The sketchbook blog

Things to draw, one page at a time

Sketch prompts, challenges and travel journal ideas for beginners. Pick one, draw it on paper, then pin it on the map.

Sketch ideas

25 Easy Things to Sketch Today (Each Takes 20 Minutes or Less)

Blank page? Pick one of 25 small things, from a cup to a tiny house on a hill, and finish it in 20 minutes.

5 min read

Travel journal

10 Travel Journal Ideas to Copy: Pages for Every City You Visit

Ticket pages, a one-street page, a window-seat page and seven more layouts to copy in any city.

4 min read

City sketching

6 Easy City Sketching Ideas for Autumn (No Experience Needed)

Low light, warm colours, café windows. Six simple scenes to sketch this autumn, no experience needed.

3 min read

Sketch challenge

30 Day Drawing Challenge for Beginners: One Easy Prompt a Day

One easy prompt a day for 30 days: objects, places, light and trips, with a plan for missed days.

5 min read

Sketch challenge

30 City Sketch Prompts: Windows, Benches, Balconies and More

Windows, benches, a tram, a cat on a sill: 30 prompts for city sketching, one page and 15 minutes each.

5 min read

Travel journal

How to Make a Route-Map Page in Your Travel Journal (5 Easy Steps)

A whole trip on one spread: draw the route, mark the stops, add a tiny sketch and a ticket to each.

3 min read

Travel journal

What's in My Travel Sketch Bag? A Simple Page Idea for Your Journal

Draw what you carry: palette, camera, notebook, a snack for the flight. A friendly first page for any trip.

3 min read