. You can also experiment with different types of paper, such as watercolor paper or textured paper, to create different effects.

When choosing your colors, think about the colors of summer. Bright yellows, oranges, and pinks are perfect for capturing the warmth of the sun. Blues and greens can be used to create the coolness of water and the lushness of nature.

Overall, exploring different mediums is a great way to expand your artistic horizons and create unique and interesting drawings. So why not try something new this summer and see where your creativity takes you?

Seasonal Drawing Ideas

If you’re looking for inspiration for your summer drawings, you might want to consider seasonal themes.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Spring into Summer

As spring turns into summer, there are many things you can draw to capture the transition.

Here are some ideas:

• Flowers: Spring is the season of flowers, so why not draw some of your favorite spring drawing ideas ? You could draw a bouquet of daffodils, a field of poppies, or a vase of roses.
• Baby animals: Spring is also the season of new life, so consider drawing some baby animals. You could draw a litter of kittens, a nest of baby birds, or a family of ducklings.
• Rain: April showers bring May flowers, so why not draw some raindrops? You could draw an umbrella, a puddle, or a rainbow.
• Gardening: Spring is the perfect time to start a garden, so consider drawing some gardening tools. You could draw a trowel, a watering can, or a pair of gloves.

Autumn and Winter Themes

While summer is the season of sunshine and warmth, autumn and winter offer their own unique drawing opportunities.

• Leaves: In the fall, the leaves on the trees turn beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. Consider drawing some leaves, either individually or as part of a larger scene. Check out more Fall Things to Draw .
• Pumpkins: Halloween is just around the corner in the fall, so why not draw some pumpkins? You could draw a jack-o-lantern, a pumpkin patch, or a pile of pumpkins. Or you can check out more Halloween things to draw .
• Snow: In the winter, snow is a common theme for drawings. You could draw a snowman, a snowflake, or a winter landscape. Check out more winter things to draw .
• Cozy scenes: Winter is also a time for cozy scenes. Consider drawing a cup of hot cocoa, a roaring fire, or a warm blanket.

No matter what season it is, there are always plenty of summer drawing prompts and ideas to explore. So grab your pencils and get started!

Other articles you may enjoy…

Drawing Tools Unleashed: Top Picks for Every Artist

Best Sketchbook for Colored Pencils

Looking for the Best Colored Pencils for Artists

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Sketchbook Ideas for the Art Classroom

Sketchbook Ideas for Elementary Art

I want to share why I started using sketchbooks in my elementary art classroom, seven ways I used sketchbooks, and the benefits students got from using them. I’ll also give you a few tips for getting started, making sketchbooks, and keeping sketchbooks organized.

Why Use Sketchbooks?

I first started using sketchbooks because I wanted students to experiment and try out ideas before jumping into their art. When I gave them a single piece of paper, they often threw it away or lost it when they finished using it. When they put those experiments in a sketchbook, I found that they valued them much more and wanted to add to them a create a collection of ideas. I like how they record students’ thoughts and ideas and the different challenges they had in art throughout the year. In particular, I felt like there was so much more information in the sketchbooks than the final work of art at times. Equally, I like that students coan write down ideas about the meaning of the work of art.

1) Using Sketchbooks with Essential Questions

I liked giving students “ essential questions ” that they could draw and write out the answer to. Writing comes more naturally for some students, and others want to draw first and then write about it. So often, I would give them a strip of paper with the essential question written on it and have students glue the question at the top of the page and do their sketching below. If I wanted students to draw more than one thumbnail, sometimes I’d have them trace around tagboard rectangles to create 2-3 boxes on one page.

2) Using Sketchbooks with Big Ideas

As I started using  “big ideas,”  I created little tabs that students could glue into their sketchbooks for each big idea. We would  cover three big ideas each year and do several sketches and projects for each big idea. The tabs gave the sketchbook a framework and made it easy for parents and others to see how we used each big idea.

How to Use the Tabs

Each student gets a strip of paper. They glue it in their sketchbook with the word “Identity” hanging off the edge of a page and fold the extra paper over to the backside to add strength to the tab. While they are sketching, I’d come around with packaging tape and tape over the tab to keep it from ripping (optional step).

3) Sketchbooks for Reflection and Assessment

Sketchbooks can also be a place for students to reflect on their work and how they might revise or improve their work. Sketchbooks can also be a place for me to access students’ understanding of a concept. I like to write them little notes or give them a stamp of approval (using a cute rubber stamp). Then they can jump right into their art at the beginning of the next class without waiting for me to talk to them.

4) Free Choice Drawing

Early finishers.

Another way that students used their sketchbooks is for “free draw” time. If they have any extra time at the end of an art class, they can draw in their sketchbooks and continue to add to their ideas or draw something of their own choice. Students liked this opportunity, and it provided an excellent activity for an early finisher that was engaging but not distracting to the students still working. (Anything “too fun” or too noisy tended to cause the other students to start rushing through their work just to be able to join their friends in doing the activity.)

Be On the Lookout

Every once in a while, I had to curtail a 1st grader from “waisting pages” by just making a quick scribble and then turning the page. Other than that, students seemed to want to produce quality work. Furthermore, it didn’t use up all the pages of their sketchbooks during their free choice drawing time.

