These guides show you how to draw scary creatures so you can invent your own stories. Have you ever wanted to see a dragon fighting zombies or your favorite spooky characters meeting each other?
57 Scary Drawing Ideas
Dragon Head
Dragons are lizard-like creatures that appear in countless stories and myths. Fantasy dragons often fly, breathe fire and sleep on piles of gold in their caves.
Cobra
Cobras are venomous snakes with a distinct "hood" around their faces. They stand up and hiss at people before biting them. You'll find some in zoos, but most people avoid them in the wild.
Sugar Skull
Sugar skulls are an important part of the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos. Artists make skulls out of sugar, then paint them with vibrant edible designs.
Flames and Smoke
A crackling bonfire or fireplace keeps people warm during the winter months. However, a loose fire can destroy everything in its path, making it the subject of several horror films.
Pirate Ship
Sail the uncharted waters with a pirate ship that flies a skull-and-crossbones flag to scare off travelers. Pirates can be a little scary because they'll do anything to protect their ship.
Scorpion
A scorpion is a prickly insect with a venomous sting on its tail. Never get too close to a scorpion if you see one in person.
Dragon Eye
If you can look directly into a dragon's eye, you're probably too close. Draw a dragon eye instead so you can admire these mythological creatures without standing in fire-breathing range.
The Hulk
The Hulk is one of Marvel's most famous comic book and movie characters. Bruce Banner is a scientist who becomes a giant green monster called the Hulk when he's angry.
Alligator or Crocodile
Alligators are fierce lizard-like reptiles that live in swamps and catch prey with their rows of sharp teeth. Some animal lovers, like Steve Irwin, dedicate their lives to studying alligators.
Scorpion from Mortal Kombat
Hanzo Hasashi, also known as Scorpion, is a fierce warrior in the Mortal Kombat universe. His hood, mask and armor make him look intimidating to his opponents.
Bendy
Bendy is an old-fashioned cartoon character from the game Bendy and the Ink Machine. He looks like an eerie combination of Felix the Cat and Mickey Mouse.
Jaguar
Jaguars are fierce, spotted mammals that live in the jungle. Their sharp teeth, strong jaws and large claws make them look intimidating when you see them at the zoo.
Great White Shark
The horror film Jaws famously uses a killer shark as the villain. Actual shark attacks are rare, but they're still the subject of countless horror books, movies and comics.
Cartoon Velociraptor
No one knows exactly what velociraptors looked like, but researchers speculate that they resembled lizards with feathers. They had sharp teeth and claws that made it easy to kill their prey.
Skull and Rose
While some artists think that skulls are scary, others romanticize them by drawing them with vines of roses. You could view this drawing as a metaphor for life and death.
Voodoo Doll
Voodoo dolls are magical objects that resemble a human. The creator thinks about the person that they want to curse, then stabs the doll with pins so that the actual person feels them.
Medusa
Medusa's hair made out of snakes makes her a scary and fascinating mythological figure. She's so powerful that just looking at her will turn you to stone.
Springtrap from Five Nights at Freddy's
Springtrap is a creepy animatronic from the horror video game Five Nights at Freddy's. He's the scary version of Chuck E. Cheese--and you wouldn't want to visit his pizzeria.
Troll
Trolls are mythological creatures that are big, strong and typically not very bright. Some trolls live under bridges and make you pay a toll to pass. Others hit their prey with giant clubs.
Lion Roaring
Lions have terrifying roars that make their prey scamper away before the lion catches them. They kill and eat other mammals with their sharp teeth and claws.
Hurricane
Hurricanes are giant storms made of fierce winds that can knock over trees and destroy houses. Some hurricanes, like Hurricane Katrina, go down in history for their incredible destruction.
Chucky
Chucky is a creepy possessed doll who stars in several horror movies. He starts out as a scary character, but some of his later movies have a lighter tone.
Cartoon Skull
Skulls are classic Halloween icons. Everyone has a skull, but there's still something creepy about seeing one in person. Some artists imagine that skulls have lives of their own.
the Scream Mask
Scream is a famous horror movie series where the killer wears a creepy mask that resembles a ghost. Many people dress up as this spooky character for Halloween.
Spooky Forest
Bats, fog, gravestones, a huge moon and bare trees make this forest look creepy and intimidating. Would you walk through this forest at night? Most people wouldn't.
Cartoon Devil
Devils are mythological creatures that punish people or tempt them to do bad things. Some people say they have a metaphorical "devil on their shoulder" that gives them bad advice.
Krampus
Krampus is Saint Nicholas's partner who visits children on Christmas. Saint Nicholas leaves gifts for the good children while Krampus punishes them by hitting them with birch rods.
Gargoyle
A gargoyle is a stone creature that appears to watch over buildings like a guard. Mythological gargoyles fly around and scare everyone with their sharp claws and intimidating stance.
Earthquake
Most people experience a few minor earthquakes in their lifetimes. However, major earthquakes, such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, are destructive forces that can demolish entire cities.
