Today we are discussing how to paint a ghost on an old vintage or thrift store painting. Trending on Tiktok is the most fun and cutest Halloween thrift art idea, where people shop for old pieces of art, prints, and oil paintings and paint adorable ghosts on them.

After jumping on the Tiktok challenge, Hannah painted ghosts on one of our Etsy museum prints, and we thought you might like some pointers on how to paint a ghost along with decorating ideas.

Hannah and I are toying around with different Halloween ideas, but we are not quite ready to decorate for Halloween. We couldn't resist sharing this thrift ghost painting idea and how to paint a ghost. It's the perfect project to ease into the spooky season.

But stay until the end of this post because we have a little surprise for you, especially if you don't have the time to search for a thrift store painting or want to paint a ghost.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission if you purchase using the links below at no extra cost to you. All opinions are all my own.

How to Paint a Ghost

Hannah has years of experience painting, so she was just the right person to walk us through how to paint a ghost. We printed and used one of our printables in our Etsy shop for this project. You can shop here for all the vintage prints or hunt at your local thrift store.

I think the printable is the easiest way. You're about to give it a whole new look. You'll also be able to watch the process on our YouTube video.

Now let's start by collecting supplies and giving you step-by-step instructions.

How to Paint a Ghost on a Thrifted Painting FAQs:

What Supplies Do I Need to Paint a Ghost on a Thrifted Painting?

• Black and white paint
• Paint brushes and possibly a fine-tip black pen
• Paint tray
• Cup of water to clean the brush
• Paper towels and something to protect your work surface
• Vintage print or printable from Etsy
• Hard coat Mod Podge decoupage to finish print

What are the Steps to Paint a Ghost on Vintage Painting?

• Begin by determining the placement of ghosts
• Paint the bottom layer of the ghost
• Paint top layer of ghost
• Add shadows and eyes to ghost
• Brush on decoupage

Step 1: Determine Placement of Ghost on Art

For your first step, look at the landscape of your painting and think about natural places people would be standing, walking, or sitting. You can have a lot of fun here by thinking through funny places for your ghosts to reside.

On our vintage print, we decided to cover the people walking down the dirt road and add another ghost enjoying fishing from the doc. The little details make this a fun painting when you are done.

Step 2: Paint Bottom Layer of Ghost

When painting your ghosts think in layers. Begin with the bottom layer. White will be the base color but to give it a vintage look, Hannah mixed a spec of black into the white and painted right over the people, creating the ghost shape by following the round shape of their heads and brushing in long strokes to the ground.

This thin layer is just the start. If you look closely, they are see-through at this point.

Step 3: Paint Top Layer to Ghost

Next, let that first coat of paint dry; you can use a blow dryer on a cool setting and then go over the ghost with another layer of paint.

It will look like this at this point. Here is a tip. When making those long brush strokes leave them a little unfinished and scraggly at the bottom. This will give the ghost a floating appearance and be more realistic.

Step 4: Paint Shadows and Eyes to Ghost

Next, let's add some shadows and eyes to the ghosts.

Use the same technique but add another black dot to the white to get a gray color. Then think about the folds of the ghost's sheet or skirt and paint the gray mix of paint within the creases. The slightly dark paint gives the ghost depth and realism.

It also helps to look at the sun's direction in the original painting. If the sun comes in from the right, the ghost will have more shadow on his left side.

Last, take a fine-tip paintbrush, or use a fine-tip black pen and add the eyes.

If your ghost is doing something like fishing, add his fishing pole and line into the water.

LOL! I love this ghost! It's like he grabbed a stick to go fishing. Wonder if there are ghostfish in that pond. Haha!

Step 5: Brush on Decoupage

Now that we have everything painted consider adding some hard coat decoupage following the original strokes of the original artist, especially if you printed one of our prints. This will give your print a realistic oil painting look.

Now let's talk about ways you can decorate with your ghost painting.

Decorating with Ghost Painting

There are so many ways you can decorate with vintage ghost paintings. You can place your design over another painting and decorate your mantel.

Add some brass candles and a fun book page ghost garland. We offer this book page ghost garland printable in our Etsy shop too. I love these cute little ghosts!

Another fun and inexpensive Halloween decoration is this ghost garland.

Now another idea is to place your art on your bookcases. I was so inspired that I decided to try this DIY. Here is the vintage museum print I painted ghosts on from our Etsy shop. Can you see the ghost in the window? It's like a little haunted house.

It also looks great nailed to the front of your bookcase too. This looks fabulous if you have a library.

Here is a closeup. That is not bad for my first time.

And don't forget a gallery wall or a wall with hanging pieces like my kitchen sitting room. Gallery walls are perfect for adding in some ghost art. If you want to learn how to hang a gallery wall, check out my post Easy Way to Hang Paintings and Create a Gallery Wall.

Here is a close-up. I made these ghosts skinnier and added warm tones to match the painting.

I only need some fall and Halloween decorations because I have a vintage ghost painting on my gallery wall.

Final Thoughts

Well, there you have it! An easy peasy ghost painting, and it doesn't cost very much. We had so much fun making this ghost craft. You can use acrylic paint, which is pretty inexpensive, and the printables in our Etsy shop are always on sale, making them under $5.

• Country Road Vintage Landscape
• Country Barn Vintage Landscape
• Autumn in the Country in France

And don't forget your local thrift store for art.

If you want vintage art with painted ghosts but don't want to waste time or effort, we have added all three of our vintage ghost prints to our Etsy shop.

Now that you know how to paint a ghost and have ideas on where to decorate with your original painting, what are you thinking? Are you going to give this a try? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

If you are thrifting art or shopping museum prints online, what fun plans do you have for our vintage ghost painting?

Happy Decorating!