Beginning any creative endeavor is an exciting & fun experience. But after thinking about some art inspiration ideas, you might feel a bit overwhelmed on where to start or how to get started. Or maybe you don’t know exactly what you want to create or draw. There are thousands of great ideas. But which idea do you want to work on first? That’s the BIG question: where should you get started when drawing or making art for a project?
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Where to Start When Drawing or Making Art?
Coming up with art inspiration ideas can be tough because it’s so hard to narrow it down to just one thing. You can use literally everything as drawing inspiration! Not only that, coming up with ideas to sketch easy drawings can be tough because we tend to gravitate towards making art of things that look amazing but are extremely complicated to create.
So, where do we start?
A great place to start is by writing a small list of things you want to draw or create. Try to keep your list at 10 things or less so you don’t get overwhelmed. Your art inspiration ideas can be anything from people to places, events, or anything else you want to use.
Once you have your list, the next step is to decide which one idea is considered ‘beginner drawing inspiration’.
What is Considered ‘Beginner Drawing Inspiration’?
It’s any of your art inspiration ideas that are simple for you to draw and won’t take up your time. Most of these ideas are very simple shapes like fruit or objects. Think chairs, apples, a bed, smartphone, or even a book.
Thinking in very basic shapes will help you sketch easy drawing ideas fast.
The basic shapes are a cube, cylider, sphere, cone, and pyramid. Once you recognize the main forms of objects with these shapes, it will be very easy for you to draw and create more complicated ideas from beginner drawing inspiration concepts.
10 Easy Art Inspiration Ideas for Beginners
1. A Great Place to Start is With Things That Interest You
- What are your hobbies? What do you like to do? I love (playing) videogames, so I find art inspiration from my favorite games/that. I pick out a character or art style that I like, & try to draw that. It doesn’t have to be perfect or look great, as long as I’m having fun & enjoying myself .
- Art is all about you, your time, & enjoying yourself while doing it.
Below is a drawing of a character from a video game I really enjoyed, called Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne. I put my own spin on it and drew him in my own style but my main motivation for creating this image was because I loved the character and it made me quite happy seeing it.
Try to find something that sparks a similar feeling for you!
2. If It Makes You Smile, Make It 😃
- Thinking of something that speaks to your emotions & makes you feel positive inside, is a fantastic place to start drawing and making art. You’re instantly putting yourself in a better mood when you lean in to positive emotions.
- Emotions you should focus on include joy, happiness, relief, amusement, awe, and curiosity.
- You can even draw out your emotions on paper as a way to sketch easy drawing ideas that don’t take up much of your time.
3. Pop Culture: Think of Your Favorite TV Shows, Movies, Music, Websites, Celebrities
- Pop culture is fantastic to use for beginner drawing inspiration because it’s something and someone that we can relate to as it speaks strongly to our own emotions.
- You can usually never go wrong with something or someone you really like or enjoy. Why? Because the things you like bring you joy & happiness. Thinking of things like your favorite shows or movies make it much easier & faster for you to get you into a positive head space.
- Another reason why pop culture is amazing for generating drawing inspiration ideas is because you have designs and art ready to be referenced instead of coming up with an entirely new character or concept from scratch which takes a lot of time.
- When I’m feeling anxious about what I want to draw, I remind myself of Captain Underpants because I enjoyed reading those books when I was younger. He’s also easy to draw & instantly makes me laugh & smile whenever I think about it. Think of a character, film, or show that makes you feel happy and excited, and try drawing that.
Below is an example of another one of my drawings, this time my own take on Disney’s film “Aladdin”, in the Cave of Wonders. Even though these are just sketches, I really wanted to draw this because I remember being so amazed by the images and art in this scene. It was such a positive and fun experience for me that I wanted to try making my own version of it!
Try to think of some of your favorite scenes, characters, or music and start making art from there.
It’s okay if you want to copy an image or photo exactly as is, for practice. We all need to start somewhere, especially when learning how to sketch easy drawing ideas!
Just remember to give credit to the studio, artist, and/or creators of the work you referenced if you’re posting your copied image or artwork online, by stating who created the original work. Otherwise, you risk plagiarizing another artist’s work and could even be sued!
4. Stick to Drawing 1 Thing at First
When making art, sticking to 1 subject at first is an absolute must-use beginner drawing inspiration tip as it keeps you from getting creatively burnt out and continuously motivated in the long run.
- Getting overwhelmed quickly by drawing or making art can be dangerous productive-wise, as it can seem daunting, especially when you’re first starting out with something. So be sure to stick with beginner drawing inspiration ideas at the beginning. If your ideas are too complicated, you can get carried away quite quickly if you don’t know how to manage your time when drawing.
- It’s very easy to spend more time on a drawing. But learning to get yourself to draw on a schedule, takes time to form it into a steady habit (one that can be stress-relieving and free).
- Instead, focus on drawing 1 subject at a time, using only 1 material at first. This allows you to not get too overwhelmed on your first couple of tries. If you would like to use another material or draw something else, save it for next time.
- Maintaining a time-restrictive art session will keep you from bleeding time into the rest of your schedule.
- Try putting in a small time-slot for your art activities. You can start with 5 – 15 min per session. This is a perfect amount of time because it should be small enough to fit in your schedule, but not too much where it will interfere with it. Once you have the hang of it for a couple of weeks, then you can start scheduling in larger amounts of time.
