How this guide works
Start these doodle ideas with a familiar movement: a row of peaks, a loose curve, a cluster of dots or a shape repeated inside itself. Choose one of the ten arrangements below and make a small version on spare paper. Leave a generous gap around it before deciding where another mark belongs.
Choose the movement before filling the page
Tate describes drawing through lines and other marks made on a surface, including areas of tone. That gives you several simple ways to begin. An outline can travel across the page, a set of filled circles can create a rhythm, or a few shaded patches can form a loose group.
Look at the overall movement in the examples before studying the small details. The neighborhood runs across the lower part of a page. The botanical trail rises along the left and continues across the top. The wave bands rise diagonally. Each has a direction you can rehearse in a small sketch without copying every mark.
Turn your paper before drawing. A landscape page gives long loops space to stretch; an upright page suits columns and rising branches. For the nested contours, a square lets the groups spread sideways as well as downward. Compare two orientations with a few light guide marks before committing to a dense pattern.
If choosing a subject is the part that feels difficult, the easy drawing ideas guide offers more starting points. Here, the main question is how your marks share a small page: which way they travel, which one catches attention and where the paper remains visible.
Try repetition with one controlled change
Repeated marks need a little variation to stay lively. Try a short row of circles in which only the size changes, then another in which only the spacing changes. You will be able to see what each choice does. The dot-and-dash page uses both, but a smaller practice version can explore one at a time.
A wandering line gives you a different starting point. Tate discusses automatism as an art-making process that reduces conscious control. For a simple drawing experiment, let a line change direction before planning its destination. Afterwards, look for an enclosed area that would work as a small color accent.
Compare that free route with the neighborhood’s linked roof shapes. Both move across a page, but the peaks repeat a recognizable sequence while the loops vary their size and crossings. Pick the approach that interests you, then keep the surrounding blank area large enough to show the difference.
Work with a drawing tool you already have and test its mark on the paper first. A thick line may need wider gaps than a fine one, especially in the small contour groups. If you would like to explore broad painted areas instead, the acrylic painting ideas guide offers a separate set of compositions.
Make texture into a small part of the drawing
Texture can be a cluster of parallel lines, crossed strokes, dots or loose scribbles. In the patch constellation, the largest dark area sits low on the left, with smaller marks above and beside it. Their unequal sizes keep the page from looking like a uniform sampler, while the empty right side holds the group together.
Tate defines frottage as making a rubbing from a textured surface using a drawing material. You can explore that method on a spare sample over a clean, sturdy textured offcut, or draw your own texture directly. Either route can give you small patches to arrange within a page.
Test two densities before making a large patch. A few widely spaced strokes may read as a light texture; several overlapping strokes create a darker area. Put the samples beside each other and choose where the strongest one should go. A large dark patch can anchor the page without needing every other patch to be equally dense.
Use a dotted connector only where it clarifies a relationship. The texture example has two short dotted paths linking selected patches, while other areas remain separate. You can leave a pair unconnected and compare the result before deciding whether another path makes the whole drawing easier to follow.
Let the accent support the main arrangement
Tate’s overview of abstract art describes the use of shapes, colors and marks without requiring an accurate depiction of a subject. Several pages here use that freedom directly; others retain familiar hints of houses or leaves. You can simplify those recognizable shapes until their placement matters more than their detail.
Choose where the largest or strongest accent belongs before scattering smaller ones. The large cobalt circle sits low in the orbit cluster. A red ring interrupts the middle column of the dot pattern. A long mustard bar sits below the empty central window. These accents work because the surrounding marks give them room.
Repeated color can also connect separate areas. Three small groups of coral dots link parts of the botanical margin, and three blue areas punctuate the wandering loops. They do not need to be identical in size. Compare their positions from a little farther away to see whether they lead the eye through the page.
The collage ideas guide explores similar questions with separate paper shapes. For a doodle version, draw two tiny outlines of your page side by side and mark only the accent positions. Choose the version with the clearer route before adding the smaller lines and details.
Decide what to leave unfinished on purpose
Choose an area that will remain plain: the space above the roofs, the right side beside the dotted columns, or the large pocket inside the ribbon. This gives each drawing a useful boundary. When a new mark begins to crowd that area, pause and compare the page with the smaller rehearsal.
Follow the principal line or sequence from beginning to end. In the wave bands, each row should remain separate from its neighbors. In the contour map, each group should still have a recognizable outer edge. A drawing can contain many marks and remain clear when those larger relationships are easy to see.
Keep a first version simple enough to repeat. On the next page, change the height of the roofs, reverse the direction of the botanical margin, or replace a red ring with a dark one. Repeating the whole drawing with one change can be more revealing than adding several new details to the same page.
When the route, focal area and blank region are all visible, put the page aside. Revisit it later before deciding whether it needs another mark. A broad quiet area is part of the composition, and a small sketchbook study does not have to become a fully filled illustration.
On this page
1Continuous-line neighborhood
Five roof-like peaks form a linked navy profile across the lower part of a warm-white page. A small ochre doorway sits inside the second peak from the left. Try drawing the route in a single stroke, moving down between the roofs before rising into the next one. Let their widths and heights vary slightly so the row feels hand drawn. Add the doorway after the outline, then leave the broad area above the roofs plain. More windows would shift attention away from the simple traveling line.
