Let’s be real. If you’re sitting down to start a little shop of horrors plant drawing, you aren't just sketching a sunflower. You’re trying to capture a mean, green mother from outer space. Most people think they can just draw a big Venus Flytrap and call it a day, but that’s where they get it wrong. Audrey II has a specific "personality" in its silhouette. It’s got that weird, fleshy lip, those jagged teeth that look way too human, and vines that feel more like muscular tentacles than garden weeds.
Drawing this thing is basically an exercise in biological horror mixed with 1960s kitsch. Whether you’re a fan of the original 1960 Roger Corman flick or the iconic 1986 Frank Oz musical, the plant—our "Strange and Unusual" specimen—demands a certain level of respect for its anatomy.
I’ve seen too many sketches that look like a limp bell pepper.
To get it right, you have to understand the evolution of the puppet. In the 1986 film, the "Mean Green Mother" was actually a series of increasingly massive puppets designed by Lyle Conway. By the time Audrey II gets to the "Mean Green Mother" musical number, it took about 60 puppeteers to make it move. You can’t capture that kind of weight and presence with a simple circle. You need to think about the tension in the skin.
The Anatomy of a Killer Little Shop of Horrors Plant Drawing
Start with the pod. That’s the heart of the design. Honestly, don't overthink the initial shape. It’s basically a lopsided avocado. But here is the secret: the "mouth" line shouldn't be a straight horizontal cut. If you look at the design work by Conway and his team, that mouth line is wavy, almost like a smirk. It’s smug. Audrey II knows it’s going to eat you, and your drawing should reflect that confidence.
When you're mapping out your little shop of horrors plant drawing, focus on the "lips." They aren't thin. They are thick, bulbous, and often have a slightly different texture than the rest of the pod. In the movie, they had a sort of venous, translucent quality. If you’re using colored pencils or digital brushes, adding some purples and deep reds into the green "skin" of the lips makes it look alive. And dangerous.
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Those Famous Teeth
The teeth are a nightmare to get right if you treat them like shark teeth. They aren't just triangles. They’re slightly curved and irregularly spaced. Some are smaller, some are huge and hooked. In the stage play versions, the teeth are often more stylized and white, but for a realistic movie-accurate drawing, they should look slightly stained—almost yellowed. It adds to the "bad breath" vibe the character radiates.
Think about the placement. If the plant is yelling "Feed me!", the teeth should be flared outward. If it’s in its smaller, "Audrey Two" phase in the coffee can, the teeth should be barely peeking out, hinting at the monster inside.
Choosing Your Era: 1960 vs. 1986 vs. Stage
Context matters. A 1960s-inspired drawing is going to be much more "monster movie" and less "alien." The original plant was much simpler, almost like a giant sock puppet with leaves. It’s classic, sure, but most people searching for a little shop of horrors plant drawing are looking for the 1986 animatronic masterpiece.
The 1986 version has those distinctive "eye-spots"—the little circular growths on the top of the pod that look like eyes but aren't. This is a clever biological trick. It makes the plant feel like it’s looking at you even though it doesn't have actual eyeballs. When you're sketching, placing these spots correctly is what makes the drawing "read" as Audrey II immediately.
Then you've got the stage version. Because the stage puppets have to be lightweight and visible from the back of a theater, they are usually much more vibrant. Bright greens, neon purples, and very sharp, high-contrast shadows. If you want your art to pop on a screen or a wall, go for the stage aesthetic. It’s bold. It’s loud. It’s basically Broadway in plant form.
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Mastering the Vines and Foliage
The vines are where most artists get lazy. They draw a few squiggly lines and move on. Don't do that.
The vines are Audrey II's limbs. They have weight. They should coil around things—the Maxwell House coffee can, the dentist’s chair, or maybe even Seymour’s leg. In the 1986 film, the vines had a rhythmic, pulsing look to them. To achieve this in a drawing, use "overlap." Have one vine go over another, creating depth. Use "line weight" variations—thicker lines where the vine is closer to the viewer and thinner lines as it recedes.
- Texture: Use stippling or small "vein" lines to make the vines look organic.
- The Pot: Whether it’s the iconic tin can or a cracked ceramic pot, the container provides the "grounding" for your drawing.
- Leaves: These aren't just flat ovals. They should be jagged, with sharp points, looking more like serrated knives than foliage.
Common Mistakes Beginners Make
One big mistake? Making it too symmetrical. Nature isn't symmetrical, and alien plants definitely aren't. If one side of the pod is slightly larger than the other, it actually looks more "real."
Another issue is the tongue. Yes, Audrey II has a tongue. It’s usually a deep, fleshy red or purple. It’s gross. It’s moist. If you’re drawing the plant with its mouth open, the tongue should be a focal point, curling out like it’s tasting the air. If you forget the tongue, the mouth just looks like a dark hole. It loses that "animalistic" quality that makes the character so terrifyingly funny.
Practical Steps to Finishing Your Piece
Once you’ve got your basic little shop of horrors plant drawing laid out, it’s time for the "finish." If you’re working traditionally, ink the outlines with a felt-tip pen but vary your pressure. A thick line on the bottom of the pod will give it "heft."
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For coloring, start with a base of mid-tone green. Don't go straight for the darks. Layer in yellows on the highlights—the parts of the pod that would catch the light—and use deep blues or purples for the shadows. Green and purple are complementary-adjacent on the color wheel, so they look fantastic together without being as jarring as green and red.
Actually, using red for the inner mouth is a classic choice because it mimics a throat. It triggers that primal "I’m about to be eaten" fear in the viewer.
Finalizing the Vibe
What’s the story of your drawing? Is Seymour in the background looking nervous? Is the plant mid-song? Adding a bit of "spittle" or slime strings between the teeth can really sell the 1980s horror-comedy vibe.
The most important thing is the "attitude." Audrey II isn't just a plant; it’s a villain. It’s manipulative, hungry, and soulful. If your drawing looks like it’s about to start singing a Motown-inspired R&B hit, then you’ve nailed it.
Your Artistic Checklist:
- Sketch the "Lopsided Avocado": Keep the pod shape organic and slightly asymmetrical.
- The "Smirk" Line: Ensure the mouth has a wavy, confident curve.
- Vary the Teeth: No perfect rows. Make them jagged, hooked, and slightly uneven.
- Add the Eye-Spots: Two or three circular growths on the top of the "head."
- Muscular Vines: Treat the vines like tentacles that have weight and tension.
- Fleshy Textures: Use purples and reds in the lips and inner mouth to contrast the green.
Don't worry about making it "perfect." The puppets in the movie weren't perfect—they were messy, slime-covered, and chaotic. That's where the charm is. Embrace the mess. Make it look like it’s growing off the page.
To really push your work further, look up the original concept art by William Stout. He did some incredible early sketches for the 1986 film that show just how much "animal" is meant to be in the plant. Studying those will give you a much better sense of how to balance the botanical elements with the monstrous ones. Now, go grab your sketchbook and get to work. Just... watch your fingers.