Whenever I start a new project, I feel the most comfortable starting out with a simple drawing or sketch, that way I’m not getting overwhelmed too quickly with all the insane art inspiration ideas going through my mind.
It’s much easier to keep track of and finish 1 drawing, then trying to do 5 at the same time.
This is an especially wonderful tip when starting art or any creative project for the first time!
5. Start off Small
- No need to go crazy on your first attempt. Starting off with a small, easy-to-do task, will help you from feeling burnt out immediately. Again, think about how to sketch easy drawing ideas. This is important because your strongest emotions with that thing will usually be the first time you experience that. Try to start off on the best, positive foot, when starting something new.
I love starting a new artwork or project with a quick, simple sketch because I know I will get burnt out very fast and even lose interest in the project for fear of not being able to complete it due to an overwhelming amount of work, if I don’t. Starting off very small is a wonderful place to start because I’m not stressing about what work I will need to do but rather focusing on the present.
A great tip to keep in mind from getting stressed or anxious is to try your best to focus on the present and what you’re currently creating because stress starts to manifest when we think of the “what ifs” and possible outcomes that haven’t even happened yet.
So try your best to go with the flow on your art and accept that whatever happens in your art, happens, and you can try making a better piece next time, if you like. And keep those art inspirations ideas simple!
6. Go Into a Creative Project With a Positive Attitude
- Some of the most memorable things are those that made us feel good inside, where we enjoyed ourselves.
- Some of those emotions are tied to our first experiences, because it’s such a vivid time, when our minds are alert & focused.
- You’re more likely to do an activity again if it makes you feel good about yourself.
7. People You Admire or Look Up To
Drawing inspiration ideas of people you admire or look up to can be literally anyone that makes gives you a positive feeling.
- They don’t need to be famous, as long as you they make you feel positive when you think about them. It can be anyone, from your friends & family, to a co-worker or classmate you find unique. I Remember back in high school, there was a boy with great hair & an awesome punk style. I NEVER talked to him but being reminded of him, always put a smile on my face & inspired me to get into punk music. It’s been a part of my life, ever since .
8. Places or Events That Gave You a Positive Experience or Feeling: Think of Good Memories
Thinking of places or events that gave you a good impression helps with mindfulness by activating your memory while helping you feel positive.
- Maybe you want to recreate a wedding scene from a wedding you really enjoyed, or draw/make a replica of a cool trash can you saw at a theme park.
- Drawing places or events may not be the most beginner-friendly way to sketch drawing ideas but it’s still a great place to start for some really great art inspiration.
- You can even pick your favorite item or person from that event if you can’t draw a scene yet.
- Whatever it is, make sure it makes you feel happy when you think of it.
Below is a drawing I made of when I went to Comic-Con back in 2018.
I loved the Nickelodeon booth with Reptar creeping from behind because it looked amazing and made such a positive impression on me when I walked through the crowd. The cutout that was used for Reptar was colored in that traditional 2-tone animation style, it was like looking at an actual cartoon version of the character but in real life.
I just couldn’t get enough of it to the point where I wanted to recreate the photo as a drawing using markers! It’s still one of the coolest booths I’ve ever seen at a convention.
Try making a quick and short list of places or events that still make you feel positive and happy when you think of them.
Bonus points for finding an image of the experience! (I usually whip out my phone and snap a pic if something catches my eye. You can try doing that, too!) Images really help you to sketch easy drawing ideas.
9. Animals
Animals are one of my personal musts when coming up with drawing inspiration ideas.
- They can be calming & cute to look at.
- This gives a sense of mental stability & relaxation.
- Animals are very fun to learn about and can even inspire you to draw something new.
Think of some of your favorite animals and write them in a list. Choose what details you like from them and try incorporating those aspects into some of your art if you can’t draw the entire animal.
10. Stay Away From Things That Give You Negative Emotions When You’re Starting an Art Project
This is a big beginner drawing inspiration tip.
- This is especially important when trying out something new.
- You don’t want to create or try a new activity on a bad note. Like good impressions, bad ones also make a lasting impression.
- Chances are, if you’re not having a positive experience, being reminded of that same experience might make you hesitate into participating in that activity again.
- Instead, remind yourself of a positive experience or something that makes you happy (especially if it’s your first time making art)!
- You can check out these practical and simple positivity tips from Clarity Clinic if you need a bit of mental sunshine for your day.
If you’re still stuck on where to begin with your art project, no worries! You can get started with some of my easy step by step drawing tutorials, guides, and freebies with relaxing art inspiration ideas below.
Other Helpful Art Resources and Drawing Guides:
- 15 Fun Art Therapy Drawing Activities for Anxiety to Help You Feel Calm Now | Post
- How to Draw the Sun with 40 Sun Designs & Brighten Your Day | Post
- Download 9 Free Mood Boosting Art Therapy Drawing Activities for Anxiety | Freebie
- Free Drawing Cheat Sheet for Positivity and Stress Relief | Freebie
- 10 Effortless Art Inspiration Ideas for Drawing to Get You Started Now | Post
- Natural Stress Relief with Drawing for Beginners & 7 Rewarding Ways It Halts Stress | Post
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