Jack Skellington is a beloved character from The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop-motion animated movie directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton.
As the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, Jack is recognized for his tall, thin figure, skeletal look, and unique pumpkin-shaped head. He sports a black and white striped suit that enhances his spooky allure. In this tutorial, we’ll learn to draw Jack Skellington. Let’s get started.
Art Materials & Equipment
- Drawing Paper
- Colors of Your Choices
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Sharpener
- Marker
- Pen
Steps to Draw Jack Skellington
Jack Skellington is a Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. As the Pumpkin King, he takes on the responsibility of planning the Halloween celebrations and making sure the festivities in the town are both spooky and enjoyable.
Jack represents curiosity and adventure, frequently seeking new experiences that go beyond the traditional Halloween customs. Despite his eerie appearance, he is filled with dreams and aspirations, which inspire him to venture into the magical realm of Christmas, propelling the story of the film forward.
Watching The Nightmare Before Christmas is fun. Let’s make it more enjoyable by drawing Jack Skellington. Here’s a brief preview of today’s tutorial. Please go through the instructions step by step to complete your sketching.
Step 1: Outline the Head of Jack Skellington
Begin the drawing of Jack Skellington’s head with a circular shape at the top middle of the paper. His head is round and resembles a pumpkin.
Step 2: Outline the Neck
After giving an outline for the head of Jack Skellington, sketch two short vertical lines parallel to each other.
Step 3: Sketch a Bow Tie
Now sketch a distinctive bat-shaped bow tie around his neck fitting his spooky, skeletal appearance.
Step 4: Outline the Body
And for the middle body of Jack Sketllington, sketch a short curved line for the shoulder to both sides. Then sketch curves from both the end of shoulders going downward inwardly.
Step 5: Outline The Jacket
To outline Jack Skellington’s jacket, begin by sketching a curved line starting from the left side of the bat-shaped bow tie. Draw it downward with a slight inward curve, staying within the previously drawn lines from Step 4, but make it a bit shorter in length.
Then in a similar way sketch a curve to the other side from the right of the tie. Again continue sketching a short vertical line from the end. Then sketch a short straight line towards the right.
Step 6: Sketch Lapels
Now, for the lapels of Jack Skellington’s jacket, sketch triangular flaps on each side of the jacket that start near the shoulders and angle down toward the chest.
Step 7: Add Mini Structures to the Suit
Now add two small triangular structures to the tie. Then, add a small circle on the jacket in the belly area to represent a button.
Step 8: Outline Arms
Since Jack Skellington has long, thin arms, his jacket fits snugly. For this draw a line starting from the shoulder that extends downward on the left side, then draw another line below it, also going downward. Repeat this process for the right arm as well.
Step 9: Sketch Ruffled Collar
Begin by drawing a curved line that follows the contour of the neck. This line will serve as the foundation for the collar.
Next, sketch a series of wavy, scalloped lines extending outward from the baseline. These lines should create a wave-like pattern to represent the ruffles. Ensure that some peaks are taller while others are shorter to achieve a more natural look.
Step 10: Sketch Short Lines on Lapels
To create stripes on Jack Skellington’s jacket, sketch short, straight lines along the lapels, ensuring they are evenly spaced and parallel.
Make slight adjustments to the lengths to enhance visual interest, which will improve the jacket’s texture and contribute to its elegant yet eerie aesthetic.
Step 11: Sketch Short Lines on the Jacket
Add vertical straight lines evenly across the remaining sections of Jack Skellington’s jacket. This will create a cohesive striped pattern that enhances the overall design.
Step 12: Draw the Eyes
To create Jack Skellington’s large, hollow black eyes, start by drawing a slightly curved line facing right on the left side of the face.
Next, add two additional curves, connecting the upper and lower ends of the first curve to the midline. Repeat this process for the other eye, but orient it in the opposite direction.
Step 13: Sketch Nose and Mouth
Next, draw a simple, small inverted triangle for Jack Skellington’s nose to enhance his skeletal look. For his wide, stitched mouth, create a C-shaped curve facing upward, and add short lines across it to represent the jagged grin that extends from cheek to cheek.
Coloring Jack Skellington
We’ve finished drawing Jack Skellington and are now starting to color him with various shades of grey.
We’ll use Light Grey for his head and neck, and Fossil Grey for the shirt. The ruffled collar will be shaded with Ash Grey, while Cloud Grey and Ash Grey will be used for the stripes on his jacket. Finally, we’ll use black for his eyes and bow tie.
Color Details:
- Light Grey
- Ash Grey
- Cloud Grey
- Fossil Grey
- Black
Finally, we’ve finished coloring Jack Skellington. While we completed it digitally, you can also use colored pencils or any other coloring medium you prefer.
Our Masterpiece is Ready
Finally, we finished drawing Jack Skellington and gave him color. We’ve tried to create an easy-to-follow tutorial, targeting kids and beginners. Happy Halloween !!
This is how you can easily draw Jack Skellington for Halloween. If you are enjoying our tutorial, feel free to share it with your friends. Leave us comments if you find our tutorial helpful, and suggest a name if you have any requests or went through any difficulties while drawing it.