Things to Fill Your Sketchbook With (That Actually Keep You Drawing)

If you’ve ever stared at a blank sketchbook page and felt a weird mix of excitement and paralysis, you’re not alone. I used to think I needed a “perfect idea” to make use of a new page. But over time, I realized that sketchbooks are meant to be messy, exploratory, and deeply personal. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to shake up your routine, finding things to fill your sketchbook with can be more strategic (and fun) than you might think.

In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite approaches to filling a sketchbook based on what I actually use day-to-day. This isn’t just a random list of prompts—it's about setting up a sustainable creative rhythm and making your sketchbook something you genuinely want to return to.

Key Points

• Rotate between structure and spontaneity: planned prompts one day, total freedom the next.
• Let your materials guide you: sometimes a different paper or pen can open up new directions.
• Think of your sketchbook as a container for process, not just results.

Things to Fill Your Sketchbook With (That Actually Keep You Sketching)

When I find myself creatively stuck, I come back to this idea: a sketchbook is not a portfolio. It's where things get worked out. So I fill it with both intentional studies and chaotic, unplanned pages. The goal isn't to impress anyone. It's to stay engaged.

Draw What You See

Observational drawing is the foundation of most of my sketchbook pages, and for good reason. Sitting down to draw something right in front of me is often the fastest way to break through mental clutter. It gives me something solid to focus on, and I always walk away feeling more connected to the moment—even if the drawing turns out a bit wobbly. Over time, this simple practice has really sharpened my hand-eye coordination and made me more confident sketching in public or while traveling.

Here are some of my go-to observational subjects:

• My coffee mug, complete with steam and shadow
• Leaves or plants I bring inside after a walk
• The view out my window, but simplified into shapes and tones
• My hand, drawn quickly in different gestures or positions

Sometimes I set a timer for five minutes just to keep the energy loose and avoid perfectionism. I also try drawing the same object multiple times on the same page—from different angles, with different tools, or in different levels of detail. It turns into a mini-study and takes the pressure off making “one good drawing.”

I like pairing these kinds of sketches with looser, more intuitive studies. If you want to loosen up, here's how I approach expressive drawing without worrying about making anything “finished.”

Use Prompts to Push Through Boredom

When I’m tired or just don’t feel inspired, I flip open my own list of random drawing themes or use this list of easy ideas for drawing. Prompts help me skip the internal debate of “what should I draw today?” and instead get straight into the act of drawing. I think of them as mental jumpstarts. Even if the prompt feels silly at first, it usually leads somewhere unexpected—and that’s the point.

Sometimes I set a rule for myself, like “just respond to the first prompt you see” or “only use one tool for the whole page.” This helps break the pattern of scrolling for the “perfect idea.”

Here are a few I've actually used in my own sketchbook:

• Make up a creature that lives in your closet (mine ended up looking like a sock monster)
• Draw what you think a whisper looks like (I used soft, layered pencil lines and faded ink washes)
• Create a new fruit and label its anatomy (mine had seeds on the outside like a strawberry, but the inside was swirled like a cinnamon roll)

Once you try a few, you'll likely come up with your own twist on each idea. The key is not to wait for inspiration—just start. Let the weirdness and spontaneity carry you forward.

Work in Series or Challenges

Doing a short challenge helps me stop overthinking each page. It also keeps me from skipping days because I already know what I'm going to work on. I’ve done weeks where I only drew shoes, or pages where I focused entirely on the same object from slightly different perspectives. It sounds repetitive, but it builds confidence and removes the anxiety of starting something brand new each time.

Sometimes I even pick a very specific constraint, like “draw only in pen this week,” or “use only brown colored pencil.” Constraints like that actually make it easier to show up, and they give my sketchbook a sense of cohesion when I look back through it.

Here are a few ideas that have worked well for me:

• Try a 7-day sketchbook challenge with a theme (movement, still life, shadows)
• Fill one spread per day with mark making experiments
• Sketch the same object from different angles, using a different material each time

Even small, themed exercises like how to draw on black paper can spark a whole week of new pages if I let myself stay curious with it. The key is to let the theme guide you, not box you in.

Let Materials Lead the Way

Sometimes I just want to feel the medium. I’ll pick up a brush or a soft pencil without knowing what I’m going to draw, just to explore how it reacts on the page. When I find myself in a creative rut, switching materials almost always gets me out of it. Some tools behave unpredictably, and that’s where the fun starts. You stop trying to control everything and instead respond to what’s happening on the page.