5) Sharing with Sketchbooks

Students can also use sketchbooks to display the thinking behind a lesson. For example, you can set up a table under an art show display and have a few sketchbooks open to the page where students did some thumbnails and writing about the final project. 

If you have an open house or curriculum night early in the school year, the sketchbooks can be a great way to let parents know what you are working on, even when you don’t have finished art to display yet. For instance, you can leave sample sketchbooks out on tables. Then, leave a different grade level on each table to show all the lessons in progress.

Walk-Throughs

When a principal or board member does a “walk-through” and asks students what they are making and why they are making it, students are much more likely to explain this if the information is in their sketchbook. Indeed, sketchbooks reinforce the information in the students’ minds and make it easier to share with others.

6) Elements of Art and Sketchbooks

All elements at once.

If you want to cover the elements of art quickly, you might consider using sketchbooks. There are two different approaches that I’ve tried. One is to go through the elements at the beginning of the year all at once. I did this by using my  Elements of Art Sketchbook Activities . Then, after teaching about the elements of art, students did an Op Art lesson that used the elements as a focus. Doing the Op Art lesson showed students how to use the elements of art to create illusions.

One Element Per Project

Likewise, another idea is to cover one or two elements for each lesson and do a quick activity before introducing the art lesson. It might take the entire year to cover all 7 elements of art, but if you plan ahead, this would be a great way to give each element a little more focus. Of course, each art project would be about much more than the element of art. The element of art would just give students a formal quality to think about in addition to the meaning or big idea of the art project.

7) Art Critiques Using Sketchbooks

Sketchbooks can quickly become a tool for critiquing art. One way of doing this is by creating an interactive page. Interactive pages are not only fun for students, but they engage them in a way that makes them want to go back over information and share their work with others. In addition, these activities help students retain information. 

An interactive page is a flip-flap that students open to reveal the answer to a question or some information. For example, the front of the flap could say, “Describe what is happening in this work of art.” Next, students glue flaps into their sketchbooks and write the answer under the flap. If you’d like to do this type of activity focusing on the  Principles of Design  or  Elements of Art , I’ve created some pages for that. Finally, students can write about how the artist used the element of art or design principle under the flap.

Sketchbooks and Mental Health Benefits

One attribute of sketchbooks is the physical property of being able to shut the book. Keeping work semi-private helps students let their guard down a little and try things that they might not try on a piece of paper that gets displayed.  

I think some students find it necessary to “get out” some of their thoughts that might not be the most appropriate for public consumption.  After drawing in sketchbooks, students can edit out ideas. As a result, students can reveal something in their final work of art that they feel more comfortable sharing. Sketchbook drawings can also be an excellent tool for initiating a private conversation with students about their thoughts and feelings. Or if needed,  referring students to a counselor.

To Buy or Not to Buy

Student provided sketchbooks.

So if you haven’t tried using sketchbooks in your classroom, I suggest giving it a try! I was fortunate to teach in a district where I was able to ask students to bring in a sketchbook, and most students did! For example, I ordered 10-20 sketchbooks as part of my supply order and handed them out to students who could not afford a sketchbook. If this is not possible, try making them.

Making Sketchbooks

You could use a traditional bookbinding technique such as sewing or keep it simple by folding paper and using a long-arm stapler to staple them. Most students can make their own. Have older (5th grade) students make some at the end of the year for next year’s 1st graders. It’s also great to have a few extra made for new students. One advantage of making your sketchbooks is that students can decorate the cover. A simple way to do this is to give them the letters “A-R-T” to trace and color in with bright colors and patterns (or zentangle).

Keeping Sketchbooks Organized

To keep sketchbooks organized, I had the office print out labels (or give me a database to print them).

Color Coding

Before passing the label out, I color-coded the edge of the label with markers and glitter glue. (First-grade blue, 2nd red, third orange, 4th green, and 5th purple) Then after they got their assigned seats, they got a sticker that indicated which table they sat at that also went on the label. Color coding made passing them out easy. Even if the students were not at their seats, someone could pass sketchbooks to the correct table.

The stickers also had their teacher’s name on them, so if I found a sketchbook lying somewhere in the room, I could put it with the rest of that class’s sketchbooks.

 Storing Sketchbooks

Depending on the size of your sketchbooks, you could store them in a crate or on a shelf labeled with the teacher’s name. If you are on a cart, ask teachers to give you a little spot for sketchbooks and work in progress in the classroom.

Before You Go

I’d love to hear how you’ve used sketchbooks in your classroom. 

If you have questions about how I’ve used sketchbooks in my art room you can ask them in my Facebook group .

The Benefits of Drawing

Use this infographic to display in your room or share with parents, administrators, or other teachers as a way to point out some of the academic benefits of learning to draw. While they are not the only reason for using drawing as part of a balanced curriculum, they are certainly worthy of celebrating and may help you advocate for including drawing as part of your art or classroom learning experiences.

You can read more about The Benefits of Drawing in this blog post.

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• Art Assessment , Art Classroom Ideas , Art Integration , Art Teacher Tips , Drawing Tips , How to Teach Drawing , You Can Make It

Stacey Peters

I create engaging drawing resources that help students build confidence and express themselves through art. I'm a former elementary art teacher of 25 years turned business owner. Giving you the tools you need to bring more drawing into your classroom brings me joy.

