14 Fun Things To Draw When You’re Bored

When boredom strikes, finding a creative outlet can help us refocus and pass the time in a productive way. Drawing is a simple and accessible activity that allows us to express thoughts and feelings without needing complex tools or preparation.

This article offers 50 fun drawing ideas that are easy to try whenever we need a quick mental break or want to engage our creativity. These suggestions work well for all skill levels and can help spark inspiration when ideas feel limited.

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Cartoon Penguins

Silly Monsters

Cute Cats

Simple Flowers

Smiling Sun

Drawing a smiling sun is a simple and cheerful way to pass time when bored. We start with a basic circle as the sun's face, which gives us a clean foundation to build upon.

Next, we add friendly eyes and a gentle smile. These features give the sun a warm personality, making the drawing inviting and easy to relate to.

We can enhance the sun’s rays by using straight or wavy lines radiating outward. This adds movement and energy without complicating the drawing process.

This subject helps us practice basic shapes and expressions. It's perfect for all skill levels and can be customized with different facial expressions or styles.

Creating a smiling sun encourages relaxation. It’s a small, enjoyable project that represents positivity and light, fitting for moments when we want something simple yet uplifting to draw.

Funny Faces

Drawing funny faces is a simple way to add humor and creativity to our sketchbooks. We can experiment with exaggerated expressions, unusual shapes, and unexpected features to create characters that make us smile.

These drawings don’t need to be perfect. Their charm often lies in their imperfections or odd proportions, which make each face unique and entertaining.

We can start with basic shapes like circles or ovals and then add playful eyes, goofy smiles, or quirky noses. Changing the size and position of these elements can lead to interesting and funny results.

Trying different styles helps us develop our skills. Whether it’s cartoonish, abstract, or a mix, funny faces allow us to relax and enjoy the drawing process.

Overall, this activity encourages creativity and lightheartedness. It’s a great way to break boredom and practice drawing in a low-pressure way.

Hot Air Balloons

Cartoon Trees

Drawing cartoon trees is a simple and enjoyable way to practice shapes and creativity. We can start by sketching basic forms like rounded or triangular canopies, then add a sturdy trunk to ground the image. This approach helps us focus on clean lines and balanced proportions.

We don’t need to worry about realistic details. Instead, we can play with exaggerated leaves, whimsical branches, or even unusual colors. This flexibility makes cartoon trees a great subject when we want to relax and experiment.

Cartoon trees also offer room to incorporate personality. We might add faces, expressions, or small creatures to bring them to life. This can make our drawings more engaging and fun to share.

These trees are suitable for all skill levels. Whether we’re beginners or more experienced, cartoon trees provide a rewarding challenge without being overwhelming. They help build confidence in drawing organic shapes while keeping the process light and enjoyable.

Stacked Stones

Stacked stones offer a simple yet visually interesting subject to draw. We can focus on the different shapes and sizes of each stone, practicing how to represent weight and balance on the page.

The rough texture of the stones allows us to experiment with shading techniques. We can use soft shadows to show the roundness and hard edges where stones press against each other.

This drawing encourages patience and attention to detail. As we capture the careful way stones are stacked, we improve our control over line quality and composition.

Stacked stones also provide a quiet, natural scene to observe. Adding surrounding elements like grass or small flowers can create a peaceful atmosphere in our sketch.

Overall, this is a great exercise to enhance both observation skills and technical drawing abilities while keeping the process straightforward and engaging.

Tangerines with Colored Pencils

Drawing tangerines with colored pencils is a great way for us to practice blending and shading techniques. Their round shape and bright color make them perfect subjects for exploring gradients and light reflections.

We start by outlining the basic shape lightly with a pencil. Then, we build layers of orange shades, gradually adding depth by varying pressure and colors.

Using a white pencil for highlights helps to create a natural shine on the fruit’s surface. It can also act as a blender to smooth color transitions.

Paying attention to the tangerine's texture is key. We can add subtle dots or gentle strokes to mimic the peel’s surface.

This exercise encourages observation and patience, making it an engaging and relaxing drawing project. It suits beginners as well as those looking for a simple yet rewarding challenge.

 Classic Cartoon Eyes

Classic cartoon eyes are simple yet expressive, making them a great choice when we want to draw quickly and effectively. They often consist of large, rounded shapes with clear pupils that convey emotion with minimal detail.

We can experiment by changing the size and position of the pupils to show different feelings like surprise, sadness, or happiness. Adding highlights or reflections in the eyes also helps give them a lively appearance.

These eyes work well in many styles, from vintage cartoons to modern animations. They are useful for practicing the basics of facial expressions without needing complex anatomy.

When boredom strikes, drawing classic cartoon eyes allows us to be creative while improving our skills in shape, shading, and emotion. They’re both fun and easy, perfect for filling sketchbook pages with personality.

Minimalist Boats

Minimalist boats are a simple and satisfying subject to draw when we feel bored. Using only a few lines and basic shapes, we can create clean and elegant sketches that capture the essence of a boat without complicated details.

These drawings often focus on the sail shapes, the boat's hull, and gentle waves. This approach allows us to practice line control and composition while keeping the process relaxing and quick.

Minimalist boat drawings can also serve as versatile references. We can use them for tattoos, graphic projects, or just as calming doodles in our sketchbooks. The simplicity makes it easy for artists at any skill level to enjoy.

By focusing on minimal elements, we train ourselves to communicate ideas clearly with less. This sharpens our creative skills and encourages us to appreciate the beauty in simplicity.

These prompts are great practice—but if you want structured lessons to actually improve your drawing technique, this course is worth a look.

Detailed Leaves

Drawing detailed leaves gives us a great opportunity to practice observation and patience. Each leaf has unique shapes, veins, and textures that we can study closely.

We start by outlining the basic shape of the leaf. Then, we focus on adding veins, starting from the central vein and moving outward. This helps to create a natural and realistic look.

Shading plays an important role in bringing the leaf to life. We use light and shadow to emphasize the texture and the subtle curves of the leaf surface.

Detailed leaves can be drawn individually or included in a larger nature scene. They make simple sketches more interesting without requiring complicated techniques.

This drawing exercise also helps us improve fine motor skills and precision. It’s a practical way to boost our ability to add intricate detail to any type of drawing.

Bubble Letters

Bubble letters are a simple and enjoyable way for us to add a playful touch to our drawings. Their rounded, inflated shapes make each letter look like a soft balloon or bubble. This style is easy to learn, even for beginners, and lets us experiment with bold outlines and bright colors.

We can start by sketching the letters lightly with pencil, focusing on chunky, smooth curves. Once we're happy with the shapes, outlining the letters with a thick pen or marker helps make them stand out. Erasing stray pencil marks afterward keeps our work clean and polished.

Coloring inside the bubble letters is where we can get creative. Adding shadows or highlights can give the letters a three-dimensional effect. Bubble letters are great for personalizing everything from journals to posters. They offer a fun way to practice lettering while keeping our hands busy.