A few of my favorite ways to mix things up:

• Try gessoing a page and drawing over it (how to gesso paper). It changes the texture and absorbs media differently—great for charcoal or ink.
• Tape the borders and play with watercolor washes (best tape for watercolor paper). Sometimes I do this just to enjoy watching color spread, no expectations.
• Experiment with different pencils, like an Ebony pencil. It's softer and richer than a standard graphite pencil, and I love using it for loose studies or dramatic shading.

These small changes can inspire unexpected subject matter. I’ve had entire sketchbook spreads emerge just because I wanted to try a new pen or paper surface. Letting your materials lead is a great way to stay curious without needing a “concept.”

Focus on Technical Study (But Make It Fun)

I use my sketchbook to work out ideas without pressure. That means diving into structure, even when the drawing doesn’t turn out pretty. Sometimes I treat it like a workout: short warmups, loose practice sketches, then a more focused study if I feel up to it. Other times, I just give myself a small goal like “draw five heads” or “do three perspective boxes.”

It helps me to think of technical drawing like learning chords on a guitar—you might not make a perfect song right away, but each bit of practice gives you more freedom later. It can actually be fun if you let go of the idea that it needs to be impressive.

Here are a few technical exercises I go back to regularly:

• Practice face proportions on a dozen tiny heads, trying different angles or expressions
• Work out perspective using vanishing points, especially when sketching interiors or streetscapes
• Study movement with quick gesture drawings from reference videos (I pause them or screenshot to sketch from)

If you're into more conceptual breakdowns, analytical drawing is a great lens to use. I often overlay construction lines or break down forms to understand what’s happening under the surface. It makes my observational sketches stronger over time.

Capture Your Day or Surroundings

One of my favorite uses for a sketchbook is documenting everyday life. It turns your sketchbook into a kind of visual journal. I don’t always have the time or energy for a deep study, but even a few scribbled lines of something from my day—like a messy breakfast plate or a dog I passed on a walk—helps me stay connected to drawing as a daily habit. These aren’t drawings I’d frame or share, but they mean something to me.

I often do these quickly, in pen or pencil, without worrying too much about proportions or polish. I just want to get the impression of something down while it’s still fresh in my mind. Sometimes I pair them with a few words describing the moment: the sound of birds, how tired I was, or what the light looked like. Looking back at those pages weeks or months later always brings back more than I expect.

Here are some examples of what I like to include:

• Sketch what you ate for lunch—just the shapes and shadows, not every detail
• Capture a stranger walking by in quick lines (I usually do this from memory a few minutes later)
• Draw your bed without moving anything, exactly as it is

This habit ties nicely into nature journaling or even specific practices like wildlife sketching. It turns regular moments into creative ones and helps me stay present in a way that feels honest and easy.

Experiment with Style and Identity

Your sketchbook is a private place to explore what kind of artist you want to be—without judgment or outside pressure. I think of it like trying on different clothes in front of a mirror. Some days I go abstract, some days I lean super technical. Most of the time, I don’t know what I’m doing until I’ve done it.

One exercise I love is copying part of a masterwork, then flipping the page and doing my own version of it—same subject, totally different approach. It gives me a sense of visual inheritance without making me feel like I need to mimic someone else. I also purposely draw things “badly” sometimes just to let go of my own perfectionism.

Some ideas I return to when I want to shake things up:

• Use your non-dominant hand for a full spread. It creates unexpected linework and helps loosen up control.
• Fill a page with only implied shapes (implied shapes in drawing). I often treat this like a warmup for creative thinking.
• Study Leonardo da Vinci's sketchbooks for structural inspiration, then try building your own visual “notes” around a subject that interests you.

If you're struggling to define your style, I wrote a guide on how to find your style of drawing that walks through the types of experiments and questions that helped me understand my own visual voice over time.

Add Notes, Lists, and Written Observations

I often write in the margins of my drawings or include lists of what I’m seeing or thinking. It makes my sketchbook feel more personal and useful later on.

• What materials you used
• What went wrong (or right)
• Reminders for next time

This is especially helpful if you want to remember what paper handled the best or whether a pen smudged. For long-term care, check out how to preserve pencil drawings and store your drawings safely.