What to draw for fun

[roboroughgirl]

I'm not a bad artist and to encourage me, I was recently bought a set of pencils and paint etc but I can't seem to work out what to actually draw. For some reason,I feel like anything I create has to have a reason (like be a gift or a card) and now I've given up. Any suggestions on how to progress just for fun? I don't want to draw things like flowers or landscapes. I'm stuck for an interesting theme. Any ideas? (Or shall I just stick to dulux and repaint the hallway? )

Have you tried Zentangling ?

It’s a good time to start a journalling project. My favourite thing today? How the garden /sunset /child’s “still life with lunchbox” changes each day this week? Things I bought today?

I’m trying to set myself some projects for the new year!

ETA: I find shoes and handbags interesting to draw.

When I was in this exact same predicament a few years ago, I gave drawing birds a try…and never looked back. There is just endless variety of shapes, sizes, colours and textures.

When I’m not drawing birds, I like to do a bit of urban sketching which is pretty much the opposite thing to drawing birds but also fun.

A friend just takes a tiny sketchbook everywhere in a pocket, with two or three pens or pencils, and draws anything -- the bus stop, coffee shop, whatever. It's a lovely thing to look at even if some pages only have a few scribbled lines where she was in a hurry.

Thank you all. This is my first post on mumsnet so thrilled to get responses!
I like the idea of daily projects like real life objects. I do enjoy sketching quickly with a pencil too.
It's the fact it has no meaning or use which I'm struggling with. I probably need to unwind a bit!

I bought this for my friend who loves to draw. She loved it.

200 different prompts - some simple
Some quite abstract

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ideas-Things-Youre-REALLY-BORED/dp/B08HGPPNRM/ref=mpssa111?crid=26Z5WDDS97M1Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EmvOiHQwBPf0CGI6yFe5e614wISK9IMzhb8VpyRCIEF7jRANtwAkpwpWdC2gvHHQlLSb41fFR1qGkmBCLUxwvCdOcdKP3DMS3U1pWUSN5cAxcYEBJj88H7O99XVFmtpFV-jncevvfC8LS0qLjmzFLb0ABdr1P4eWcpJ-9KI-B5u-P-nU1wfYHBSTCZGp6rPdNoTMNHubjkknhuaK9MA.VPPh-IbRTSLpe2pssjM4JUzGkaui70SYS284B-1A5c&dibbtag=se&keywords=200+ideas+for+things+to+draw&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1733942730&sprefix=200+ideas+for+thing+sto+draw%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-1

Hubby got this for me & I love it! It's called: MY LIFE IN SKETCHES- 375 SKETCH PROMPTS TO REFLECT EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR LIFE, EVERY DAY.
(Some examples are: Day 1: sketch your breakfast for today.
Day 7:draw something you're looking forward to this weekend
Day 20: A tree or landscape you've been seeing lately that you admire.
Day 96: an accessory you never leave home without.
Etc.....

Hi there, I really like sketching in a museum or art gallery if you are near one. Take a little stool and go and sketch an old master. There are lots of interesting compositions and poses to get you into drawing.

Or maybe get someone to sit for you and try portraits. Maybe start on a cat when they are asleep.

check out urban sketchers

basically just draw what is in front of you until you build up a bank of knowledge so you can draw from imagination if that is what you want to do

What do you like looking at? Washing on a line, a frosty spider's web, skyscrapers, rolling green fields, people in a cafe/pub, wet traffic light reflections on the pavement. Have a think? Go and collect photographic resource material if you need to.