Single white ghost on a black canvas, ringed with a pale blue glowBlack, white, pale blue. Dry-brush the blue ring first, then paint the ghost over it in white.
Sheet ghost portrait in an oval gold frame, head and shouldersWhite, gray, gold, dark green. Paint the oval dark green, the ghost over it, and the gold frame last.
Ghost on a mountain path, tiny against the peaksWhite, slate blue, gray, green. Make the ghost no taller than a thumbnail, with two dots for eyes.
Sheet ghost carrying a stack of library booksWhite, gray, mustard, teal. Paint the books as flat colored bars, each a little off square.
Sheet ghost from behind, looking out of a window at the moonWhite, navy, pale yellow, gray. Paint the window navy and edge the ghost's shoulders in pale yellow.
Sheet ghost holding a mug, steam curling past its eye holesWhite, gray, brown, cream. Drag the steam in thin white with a nearly dry brush.
Sheet ghost holding one red balloon by its stringWhite, red, gray, pale blue. Paint a small bump in the sheet where the hand would be.
Sheet ghost in a navy striped sheet instead of a white oneCream, navy, gray. Curve the stripes over the head and let them hang straight below.
Sheet ghost in a sheet printed with small blue flowersWhite, cornflower blue, gray. Dot each flower as five blue dabs with a cotton swab.
Sheet ghost in sunglasses against a pink wallWhite, pink, black, pale gray. Paint the wall flat pink and keep the glasses two plain black ovals.
Sheet ghost portrait in an oval gold frame, head and shouldersWhite, gray, gold, dark green. Paint the oval dark green, the ghost over it, and the gold frame last.
Sheet ghost pulling a red wagon of small pumpkinsWhite, orange, red, gray. Paint the pumpkins as orange circles, each with a short gray stem.
Sheet ghost riding a bicycle, sheet flying out behindWhite, gray, red, pale blue. Pull the trailing sheet in long dry strokes that thin to nothing.
Sheet ghost sitting on a stool, hem pooled on the floorWhite, pale gray, brown, sage. Bend the sheet at the knees and let the hem spread wide.
Sheet ghost under a yellow umbrella in gray rainWhite, yellow, gray, slate blue. Pull thin slanted rain lines everywhere except under the umbrella.
Sheet ghost watering a row of houseplantsWhite, green, terracotta, gray. Paint the pots as three terracotta cups and the leaves in single strokes.
Sheet ghost with long folds falling straight from a round headWhite, pale gray, lavender. Shade each fold with one gray stroke and leave the ridges white.
Tall sheet ghost and short sheet ghost side by side on mustard yellowWhite, mustard, gray, black. Paint the ground flat mustard and give each ghost its own eye shape.
In old photos and landscapes 15
Ghost beside a country mailbox on a dirt laneWhite, ochre, green, gray. Paint the lane narrowing behind the ghost and keep the mailbox plain gray.
Ghost in a birch wood in fall, leaves showing through its hemWhite, yellow ochre, orange, gray. Scumble the white thin at the hem so the leaves show through.
Ghost in a snowy landscape, shown only by its eyes and a blue shadowWhite, pale blue, gray, black. Paint ghost and snow the same white and let the shadow draw the shape.
Ghost in a tulip garden, flowers as tall as its hemWhite, red, green, pink. Paint the tulips as red and pink cups on straight green stems.
Ghost on a mountain path, tiny against the peaksWhite, slate blue, gray, green. Make the ghost no taller than a thumbnail, with two dots for eyes.
Ghost on the rocks of an old-style seascape, waves gray-greenWhite, gray-green, ochre, gray. Dry-brush white foam on the wave tops, then the ghost above it.
Ghost sitting on a wooden dock, hem trailing in the waterWhite, teal, brown, gray. Paint the dock boards running back and let the hem fade into the teal.
Ghost under a streetlamp in a foggy sepia townSepia, cream, gray, pale yellow. Dry-brush a pale yellow cone under the lamp and stand the ghost in it.
Ghost wading through a wheat field, sheet lifted clear of the stalksWhite, gold, pale blue, ochre. Flick wheat up over the hem after the ghost is dry.
Sepia photograph of a rowboat, a sheet ghost at the oarsSepia, cream, dark brown, white. Paint the whole scene in browns, then add the ghost in thin cream.
Sepia studio portrait in a card mount, the sitter a sheet ghostSepia, cream, dark brown. Paint a cream border round the picture like an old photo card.
Sheet ghost at the edge of a lake, its reflection a pale smudgeWhite, blue-gray, green, gray. Drag a little thin white straight down into the water.
Three ghosts of three sizes on a beach at low tideWhite, sand, blue-gray, cream. Paint wet sand as a pale band and drop a short reflection under each ghost.
Two ghosts flying kites on a windy hillWhite, red, green, pale blue. Lean both ghosts and both kite strings the same way.
Two ghosts having a picnic on a hillside in an old-style landscapeWhite, olive, ochre, pale blue. Keep the land dull olive and ochre so the ghosts are the brightest thing.
Glowing on black 15
Ghost and its glow doubled in a dark pondBlack, white, teal. Repeat the ghost upside down in thinner white and pull one stroke across it.
Ghost curling up like smoke from a blown-out candleBlack, white, gray, cream. Start the stroke thin at the wick and widen it into the head.
Ghost drawn in a single white line on blackBlack, white. Draw the outline without lifting the liner brush and add the eyes last.