- Why it works
- Five connected peaks give a single outline a recognizable neighborhood rhythm.
- Best for
- Trying a connected outline with a small recognizable accent.
- Check first
- Keep the doorway small enough for the navy roofline to remain dominant.
2Botanical margin trail
Dark leafy stems follow the left side and upper edge of a pale sage page. Three groups of coral dots punctuate the trail, while the center and right remain mostly empty. Begin with the longest left-hand stem, then add smaller separate sprigs along the top. Vary the direction and size of the leaves so the margin does not become a rigid border. Place the colored dots in small clusters beside the stems, and check that the open area still feels larger than the decoration.
- Why it works
- Separated leafy stems create a loose margin around a broad empty field.
- Best for
- Practicing leaf shapes without covering the whole sketchbook page.
- Check first
- Keep the center and right side open between the leafy margins.
3Orbiting shape cluster
A large cobalt circle sits below the middle of a gray landscape sheet. Smaller dark and blue circles, two crescents and short fans of dashes create a loose movement around it. Start with the largest circle and place the two crescents on opposite sides of the upper part of the group. Use the smallest circles to vary the spacing without joining the shapes into a solid ring. Leave plenty of gray around the cluster, especially on the right, so its uneven outline remains clear.
- Why it works
- Unequal circles and crescents gather around one larger blue focal shape.
- Best for
- Comparing the spacing of circles, crescents and small radiating marks.
- Check first
- Leave each crescent and circle separate from the neighboring shapes.
4Nested contour pebble map
Five groups of irregular nested outlines gather toward the left and lower parts of a sand-colored square. A rust-colored center anchors the largest lower-left group; the others alternate brown and pale contours. Draw an uneven closed shape first, then repeat its general shape inside it without forcing the gaps to be identical. Vary the size of each group before adding more inner lines. Leave visible channels between neighboring groups and keep the upper-right area open so the pattern has a clear place to stop.
- Why it works
- Irregular outlines repeat within five distinct groups instead of one continuous pattern.
- Best for
- Repeating an uneven shape while adjusting the space between its outlines.
- Check first
- Preserve the narrow background channels that separate the five contour groups.
5Dot-and-dash rhythm
Five columns of dots, rings and short horizontal dashes occupy the left portion of an ivory page. Black and tomato-red marks change size as they descend, with a large red ring near the middle. Begin by placing a few of the larger circles at different heights, then connect their rhythm with smaller marks. Keep each column distinct while allowing the marks to sit at uneven intervals. Leave the right side blank and resist adding a sixth column simply to use the remaining space.
- Why it works
- Changes in size and fill interrupt a steady five-column structure.
- Best for
- Exploring rhythm through mark size, color and uneven vertical spacing.
- Check first
- Leave the right side plain after completing the five marked columns.
Quick comparison: all 10 ideas
Swipe or scroll horizontally to compare every column.
| Design Direction | Page Frame | Mark Family | Path Structure | Accent Plan | Focal Motif | Open Zone | Stop Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous-line neighborhood | Warm-white upright page | Linked navy roof profile and ochre doorway | Low linked row moving across the page | Navy and ochre on warm white | Ochre doorway in second roof from left | Broad region above roofs | Five peaks remain clear above one connected route |
| Botanical margin trail | Pale sage page | Dark leaves and three coral dot clusters | Up the left margin and across the top | Black and coral on sage | Largest leaves at upper left | Center and right side | Leaves remain a margin around the open center |
| Orbiting shape cluster | Gray landscape sheet | Circles, two crescents and short dash fans | Loose cluster around a larger low circle | Charcoal, cobalt and pale yellow | Large cobalt circle below middle | Outer ground, especially right | Individual marks stay apart within the cluster |
| Nested contour pebble map | Sand-colored square | Five groups of irregular nested outlines | Unequal groups gathering toward left and bottom | Brown, rust and pale outlines | Rust center in large lower-left group | Upper-right area and gaps between groups | Five groups retain separate outer edges |
| Dot-and-dash rhythm | Ivory upright page | Five columns of dots, rings and short dashes | Vertical columns with staggered mark sizes | Black and tomato red | Large red ring near middle | Broad blank area to the right | Five columns read clearly beside the unmarked side |
| Scallop wave bands | Pale blue landscape sheet | Four bands of scallops and filled half-moons | Parallel bands rising from lower left to upper right | Cream, sky blue and indigo | Indigo outline-and-fill rhythm | Background between rows and at upper left | Four rows stay distinct along the same rising direction |
| Ribbon loop | Warm-white square page | Broad outlined ribbon with two open spaces | Large surrounding loop with a smaller lower-right curl | Charcoal outline, mint and dusty rose | Rose loop at lower right | Large irregular center and small round opening | Two openings remain clearly separated by the ribbon |
| Texture patch constellation | Gray upright page | Five dark texture patches and one gold patch | Separate islands with two dotted connectors | Dark gray and pale gold | Largest dark patch low on left | Quiet right side | Six patches remain distinct with only two connectors |
| Wandering loop field | Cream landscape page | Crossing curves and three colored areas | Wandering route rising through uneven loops | Black lines and cobalt fills | Cobalt patch beside central loop | Broad upper band and loop interiors | Three blue areas lead through readable loops |
| Negative-space window frames | Charcoal square page | Five rectangular outlines and five small bars | Four outer frames surrounding a central frame | White and mustard on charcoal | Long mustard bar below central window | Dark central rectangle | Five frames surround a central window without filling it |
6Scallop wave bands
Four scalloped bands rise from the lower left toward the upper right of a pale blue sheet. A cream row sits above blue rows, with indigo outlines and filled half-moons providing stronger interruptions. Sketch the direction of the bands before filling their repeated curves. Keep a strip of background visible between neighboring rows, and vary a few scallop sizes rather than trying to make every curve identical. The dark row supplies a strong rhythm; the isolated dark half-moon higher up gives it a small echo.
