I Gave the Viral Ghost Painting Trend a Try!
Looking for some really easy DIY Halloween art? This ghost painting trend that’s been all over TikTok and Instagram is a really fun option. Today, I’m showing you my take on it!
You all know what I’m talking about, right? Last year and this year, this little ghost painting trend has been everywhere. The idea is, you grab some art and add ghosts, pumpkins or other Halloween-y elements to it. Boom! Instant DIY Halloween art. I really wanted to dive in and try it last year, but I ran out of time. So, this year, I knew I had to prioritize making it happen!
I would say that I am very much not a crafty or artistic person. I can DIY all day long, but hand me a paintbrush and ask me to create something? I’m out. So, if I can do this, I promise you, anyone can do this.
How to Try Out the Ghost Painting Trend to Create DIY Halloween Art
Step One: Gather Your Materials
Obviously, you’ll need to start by picking out some art. The most common way I’ve seen people tackle this is with some art from the thrift store or something forgotten up in their attic. This is, of course, a really fun way to do this. I mean, who doesn’t love an excuse to go thrifting?!
However, I know myself well enough to know I would absolutely obsess over finding the perfect art, and it would take more time than I have. Plus, I know my skill set well enough to know I needed to start off with something that already has a semi-spooky vibe. So, I decided to grab this set of 6 autumn art prints from Amazon. It was perfect for hosting a little painting party, because it gave my friends the option to shop for a piece or just use one of these! In the end, everyone I invited ended up using one of my art prints, so I was really glad to have them.
Other than the art, you’ll just need some acrylic paint and paintbrushes – I recommend a variety of sizes. A set like this is great. As for paint, you’ll mostly need white, black, brown, and orange. But, having options is helpful, especially for mixing and adjusting colors! Adding a set of these autumn colors to your basics would be a great option.
Step Two: Make a Plan
Once you’ve got yourself set up, I recommend taking a second to really take in your artwork and figure out what you want to add to it. Here are a few things to think about:
- People or animals can really easily be turned into ghosts.
- If you have trees, it’s simple to add in some autumn colors (if they don’t have them) to change the vibe.
- A flying colony of bats looks adorable and is crazy easy to paint.
- Pumpkins look adorable along a fence or in front of a building.
- You can add in some dark, shadowy details on houses, corners, and anywhere else to make a spooky vibe.
- Watered down black paint can help tone down large areas that feel too bright!
- Dark, shadowy clouds are pretty simple to add in and make a big impact.
Of course, if you’ve got more skills than me you can add in black cats, tombstones, or anything else! I kept it really simple (and am thrilled with the result), but you can go as wild as you want here.
Step Three: Get to Painting!
Now the fun (and slightly terrifying) part starts. It’s time to paint! I did two paintings and I had a ton of fun adding some spooky details in. On my first one, I changed a person and a dog into ghosts, added a few bats, and added some pumpkins along the fence line.
I can’t emphasize enough how helpful it was to me to start off with a painting that already had a strong autumn vibe. This craft felt really intimidating, but that took out a lot of the fear. I had very little work to do!
Once I got started on my second canvas, I was feeling a lot more confident. I added some ghosts and a colony of bats (and it’s notably better than my first attempt at bats – practice helps!). Then, I added some dark clouds to the sky. The cooler grays weren’t blending as well as I wanted with the pinkish sky in my painting, so I watered down some black paint and added a couple of layers to the sky to darken it up. It made a huge difference – I was really surprised at how much it helped!
Tips for a Halloween Painting Party
Looking to try the ghost painting trend with a few of your friends like I did? Here are some tips and tricks to create the perfect party atmosphere.
- Start with some snacks (and wine, if you want!). It’s normal for people to feel a tad nervous about trying a craft like this, so some food and drinks will help loosen everyone up.
- Add a few spooky touches to help the vibe. Good music, a fall candle, and some cute Halloween plates go a long way.
- Before your guests arrive, prep your painting area! Lay down some butcher paper if you want, fill some cups with water for cleaning brushes, and set out your acrylic paints.
- I mentioned this earlier, but I think it’s so helpful to have some extra paintings on hand in case anyone comes without one. This is the set I used, and here’s another great option.
- It can be helpful to have a few examples pulled up on your phone or computer for people to reference.
- Have FUN! It doesn’t need to be stressful and perfection is overrated!
I’m so glad we gave this a shot, and we’re already talking about how we can translate this to another crafty party at Christmastime! Stay tuned for that!
