15 Sketchbook Prompts

Keeping a sketchbook is one of the simplest ways to deepen your own creative practice. A sketchbook can be a lot like a visual journal - a place to jot down thoughts, scribble out ideas, draw out a pattern, or take note of color schemes. It’s a place to play without feeling the pressure to have a tidy finished product.

Every week in my high school art class we had a sketchbook assignment that often looked like something from the list below. Over the course of the year I could look back and see my progress, how I grew more confident trying out new styles and experimenting with new techniques. Because the assignment was weekly I always knew I could push myself further or try something new the following week if I wasn’t thrilled with this week’s result. At the end of the year I had a spiral notebook filled with drawings chronicling my artistic growth (and since then I’ve accumulated many more).

If you love the idea of fostering your own inherent creativity (OR just want to do some doodling) but could use some ideas of where to start, here’s a list of 15 sketchbook prompts to help guide you as you go. Feel free to challenge yourself in making this a daily or weekly practice!

Download the Printable Sketchbook Prompt PDF