Bear Face
While they've inspired cute toys, such as teddy bears, real bears are deadly animals that stop at nothing to protect their cubs. This bear drawing is particularly scary.
the Demogorgon from Stranger Things
The Demogorgon is a monster from Stranger Things, a popular Netflix series. Their heads look like giant flowers, but you don't want to touch them--these "flower petals" have teeth.
Roblox Zombie
The Roblox zombie is a character in a popular online gaming platform where people create games for other players. This zombie is more like a cartoon character than a scary monster.
The Beast from Beauty and the Beast
The Beast is Belle's love interest in the classic Disney film Beauty and the Beast. The Beast looks scary, but luckily, Belle's love breaks the curse that turned a human man into a monster.
Zombie Shark
Sharks and zombies are scary on their own, and this drawing combines two horror movie icons in one. This shark's bite could kill you, then turn you into a zombie.
Creepy Zombie
Zombies are reanimated dead bodies that come back to terrorize the living and turn them into zombies themselves. This zombie appears to move slowly as if it just crawled out of its grave.
Angry Dog
Angry dogs intimidate people with their loud barks and snarling expressions. Many people use dogs like this one to guard their houses because they frighten away intruders.
the Cerberus
Cerberus is a three-headed dog that keeps dead people from escaping the Underworld. Cerberus plays a large role in Greek mythology, sometimes alongside Hades, the king of the Underworld.
Easy Dragon Head
In fantasy stories, dragons often terrorize villagers or keep maidens locked in towers. Some characters tame dragons and ride on their backs to travel or fight in a war.
Realistic Dragon
This realistic dragon has broad wings, sharp claws, angry eyes and terrifying fangs. People would run for cover if they saw this creature flying over their village.
Fire Breathing Dragon
This dragon can burn down cities and forests by breathing fire. Can you imagine trying to fight off a dragon and put out wildfires at the same time?
Scary Scarecrow
Traditionally, people used scarecrows to keep birds away from their fields. Scarecrows' natural creepiness has made them a popular horror movie monster and Halloween decoration.
Sonic.EXE
This creepypasta-turned-video game may not be official, but that doesn't mean it's not popular. Some people like to see good characters gone bad.
Cartoon Shark
When you hear those iconic tuba notes, look around - there might be a shark on its way! Capture it in this easy drawing.
Scary Clown
Lots of people find regular clowns frightening - how much more so this zombie clown with glowing eyes!
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Jurassic Park and countless other films have taught us how intimidating this ancient predator could be.
Ghost
Is this smiling specter a friend or foe? You can decide when you learn how to draw its wispy ectoplasm.
Venom's Face
Spiders, aliens, and supervillains are all scary - and Venom has the traits of all three after the alien symbiote combined with Spider-Man.
the Kraken
For centuries, seamen feared the legendary kraken. They even marked danger zones on their maps with images of this frightful beast.
Skeleton
Skeletons are fearful because they remind us of our own mortality. When you see a skeleton, it means that someone who was once living has died.
the Grim Reaper
This skull-faced grim reaper wears a cloak and carries a scythe. For centuries, he has been considered the legendary harbinger of death, a reaper of human souls.
Snarling Wolf
Predatory wolves have an intimidating snarl, especially when a pack corners its prey. Real wolves and supernatural ones have long been the stuff of legend.
Graveyard
Graveyards are a necessary part of most communities, but they can seem creepy, especially at night. Draw this one, full of headstones with different shapes.
Velociraptor
Velociraptors are known for the large claws on their rear feet, which you can see in this picture. Velociraptors hunted in packs, so don't draw just one!
Rattlesnake
This rattlesnake is shaped like the letter "S" because it is coiled and ready to strike! Notice the successively smaller shapes that form the rattle on the end of its tail.
Piranha
Piranhas are thick, stubby fish with large heads. Their most notable feature may be their sharp, triangular teeth.
Snake Face and Head
You can get up close and personal with this fearsome reptile. Notice its triangular fangs and its "Y"-shaped forked tongue.
Megalodon Shark
The megalodon looks a lot like a great white shark, but the dolphins in this picture offer some perspective. This shark is BIG!
More About Drawing Scary Ideas
Spooky books, movies and TV shows frighten people--but in a good way. They're scary but not too scary because they're not happening in real life. People enjoy the adrenaline rush they get when they see horror movie icons, such as devils, zombies and dragons.
Some scary creatures are real animals, like lions and jaguars. You wouldn't want to encounter one of these creatures in the wild. Others are mythological figures, such as Medusa and gargoyles.
Natural elements, such as forests and hurricanes, can be scary. Most people wouldn't walk through a dark forest at night--you never know what you'll find.
Severe weather is one of the most destructive forces on the planet, inspiring natural disaster movies about tornados, hurricanes and climate change.
If Halloween is your favorite time of year, you can decorate your room or school locker with drawings of scary creatures.

Maybe you could even dress up as one of these creatures when you go trick-or-treating. Just choose something easy--it's hard to dress up as a hurricane or earthquake.
Bring your stories to life with pens, pencils, markers, crayons, paint and color pastels.

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