Caroline
There are many spooky creations and entities that go bump in the night and popularize the most popular scary stories.
Of all of these, ghosts are one of the most well-known spooky entities, and they’re something that even the bravest person may fear when they hear a noise in an old house.
There have been many interpretations of what a ghost may look like, but we will be working with a classic interpretation in this guide on how to draw a cartoon ghost.
This drawing has a spooky feel to it while sticking to a whimsical cartoon style, and we can’t wait to show you how you can draw this fun picture!
So get ready for a spooktacular time as we begin this step-by-step guide on how to draw a cartoon ghost in just 6 easy steps!
Create A Story For This Cartoon Ghost
Ghost stories have been around for as long as humanity has existed, and people have always been fascinated with the idea of spirits interacting with the world of the living.
We see ghost stories in many cultures and belief systems around the world, and they are of course common subjects for horror movies, novels and video games.
Before we begin this guide on how to draw a cartoon ghost, we thought it would be fun to think of a story for this drawing! Even though you haven’t started yet, it’s worth thinking of now.
When you get to the later steps of the guide, you could incorporate your story with the details and background that you draw. The story doesn’t need to be super complex, but you can make it more involved if you wanted to.
If your story is becoming more ambitious, you could maybe turn this drawing into a comic strip with several panels. It could be the ghost up to creepy shenanigans, or you could put a different spin on it.
For example, maybe the ghost could be running some normal everyday errands. Or you could go for something more action packed like the ghost fighting another monster or spooky creature.
You can also incorporate text, speech bubbles and other such details in order to make your story even easier to understand on the page.
If you can’t think of any ideas, maybe try to think of a spooky ghost story you’ve seen told in a movie or other piece of media and use it as inspiration.
This gives you something to think of, and now we will begin with the first step of the guide and begin drawing this awesome cartoon ghost!
How to Draw A Cartoon Ghost – Let’s Get Started!
Step 1
We mentioned in the introduction to this cartoon ghost drawing that we will be creating a common interpretation of what ghosts are thought to look like, and we will start simply.
This image of a ghost is made to look like a floating sheet, and we will begin with a simple curved line.
This line will serve as the head of the ghost, and the line will trail to the right to show the fabric of the sheet flowing behind it.
We will add some more to the ghost as we move on to the next steps, so let’s move on!
Step 2 – Now, draw the bottom of the ghost’s body
You drew the head of this spooky guy in the first step of our guide on how to draw a cartoon ghost, and in this one we will draw the rest of the body outline.
When drawing this ghost’s body, remember to think of it as a floating sheet. Extend the curved line at the ghost’s back into a pointy tip where the material is flaring up.
The base of the body will be drawn with a wavy line that moves to become the bottom of the front of the body.
There will be a small gap at the front of the ghost, but you will see why that is there soon, so let’s move on!
Step 3 – Next, draw the first arm
Now that you have the outline for the head and body of the ghost, we can add the first arm to this specter. This will also be where you see why we left a gap at the front of the ghost.
This arm will be drawn using lots of curvy, wavy lines to give it an extra spooky look. It will begin near the center of the body, and the tip of it will poke through that gap we mentioned.
That’s all for this step, and then we can move on!
Step 4 – Now, draw the second arm
You’re ready to add the second arm to your cartoon ghost drawing in this next step!
This arm will look rather similar to the first arm that you drew. In fact, it will appear pretty much identical apart from the position it’s in.
This arm will extend out from the other side of the ghost, so we won’t see where it starts.
Now that both of these arms are on the image, we’re sure you can see how they add a creepy element to this ghost.
Once this arm is drawn, we will be ready for the final details of this ghost in the next step of the guide!
Step 5 – Add the final details to your drawing
This fifth step of our guide on how to draw a cartoon ghost will be all about adding a scary face to your ghost. To do this, we will begin with the eyes.
The eyes will be drawn using two different shapes to give the face a spookier look. The one on the left will be drawn as a circle shape, whereas the one on the right will be a longer oval shape.
Then, for the mouth we will draw an irregular, rounded shape that has lots of wavy lines. Once these are drawn, you can add some extra details of your own!
It could be fun to draw a background for this ghost, and there are tons of ideas you could go for.
It could be in a graveyard or a spooky house setting, but what other background ideas can you think of?
Step 6 – Finish off your drawing with color
For the final step of this tutorial, we will finish off with some colors. This is a step where you can really experiment with various colors and art mediums to create a unique look for your spooky ghost.
In our reference image, we used some subtle beiges with very light greys for the body of the ghost to amplify that feeling of sheet material.
These are the colors we went for, but this is your chance to show off what you think a ghost could look like. What colors and art tools came to mind when you saw this ghost?
We look forward to seeing the creative ways you go about finishing off this scary guy!
5 Tips To Make Your Cartoon Ghost Drawing Even Better!
There’s no need to be scared with the help of these 5 tips for your cartoon ghost sketch!
The only thing scarier than seeing a ghost would be seeing more than one at a time. You could show this by adding some more spooky specters to this drawing of a cartoon ghost.
Even if they look very similar to the first one, it would help to create a ghostly crowd! How many ghosts do you think this scene needs?
The ghost that we created in this guide is a classic sheet-style ghost, but another way you could bring some variety would be to draw some other ghost variations.
These could be the same ghost design with some variations in detail, or you could have some entirely unique cartoon ghost designs.
They could even be based on existing ghosts from different forms of media!
If you want to make this cartoon ghost drawing even spookier, you could also add some other kinds of scary creatures. This is something you can really use your imagination on!
There are some classic Halloween creatures such as witches, zombies, werewolves or maybe the grim reaper.
These are just a few of the creatures you could add, but what are some others that could haunt your picture?
Once you have added all of the scary characters you want for this artwork, you could then add some human characters who are unlucky enough to encounter this cartoon ghost.
They could be drawn in a cartoon style that looks similar to the one used for the ghost, or you may prefer to draw them in a different style.
For some extra fun, you could base them on yourself or people you know!
Finally, a background could be used to finish off this cartoon ghost sketch in style. Using a classic creepy setting would be perfect for this artwork.
This could include a graveyard, mausoleum or maybe a haunted house. These would be some great locations to use, but there are so many settings that would be just as great!
Your Cartoon Ghost Drawing is Complete!
You did a fantastic job on the steps in this guide on how to draw a cartoon ghost! This design was simple and effective, but there are still many challenges to overcome when taking on any drawing.
We hope that the steps made it easy for you to overcome any challenges that may have presented themselves.
Now that you have finished the guide, it’s your turn to show off your creativity as you add your own flair and ideas to this image.
Whether you add some extra details, draw a background or try out some interesting colors, there are so many ways to put your own spin on this picture.
Then, when you would like to see what else you can do, you can find many more awesome drawing guides to enjoy on our website!
We have a huge selection with more on the way, so keep checking in to enjoy each new guide.
Then, please consider sharing your finished cartoon ghost drawing on our Facebook and Pinterest pages for us to see and enjoy.
