How To Draw a GHOST in Photoshop

Discover how to draw a ghost with these great tips

The fun thing about drawing ghosts is getting to play with supernatural light sources and ambiance in your scene. This is particularly true of any painting set in a tomb, cave or other dark environment.
How to draw a ghost rising from a tomb – try to light the tomb or effigy as if it's the ghost itself that's illuminating the stone. 
With this in mind, choose a cool, saturated colour such as green or aqua to act as your source light.
The next stage is to add tendrils of colour trailing from your ghostly figure to the stone effigy on top of the tomb, paying careful attention to the way that you place your brushstrokes.
Try to always use your brush in the same direction that your ghost or object is moving, because this will make the motion in your image much more convincing.

Keep your edges soft and use a limited palette to give the impression of a ghostly character. Controlling your light sources will also enhance the scene.

I'd advise selecting a Soft brush or the Smudge tool to gently soften the edges of your ghostly figure 
to make them appear incorporeal. Careful 
use of the Motion Blur filter can also enhance this supernatural effect.
As a final touch you can use a large cloud brush to add an ambient fog to your scene. If you set your layer mode to Color Dodge it'll immediately become more ethereal. I recommend playing with the Layer Opacity 
to find the best blend.

01. Sketch your composition

Keep posture in mind - it can express your characters personality and intention

First I sketch out my composition. The posture of your figure helps to express their personality or intentions. One trick to creating undead characters is to make them lumbering or hunched, but here I decide to show it pulling a ghostly sword from the effigy. Storytelling can be key to selling a character.

02. Use a limited palette

A dark tomb with a cool limited palette will give that ghostly vibe

The dark tomb will accentuate the spectral glow of your ghost. When blocking in your painting, use a limited palette in cool colours, focusing on saturation and value to define your shapes. This will help tie your picture together and make it look like your character is the solitary glowing light source in the scene.

03. Direct your viewer

Control your brushstrokes to usher the viewers eye where you want it to go

Use contrast and control the direction of your brushstrokes to direct your viewer's eye. This will aid storytelling and create a focal point. I push the hues of the image further towards blue to identify 
the sword as the key point in the story. Color Dodge mode can be an effective way to add this kind of colour.

source :creativebloq.com and Imaginefx magazine issue 132. by Charlotte Creber.