August is the gentle side of summer. The days are still long, but there’s a calm in the air. The August Drawing Challenge invites you to slow down, notice the little things, and enjoy the soft light of the season’s end.
These 31 drawing ideas help you do just that. Each one comes with simple ideas for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Whether you draw for five minutes or a full hour, this challenge will keep your pencil moving and your creativity strong.
Daily Prompts – August
Day 1 – A cozy corner
Beginner: Chair, pillow, or blanket in a corner
Focus: Use simple shapes
Intermediate: Add shadow or soft textures
Focus: Make it feel quiet
Advanced: Whole scene with someone resting
Focus: Use light to create calm
Day 2 – A glass jar
Beginner: Basic round shape
Focus: Keep the lines smooth and even
Intermediate: Add shine and shadow
Focus: Show it’s made of glass
Advanced: Fill it with something small
Focus: Add texture and space inside
Day 3 – A fresh peach or plum
Beginner: Round fruit with a stem
Focus: Clear shape and gentle line
Intermediate: Add color spots or fuzz
Focus: Soft texture
Advanced: Scene with fruit on a table
Focus: Show warmth through light
Day 4 – A sunrise or early sky
Beginner: Draw the horizon and soft sky
Focus: Keep it simple
Intermediate: Add color fade and light shapes
Focus: Use light to lead the eye
Advanced: Add a calm morning scene
Focus: Set the tone through the sky
Day 5 – A water bottle or cup
Beginner: Straight sides and simple top
Focus: Clean shape
Intermediate: Add label, light, or ice
Focus: Show texture
Advanced: Use it in a daily moment
Focus: Tell a story through detail
Day 6 – A plant that’s starting to fade
Beginner: One leaf or small stem
Focus: Gentle curves
Intermediate: Show browning or dry edges
Focus: Shape change
Advanced: Add background or full scene
Focus: Use decay to add feeling
Day 7 – A sleeping animal
Beginner: Round or curled body shape
Focus: Keep it soft and peaceful
Intermediate: Add fur texture and shadows
Focus: Show volume
Advanced: Animal in a home or outdoor setting
Focus: Build mood with space and light
Maybe you want to draw a dog? Pawsome Dog Drawing Ideas: Bark-tastic Fun and Creative Sketches to Try 2024
Day 8 – Your sunglasses are resting somewhere
Beginner: Simple side view
Focus: Shape and curve
Intermediate: Add shadows and glass shine
Focus: Show surface and light
Advanced: Scene with detail like a book or table
Focus: Let the object tell a story
Day 9 – A summer snack you enjoy
Beginner: One item, like chips or fruit
Focus: Use basic shapes
Intermediate: Add detail and color contrast
Focus: Texture and light
Advanced: Use hands or a plate to build a scene
Focus: Suggest mood through use
Day 10 – A quiet place outdoors
Beginner: Simple shapes like a bench or a tree
Focus: Line placement
Intermediate: Add shadows and light
Focus: Create depth
Advanced: Build a calm full setting
Focus: Let the mood come through gently
Day 11 – A worn book
Beginner: Closed book from the front or side
Focus: Shape and straight lines
Intermediate: Add creases, bent corners, or texture
Focus: Show age and use
Advanced: Place the book in a scene
Focus: Tell a story through the setting
Day 12 – An evening light source
Beginner: Candle, lamp, or soft bulb
Focus: Simple shape and glow
Intermediate: Add shadows and soft shine
Focus: Create warmth
Advanced: Scene with a person or objects near the light
Focus: Use light to guide the eye
Day 13 – A bike or scooter
Beginner: Side view with clean lines
Focus: Wheels and frame
Intermediate: Add light, shadow, or texture
Focus: Use line weight to show detail
Advanced: Full street or travel scene
Focus: Show movement or calm
Day 14 – An open door or gate
Beginner: Frame and one open panel
Focus: Use straight lines
Intermediate: Add shadow and space beyond
Focus: Create depth
Advanced: Scene with mood or light
Focus: Suggest an invitation or a mystery
Day 15 – A cold dessert
Beginner: A scoop of ice cream or a popsicle
Focus: Shape and balance
Intermediate: Add a melting effect
Focus: Light and roundness
Advanced: Scene with someone enjoying it
Focus: Emotion and action
Day 16 – A quiet road
