Halloween Trio

Create adorable Halloween decor with this Halloween Trio painting tutorial that walks you through step-by-step to a fun pumpkin, Frankenstein, and a black cat. Perfect for the fall, spooky season!

* This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase, I could make a small commission at no charge to you. Please read my Disclaimer and Privacy Policy HERE.

Recently I was walking around my local T.J. Maxx store and saw an adorable set of three cubes that were Halloween-themed. They had a spooky pumpkin, a fun little ghost, and a Frankenstein head. I thought to myself, “I could totally recreate these!” So, I headed on over to my local Michaels and grabbed three small wooden blocks, and got to work. In this blog post, I am sharing with you exactly how I created this super cute Halloween Trio from start to finish.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Halloween Trio:

STEP 1: Prime your blocks

Start by coating your rectangular, wooden blocks with white Gesso Primer. You will want to cover the entire face and sides of your block. I applied a generous coat using my flat paintbrush. Really any wide-tip brush would do. Then, let them completely dry.

STEP 2: Sketch out your ideas

 While your blocks are drying, this is a good time to sketch out your ideas. I always recommend starting with a mixed-media pad. This is where I came up with the idea to do a fun black cat instead of the ghost I originally saw in the store. That’s the great thing about sketching out your ideas. You never know where this will take you. Oftentimes this is the step that leads to fun and new projects.

I specifically started by sketching out rectangles that were similar in shape to my wooden blocks. Then, I began to sketch in those rectangles a pumpkin, a cat, Frankenstein, and a ghost. You could even add in a fun, spooky tree, or a candy corn. There are no hard and fast rules here! Be as creative as you want, and trust the process.

STEP 3: Take your favorite sketches over to the blocks

Now is the time to pick your favorites of the sketches. I sketched out a ghost, a pumpkin, Frankenstein, and a black cat. My three favorites were the pumpkin, cat, and Frankenstein.

I started to sketch these again but this time on the dried wooden blocks. Don’t worry, you won’t see these pencil markings through your paint. This just helps serve as a guide when you begin painting.

STEP 4: Paint the color base for each block

Depending on which you choose to paint, now is the time to add your base coats. I added orange paint all over my block which will be my pumpkin and bright green all over my block which will be my Frankenstein.

For my cat block, I painted black paint everywhere that will be the shape of my cat. I left the rest of the cat block white. After letting that black silhouette dry a bit, I went back with a purple that was watered down a little and added that everywhere else the white was left. I used a fine-tip paint brush for this part since I try to be careful around the black cat’s edges. You still want to make sure you have plenty of paint on your brush though.

Remember, a second coat is always fine too!  Be sure to let that first coat dry, and then add a second coat. If you just keep adding purple to the wet paint, it will only move wet paint around and make it clumpy. It will not help you have better coverage.

STEP 5: Add some details to your block edges

On the pumpkin block, I went along the edges with watered-down dark brown acrylic paint using my fingertips and a paper towel. You will want to do this quickly because you don’t want it to set too much. This is just to add a little antique flair to the edges.

On the cat block, I did a striped edge with white and black paint. On my Frankenstein, I did a bit of the same antiquing effect as I did with the orange block but this time I did it with black paint. Adding extra details to the edges really helps your cute little trio pop.

STEP 6: Begin painting your characters & adding details

I started with my Frankenstein by adding his black hair to the top in black paint. Then I went over to my pumpkin and sketched over where his eyes, eyebrows, and mouth would be. I filled in the eyes with a fine-tip paint brush filled with black paint. I filled in the eyebrows, nose, and mouth with a black paint pen.

You can choose from all kinds of mediums on this cute Halloween Trio. It’s really up to you. I love using all types of mediums and especially different paint pens for the details, like Frankenstein’s forehead scar.

I even used a nail art pen to add freckles to my Frankenstein. This was very outside of the box but a fun effect. You really can use all kinds of mediums, even things you don’t necessarily think of using when creating a painting.

For the cat, I painted white where the eyes, nose, and inside of the ears should be. Then I went back and added a light coat of green on the eyes and a light coat of orange over the nose and ears. This is always a great time to add another coat of purple to the background if you would like.

STEP 7: Finish off with fine point paint pens, gold paint, and glitter details

Once your blocks are dry, go back in with some paint pens. The Art Owl pens I specifically love because they are super skinny and great for detailing. I added the bright orange to the cat’s nose and ears. Also, added a cute pink color to the cat and accent marks in Frankenstein’s bowtie with my pink Art Owl pen. The white Art Owl pen is great for adding details to the eyes of the cat, Frankenstein’s hair and scar, and outlines to the pumpkin’s face.

As a final detail, I used Extreme Sheen in 24K Gold by Deco Art with a dry brushing technique all around the black accents of the pumpkin face. After dry brushing it on, I went in with a watered-down paint brush to help blend in the gold accents. I did the same process with Frankenstein and the black cat. The added effect of gold really made them pop.

As a final added effect, I came in with Craft Twinkles Brush on Glitter from Deco Art. With a clean and damp fine tip paint brush I painted a little of the glitter into the background of the cat over the top of the purple. I also added it over the top of Frankenstein’s bowtie and inside the eyes, nose, and mouth of the pumpkin’s face. I then applied it to the edge of my cat block using my large flat paint brush. This glitter detail adds a fun little pop of dimension to the Halloween Trio and creates unity between all three so they coordinate.

Step 8 Seal your paintings:

You can use any sealer to finish off your Halloween Trio. I used Deco-Pauge by Deco Art in the gloss finish. I suggest applying a generous and even coat on your blocks and the block edges once they are completely dry. This helps seal and protect your fun spooky creations. Allow those to completely dry before displaying them.

And, there you have it… a super fun and festive Halloween Trio that will make for perfect decor this spooky season! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions!

Watch the YouTube Video:

Want more tutorials like these and a supportive, creative community of fellow artists?! In my Tribe, we are always creating fun art like this. And, the awesome thing is that you don’t have to have any previous experience or training at all! I walk you through each painting and lesson step-by-step! Join the waitlist for Tribe today so you are the first to know when our doors reopen!

Post a picture and share what you learned on The Social Easel Facebook Page!

Stay creative!!

If you would like to be notified before I go Live on Facebook with a fun art tutorial, text “Hey Friend” to 417-217-7044.