Halloween Art Collecting Primer Part I: Mediums and Inspirations

Discover the world of one-of-a-kind Halloween art, where history, whimsy, and beauty are available in all mediums. 

Mushroom character by Debra Schoch

This introduction is a great place to start your collecting adventure. If you already collect, there may be some new tips for you here. Share this information with someone who is interested in getting started.

Halloween art (HA) is a broad category with many sub-genres (folk, vintage, horror, goth, etc.). The type of art I cover is one-of-a-kind (OOaK) originals that tend to be more on the whimsical, often historically inspired side. This is not to be confused with collecting vintage Halloween memorabilia, which is another exciting curation journey. 

I call the genre of art I cover “contemporary HA,” because it is the art of today, being actively created.

Inspirations

Many contemporary Halloween artists are inspired by the past. The Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Deco periods are some of the most popular eras for inspiration, although many artists work in a contemporary style. Here is just a small sampling of periods and things inspiring artists today:

• Historical periods (especially the Victorian era)

• Movie and literature characters (like Harry Potter)

• Authors (Poe is a favorite)

• Cottagecore and Dark Academia

• Oddities, curiosities, and taxidermy 

• Victorian mourning clothing and rituals

• Golden childhood memories (80s is a growing trend)

• Crossing and blending holidays (Christmas and winter blended with Halloween is popular)

• Goth and Heavy Metal music and culture 

• Day of the Dead – while the wonderful and magical Day of the Dead (DotD) and Halloween are not the same thing (and should not be treated as the same thing), there has been an inevitable rise in DotD collecting by Halloween collectors

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Mediums

The mediums used by Halloween artists today are just as varied as the art world at large: paper mache, ceramics, beads, leather, tin types, paint, fabric, glass, trash, etc. Artists create paintings, jewelry, figures, puppets, dolls, figures, ornaments, hats, reworked antiques – more items than you can imagine. Dolls and figures are some of the most popular items available today. I never had an interest in dolls until I started collecting and now I’m hooked. 

One of my favorite Lulu Lancaster dolls (All Hallows Art Fest 2023)

✨Continue on to my Part II, to read some of my favorite tips for where to buy Halloween art✨