Beginner: Simple road with trees or lines
Focus: Perspective
Intermediate: Add shadows and distance
Focus: Show space
Advanced: Full scene with a light mood
Focus: Use space and light to set tthe one
Day 17 – A weathered object
Beginner: Rock, pot, or tool
Focus: Outline and structure
Intermediate: Add cracks or texture
Focus: Suggest age
Advanced: Scene where it’s used or resting
Focus: Build a story through wear
Day 18 – A window view
Beginner: Basic window shape
Focus: Frame and inside/outside line
Intermediate: Add something behind the glass
Focus: Layers and depth
Advanced: Full view with a setting
Focus: Contrast inside and outside
Day 19 – A hat someone wore
Beginner: A simple shape like a cap or sunhat
Focus: Form and curve
Intermediate: Add folds or shadow
Focus: Texture and weight
Advanced: Add a person or a memory
Focus: Let the hat carry a feeling
Day 20 – Your favorite spot in your home
Beginner: One item like a chair or shelf
Focus: Clear shape
Intermediate: Add nearby objects
Focus: Use of space
Advanced: Full cozy corner
Focus: Build mood and comfort
Day 21 – A faded flower
Beginner: Basic petal and stem shape
Focus: Curves and tilt
Intermediate: Add wrinkles and bend
Focus: Show change
Advanced: Scene with dry flowers or petals
Focus: Use softness and space
Day 22 – A simple meal
Beginner: Plate with one or two food items
Focus: Round shapes and spacing
Intermediate: Add utensils or shadow
Focus: Texture
Advanced: Full scene with mood
Focus: Capture quiet or daily joy
Day 23 – A favorite object from childhood
Beginner: Toy or item with a clear shape
Focus: Draw from memory
Intermediate: Add wear or soft edges
Focus: Emotion in detail
Advanced: Scene from back then
Focus: Story through space and light
Day 24 – A cool drink with fruit
Beginner: Glass or jar with slices
Focus: Shape and clarity
Intermediate: Add ice, bubbles, or shine
Focus: Freshness and glow
Advanced: Scene with table and warm light
Focus: Mood through setting
Day 25 – A favorite shirt or fabric
Beginner: Outline and fold
Focus: Gentle curves
Intermediate: Add a pattern or shadows
Focus: Show weight
Advanced: Scene with someone wearing it
Focus: Let fabric shape the mood
Day 26 – An empty chair or bench
Beginner: Side or front view
Focus: Shape and angles
Intermediate: Add shadow and wood texture
Focus: Use of space
Advanced: Scene around the chair
Focus: Suggest waiting or rest
Day 27 – A basket of anything
Beginner: Round or square shape
Focus: Structure
Intermediate: Add objects inside
Focus: Layering
Advanced: Scene with person or place
Focus: Use for balance and rhythm
Day 28 – A book you’re reading or love
Beginner: Simple cover view
Focus: Clean shape
Intermediate: Add marks or title
Focus: Detail
Advanced: Scene where you last read it
Focus: Personal connection
Day 29 – Something that means “home” to you
Beginner: One clear object
Focus: Draw it simply
Intermediate: Add surroundings or light
Focus: Suggest feeling
Advanced: Scene with calm or memory
Focus: Build comfort through tone
Day 30 – A thing you see every day
Beginner: Phone, cup, or notebook
Focus: Strong outline
Intermediate: Add texture or use
Focus: Real use marks
Advanced: Scene from your day
Focus: Capture routine with care
Day 31 – Something that feels like “August”
Beginner: One item like a fruit, a leaf, or a light
Focus: Shape and detail
Intermediate: Add warmth and shadow
Focus: Show mood
Advanced: Full scene that tells the season
Focus: Let the drawing hold a feeling
You Finished The August Drawing Challenge – Draw Slow, Draw Deep
This month brought quiet light, late summer calm, and drawings that show your growth. Every sketch helped you notice more and feel more. You’ve filled another chapter of your sketchbook with meaning.
Keep slowing down, keep drawing, and let your art tell your story.
Keep the Challenge Going
→ Start the September Drawing Challenge
→ Browse all Monthly Drawing Prompts
→ Join the 52-Week Drawing Challenge
Share Your Art from August
Did one of your drawings feel special this month?
Share it on X, Pinterest, Instagram, or email it to a friend (or me).
Use #DrawyagerChallenge to show others what late summer looks like through your eyes.
