Halloween is a wonderful time to explore the neighborhood and find unusual subjects to sketch. This time, I went on a sketch walk around Mission Viejo, where houses were decorated with spooky Halloween displays. Instead of bringing my usual sketchbook and watercolors, I decided to try something different: sketching on my phone using the Sketchbook app. Digital sketching was quite unusual for me, but I was curious to experiment with new tools. During my walk, I captured five Halloween decorations, each offering a different artistic challenge.
If you missed my previous post about my Sorrento sketch trip here it is.
List of top Halloween decorated houses in Mission Viejo you can find here.
My First Digital Halloween Sketch
My first sketch was a spooky fortune teller, a skeleton sitting at a table with colorful lights and a glowing crystal ball. To preserve the mysterious atmosphere, I simplified many small details while keeping the main elements that created it. I focused on the skeleton, dark tablecloth, and colorful glowing lights. I also added a large pumpkin in the foreground to create more depth and balance the composition. It was an interesting beginning to my digital sketching experiment.
Three Spooky Musketeers
People often associate clowns with fun, but during Halloween, they can become quite creepy. When I spotted these three spooky clowns, I immediately thought of them as the three musketeers and decided to sketch them together. I enjoyed capturing their funny expressions and colorful costumes. I also experimented with layers in the Sketchbook app, which initially felt unusual and not particularly enjoyable. However, as I continued working with colors and details, I started having fun with this new technique.
Playing with Negative Space
This spooky dinosaur was an interesting challenge because most of its body was hidden in darkness. I decided to experiment with negative space instead of drawing every detail. The purple and green Halloween lights in the background helped me define its silhouette and create depth. I also added warm orange light to highlight parts of the dinosaur and the grass around it. I focused on the glowing skeleton, huge open mouth, and pumpkin bucket to capture its spooky character.
A Giant Green Monster
When I saw this enormous Frankenstein monster surrounded by lovely glowing pumpkins, I immediately decided to sketch it! I enjoyed capturing its funny green face, blue clothes, and cheerful orange pumpkins. However, looking at the finished sketch, I think I should have chosen a darker shade of blue for the night sky. The composition feels a little flat, and stronger contrasts could have created more depth. I definitely need more digital sketching practice to improve my skills with colors, lighting, and shadows.
Spooky Tree: Creating Depth
My final sketch was a spooky tree with a glowing green face and two cheerful pumpkins at its base. I really liked this decoration, but most of the tree was hidden in shadow. To make its shape stand out, I added a soft glow in the background, creating contrast with the dark branches. I also simplified small details that didn’t seem important, such as the plant pot near the entrance. Instead, I focused on the tree’s silhouette, glowing face, and illuminated house to capture the spooky atmosphere.
This Halloween sketch walk around Mission Viejo was definitely a new experience for me! Sketching with the Sketchbook app felt very different from using my usual pens, pencils, and watercolors. Some sketches turned out better than others, but each one taught me something about composition, colors, and lighting. Although I still prefer traditional sketching, I enjoyed experimenting with digital tools and discovering new possibilities. I’m happy I challenged myself and would love to practice digital sketching again.