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Sketchbook Assignments

Submitted by: Amanda Linn, Harmony Grove High School ADVANCED PLACEMENT SKETCHBOOK IDEAS

[ Sketchbook ideas K- 8 | Sketchbook Advocacy | Sketchbook Labels ] Lesson Plans: Make a Sketchbook (6-12) | Sketch book Choices and Ideas | H.S. Sketchbook Ideas

From Amanda Linn: I thought these might be useful to others. I am sometimes stumped for meaningful sketchbook ideas. Many of these are ideas I have "sponged" and modified from other people. Others were designed to prepare my students for specific art experiences we will have in the future or to support themes and ideas we are exploring.

· Select an above or below point of view in a specific area (your room, kitchen, bathroom, outside, in a car, etc. Complete this drawing paying attention to details. You may complete the drawing in pencil, colored pencil, pen, etc.

· Choose a portion of a magazine or newspaper picture. Glue that picture on a page in your sketchbook. Create a drawing that incorporates that picture into a story. You may use more than one magazine or newspaper image BUT the artwork should be made mainly from your added drawings. This artwork should span 2 pages. You may use color or shading. OR you could use a color scheme (monochromatic, etc.)

· Choose an enclosed space- a kitchen cabinet, a television, an oven, a refrigerator, in a drawer or closet. What human qualities do the objects in the enclosed space assume when no one is watching? Do the mustard bottles dance? Do the socks play cards? This can be one page with details…be sure and show the interior of the space as well as the objects.

· Over 2 pages show the gradual transformation of a pair of scissors into another object- example: scissors into a shark- DON"T USE THIS EXAMPLE- it was my idea. Details are needed in the drawing- color is optional.

· If you got a holiday card from one of these artists what would it look like?

Pablo Picasso Berthe Morisot Salvador Dali Georgia O’Keefe Vincent Van Gogh Frida Kahlo

· Arrange three related objects (3 kitchen items, 3 shoes, sports equipment, etc.) into a composition. Draw on one page using a light source and shading

· Create an image using only found images (from magazines, newspapers, worksheets, etc.) The image should communicate a message or tell a story

· Practice drawing anything from observation- the most common things are good practice

· Look at yourself in a spoon- draw the distorted image

· What happens when a 6-foot tall squirrel shows up in your yard?

· Identify an object that relates to your identity. Create an artwork that uses the image of that object (or the actual object) as the SINGLE FOCUS of the artwork. Open media.

· Fill in the blank… "I am a _________ in this world." Use the text of the completed sentence to inform the artwork. Open Media. This should be a 2 page spread

· Answer these questions with an image:

At age six I was ________

At age twelve I was _______

Now I am ________

At age 25 I will be ______

At age 75 I will be ______

Arrange these images in a composition that communicates your identity. Open media. Should span at least 4 pages in some order that communicates the answers to the questions.

· Illustrate a dream you have had using only 5 symbols (single images that communicate ideas) This may take one or two pages. You may use color or black and white to complete the image.  Consider what you know about composition, emphasis, etc. as you build the images.

· Make a detailed drawing of your hand holding something related to the fall season OR related to school. Make the drawing large enough that it touches all the edges of the page. You may add color or use shading

· Your choice- create a one or two page drawing that demonstrates several of your strongest art skills. This is your chance to create your own assignment as many of you have requested,

· What does the holiday season really mean to you? Your image can be abstract or realistic; you may choose the media. AVOID common images- meaning if you choose to show holiday gifts- SHOW THEM IN A CREATIVE WAY! I

· Create a design using elements from magazine or newspaper images. Cut and paste the images onto the page in your sketchbook to create the design.

· Practice observational drawing skills by drawing from the following list:

Shoes Corner of a room in your house Create an arrangement of objects, use a lamp or other light to make dramatic shadows, Your pet Creative views of your car, bicycle, skateboard, etc. Make the image reach all the way to the edges of the page. Demonstrate what you know about point of view, emphasis, composition, positive and negative space, etc.

· Practice drawing from your imagination by drawing from the following list:

What would you see if you grew wings and flew over our town? What if your big toe became its own person? What if you suddenly became very very small?

Advanced Placement Sketchbook Ideas

Submitted by Robert Teslow:

Appropriate an image from magazine/newspaper/web-image that illustrates/demonstrates an unusual point of view of common objects, space/place, architecture, or group of things/people, other.

Draw a same size line drawing from your image.

Draw an enlarged scale version based on your same size line drawing (don’t be concerned about some changes in image… current drawing compared to a previous one).

Use oil pastels to enhance enlarged line drawing. Select among the following color relationships to be a guide to using color for expression and emphasis.

Warm hues with cool accents Cool hues with warm accents Monochromatic Complimentary Analogous

Submitted by Heidi Praff:

Homework assignment: Shadows as Connectors

This assignment will also be done in your sketchbook.

You may draw from a HIGH CONTRAST photos, or from direct observation, harshly lit.

DO NOT use any magazine photos of models, which are meant mainly to showcase makeup.

Draw the face, at least twice, summarizing it into shapes of shadows and light.

Observe and record how the shadows connect features.

At least 2 faces. If it is your own, you can just change pose or lighting.

Date all entries.

Homework Assignment - #3 The Eye:

This assignment is to be done in your sketchbook.

It involves drawing your eye twice in two very different ways. Both are from direct observation, though.

