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Every fall the sketchbook accounts fill back up and everyone suddenly wants to draw again. The problem is most people open a blank page and freeze right there, lol!
The mistake is starting with something too complicated. You don’t need shading skills or a fine art degree to fill a page you’re proud of!
This list came together after scrolling through way too many pins looking for ideas anyone could actually pull off. The ones that made the cut are simple, forgiving and look good even on your first try.
You’ll find a little bit of everything below. Some are quick five minute sketches, others are full sketchbook spread ideas. A few lean spooky for the season.
Grab whatever pencil is closest and don’t overthink your supplies. Most of these only need paper and something to make a mark, lol!
Pick whichever one calls to you first and just start. That blank page fear disappears the second the pencil actually touches paper, I promise!
SIMPLE DRAWINGS IDEAS
Minimalist Mountain Line Drawing
We’re starting off strong with a minimalist mountain line. One continuous line, no lifting the pencil and suddenly there’s a whole range of peaks. How satisfying is that? My hand wobbles every single time I try this.
Turns out the wobble just reads as texture, haha! Somehow that always works in my favor. A cheap mechanical pencil makes the wobble even more forgiving.
- Zero lifting the pencil
- Done in under five minutes
- Looks great in ink too
Easy Heart Hands Sketch
How cute are these heart hands? Trace your own hand twice, overlap the thumbs. You’ve basically made the shape without any real drawing skill!
No shame in that. Who wouldn’t want that on every card?
- Trace your own hand
- Works on cards and journals
- No eraser needed
Charcoal Portrait Side Profile
Charcoal makes a side profile look moody in about ten strokes. This is one of those drawings sketches ideas that photographs beautifully once you smudge the edges a bit.
A chamois cloth or even a folded paper towel blends the charcoal fast. Keep a wet wipe nearby because charcoal gets everywhere. I’m not even kidding, lol!
- Smudges into something moody
- Charcoal stick from the craft aisle
- Blend with a folded paper towel
Pencil Sketch Of Eyes
Eyes are weirdly satisfying to draw once you stop overthinking the lashes. Start with a simple almond shape and build the shading in layers. Rushing it makes the whole thing look flat. I always forget the catchlight on my first few tries.
That tiny blank dot in the pupil is the one detail that saves the drawing every time. Skip it and the whole eye looks lifeless, haha!
Quick Gesture Sketch Figures
Gesture sketching is all about speed, not detail. Set a timer for thirty seconds and just capture the pose before your brain overanalyzes it. My messiest sketches somehow always turn out the best ones. I have basically given up trying to control it!
These loose figures fall apart on purpose. That’s the whole point. The chaos wins every time, haha!
- Thirty seconds, no erasing
- Great warm up before other pieces
- Loose lines are the goal
Spooky Jack O Lantern Sketch
Is it really fall without a jack o lantern sketch? Not in my book! This is one of the more fun halloween drawings ideas because you can make the face as goofy or as terrifying as you want.
Draw the pumpkin ribs first as loose curved lines. The face comes last so you can erase and redo it a hundred times without ruining the shape. Crooked teeth somehow always look funnier than symmetrical ones.
- Face as goofy as you want
- Orange colored pencil optional
- Ribs first, face last
Witch Hat And Broom
A witch hat and broom is basically two triangles and a bundle of lines. It still reads as fully Halloween! This one’s for you if you want spooky without spending an hour on it.
It stayed up until Thanksgiving, haha! Nobody even noticed how simple the whole drawing actually was. Who says quick sketches can’t stick around that long?
- Two triangles, instantly festive
- Black marker does most of the work
- Ready in a coffee break
Washi Tape Sketchbook Spread
Washi tape turns a plain sketchbook page into something you actually want to keep. Frame a small doodle with strips of tape and suddenly it looks put together!
This is one of my favorite sketchbook ideas drawings people because it hides mistakes instead of forcing you to fix them. Tape over the wonky lines and nobody will ever know. A striped pattern hides the shakiest lines best.
