Inspiring Prompts for Painting
What to Paint When You Don’t Know What to Paint
Many of my students ask me the same question: “What should I paint to get better?”
And I get it, we all want to improve our painting skills. So here’s my advice: paint and draw for fun, as much as you can, and stay curious. Inspiration doesn’t come before you start, it shows up while you’re painting. You’ll learn just as much from painting abstract shapes as from drawing every single line of your own hand in a realistic way.
There are no “easy” or “hard” subjects, only different approaches. Whether something feels simple or complex depends less on what you paint and more on how you choose to paint it: realistic, symbolic, expressive, or abstract. As someone who likes to mix abstract and figurative elements in my work, my biggest challenge isn’t what to paint, it’s knowing when to stop: before things become too obvious, or before the brushstrokes lose their freshness.
When I paint simply for the sake of painting everything flows more easily. One painting leads to another. So I can explore and express my creativity with freedom. Think of painting and drawing as a board game. Yes, there are rules to learn (composition, technique, color theory) and a goal to aim for. But the real joy happens when you stop worrying about winning. Not too competitive, not too careless, just fully engaged in the act of playing and enjoying the process.
The Myth of Inspiration
Most of the time, I don’t wait for inspiration. I start working, and inspiration catches up. Often, I get new ideas for future projects while I’m still painting something else. What moves me to paint is either a grand concept, or something small: a color combination, a feeling, a shape that lingers in my memory. Sometimes it’s beauty, sometimes curiosity. Sometimes it’s something I saw on social media or at an exhibition that made me want to try a new technique.
There are times when a novel inspires me so much that I create several drawings exploring its essence, not to illustrate the story, but to express what it made me feel. Other times, I paint flowers simply because I enjoy translating their colors, their textures, or the emotion of the moment. Inspiration doesn’t strike like lightning. When I need to awaken that spark, I turn to simple exercises that invite me to play, observe, and stay present. Here are a few of my favorites:
7 Painting Prompts to Get You Started
1. Paint What’s Around You
Your kitchen table is a masterpiece waiting to happen. Still life was one of the most painted subjects in art history, still alive on Instagram. It might be just two coffee cups and a croissant, but you can tell a story when you paint it. Is the scene cozy? Elegant? Quiet? Chaotic? Try painting a still life from observation or from a picture you just saw. Remember: hyperrealism is only one of many styles.
There’s an endless list of subjects, maybe you want to paint a portrait of someone on the subway, or a self-portrait. Maybe you’re inspired by the city: a night walk, a park, or just a corner that catches your eye. When you switch on your “artist mindset,” everything becomes a source of inspiration.
2. Paint a Memory (Not a Photo)
I don’t usually take many photos, instead, I draw the scenes in my sketchbook. You can start now: close your eyes and think of your last trip. What’s the first image that comes to mind? Maybe it’s you surrounded by friends, maybe a sunset at the beach.
Sometimes I paint from photos, but I mix in my memories, because in my photos I can’t capture the warmth of a person, the smell of flowers, or the feeling of a place. When I draw, I allow myself to change the composition, choose the angle, and emphasize what matters most to me at that moment, the essence of that memory.
3. Copy a Masterpiece (Yes, Really)
Learning from other artists is one of the best ways to grow. We can find inspiration at museums, galleries, books, and the internet. Whether you’re a beginner or already have your own voice, copying an artwork helps you step out of your comfort zone. It doesn’t mean you’ll paint like that forever, it’s simply an exercise to explore and gain new skills.
You can paint the artwork as it is, or reinterpret it in your own style (or styles). When I was young, I was fascinated by Picasso’s Las Meninas series. He created dozens of playful, bold reinterpretations of Velázquez’s masterpiece.
4. Abstract Your Mood
Be dramatic, be “too much.” Use color, shape, and gesture to express your emotions. This approach is playful and freeing, and you might be surprised at how expressive you can be, whether you paint abstractly or realistically. Allow yourself to create chaos on your canvas, express yourself without restrictions, as you can later soften the tone and add more delicate and subtle strokes to the composition, if you feel it is necessary.
Think of your best date ever: would you paint it in flat grey textures? Probably not. If you’ve taken one of my classes, you might remember this exercise: start with a feeling, choose a color that matches it, and build your palette from there.
Talking about palettes:
5. Collect Colors from a Walk
You’ll often find me staring at the sky during sunset or sunrise, trying to understand what makes it so beautiful. Is it the combination of soft orange and light blue? The pink clouds against deep navy? Or maybe the yellow façade of a building under a violet sky?
A simple way is to start a color diary, a visual notebook of color combinations you find interesting. Maybe your inspiration comes from the sky, or from a poster on the street. You can later use these palettes in future art projects.
6. Set a Silly Rule (and Follow It)
This is one of my favorite exercises, fun for both your hands and your mind. Set a timer: 30 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes. Use only one color… then two… then three. Draw only with geometric shapes, or only with lines. Try without looking at the paper, or draw upside down!
Pick one simple object (like a piece of fruit) and draw it several times under different rules. This exercise helps you train your brain and your ability to abstract and synthesise. It’s playful, liberating, and surprisingly effective for improving your observation skills.
7. Paint the Same Thing, Differently
By now, “What should I paint?” slowly turns into “How do I want to paint?” At this point you may realise it’s not about finding the perfect subject, but about building the right mindset and giving yourself space to explore and play. The more you paint, the more you’ll see that there are no real limits, only the ones we place on ourselves.
Repeating a workshop can be surprisingly powerful. Even if the exercises are similar, every session unfolds differently. Maybe you work from another reference image, maybe you approach it with a new mindset, or maybe your own style starts to appear in unexpected ways.
If you feel like continuing the exploration, you’re very welcome to join one of our Painting Workshops at Berlin Drawing Room. You might be surprised by what you create.