TWO DRAWINGS, DIFFERENT  APPROACHES, DIFFERENT PAGES

Please read the directions carefully. As always, date your entries.

Make a DETAILED drawing of your eye and the area around it. Include everything you see when observing closely in clear, even lighting. For the second drawing, make a drawing in HARSH lighting, showing the shapes of the shadows only. SUMMARIZE, don’t itemize. This drawing will not contain detail, but will accurately represent the shapes of light and shadow on and around your eye area.

Submitted by Ken Schwab:

Sketchbook for A.P. Art #1

You will be keeping a sketchbook for the entire year. This sketchbook will be a series of drawings and mixed media pieces that you will use for your portfolio. Each one should be considered a complete art piece. This means that composition and principles of good design can and should be utilized.

These are the sketchbook requirements for your first grading period. They can be in any media unless specifically designated. These 4 drawings will be due in 6 weeks and will be given 80 points, (20 for each one)

1. Draw a portrait using light and shadow. In order to achieve strong gradations and a sense of form, place a light from different angles than normal. These can be under the chin, behind the head or from the top. This can be in graphite pencil or colored pencil.

2. Study your feet and shoes. Create a strong thick and thin contour drawing of your shoes drawing from different angles. Include more than one drawing on the same page over lapping and filling the format. Pen or pencil

3. Draw a place around the outside of your home. This can be a plant, part of the building or objects on the porch. Use ink and watercolor to create a strong contrast between the color and the ink. Crosshatching as a style is suggested but not required.

4. Draw bottles and cans. Have them crunched up for details in the reflections and folds of the metal. Include lots of detail and only show a small area instead of the whole can or cans. If it is a bottle, find an area that shows off the reflections and surface quality of the bottle.

5. Create a series of positive and negative space designs. On your desk at home stack a few objects into a pile. With a light shinning from the back look at the space that is white (light) and draw the shapes as a contour line shape. Use black paint or ink to fill in the spaces as a flat shape. The silhouette of the object should still be seen but new shapes created.

6. Draw a piece of furniture in your house. This can be in color or black and white. Sit in an area and observe the lines and shapes of the piece. Create a format around your observed area and look for textures, gradations, wood grain or interesting shapes and make a detailed study.

Submitted by Ken Schwab

Sketchbook for A.P. Art #2

This is the second round of sketchbook assignments. Choose 4 of these to use and have them completed before the next grading period. Remember to use good drawing skills and composition.

2. Draw or design a vehicle. This can be a car, spaceship, airplane, boat, motorcycle, bicycle or anything you want. Include details and make it big! Any media

3. Draw yourself using a strong light source on one side of your face. Use a mirror and try to have some expression. Focus on the strong shadows created by the light. Use pastel for blocking in large areas with a lesser amount of detail.

4. Using color ( Cray-Pas ) create an Impressionist Landscape drawing. Use Van Gogh, Manet, Seurat, Pissaro, Sisley, or Cezanne as your guide. Use the internet and look up these artists to observe their work. Find a landscape on the net as well and draw it as a n Impressionist.

5. Draw a series of animals in motion. Such as a cheetah running, a rabbit hopping, a bird flying. This can be in any media and you can use just three views or images in a row.

6. Divide the page into three areas with a ruler. Create a very involved contour drawing with pen of a small object of your choice and put it in one of the areas going outside the shape.  Next, in another area, draw the same object with pencil using good shading and proper proportion. For the last area, distort or abstract (like in cubism) the same object using three values or colors.

Submitted by Nicole Brisco

Ideas for the first day to engage creativity in any advanced class. I begin in Art 2.

2. Another good idea is to print out a variety of sketchbook assignments on address labels and give them to the students. I have printed 30 different assignments on one page of sticker labels and printed one (each student receives the same problems) for each student, there is some initial cost for the labels but you will not have to give out another assignment sheet for the rest of the year. I created open ideas that instill good observational, creative, and compositional skills. Give each student the same printed page and they can chose what problem to tackle for their sketchbook for the week and stick the one they selected to the back of the page, or you can have them stick them to the prepared pages and they would be forced to move through the sketchbook in an unordered way. This gives the student options and allows them ownership in what they draw each week depending on their mood... but also keeps them focused on the skills they need to work on during the year. I have them staple the label page to the back of their sketchbook so that they do not lose it. I saw this idea and loved it and decided to adapt it to my art 2 and 3 classes and what kid does not like stickers?....even high school kids have a fascination. See list of ideas.

Here is a sample label file created by Gloria Rabinowitz

Suggestions from Ruth Wilson • Draw a pile of shoes • looking from an interior space to an exterior space (IE: a doorway) • a figure drawn in an unusual perspective • still life objects • reflective objects • self portraits with expression or mood • pasting a piece of a magazine on paper and then drawing outward • morphs • painting or drawing in an artists style • distorted reflections • action • anatomy • shaded 3D forms showing strong contrast • architectural drawing • art history prints & Design elements • draw on Mylar over an art history print with graphite to show the shapes, then another sheet of Mylar the directional lines, then the 3-5 local colors, and shading values

