Art Experiments for Newbies and Pros alike
This is a list of simple projects I compiled for beginner artists to help spark their creativity. I chose ideas that as an experienced artist even I feel inspired to try (and I probably will!).
Feel free to experiment with different mediums than the ones I suggest in the prompts. Try pencils, pens, charcoal, markers collage, paint, photography, or anything else you can think of. There are no rules and sky’s the limit.
The oldest trick in the book: still life.
Set up a few objects from around your house on a table and draw them.Newbies: pick object that are smooth in texture and solid colors
Pros: pick strange objects with challenging/ contrasting textures
Self portrait.
Really consider how you see yourself and how you want to be portrayed.Draw a portrait of someone your love.
Newbies: Draw from a photo to lessen the pressure to show them after you are done!
Pros: Draw without looking at the paper, only the subject. This one is almost always good for a laugh.
Make a landscape collage out of scrap paper and found materials.
Listen to a song and draw what you hear.
You can do this one over and over again with different songs and even overlap the drawings!Sketch a character design for a story you would like to write. (You don’t ever actually have to write the story.)
Art School Classic: Recreate a famous work of art in a different medium than the original.
Draw a portrait of a celebrity or public figure.
Design a tattoo for yourself or for a fictional character.
Paint a place you'd like to visit or that you wish existed.
Draw or paint a scene from a book or movie that you love.
Find a photograph that you like and try to recreate it in pencil or ink.
Childhood favorite: Re-read a classic fairytale and design a photoshoot based on the story. You can thrift clothes and props for the characters or just use what you already have.
Draw moving people. Go sit in a local park and draw people as they walk by. Consider how few strokes you actually need to make to give the illusion of a person in motion.
Create a comic strip. 3 boxes minimum for a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Remember to stay present with your process.