Ghost face close up: two tall ovals and a round mouth in a soft white blurBlack, white, gray. Scrub the white on in circles and leave the eyes and mouth as bare black.
Ghost floating above a row of lit pumpkins, orange light on its hemBlack, orange, yellow, white. Dry-brush orange along the hem only, brightest at the bottom.
Ghost holding a lantern, warm light on one side of its sheetBlack, white, orange, yellow. Glaze thin orange down the side that faces the lantern.
Ghost in a magenta and violet glow, neon styleBlack, magenta, violet, white. Dry-brush magenta, then violet outside it, and keep the ghost pure white.
Ghost sitting on a crescent moon, hem hanging downBlack, pale yellow, white, navy. Paint the moon first and drape the hem over its lower point.
Ghost with stars showing through itNavy, black, white, pale yellow. Dot the stars first, then scumble thin white over them for the ghost.
Ghost wrapped in a string of colored fairy lightsBlack, white, yellow, red. Dot the bulbs with a cotton swab and halo each with a dry touch of its color.
Green-glowing ghost under a thin crescent moonBlack, lime green, white, pale yellow. Paint the ghost white, let it dry, then glaze lime over it.
Row of ghosts fading from bright white to barely thereBlack, white, gray. Thin the white a little more for each ghost along the row.
Single white ghost on a black canvas, ringed with a pale blue glowBlack, white, pale blue. Dry-brush the blue ring first, then paint the ghost over it in white.
Three ghosts drifting out of a lit attic windowBlack, yellow, white, purple. Paint the window yellow and each ghost paler the farther it drifts.
Three will-o'-the-wisp lights over a marsh, one with a faceBlack, teal, pale green, white. Dab each light white, then dry-brush pale green round it.
Friendly, for children 15
Baby ghost in a knitted hat with a pompomWhite, teal, orange, pink. Stripe the hat teal and orange and dab a round pompom on top.
Ghost and a black kitten sharing one blanketWhite, black, orange, pink. Paint the blanket orange and let two heads poke out of the top.
Ghost giving a small bat a piggybackWhite, black, purple, yellow. Paint the bat as a black circle with two triangle wings.
Ghost in a party hat with confetti dots all roundWhite, yellow, red, blue. Dot the confetti with a cotton swab in all three colors.
Ghost in yellow rain boots splashing in a puddleWhite, yellow, blue, gray. Flick short blue strokes up from the puddle on both sides.
Ghost jumping into a pile of fall leavesWhite, red, orange, gold. Dot the leaves with a cotton swab and toss a few into the air.
Ghost licking a pink ice cream coneWhite, pink, tan, pale blue. Paint the cone as a tan triangle with a pink circle on top.
Ghost on roller skates, arms out for balanceWhite, pink, teal, gray. Paint the skates as two pink blocks with teal dot wheels.
Ghost painting a picture at a small easelWhite, brown, red, yellow, blue. Put three color dabs on the tiny canvas and one on the ghost.
Ghost saying Hi in a speech bubbleWhite, black, yellow, purple. Paint the bubble yellow and letter the word in black when it is dry.
Ghost with a red heart on its tummyWhite, red, pink, lilac. Paint the heart as two dots joined to a point.
Six rainbow ghosts, one in each colorRed, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black. Paint six bell shapes in a row and add black dot eyes.
Sleepy ghost in a nightcap holding a teddy bearWhite, blue, brown, yellow. Close the eyes as two curved lines and add yellow stars round it.
Smiling ghost from one upside-down U and a wavy hemWhite, purple, black, pink. Paint the U and the waves in white on purple, then add two oval eyes.
Two ghosts on a seesaw, one up and one downWhite, orange, green, black. Paint the plank as one slanted line and sit a ghost on each end.
How it works
In ghost stories a ghost can be anything from an unseen presence to a wispy, see-through shape. Paint gets there with white laid thin, so that whatever stands behind the ghost still shows.
Read the full guide
Keeping the white thin
A scumble is opaque paint brushed on so thinly that the layer below shows through in places; painters use it for fog and cloud, and it suits a ghost. Let the background dry, then drag white across it with a nearly dry brush, thinnest at the hem. Save full white for the head.
A sheet ghost in a landscape or an old photo
The sheeted ghost gained ground on stage in the 19th century, when ghosts in armor clanked and were laughed at. Fifteen ideas set a ghost in a quiet view, such as Ghost on a mountain path, tiny against the peaks. Sepia toning turned black-and-white prints brown, so browns and cream alone read as an old photograph.
On black, dry-brush the colored glow first and paint the ghost over it.
Two tall black ovals are enough for a face; a ghost needs no mouth to look friendly.
In folklore a will-o'-the-wisp is a ghost light over a marsh at night: dab white, then pale green round it.
Questions and answers
What colors do I need for a ghost painting?
White is in 56 of the 60 palettes and black in 24. A pale gray shades the folds of a sheet.
How do you paint a ghost that looks see-through?
Paint what shows through before the ghost. Ghost with stars showing through it dots the stars first; Ghost in a birch wood in fall, leaves showing through its hem thins the white only at the bottom.
What is an easy ghost painting for kids?
Smiling ghost from one upside-down U and a wavy hem: one white shape and two oval eyes on purple. All 15 under Friendly, for children are that simple, and no ghost on this list is frightening.
Can I paint a ghost onto an old landscape painting?
Yes. Any landscape print works as the background, from a secondhand shop or painted by you. Keep the ghost small and stand it where a person would be, as in Sheet ghost at the edge of a lake, its reflection a pale smudge.