15 drawing ideas for couples, even if you cannot draw

Make it easy to begin

Use whatever you already have: scrap paper and a pen are enough. If you are apart, choose whether you want to reveal separate drawings at the end or add to the same picture. Lovelle’s Live Drawing is a shared canvas for connected partners in the app.

Agree on a time limit and whether you want comments while you draw. There is no need to score the results. If one prompt feels too personal or frustrating, choose another.

Five silly portrait prompts

Start with subjects you already know: each other, your pets, or a fictional version of the two of you. A silly constraint helps take the pressure off making a realistic portrait.

• 1. Draw each other without lifting your pen from the page.
• 2. Turn your partner into an animal with one recognisable accessory.
• 3. Draw yourselves as the hosts of an extremely specific cooking show.
• 4. Make a portrait using only circles, squares, and triangles.
• 5. Invent a tiny superhero identity for each other, complete with an impractical costume.

Five prompts for a little world of your own

These are useful when you want to work on the same picture. Take turns adding something, or choose a corner each and connect the pieces at the end. Ask before erasing or changing something your partner has made.

• 6. Design a dream home with one room that could never exist in real life.
• 7. Invent a café that serves only your favourite snacks.
• 8. Draw a map connecting the places that matter to your relationship.
• 9. Add creatures and signs to a completely imaginary island.
• 10. Design a garden where every plant is an inside joke.

Five prompts that turn into a story

For these ideas, the conversation afterward can be as enjoyable as the drawing. Tell your version of the story, then ask what your partner noticed. Different memories and interpretations are part of the fun.

• 11. Draw the first meal you remember sharing.
• 12. Make a three-panel comic about an ordinary day going spectacularly wrong.
• 13. Draw a postcard from a place you would like to visit together.
• 14. Illustrate a tiny moment from your week that your partner did not see.
• 15. Draw an object from a shared memory and let your partner guess the story.

How to try these drawing ideas long-distance

If you use separate paper, agree not to reveal the results until the timer ends. On a shared canvas, you can take turns adding one detail at a time. Choose a call alongside the activity if you want to talk; do not assume a drawing app includes a voice or video call.

When your schedules do not overlap, send a prompt with your drawing and invite your partner to add their own later using a tool that supports that workflow. Lovelle’s Live Drawing is a real-time activity, so plan an overlapping moment for that feature.

Keep the result only if you both want to

You can give the drawing a ridiculous title, save it for yourselves, or simply enjoy the activity and move on. Ask before posting your partner’s drawing or turning a private joke into a public story.

Next time, repeat the prompt you enjoyed most or change one rule. A familiar activity can still make a new little moment without becoming a competition or a daily task.