Suggestions from Donna Rodeghiero

Draw: A grouping of seashells A single flower with all its leaves, etc. A cluttered place close-up A pile of dishes sitting on the sink Your favorite food with the wrapper included, and product showing A close up set of 3-5 pieces of popped popcorn A close up of the various pieces from a game, the board, box, etc. A set of keys and a couple other items from your pocket or purse Your shoes or sandals (off your feet) Your sunglasses and what they reflect Your digital camera with the last image showing Your computer from an angle you do not usually view it, cords and all A view out a window of your choice (with motion or still) showing inside and out A shiny Christmas ornament and the view it reflects A magnifying glass and what it is magnifying as well as the space around it that is unmagnified A grouping of photographs of you, your family or friends in collage form Your school books positioned in an interesting manner A single object of choice drawn from several views with significantly different light sources in each view Something you view from a prone position looking up at whatever it is Your pet or favorite object from 3 distinctly different views

Suggestions from Patty Knott

I like to give words or phrases for idea spawning. I don't grade sketchbooks. I believe they are personal places of exploration for not only practice but journaling and questioning and sometimes, even doodling, but especially creative thinking. I just always hope they will discover mixed meanings, irony, metaphor, and symbolism.... just how to get ideas. This summer I am going through 5 years worth of art , fine crafts and photo magazines that I subscribe to, and I am listing word, phrases, titles, media and techniques that catch my eye. I like to have the kids make arbitrary picks from the list ( pull from a hat, a spin wheel, etc.) and take a day a week that they do the sketchbook exploration without the pressure of projects and grades. Here are just a few of words and phrases I am currently compiling: (I always have them mind map and web all the possibilities for all the words) Conflict of interests More than meets the Eye (I) Me, myself, and I (eye) Warped Nightmares/Other worlds Habits Food .. You are what you eat (still, after 36 years, my most biggest art challenge was the RISD portfolio requirement - Draw your family at breakfast. ) Lonely -- L (one) ly inspired by the e.e.cummings poem "1(a" The seasons The End Pairs I get around Balance Home is where... All that glitters... Pretty -- as a picture Layer it on So transparent A touch of __________? Messing around Over the edge (this one led to a student doing his concentration on Robert DeNiro film roles) The senses Threads It's my nature Take cover It's not easy being green Color outside the lines Hot and cold Lemon Yellow Black and White & red all over (so glad a student made red - read) sunset Metallics Autumn Forest floor. A sketchbook should be a fun place, not a chore or another "have- to." If I judge and grade the sketchbook, then where do they go to make free ideas? If we all had i-pods and camera phones, I would include those too.

Suggestions from John Steiner

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How to Inspire Students to Use Their Sketchbooks in a New Way

Note: Be sure to review all resources and preview all artists before determining if they are appropriate to share with your students.

Many of us have students work in sketchbooks. Students might be completing prompts or points for daily assignments. But, how many of us have students actually using their sketchbooks as a powerful tool spilling over with ideas?

Designer, Pep Carrio ,  has this to say about how he works in his sketchbook:

For me, a sketchbook is like a kind of portable laboratory, a space to mark with references, to capture the immediate, to experiment; a memory warehouse to which I can return whenever I am searching for an idea or when I simply want to remember an instant, a time in the past.

When students move from begrudgingly completing a sketchbook assignment each week to working as Carrio does, the results can be profound.

It’s time to help students learn to use their sketchbooks as an endless tool for exploring and recording ideas.

To get started, you’ll want students to collect their sketchbooks.

If they only have one, that’s fine, but the more, the better. Remind students to think about doodles or sketches in other notebooks. For example, they may have great ideas scribbled in the margins of their algebra notes.

Next, you’ll want a supply of sticky notes in at least two different colors. If sticky notes are not in your budget, you could use strips of colored paper as bookmarks or have students dog-ear some pages.

Once all supplies are collected, explain to your students they’re going to spend time looking through their sketchbooks.

As they browse, have them reflect on what’s on each page. Use one color sticky note or bookmark to mark the pages with ideas that still interest them, but not yet explored in their work. With the other color, have students mark the page they love because they’re visually appealing.

If you’re having students dog-ear the pages, you might have them do the top corner for pages with ideas to explore and the bottom corner for pages they love.

Once students finish looking through their sketchbooks, discuss how to organize their ideas.

Start by showing students examples. Explore how artists use their sketchbooks by reading the article, The R&D Lab of Creativity: Inside the Sketchbooks of Beloved Illustrators and Designers.

As students work to organize their ideas, remember, there is no right way to do this. Have students reflect on what interests them the most.

Here are 3 ways to organize sketchbook ideas.

1. Build a new book.

Students who are open to the idea of tearing pages out of their sketchbook should tear out marked pages. They might select to organize those pages in order of interest. As students build a new book, consider having them insert a blank page next to each old idea, giving them space to further develop and explore new ideas. The easiest way to do this is to have students hole punch their pages, and organize them with binder rings.

2. Edit their current sketchbook.

Students may choose to leave the marked pages in their sketchbook, instead, ripping out the others.

Getting rid of old unwanted ideas, or pages students no longer like can feel liberating. The process of getting rid of pages also helps to remind students their sketchbook isn’t precious. It’s a place to explore and make mistakes.

Again, once students have removed unwanted pages, they may wish to add in some blank pages for further exploration. Do so by stapling in some blank pages or use sticky notes to add new ideas on top of the old.

3. Leave the book intact.

You may have some students who don’t like the idea of tearing pages from their sketchbook at all, and that’s okay. Encourage these students to leave their book intact. Remind them to continue to go back and review the pages they’ve marked. When they’re feeling stuck, refer them to their marked pages.

