How to Draw Zero from The Nightmare Before Christmas: Easy Guide

Bring Jack Skellington's ghostly pup to life with this beginner-friendly drawing guide. Designed for artists ages 5 and up, this activity requires only a pencil, paper, and an eraser. Follow these steps to capture Zero’s playful, floating spirit while practicing your fluid line work.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A completed, colorful illustration of Zero from The Nightmare Before Christmas, showcasing his pumpkin nose and ghostly form.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Head and Snout

Pencil sketch showing the initial oval head and lemon-shaped snout guidelines for drawing Zero.

Lightly sketch an oval for the head and a lemon shape for the snout. Add a gentle hill curve above the oval and a sweeping line over the lemon shape. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil pressure light so these guidelines are easy to erase later.

Step 2: Forming the Ghostly Body

Drawing the circular body and flowing curves that define Zero's ghost-like silhouette.

Draw a circle to the right to represent the body. Add a long, flowing curve beneath the head and a wavy triangle shape to suggest his spectral form. Teacher's Tip: Use loose, flowing wrist movements to make Zero look like he is floating.

Step 3: Refining the Head and Mouth

Refining the head shape and adding the mouth curve for Zero's face.

Sketch a curved line inside the mouth area and outline the head with a soft, rounded curve. Add a wavy line on top of the head for his ear. Teacher's Tip: Focus on smooth, continuous lines to capture his gentle, friendly expression.

Step 4: Completing the Ears

Adding the floppy ears to Zero's head using wavy lines and rounded triangles.

Complete the left ear by drawing a wavy line and a rounded triangle. Sketch a curve to the right to balance the shape. Teacher's Tip: Zero's ears are floppy and long, so don't worry if they look a bit uneven—it adds character!

Step 5: Adding Body Structure

Drawing the collar and body structure for Zero.

Add a semi-oval beneath the head. On top, sketch two wavy lines that form a rounded triangle for his collar. Teacher's Tip: This is where the character starts to take shape; keep your lines clean and purposeful.

Step 6: Detailing the Body

Adding detail lines to the body to represent the folds of the ghost sheet.

Draw a wavy diagonal line on the left side of the body. To the right, add a curved diagonal line and a shorter curve with a line in the middle. Teacher's Tip: These lines create the folds in his ghostly sheet.

Step 7: Drawing the Tail

Sketching the long, flowing tail of Zero.

Sketch a banana shape to the right, then connect it to the body with a curved line. Outline the rest of the body with a long, wavy line. Teacher's Tip: Think of the tail as a soft, flowing ribbon.

Step 8: Adding Final Features

Adding the nose details and tail tip to the Zero drawing.

For the tail, draw a hook shape, then sketch a curve around it and add a rounded triangle. Add a dot and two small lemon shapes inside the nose. Teacher's Tip: The nose is his most iconic feature—take your time to get the shape right!

Step 9: Outlining and Final Touches

Finalizing the drawing with dark ink outlines and filled-in eyes.

Add three lines inside the body for texture. Inside the nose, sketch two thin curves and a jagged line. Outline with black ink and fill in the eyes. Teacher's Tip: Use a steady hand for the outline to give your drawing a professional, crisp look.

Step 10: Bringing Zero to Life with Color

The finished, colored drawing of Zero with grey shading and a bright orange nose.

Add subtle grey shadows to the body while leaving the rest white. Use vibrant red for the collar and bright orange for the pumpkin nose. Teacher's Tip: Use light, circular motions with your colored pencils to create smooth, even shading.