How to Draw a Cute Ghost in 5 Simple Steps

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 10 July 2023 5 min read

Mastering the art of doodling adorable ghostly figures is easier than you might think. With this step-by-step guide on how to draw a cute ghost, you'll be creating your own fun, whimsical ghost drawings in no time. Whether you're looking to delight your friends, entertain your kids, or just enjoy a fun, creative endeavor, this guide has you covered. So, let's dive in.

1. Gather Your Drawing Tools

Before you start drawing your cute ghost, it's important to gather all the tools you'll need. This can make the drawing process smoother and more enjoyable, letting you focus on the fun of creating without interruption.

Pick the Right Paper

First things first, you'll need a surface to draw on. A medium-weight drawing paper is ideal — it's sturdy enough to handle erasing and shading, but not so thick that it's difficult to work with. If you're planning to color your ghost, consider using a slightly heavier paper to handle the extra pigment.

Choose Your Drawing Utensils

Next, you'll need something to draw with. A regular No.2 pencil is perfect for sketching out your cute ghost. For outlining and adding detail, you might like to use a fine-tip black marker or a dark colored pencil. Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all solution here — use what you feel comfortable with and what you have at hand.

Organize Your Work Space

Finally, clear a space where you can work comfortably. Make sure you have plenty of light, and keep a sharpener and eraser close by. This way, you can stay focused on learning how to draw a cute ghost, without getting distracted by a cluttered workspace.

2. Start With Basic Shapes

Now that you have your tools ready, it's time to put pencil to paper. We'll begin by drawing the basic shapes that make up our cute ghost. Don't worry about getting it perfect — these initial lines are just guides, and we'll refine them as we go along.

Draw a Circle for the Head

First, lightly sketch a circle for the ghost's head. This doesn't need to be a perfect circle; in fact, a slightly irregular shape can add character to your cute ghost. Keep your lines light, as these will be erased later.

Add Ovals for the Body

Next, we'll add two ovals for the body. Draw one larger oval for the body's top and a smaller one for the bottom. These ovals should overlap slightly to create a sort of teardrop shape. This will give our cute ghost a charming, floating appearance.

Sketch Triangles for the Hands

Finally, at the sides of the top oval, sketch two small triangles. These will act as the hands of our ghost. Again, they don't need to be perfect. The key here is to keep your cute ghost simple and fun, not to strive for absolute symmetry or precision.

Remember, learning how to draw a cute ghost is all about enjoying the process. So don't stress if your shapes aren't perfect. You're doing great!

3. Add Details to Your Ghost

You've got the basic shapes down, and you're already well on your way to mastering how to draw a cute ghost. But what makes a ghost truly adorable? That's right, the details. Let's add them in next.

Draw the Eyes and Mouth

Our cute ghost needs a face, so let's give it one. Start by sketching two large circles for the eyes. For the mouth, draw a wide, upward-curved line — it's like our ghost is in a constant state of surprise. How cute is that?

Add Expressions to Make it Cute

Expressions play a big role in making your ghost cute. Add two smaller circles within the eyes for pupils. Position them so your ghost appears to be looking in a certain direction—maybe it's spotted a tasty Halloween treat! For a final touch, add a few curved lines above the eyes to create eyebrows. This can give your cute ghost a range of expressions: surprised, happy, or even a bit mischievous.

Give Your Ghost a Personality

Now, this is the fun part. What kind of personality do you want your ghost to have? Is it a shy ghost that likes to hide behind its hands? Or perhaps it's a cheerful ghost that's always ready to play a friendly prank. You could add additional details like a cute bow tie, a funny hat, or even a pet cat. Remember, there's no right or wrong here. It's all about letting your imagination run wild and making your cute ghost uniquely yours.

By now, you're starting to see how to draw a cute ghost. But we're not done yet. There's more to come, so keep that pen handy!

4. Outline Your Ghost

So far, we've got a ghost with a personality. Now, we'll take a step forward in our journey of "how to draw a cute ghost" by adding a solid outline to our sketch.

Use a Fine Line Marker

It's time to bring out the big guns—or rather, the fine line markers. Start by tracing over your pencil lines with a fine line marker. This helps in defining your cute ghost and making it pop out. A top tip: always try to make the lines smooth and continuous. It can take a little practice, but don't worry, you'll get there.

Erase Pencil Lines

Once the ink from your marker is dry, gently erase the underlying pencil lines. Be careful not to smudge the ink. This step will make your drawings clean, crisp, and professional-looking.

Add Shading and Textures

The last step in this phase is all about bringing your ghost to life. Adding some shading and texture can give your ghost a three-dimensional look. For example, you could add some light shading to the bottom of the ghost to suggest a shadow. Or even some texture lines to give the impression of a flowing ghostly form. It's these little things that make a big difference in learning how to draw a cute ghost.

With the outline complete, we're almost at the end of our artistic journey—just one more step to go!

5. Color Your Cute Ghost

Finally, we've arrived at the last step of our guide on how to draw a cute ghost. This is where our friendly apparition truly comes to life—through color!

Choose Your Colors

First, you'll need to pick your palette. Ghosts are traditionally white, but who says you can't add a splash of color to your specter? Maybe your ghost is blue, or pink, or even rainbow-colored—it's completely up to you!

Start Coloring Your Ghost

Now, grab your chosen colors and start filling in your ghost. Remember to color lightly at first—you can always add more layers later. And don't forget about your ghost's personality! Maybe a mischievous ghost has a touch of green, or a shy ghost is a soft lavender.

Add Highlights and Shadows

For the final touch, let's add some highlights and shadows. This will give your ghost a three-dimensional look, making it look more realistic (or as realistic as a cute ghost can be!). Use a lighter shade for highlights and a darker one for shadows. And there you have it, a cute, colorful ghost all ready to spook—uh, charm its way into anyone's heart!

And that's it! You've learned how to draw a cute ghost in 5 simple steps. Now, why not try drawing a whole ghostly gang?

If you enjoyed learning how to draw a cute ghost and want to explore more character design techniques, be sure to check out Trey Zimmerman's workshop, 'How to Draw Beautiful Character Designs from Scratch'. This workshop will guide you through the process of creating unique and captivating characters from scratch, taking your drawing skills to new heights!