Depending on the time you have with your students, you may choose to skip the reorganization step and dive right into creating. Remember, the goal of this process to have students begin to think of their sketchbooks as a resource.

Here are 3 ways to encourage your students to continue making in response to their sketchbook.

1. Create a Collage

It’s likely that your students have interesting elements throughout their sketchbooks. Using collage techniques allows students to take the parts they like, combine them, and create new and interesting spreads.

If your students are exploring collage, you’ll want to make sure to have glue sticks as well as tape available. While colored and washi tape is fun, it’s not essential. Scotch tape and masking tape will also do the trick.

Turn this into a project by teaching students about how to lay out images and text on a spread for a book or magazine.

2. Make a New Piece

Have students select one of their old ideas and think about how they can turn it into a new piece. Ask students to reflect on what stopped them from taking the idea further in the past. Are there resources or supports they need to help them move forward?

3. Recycle Pages

Recycle pages students no longer like. This process is not only fun, but it can also be a way to save money. It also helps students think about reworking old pieces instead of just throwing them out.

Encourage students to paint or draw over pages they don’t like. Or, cut and fold old pages, transforming them into something new.

Sketchbooks are a powerful tool for problem-solving, idea generation, and experimentation. While we often have students use sketchbooks, we can push them further when sketchbooks become a reference tool. They should be a resource students revisit when they’re feeling stuck or uninspired.

Sketchbooks are also a great place for students to learn about the art of failing and starting over. Tearing out pages, collaging over old ideas, or covering pages with paint helps students get into the practice of starting over. For even more ideas, check out the Sketchbook Ideas that Really Work PRO Pack. Look for this Pack and many more in PRO Learning.   Connect today to learn more about how to get PRO Learning in your school or district.  

What is one new idea you were introduced to today that you want to try in your classroom?

What is your favorite way to use sketchbooks in your art room?

Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

Amber Kane is AOEU’s Director of K–12 Curriculum and a former AOEU Writer and high school art educator. She believes questioning and a focus on the creative thought process helps students uncover their personal voice and impact others.

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Photography Sketchbook Ideas – 11 Inspirational Examples

Last Updated on December 23, 2021

Many high school Photography students are unsure how to present printed photographic images in a creative and visually appealing way. This collection is intended to motivate and inspire students who study high school qualifications such as NCEA Level 3 Photography (Scholarship), A Level Photography and IB Visual Art.

Please view our new book:  Outstanding High School   Sketchbooks . This book has high-resolution images so that fine details and annotation are clear, making it an excellent resource for students and schools.  Learn more !

READ NEXT: How to make an artist website (and why you need one)

Mr Sam Kiff , an Art teacher from  Thomas Tallis School , London, UK, has generously uploaded the sketchbooks of his A Level Photography students, providing these as valuable learning opportunities for others. The level of creativity and inventiveness shown in the work – such as this A Level Photography Coursework sketchbook  by Natalie M – is excellent. Viewing a sketchbook in its entirety is very helpful, as it shows the exploration and development of ideas over time.

It is clear from the examples above that there is not one best presentation style for a photography sketchbook; ultimately a student should embrace a style which complements their own work and plays to their strengths.

Need more sketchbook ideas?

This article showcases quality presentation ideas for Photography sketchbooks and is part of a series showcasing and celebrating outstanding sketchbooks by students, artists and designers. You may also be interested in viewing our other sketchbook resources:

• Painting / Fine Art sketchbooks
• Graphic design sketchbooks
• Textile and fashion design sketchbooks
• Sculpture, architecture, and 3D Design sketchbooks
• Digital sketchbooks
• Tips for producing an amazing high school sketchbook  (this was originally written for A Level Art and IGCSE/GCSE Art students, but is relevant for students creating a sketchbook, art journal, or visual diary as part of any high school art qualification)
• How to annotate a sketchbook : a guide for art students

This sketchbook collection is continually updated. Please bookmark this page so that you can return to it when needed! If you would like to submit your own sketchbook page for inclusion, please  contact us . ????

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for seven years, responsible for the course design and assessment of student work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Architecture (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

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Summer Assignments for PHS: Studio Art (2D Design/Drawing & 3D Design) - AP

• Calculus AB - AP
• Eng Lit & Comp - AP (Srs)
• Psychology - AP
• US Government & Politics - AP
• Studio Art (2D Design/Drawing & 3D Design) - AP
• US History - AP
• AP Eng Lit & Comp (Srs)
• Suggested Summer Reading
• For Incoming Freshmen

Mrs. Brandley Send email

Mrs. Hook Send email

• AP Studio Art Course Homepages (from AP Central)

Printer-friendly Assignment

• AP Studio Art - 2D Design/Drawing & 3D Design

Welcome Letter

Dear Students and Parents,

Thank you for choosing to enroll in this AP Studio Art course for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.  Please see the information within this packet that includes an overview of the AP course as well as summer assignments. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have regarding the course or the initial assignments. [email protected]

Course Description : AP Studio Art: 2D Design/Drawing(non-photography)

This is an advanced level course that is designed for students who want to further develop mastery in their art making skills.  The course is developed as a college level course completed at the high school level.  Requirements for the final portfolio are developed by the College Board Advanced Placement Program, including a Selected Works and a Sustained Investigation Section that consists of approximately 20 different advanced level artworks.  All students enrolled in this course are expected to submit a portfolio. Portfolios are submitted in digital format to the AP Board for scoring in a 1-5 range.  Students who receive a 3, 4, or 5 on the portfolio are often given credit(s) for their efforts when they enter their Undergraduate Program at the College or University of their choice.  Submission of a portfolio is mandatory for receiving AP credit.

