"What Should I Draw?"
Do you find yourself often with your sketchbook open, pen in hand, feeling kind of blocked because of the big question that pops up in your mind: “what should I draw?”
In my book, Life Is Better When You Draw It, I dedicated a chapter to this. My mantra is “everything is interesting when you draw it”.
It doesn’t matter what you draw; it matters that you draw.
Our minds play tricks with us - we forget why we wanted to draw in the first place (because you love doing it), and start thinking we should find a meaningful subject to draw or that the drawing should have some kind of message that matters to the whole wide world (even though you’re not planning to share it with anyone).
Forget about trying to come up with an important story, or an original idea. It’s better if you don’t. Just start drawing before thoughts can pop up that create expectations or prevent you from getting started at all. If you keep filling up a page (or even just a corner of it) in your sketchbook, with whatever catches your eye, those pages will add up to a story about you, about your life. And because it’s done in your handwriting, your style - it is special and original and .Nobody but you can make the drawing you make. Even if you don’t love the drawing. It’ll be part of many drawings in your sketchbook and of your beautiful unique story.
By not spending too much time deciding what to draw, you gain drawing time - which means more enjoyment of your creative time. It can be meditative, and you will learn with each drawing as well. About your skills, techniques, the subject, and yourself.
Don’t take it all too seriously. It’s just pen and paper, and making art is fun!
Now that I got that out of the way, you might still be looking for tips to get you going.
Here’s a list of 25 suggestions that could be helpful:
Draw a self portrait
Draw your hand in a continuous line
Draw a car or other vehicle
Draw an animal
Go on a mini-adventure by exploring your neighborhood with your sketchbook in hand
Draw people
Draw your feet
Fill a page studying noses, ears, eyes, or mouths
Draw what you’re wearing
Draw trees and greens
Copy art from an artist who’s art you like
Draw an object that you use every day
Draw a chair
Draw flowers
Draw architecture, buildings or a street scene (on location or from a photo)
Find a photo from your most recent vacation and draw your impression of it
Pick a bunch of things from the kitchen drawer and draw those
Draw what’s in your bag
Draw all your shoes, bags, jewellery or something you collect
Draw toiletries
Draw from (old) family photos
Go on a virtual trip anywhere on Google street view and draw “on location”
When watching TV, grab your sketchbook and draw what you see on screen
Draw your meal or illustrated a recipe
Find a sketch pal and go on a date (via video call or IRL)
You’re welcome!