- Why it works
- Rising rows share a direction while light and dark scallops vary their rhythm.
- Best for
- Building a diagonal pattern from rows of a simple repeated curve.
- Check first
- Keep visible blue gaps between all four rising scallop bands.
7Ribbon loop
A broad mint-and-rose ribbon surrounds a large irregular empty center, then curls into a smaller rose loop at the lower right. Its charcoal edges make the changes in direction easy to follow. Sketch the large inner opening first and build the ribbon around it, allowing the width to shift through the bends. Divide a few sections by color after the outline feels clear. Keep the smaller loop separate from the main opening so the drawing has two distinct spaces instead of a crowded knot.
- Why it works
- A large open center and a smaller round loop give the ribbon two clear spaces.
- Best for
- Exploring how a broad outline can frame an irregular blank area.
- Check first
- Check that both the large opening and the small loop remain readable.
8Texture patch constellation
Five dark textured patches and one pale-gold patch sit on an upright gray page. The largest dark patch occupies the lower left, and two short dotted paths connect selected smaller areas. Try a different mark pattern in each patch: parallel strokes, crosshatching, loose loops or a rubbed texture made on spare material. Vary the patch sizes before adding connectors. Keep the lighter gold area small and leave the right edge quiet so the textured group remains easy to read as a whole.
- Why it works
- Contrasting mark densities make separate texture patches read as one loose group.
- Best for
- Comparing light and dark textures without making a dense all-over pattern.
- Check first
- Keep the large dark patch low and the dotted connections sparse.
9Wandering loop field
Black curves cross and loop from the lower left toward the upper right of a cream landscape page. Three cobalt-filled areas interrupt the line, including a curved patch around the central loop. Let a loose route develop first, then choose a few enclosed spaces to color. Keep the blue accents different in size so they move attention along the line rather than forming a regular pattern. Stop while a broad band above the curves remains empty and the larger loops still have clear interiors.
- Why it works
- Three colored areas punctuate a traveling route of uneven crossing curves.
- Best for
- Letting a loose line suggest which small spaces to fill with color.
- Check first
- Leave the upper band clear instead of adding another set of loops.
10Negative-space window frames
Five white rectangular outlines overlap on charcoal: four outer frames surround a larger central window. Four short mustard bars sit inside the outer frames, and a longer bar crosses below the center. Plan the empty central rectangle first, then position the corner frames around it so their offsets remain visible. Add the mustard bars after the white structure reads clearly, keeping the longest horizontal bar below the center. Leave the central window dark and plain so the small colored marks support the surrounding frames.
- Why it works
- Four outer frames gather around one central window that stays dark and empty.
- Best for
- Testing overlap and contrast while preserving a strong central opening.
- Check first
- Keep all marks outside the dark interior of the central window.
Frequently asked questions
Which doodle idea can I start with a few simple marks?
Try a short version of the dot-and-dash rhythm. Use two or three columns of dots and short lines, then add one larger ring. The five-column example shows how to expand the idea once you like the spacing. You can keep the first version entirely in one color.
How do I keep repeated marks from looking stiff?
Choose one feature to vary, such as circle size, roof height or the gap between scallops. Keep the general direction consistent while changing that feature. If size, spacing, color and direction all change at once, it becomes harder to see which change improves the rhythm.
Can I make these pages using only a pencil?
Yes. Use a darker or more densely shaded area where the example uses a colored accent. A dark middle ring can stand out among smaller dots, and a pale texture patch can contrast with a dense one. Try the different values on a spare part of the same paper first.
What can I do when two lines cross unexpectedly?
Pause and look at the enclosed shapes the crossing creates. In the wandering-loop idea, a small area may become a useful place for color. If the crossing makes a repeating row hard to read, leave that version as a study and use wider gaps in the next one.
How do I know when the page has enough detail?
Find the main route, the strongest accent and the area you intended to leave clear. If all three are easy to see, stop and set the page aside. Revisit it before adding more marks, or make a second small version with one deliberate change to compare.
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About the author
10jar Editorial Team
The 10jar Editorial Team builds research-led visual decision guides. We document our criteria, cite consequential sources, state what we did not test, and correct material errors when we find them.
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