- Hides your mistakes on purpose
- Washi tape from the craft aisle
- Ten minutes, zero pressure
Pressed Flower Sketchbook Page
Pressed flowers make a sketchbook page feel like a little time capsule. Flatten petals under a heavy book for about a week before you glue them down. My patience usually runs out around day four.
I still draw a stem or leaf around the flower once it dries. It fills the gap without stealing the show. Same!
- A little time capsule per page
- Flowers from your own yard
- Press under a heavy book
Travel Journal Sketchbook Layout
A travel journal layout doesn’t need fancy lettering. Sketch a ticket stub, a tiny map outline and a couple of leaves from wherever you visited. My pages always end up half empty for weeks. I blame it on packing light and drawing lighter.
Leaving gaps for stickers or a photo later is the whole trick. Honestly the unfinished look is half the charm, right?
Upside Down Forest Sketch
The upside down forest is spooky in the best way. It is one of the more requested stranger things drawings ideas out there right now. Twisted bare trees with a faint red haze do most of the heavy lifting. My trees always come out crooked no matter how careful I am.
Keeping them gnarled instead of symmetrical is the goal anyway. It should feel wrong in the best way. A little red pencil dust smudged around the edges adds extra creep.
- Wrong in the best way
- Red or gray colored pencil
- Loose, gnarled tree lines
Demogorgon Face Drawing
Drawing the Demogorgon face is honestly a fun challenge for anyone who likes a little horror in their sketchbook. The petal shaped mouth is the trickiest part. Start light with a pencil before committing to ink.
Overlap the petals slightly so the mouth reads as three dimensional. It’s creepier that way, I can’t!
- The petal mouth is the tricky part
- Overlap the petals for depth
Eleven Nosebleed Portrait Sketch
Eleven’s nosebleed portrait is dramatic and surprisingly simple once you break it into shapes. A single thin red line does more work than an entire tube of red paint. My first attempt looked more clumsy than calm, so I redid her eyebrows about four times.
Keeping her expression steady despite the blood is the trick. That contrast is the whole reason it works, lol!
Six Panel Storyboard Template
A six panel storyboard template is the classic layout for a reason. Two rows of three boxes give you enough room to plan a scene without cramming everything into one square. Who doesn’t love a template that just works?
This works for short films, comic pages or even planning out a birthday video. Sketch stick figures first and worry about detail later.
One of these storyboard ideas has saved me from reshooting a video for the office newsletter more than once, haha!
- Two rows, six clean boxes
- Printable template or grid paper
- Great for short films
Simple Stick Figure Storyboard
Stick figures get a bad reputation, but they’re honestly the fastest way to plan out any scene. A circle head, a few lines for limbs and an arrow for movement tell you everything. My storyboards start this rough every single time. I have never once sketched clean on the first pass. If you were hunting for this ideas simple, this one is a keeper! If you were hunting for storyboard ideas simple, this one is a keeper!
Who says ideas simple like this can’t be professional? Plenty of animators still sketch this loose in planning.
- Fastest scene planning there is
- Circle head, stick limbs
- Arrows show the movement
Basic Three Panel Sketch
Last but definitely not least, we have the basic three panel sketch. Beginning, middle and end in three boxes, that’s the whole formula!
This is the version I hand to anyone nervous about storyboarding for the first time. Three boxes feels a lot less intimidating than six. It still tells a full story.
Keep the drawings rough and the arrows messy. Nobody needs to see your storyboard except you, lol!
- Three boxes, zero intimidation
- Beginning, middle, end
- Rough sketches are the whole point
Just a little note - some of the links on here may be affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you decide to shop through them (at no extra cost to you!). I only post content which I'm truly enthusiastic about and would suggest to others.
And as you know, I seriously love seeing your takes on the looks and ideas on here - that means the world to me! If you recreate something, please share it here in the comments or feel free to send me a pic. I'm always excited to meet y'all! ✨🤍
Xoxo Giulia
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