How to Draw a Jack-o’-Lantern (Easy Step by Step)
A jack-o'-lantern is a spooky pumpkin with a friendly grin, and it is a fun Halloween drawing to try. It is built from a wide rounded outline, some curved ribs, a stem with a curly vine, a few triangles, and one big smile. Once you know those shapes, you can draw a whole patch of pumpkins.
- Easy
- 15 minutes
- 8 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a jack-o'-lantern step by step
How to Draw a Jack-o'-Lantern · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: Pumpkin outline
Draw a wide, round pumpkin outline, a little wider than it is tall, with a gentle bump along the bottom. Leave a gap at the top center, and finish each side of the gap with a tiny flat loop.
Step 3: Curved pumpkin ribs
Draw a long curved line on the left and another on the right, each bending out like the side of a bowl from the top to the bottom. Then add a short arch at the top center and two small curves at the bottom to make the middle section.
Step 4: The stem
At the top center, draw a thick, curvy stem that leans a little to the right. Close the top with a small slanted cut.
Step 5: The curly vine
Start at the right side of the stem and draw a curl that swings up and out. End it with a little loop with a dot in the middle.
Step 6: Eyes and nose
Draw two triangle eyes with a smaller triangle inside each one. Then add a small triangle nose halfway between the eyes and a little lower.
Step 7: The blocky mouth
From the bottom of each eye, draw a straight line down. Join the two lines with a flat line across the bottom, with a small step at each end.
Step 8: The big smile
Draw a wide smile that curves under the blocky mouth, from one cheek to the other. Draw it as a thick double line, with a small square notch at the bottom center for a tooth.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your jack-o'-lantern? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a bat or how to draw a black cat next.
Tips for drawing a jack-o'-lantern
- Start with a wide shape that is a little wider than it is tall. Pumpkins look squished and cozy, not tall like an egg.
- The curved ribs are the trickiest part. Draw the left and right ribs as gentle bowl shapes from the top to the bottom, and keep both sides about the same distance from the middle.
- Make the eyes and nose as triangles. Draw the left eye first, then copy its size on the right so they match.
Free jack-o'-lantern coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this jack-o'-lantern coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your jack-o'-lantern drawing
Color the pumpkin orange and the stem and vine green or brown. Color the eyes, nose, and mouth yellow, like a candle is glowing inside. For a fun twist, color the background dark purple so the pumpkin seems to glow at night.
Jack-o'-lantern fun fact for kids
People first carved jack-o'-lanterns out of turnips and potatoes in Ireland and Scotland. When families moved to America, they found that pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve.
Questions about drawing a jack-o'-lantern
What shapes do I need to draw a jack-o'-lantern?
You need a wide rounded outline for the pumpkin, curved lines for the ribs, and triangles for the eyes and nose. The mouth is a blocky shape with a wide curved smile under it, and the stem is a thick curvy shape with a curl for the vine.
How do I make my jack-o'-lantern look friendly instead of scary?
Draw the smile wide and curved up at the ends. The small square notch in the middle of the smile also makes it look silly instead of scary.
How do I get both sides of the pumpkin to match?
Compare the left and right ribs as you draw. Try to start and end them at about the same spots and the same distance from the center, and give both eyes the same size.