Students who complete this course will have not only created an excellent portfolio, but will have:

• Become independent critical thinkers
• Emphasized art making as an outlet of personal expression and voice
• Developed sophisticated technical versatility and skill within the Elements and Principles of art.
• Learned how art making/creative solutions can be an integral part of daily life

Expectations:

The following are key guidelines of the course:

• In addition to work completed in class, artwork will have to be done at home – this will help accomplish 1 finished piece of work approximately every 1 ½ weeks throughout the year. Expect to spend time at home working on pieces.
• A sketchbook/journal is to be kept throughout the course.  This will include personal responses to work, photos, notes, measurements, sketches, clippings, and any other variety of ideas/techniques produced/practiced on a daily basis.
• Deadlines must be met.   Procrastination is not accepted in this course, or the portfolio requirements will never be able to be completed in the time period allotted.
• Students must be active participants in class.  Discussions and critiques are key learning processes in this course and students must contribute their ideas and thoughts at all times.
• Students must be prepared for class.  Students must arrive to class on time with their materials, and use the class time to its fullest extent.
• Respect is expected at all times.  This includes respect for personal artwork, respect for other people’s artwork, respect for the classroom and materials, and most of all respect for people’s ideas, opinions, and feelings voiced in discussion.
• Students must also study classic and contemporary artists and trends during the duration of the course.  Students are expected to visit galleries and local art museums on their own 2-3 times during the year.

All artwork must be original!  No published work can be used as a basis for personal artwork unless significant alteration to the image is completed.  All imagery must be developed according to personal voice and any duplication of imagery from any source is not accepted.

Course Content:

• Critiques, written reflections, discussions and production along with the study of historical and contemporary artists.
• A working journal composed of research, sketches, photos, images, documented conversations, short assignments, problems that arise and the solutions to those problems, and techniques.
• Development of the student’s submitted portfolio for 2D Design/Drawing.  

The portfolio includes the following two sections: 

Section I: Selected Works (40% of total AP Score) 

This section of the AP Art and Design Portfolio Exams offers students the opportunity to make and present works of art and design with minimal constraints. Each work is expected to demonstrate skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas.

Requirements:

For this section, students should carefully select works that best demonstrate their skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas. The submission can be a group of related works, unrelated works, or a combination of related and unrelated works. These works may also be submitted in the Sustained Investigation section, but they don’t have to be. Along with each work, students are required to submit written responses to prompts about the work. Responses are evaluated by the AP board along with the images that students submit.

AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio-Five physical works or high-quality printed reproductions of physical works that each demonstrate synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas using 2-D art and design skills

AP Drawing Portfolio-Five physical works or high-quality printed reproductions of physical works that each demonstrate synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas using drawing skills

Section II: Sustained Investigation (60% of total AP Score)

This section of the AP Art and Design Portfolio Exams offers students the opportunity to make and present works of art and design based on an in-depth investigation of materials, processes, and ideas done over time. Sustained investigation is guided by questions. It involves practice, experimentation, and revision using materials, processes, and ideas. The Sustained Investigation section is expected to demonstrate skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas.

Along with each work, students are required to submit written responses to prompts about the work. Responses to these prompts are evaluated by the AP board along with the images that students submit. The most successful responses in terms of assessment are those that are clearly related to the images of work submitted; that directly and completely address the prompts; and that provide evidence of inquiry-based sustained investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision.

AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio-15 digital images of works of art and process documentation that demonstrate sustained investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision

AP Drawing Portfolio-15 digital images of works of art and process documentation that demonstrate sustained investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision

Summer Work:

Students are to complete 5 works over the summer that may be included in the Selected Works section of the AP Studio Art Portfolio.  The 3 finished works of art, along with all planning and museum sketches, will be due on the first day of class and will be critiqued during Week 1.  

While completing the summer work, students should:

Create a timeline of their own “due dates” so the pieces can be created in a comfortable, relaxed manner – the 3 works should not be completed during the last week in August!

Keep in mind although this is summer work it should be as technically developed as in-class advanced work.

Explore the College Board’s AP Studio Art site and review the sample portfolios. Familiarize yourself with the AP scoring rubric and take notes in your sketchbook of works you find compelling, questions you may have, etc.  Also read some of the sample concentration statements within those sample portfolios.   See site links below.

• AP 2D Portfolio Samples
• AP Drawing Portfolio Samples

AP 3D Art & Design Portfolio Samples

Remember to get feedback about works in progress and about finished works.  Some might ask parents or relatives to critique their works, some might ask friends, or digital images of the work can be emailed to the instructor with questions or for suggestions at any time. 

AP Studio Art: Summer Assignments for 3D & 2D Design/Drawing

Before you start, find an Inspiration / Sketchbook   -  Choose an inspiration book (sketchbook) to be composed of teacher assignments, doodles, sketches, notes, collected pictures, and other visual ideas of various techniques to give insight into the student’s thought processes. See the first sketchbook assignment below.

