How to Draw a Pumpkin: Step by Step Guide

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This Halloween and fall season, use your creativity to draw unique pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns in your sketchbook, on greeting cards, or just for fun. I will show you how to draw a simple pumpkin drawing with a step-by-step tutorial below.

Below are some great pumpkin shapes and jack-o-lantern faces as well to spark inspiration as you draw and color. I hope you enjoy these ideas as you dive into your pumpkin drawing project this fall.

How to draw a pumpkin

Drawing a pumpkin can seem complicated if you have never done it before, but once you get started, I promise it’s quite simple. All you need are some curved lines and an eraser, just in case of a mistake. The easiest way to draw is by using a pencil, but you may also like using markers for drawing. Here are the step-by-step instructions to draw the pumpkin’s ridges and the stem.

Step by Step Pumpkin Drawing Instructions

Step 1

Begin by drawing a vertical oval on your page.

Step 2

Next, draw a semi-circle from the top of your oval to the bottom on the left side.

Step 3

Draw another semi-circle from the sop to the bottom of the pumpkin on the right side.

Step 4

Then, repeat this process on either side of the pumpkin but make sure this semi-circle is a little higher than the last to create dimension behind the pumpkin. These will create the ribs of the pumpkin.

Step 5

Next, you will add a stem to the top of the pumpkin. The stem can be rectangular, oblong, or any shape in between.

Step 6

Now, you will add a bumpy little wave behind the stem to form the back of the pumpkin.

Step 7

Add a cute little squiggle at the base of the stem to represent any vines left on your pumpkin. If you like you can even add some leaves to the stem.

Step 8

Finally, color your pumpkin using colored pencils or markers. You could even draw your pumpkin onto watercolor paper and color it un using watercolors. While orange is the traditional pumpkin color you could create a whole colorful pumpkin patch full of pumpkins in all colors using this easy-peasy tutorial.

Different pumpkin shapes to draw

After you master the simple steps to make a beautiful pumpkin drawing, try playing with the shape of the pumpkin. Each of these follows the same easy steps, just with elongated or drawn-out semi-circles. Here are some other shapes for pumpkins you will love:

A traditional pumpkin
A tall and skinny pumpkin
A pumpkin with a squished midsection
A pumpkin with a wider bottom and narrow top
A gourd-like pumpkin
A pumpkin with a squished bottom and crooked stem
An apple-shaped pumpkin
A pumpkin that’s been sitting in the same spot all season
A perfect round pumpkin

Hopefully, these pumpkin ideas inspire you as you doodle your outline of the pumpkin. Get creative and use basic shapes as your guide. each and everyone is the perfect Halloween pumpkin this season.

Fun face ideas for jack-o-lanterns

Looking for some funny faces to carve onto your jack-o-lanterns or draw on pumpkins this fall? Here are some great ideas to bring you some extra creativity. You can’t go wrong with any of them, they’re all fantastic and fun to draw for kids and adults.

A traditional jack-o-lantern face with square teeth and semi-circle eyes
A wicked-looking jack-o-lantern with sharp teeth and triangular eyes
A goofy pumpkin with rounded eyes and just a few teeth
Another take on the classic jack-o-lantern but with triangle eyes instead of rounded
A spooked jack-o-lantern with an open mouth and wide eyes
A scared pumpkin with sad eyes and a round mouth
A Jack Skellington-type pumpkin with stitched lips
A cute little pumpkin with round eyes and a tiny mouth
A big mean scary pumpkin with angry eyes and sharp teeth

Use the reference picture to see how each face is drawn and how you can do the same. Use the eyes from one pumpkin and the mouth from another to make a fun pumpkin face. Give some a happy face and others a scary face.

How to Use These Pumpkin Drawings

The finished product is great for fall and halloween decorations. Pumpkin drawing also make great additions to greeting cards, thank you cards, and special notes in the fall. You’ll be doing these easy pumpkin drawings all over in no time. They add a great fall or Halloween theme to anything you draw them on.

For more fun drawing projects, check out some of these:

15 Ghost Drawing Ideas – These are perfect to tack onto your easy drawing projects this fall.
How to Draw a Fish – This is an easy way to introduce patterns and how to draw scales.
36 Cute Things to Draw – You will have so much fun drawing these cute animals and objects in your bullet journals and doodle pads. They’re perfect for greeting cards as well.