Easy Ghost Paintings On Thrifted Art For Halloween (2024)

Thrift Store Paintings

Have you seen the latestghost painting trendontiktokandsocial media? OMG! It is freaking genius! They takeold paintingsand paint cute little whimsicalghostsin the background. I wantHalloween decorationsthat wow, and this is it!

I decided right then and there that the theme for our indoor Halloween decor would be ghosts this year.

CLICK HERE to see my first ghost decor project. It’s super cute and will go well with my ghost paintings.

Of course, I headed out the same day to find anold paintingand came up empty-handed. Bummer! Why is it always like that?

But I have friends in low places. Living in a small town, you know who is who, and WHO has the good junk. It didn’t take long after I told my thrift-loving friends what I was searching for. SCORE!

I just had to try thissimple ghost craftusingold artwork, and I’m so glad I did. Below are thestep-by-step instructionsto have amazingHalloweenart without taking a singleart lesson. This was my first attempt at painting a ghost. See one, DO one, teach one.It was that simple.

CLICK HEREto see myinspirationfor my ThriftedGhostArt.

Get ready to bring some ghoulish elegance into your home this Halloween!

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What You’ll Need

• old artwork (nothing valuable)
• chalk stick (for the ghost’s outline)
• Cotton (white) and Coffee Bean (brown/black) chalk mineral paint (or acrylic paint)
• soft synthetic paintbrush
• artist brushes

STEP 1: Painting Background (Optional)

You can skip this step if you want. The reason I’m adding a dark wash over the old print is because it had a blue hue, and I wanted the scenery to appear it was at night.

To do this, I mixed a touch of paint with water. Basically, it was colored water.

With the print lying flat, quickly brush over the whole painting with the watery mixture and a good quality synthetic brush. Immediately blot with paper towels. Be careful not to rub, as the water can cause damage to the print.

Allow the paint to dry completely before the next step.

STEP 2:Easy Ghost Drawing

After drying the background paint, draw theghost’s outline using a chalk stick. You can also use apencil, but I find it was easier with the chalk stick. If I messed up too badly, I could always use a damp paper towel and blot it off.

I admit I did someghost drawingpracticing the night before to feel a bit more comfortable since this was my first attempt. All theghostsI’ve seen painted were more whimsical withsimple shapes.

You know I gotta put my own spin on them. I wanted mine to be more “realistic” with a flowing gown. What is that thing called thatghostswear? A sheet? I dunno!

STEP 3: Painting TheGhosts– Blending &Shading

With my ghost outlines in place (two of them), I pulled out the paint and brushes. I placed the two paint colors (white and black) ona paper plate. My artist’s palette for the day.Disposable with no cleanup. Also, grab the paper towels and a bowl of water to wash out the brush as needed. Blending colors can get messy.

With white paint, fill in theghostfigure with a chisel-tipped artist’s brush. It works well with curves and blending. Here’s where you’ll need thosefine motor skills. Don’t worry about full coverage; you will blendgray paint(made by mixing white and black) with white forshading.

Don’t forget about shadowing. Imagine the light hitting the front of theghost. That is the side that will be the lightest in color.

Add a bit of black to the back side where the light doesn’t hit. This may take a bit of practice, but you can do this too.

Lastly, add someghost eyesusing a pointed-tipped artist’s brush and a tiny amount of black paint.

I thought about addinggoogly eyes, but I didn’t. The solid eyes were more of theghost lookI was wanting.

STEP 4: Painting An Oops Ghost!

Okay, remember I said I was painting twoghosts? Stuff happens, and I was less than happy when I mistakenly smeared white paint in the middle of myartwork.That’s what I get when I set the paint on top of it like it was spillproof. Will I ever learn? Probably not.

A thirdghostit is! I had to get creative with the placement and make this one fly away into the midnight sky. No one will know but you and me. You have been sworn to secrecy.

Step 5: Displaying Your Ghostly Masterpiece

Don’t restrict yourself to traditional wall display methods, either. Get creative and explore other options. Prop your ghost painting on a mantel with vintage apothecary bottles and dark lace. You can even lean it against a black-painted door for a dramatic effect. I almost did the door thing.

Remember, your ghost painting doesn’t have to stand alone. Experiment with complementary decor to enhance the overall Halloween theme. Add cobwebs, faux spiders, or bats to bring the Halloween painting to life.

The Results Of A Thrifted Ghost Painting

Transforming this thrifted art piece into a ghostly masterpiece was a fun and creative way to add a touch of Halloween spirit to our home. I know our friends and family (don’t forget those GRANDS) will surely be impressed by my hauntingly creative skills.Shhhhhh… don’t tell them it was easy. It will be our secret.

Hey, thanks for joining me today with this ghostly experiment. I’m so happy it turned out so well, and I got to share it with you. Let me know what you think about this project. What other fun things would you paint on old prints? Looking back, I wish I had painted a big, ole full moon hovering over the ghost. I can always add it later.

Don’t forget to PIN and share this FUN Halloween craft idea with your friends who love creating outside the box. It’s the best place to be.

Until the next project… xo, Do