Have you ever picked up a box of colored pencils and wondered what to draw first? You’re not alone! Colored pencils are one of the easiest, most relaxing art tools to start with, they’re clean, portable, and perfect for layering color slowly at your own pace.
Whether you’re a total beginner or rediscovering your love for art, these little sticks of pigment can help you create something truly beautiful (and surprisingly professional-looking!) without needing fancy materials or years of training.
In this guide, I’ll share 17 easy, creative, and colorful drawing ideas you can try with just a basic set of pencils. You don’t need special paper or expensive brands, just curiosity, patience, and a bit of imagination. Ready to bring your colors to life? Let’s dive in!
Key Takeaways
- Colored pencils are perfect for beginners, forgiving, blendable, and low-mess.
- You can start small, even doodles can turn into art.
- Layering and light pressure create soft, beautiful effects.
- Inspiration is everywhere: nature, objects, feelings, and patterns.
- Most importantly, have fun, there’s no “wrong” way to color.
#1: A Shiny Apple
Start with something classic and simple, an apple! Focus on building layers: light yellow first, then add reds, greens, and browns for depth. Try blending with gentle circular motions. A white pencil or tissue can soften transitions for a natural shine.
Pro tip: Add a tiny white highlight spot to make your apple look glossy and realistic.
#2: A Cozy Cup of Coffee
Draw a steaming mug of coffee or hot cocoa. Capture the warmth of the drink by blending browns and creams, and use gentle grays or blues for the steam. Add a simple table surface or background for context.
Why I love it: It’s cozy, calming, and great practice for shading curved surfaces.
#3: Sunset Over the Hills
Use colored pencils to create a soft, glowing sky, pinks, oranges, purples, and blues blending into one another. Layer lightly and blend gradually for a dreamy effect. Add simple rolling hills or a tree silhouette for contrast.
Pro tip: Blend with tissue paper or a colorless blender pencil for smoother gradients.
#4: Your Pet (or Dream Pet!)
Pets make wonderful subjects, full of personality and texture. Start with basic shapes and lightly layer fur colors. Don’t worry about perfection; focus on capturing expression and warmth.
Tip: If you don’t have a pet, draw an imaginary one, rainbow cat, teal dog, or even a lavender hamster!
#5: Colorful Feathers
Feathers are perfect for playing with patterns and hues. Use light strokes to mimic texture and try blending bright colors together, turquoise into pink, orange into yellow.
Pro tip: Leave small white gaps between strokes for a feathery, realistic look.
#6: A Simple Flower
Draw your favorite bloom, sunflower, daisy, or tulip. Use layering to make petals look soft and dimensional. Add a gentle gradient from dark center to light edges.
Fun twist: Try making a rainbow flower with each petal a different color!
#7: Tropical Fruit Bowl
Bananas, pineapples, kiwis, bright fruit gives you lots of chances to experiment with color. Focus on capturing light and shadow. You can keep the background white or lightly shade a soft pastel tone for contrast.
Pro tip: Outline lightly in a color (not black!) for a softer, painterly finish.
#8: Mountain Landscape
Layer light blues, greens, and grays for distant mountains, and deepen the colors closer to the front. Blend softly for a misty atmosphere. Add a small sun or lake reflection for extra charm.
#9: Crystal or Gem
Try drawing a gemstone or crystal cluster! This is a fun way to practice color blending and light reflection. Use shades of one color, like blues or purples and add tiny highlights with a white pencil for sparkle.
Pro tip: Contrast sharp edges and soft gradients to mimic the way light hits facets.
#10: A Sweet Treat
Cupcakes, donuts, or ice cream, colorful food is always fun to draw! Use bold hues and smooth shading to make your dessert pop. Sprinkle in details like sprinkles or frosting swirls.
Why it’s great: You can go realistic or whimsical, both look adorable.
#11: Ocean Waves
Use cool tones turquoise, navy, seafoam green to create layered waves. Blend from light to dark and add white highlights for foam. Try short curved pencil strokes for movement.
Pro tip: A white gel pen (optional) can add sparkling highlights.
#12: Leaves in Autumn
Layer reds, oranges, and yellows for a classic fall look. Each leaf can be different, that’s the beauty of nature! Add a bit of brown for crisp edges.
Fun twist: Arrange your leaves into a heart or spiral shape for a creative composition.
#13: A Butterfly
Butterflies are great for symmetry and vibrant color play. Draw one wing at a time to keep things balanced. Use gentle gradients and experiment with pattern details.
Pro tip: Blend the background softly in pastel tones to make your butterfly stand out.
#14: A City Skyline
Use simple silhouettes, rectangles and triangles for buildings. Color the sky in a rich gradient from golden sunset to deep blue night. Add dots of yellow or white for city lights.
#15: A Cute Animal Portrait
Try a fox, bunny, or bird. Keep the shapes simple, then add fur or feathers with short pencil strokes. Soft shading gives life to their eyes and nose.
Pro tip: Start with the eyes first, they bring the whole drawing to life.
#16: Abstract Color Blends
Sometimes it’s fun to skip objects entirely! Fill your page with flowing color shapes, swirls, stripes, and gradients. See how colors mix and contrast.
Why it’s awesome: It’s stress-free and helps you understand your pencils better.
#17: Your Favorite Quote
Draw your favorite short quote or word and decorate it with colors, doodles, or gradients. Experiment with lettering styles. It’s a perfect way to mix drawing with self-expression.
Conclusion
Colored pencils are one of the kindest tools for beginners, patient, versatile, and endlessly colorful. The best part? You don’t need to finish every drawing perfectly. Every layer, smudge, and experiment teaches you something new about how colors work and how your hands express ideas.
If one drawing doesn’t turn out how you hoped, flip the page and try again, maybe with a new subject or color combo. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s practice, play, and presence.
So grab your pencils, take a deep breath, and start with whichever idea speaks to you most. You’ll be amazed how much beauty lives inside a simple box of colors.
Jessie has a passion for bringing people together through creativity and socializing. She has organized many painting events that have left guests with lasting memories and new friendships. She’s also been to various sip events to unleash her own creativity and connect with like-minded individuals.