How to Create Doodles Using ChatGPT

Have you ever wanted to add some fun visuals to your projects but lack artistic skills? I recently found that ChatGPT is pretty good in creating charming doodles.

In this post, I’ll show you how I use ChatGPT to create notebook-style doodles that bring ideas to life without needing drawing skills.

What Makes a Good Doodle?

Doodles are informal sketches, often made spontaneously with whatever writing tool is at hand. They’re not meant to be perfect or detailed—that’s their charm!

Good doodles capture ideas with minimal lines, simple shapes, and a casual, unpolished feel. Think back to your school notebooks with margin drawings or the quick sketches you might make during a meeting.

The beauty of doodles is their accessibility. Anyone can create them regardless of artistic training. They’re quick, fun, and expressive without requiring technical perfection.

Some common doodle characteristics include:

• Simple, bold outlines
• Minimal details
• Exaggerated features
• Casual, sketchy appearance
• Playful energy
• Hand-drawn feel

Create a Base Prompt for ChatGPT

After testing many variations, I’ve developed a reliable base prompt that consistently produces excellent doodles. Here it is:

Create a black and white cartoon doodle of [Subject Description]. The style should be simple and hand-drawn, like a sketch in a notebook, featuring bold black outlines as if drawn with a pen. Use minimal shading, primarily simple hatching lines for texture and small grounding shadows. Ensure the characters have exaggerated expressions fitting the scene and dynamic, energetic poses. The entire drawing should appear on a background of lined notebook paper. The overall feel should be playful and informal.

This prompt works because it gives ChatGPT specific details about what makes a good doodle while leaving room for creativity with your subject.

Breaking Down the Base Prompt

Let’s analyze each part of this prompt to understand why it works so well:

Subject Description

Create a black and white cartoon doodle of [Subject Description].

This is where you insert what you want drawn. Be specific and include action or emotion where possible. For example, instead of just “a dog,” try “an energetic dog chasing a terrified-looking mailman.”

Style Definition

The style should be simple and hand-drawn, like a sketch in a notebook, featuring bold black outlines as if drawn with a pen.

This tells ChatGPT to keep things basic and sketchy—exactly what we want for a doodle. The reference to bold outlines helps create that classic pen-drawn look rather than a polished digital illustration.

Shading Approach

Use minimal shading, primarily simple hatching lines for texture and small grounding shadows.

This prevents over-complication. Doodles typically don’t have complex shading, so we specify simple hatching (those quick parallel lines) and just enough shadow to ground the figures.

Character Expression

Ensure the characters have exaggerated expressions fitting the scene and dynamic, energetic poses.

This adds personality! Exaggerated expressions make doodles more engaging and humorous. The dynamic poses prevent stiff, boring compositions.

Background Setting

The entire drawing should appear on a background of lined notebook paper.

This element creates that authentic “drawn during class” feeling that defines so many doodles. The lined paper backdrop instantly communicates the casual nature of the drawing.

Overall Mood

The overall feel should be playful and informal.

This final instruction ensures the doodle keeps its light-hearted spirit and doesn’t get too serious or technical.

Example Doodle Prompts I Tried

I’ve tested this base prompt with various subjects. Here are some examples that produced great results.

Example 1: Dog vs. Mailman

Create a black and white cartoon doodle of an energetic dog chasing a terrified-looking mailman. The style should be simple and hand-drawn, like a sketch in a notebook, featuring bold black outlines as if drawn with a pen. Use minimal shading, primarily simple hatching lines for texture and small grounding shadows. Ensure the characters have exaggerated expressions fitting the scene and dynamic, energetic poses. The entire drawing should appear on a background of lined notebook paper. The overall feel should be playful and informal.

Example 2: Squirrel Struggles

Create a black and white cartoon doodle of a frantic squirrel trying to bury an oversized acorn. The style should be simple and hand-drawn, like a sketch in a notebook, featuring bold black outlines as if drawn with a pen. Use minimal shading, primarily simple hatching lines for texture and small grounding shadows. Ensure the characters have exaggerated expressions fitting the scene and dynamic, energetic poses. The entire drawing should appear on a background of lined notebook paper. The overall feel should be playful and informal.

Example 3: Mad Science

Create a black and white cartoon doodle of a scientist showing off a bubbling beaker to an assistant who looks nervous about it exploding. The style should be simple and hand-drawn, like a sketch in a notebook, featuring bold black outlines as if drawn with a pen. Use minimal shading, primarily simple hatching lines for texture and small grounding shadows. Ensure the characters have exaggerated expressions fitting the scene and dynamic, energetic poses. The entire drawing should appear on a background of lined notebook paper. The overall feel should be playful and informal.

Example 4: Cookie Heist

Create a black and white cartoon doodle of two kids sneakily trying to steal cookies from a jar just out of reach. The style should be simple and hand-drawn, like a sketch in a notebook, featuring bold black outlines as if drawn with a pen. Use minimal shading, primarily simple hatching lines for texture and small grounding shadows. Ensure the characters have exaggerated expressions fitting the scene and dynamic, energetic poses. The entire drawing should appear on a background of lined notebook paper. The overall feel should be playful and informal.

Example 5: Bear on a Bike

Create a black and white cartoon doodle of a bear riding a bicycle with a scarf flowing in the wind. The style should be simple and hand-drawn, like a sketch in a notebook, featuring bold black outlines as if drawn with a pen. Use minimal shading, primarily simple hatching lines for texture and small grounding shadows. Ensure the characters have exaggerated expressions fitting the scene and dynamic, energetic poses. The entire drawing should appear on a background of lined notebook paper. The overall feel should be playful and informal.

Example 6: Angry Alarm Clock

Create a black and white cartoon doodle of a grumpy alarm clock ringing furiously, shaking all over. The style should be simple and hand-drawn, like a sketch in a notebook, featuring bold black outlines as if drawn with a pen. Use minimal shading, primarily simple hatching lines for texture and small grounding shadows. Ensure the characters have exaggerated expressions fitting the scene and dynamic, energetic poses. The entire drawing should appear on a background of lined notebook paper. The overall feel should be playful and informal.

Tips for Better Doodle Descriptions

Here are some things I’ve learned through trial and error:

• Add emotions: Words like “excited,” “nervous,” “confused,” or “determined” help ChatGPT create more expressive characters.
• Include action: Descriptions with movement (jumping, running, falling) result in more dynamic doodles.
• Be specific: “A cat playing with yarn” is better than just “a cat” because it gives context and purpose.
• Try contrasts: Pairing opposites (tiny mouse/huge cheese, short person/tall ladder) creates visual humor.
• Use visual adjectives: Words like “fluffy,” “spiky,” “round,” or “lanky” help shape the visual elements.

Creating doodles with ChatGPT has added a fun visual dimension to my work without needing artistic skills. The casual, playful nature of doodles makes them perfect for adding personality to various projects.

What kinds of doodles will you create? The possibilities are endless—from office humor to fantasy creatures, all with that distinctly casual, hand-drawn charm that makes doodles so appealing.