1.) Two visits to art museums and/or Galleries 

In your inspiration book, put your entry stub(s), gallery cards, and general notes about the artists whose work you viewed.  

• Choose your 2 favorites from each visit and study them.  Make notes about what you find intriguing, the material, finish, subject, and content.  Complete 3 sketches, or take photos (with permission), from different perspectives of each of your chosen pieces. (Show all sides of the works)
• Keep all sketches and plans for your summer assignments in this book as well.

2.) Self Portraits 

Create a series of 3 self-portraits, experimenting with/utilizing a different media for each.  Your portraits may be executed in any style using any media as long as elements of your essence are incorporated.

NOTE: Take advantage of gallery nights in Newport and Providence to see a wide variety of art and free access to NAM and RISD. These summer assignments will be graded and are due the first class back to school. If transportation is an issue, you may take virtual tours through museums.

Let me know if you have any questions. 

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• AP Studio Art SUMMER Activities
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• 2023-2024 AP Studio Art

AP Info and Summer Assignments

Please ENROLL in Canvas Course:

https://cbsd.instructure.com/enroll/7NFFRP

*Sign up for REMIND ASAP

81010@b3dfd4, i will be contacting you through remind to set up a meeting  , ap studio art summer assignments include filling a sketchbook and taking and/or gathering at least 50 photos that inspire you or to be used as inspiration in your work. you may use family photos, you just cannot use any photos that are copyrighted. .

We will have THREE check-ins over the summer. The completed sketchbook is due on the first day of class. The sketchbook grade is a PROJECT grade and will impact your overall GPA for this course.

The sketchbook assignment is YOUR SUMMER assignment and must be taken seriously and not rushed. Please do not wait until the last minute, be mindful of the guidelines and the support materials. 

REQUIRED:  Summer Sketchbook Guidelines and Directions

REQUIRED:  Summer Photo List

Review:  Sketchbook Brainstorming/Planning Directions

Review:  Over 200 Sustained Investigation Ideas

Review:  Sustained Investigation Caution 

Please review portfolios and guidelines on the AP Collegeboard:

Scoring guidlines for drawing portfolio, scoring guidlines for 2-d design portfolio, scoring guidlines for 3-d design portfolio, student pages on ap central, ap 3-d art and design, https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-3d-art-and-design, ap 2-d art and design, https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-2d-art-and-design, https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-drawing, summer sketchbook assignment.

AP Studio Portfolio Course Requirements:  https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap17-18-studio-art-brochure.pdf

The Prerequisite for AP Studio Art is Art Two​

The portfolio requirements are divided up into two segments:

• The Concentration  section of the portfolio is a cohesive body of work that investigates personal interest, ideas and/or media. ​
• The   Quality  section of the portfolio is comprised of five artworks that demonstrate a clear understanding of concept, composition and execution, whether they are simple or complex.​

AP Studio Art -The Drawing portfolio focuses on  Line quality, light and shade, rendering of form, composition, surface manipulation, the illusion of depth, and mark-making. ​ ​​ You would choose the Drawing Portfolio if you: are told that you're good at drawing; are always sketching; like drawing from observation; enjoy shading and working with value; want to get better at drawing what you see;  like realistic artwork more than abstract; are confident in your drawing skills; feel confident that you can draw what you see .

• Develop a  personal concentration  showing a consistent theme or idea with discovery: 15 pieces​
• Select five outstanding artworks for the  quality  section of the portfolio​
• Show evidence of  project planning  from start to finish for each artwork​
• Utilize sophisticated artistic vocabulary in critiques and written reflections ( artist statements )​
• Participate in  art shows and competitions , such as community art shows and events, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, PSEA etc.

AP Studio Art- The 2-D portfolio focuses on  the elements and principles  of art in an integrative way. ​ You would also chose this portfolio if your interst are on photography and graphic design.  You would choose the 2-D Portfolio is you:  want to explore photography in the class; like looking at and creating abstract art; are interested in fashion design; enjoy working with mixed media; like to play with pattern; are always doodeling; like bringing collage elements into your work; are not confident in my drawing skills.

• Develop a  personal concentration  showing a consistent theme or idea with discovery: 15 pieces​
• Participate in  art shows and competitions , such as community art shows and events, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, PSEA etc.​

AP Studio Art- The 3-D portfolio focuses on the development of skills in a three-dimensional medium such as sculpture, architectural models, metal work, ceramics, glass work, and others as you learn the principles of 3-D design. You’ll create artwork that reflects your own ideas and skills and what you’ve learned.

All portfolios will require summer assignments

*PHOTOGRAPHS The most important summer assignment is to take 100's of great photographs. Along with your summer photos you can include your old photos and family photos. This summer make sure you are "looking" all the time, everyday and photographing what you see. You are not to use any published photos. It is imperative that you compile a great selection of inspiring images. You need to put the images on a drive, so they are handy.  

When creating the work for your portfolio showing an understanding of composition is imperative. Think about this when taking your photographs. Look at composition and greatly consider your backgrounds. The background should work with the subject or items in your composition and not be a last minute or secondary part of your artwork. Be careful not to place your subject in the center of your composition. Try to use the rule of thirds (do not put your subject in the center of the composition). When photographing landscapes make sure their is interest in the foreground.  

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