You know that feeling when you're on Round 45 on Kino Der Toten and the screen is basically just a blur of fire, muzzle flash, and gray skin? It’s chaotic. It’s messy. Yet, for some reason, we can't stop looking at it. That weird obsession with the aesthetics of the undead is exactly why Call of Duty Zombies drawings have become the backbone of the fan community over the last decade and a half. It’s not just about "cool monsters." It's about how a community took a hidden Easter egg mode from 2008 and turned it into a visual subculture that refuses to die.
Honestly, if you go on ArtStation or even just scroll through a dedicated subreddit, you’ll see it. The detail in these pieces is often more intense than the actual in-game models.
The Gritty Evolution of the Perk-a-Cola Aesthetic
The early days were simple. People just wanted to sketch the Ray Gun. It’s the icon, right? But as the lore got weird—thanks to Jason Blundell and the team at Treyarch—the art got weird too. We moved from basic sketches of Nazi Zombies to these incredibly complex, Lovecraftian landscapes.
Artists started focusing on the "Aether" look. Think glowing blue 115 crystals, floating debris, and the sheer insanity of maps like Revelations. When you look at high-level Call of Duty Zombies drawings today, you aren't just seeing a zombie; you're seeing a narrative. You’re seeing the wear and tear on Richtofen’s jacket. You’re seeing the specific, rusted patina on a Juggernog machine.
Why does this matter? Because the games eventually end. Servers go down. Meta changes. But the art stays. It captures the atmosphere that a 20-minute YouTube gameplay video just can't.
Why the Ultimis and Primis Crews Dominate the Canvas
Character design in Zombies is a masterclass in trope-bending. You have the "Ultimis" crew—the caricatures—and the "Primis" crew—the gritty, multiverse-traveling heroes. Most artists lean toward Primis. There’s more soul there.
Take Takeo Masaki. In early games, he was a bit of a stereotype. Fast forward to Black Ops 3, and he’s a tragic figure. Artists capture that. They use heavy shadows and traditional Japanese ink styles to showcase his internal struggle. It's deep stuff for a game that started as a "Defend the Room" mini-game.
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- Dempsey: Usually drawn with heavy lines, emphasizing the "action hero" grit.
- Nikolai: Artists love playing with the reflection in his goggles—usually showing a burning Stalingrad.
- Richtofen: The favorite. Always the favorite. His drawings range from manic, blood-splattered portraits to somber, "I’ve seen too many timelines" stares.
There is a specific artist on Twitter, @Rhadamanthys, who has done some of the most haunting renditions of the Primis crew. They don't look like video game characters; they look like war veterans who have been through a literal hell. That’s the power of this niche. It elevates the source material.
The Technical Side: How to Actually Draw This Stuff
If you're sitting there with a stylus or a pencil thinking about starting your own Call of Duty Zombies drawings, don't start with the face. Start with the textures.
Zombies art is all about decay. You need to master the look of rotting flesh, yes, but also the look of 1940s technology. The "Dieselpunk" aesthetic is huge here. You’ve got wires, vacuum tubes, and glowing liquids.
- The Glow: Most people mess up the lighting. If you’re drawing a Perk bottle, the liquid should be the primary light source. It should cast a colored hue on the character’s hands.
- The Damage: These characters have been bitten, scratched, and blown up. Don't make them look clean. Add the dirt under the fingernails. Add the fraying on the edges of the uniforms.
- The Eyes: In the Aether story, eye color tells you who is in control. Yellow means Samantha. Red means the Shadowman or Monty. Blue means Richtofen. Using the right color isn't just an artistic choice; it’s a lore requirement.
From DeviantArt to Official Recognition
It’s kind of wild to think about, but Treyarch actually pays attention to this. During the Black Ops 4 cycle, they frequently shared fan art on their social channels. It created this feedback loop. The fans draw something cool, the devs see it, it inspires a small detail in a future map, and the cycle continues.
There’s a legendary piece of community art that basically predicted the "Great War" robes before we ever saw them clearly in-game. It’s that level of dedication. Fans analyze every pixel of a cipher and then translate that into a full-blown oil painting.
Common Mistakes in Zombies Art
Look, I've seen a lot of "meh" art too. The biggest pitfall is making the zombies look like The Walking Dead zombies.
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COD Zombies are different. They’re faster. They’re fueled by Element 115. They should look more "reanimated" and "electric" than just "rotting corpse." There’s a certain rigidity to their movement that should come across in the pose of the drawing. If the zombie looks like it’s just lounging around, you’ve lost the vibe. It needs to look like it’s being pulled forward by an invisible force.
Also, don't ignore the background. A zombie in a white void is boring. Put them in the mud of Origins. Put them in the neon glow of Shadows of Evil. The environment is 50% of the character in this franchise.
The Impact of "Shadows of Evil" on Art Styles
When Shadows of Evil dropped, it changed everything for Call of Duty Zombies drawings. Suddenly, we weren't just looking at World War II bunkers. We were looking at 1940s Film Noir, Cthulhu-inspired gods, and bright purple aesthetics.
This era introduced a lot of "Glow-wave" into the art community. The Margwa, with its three heads and yellow glowing mouths, became a favorite subject for creature designers. It allowed artists to play with much more vibrant palettes than the muddy browns of Der Riese. If you're looking for inspiration, look at the promotional posters for that map. They’re basically professional-grade comic book covers.
Where to Find the Best Work Right Now
If you want to see what the peak looks like, you have to dig into the community hubs. Instagram hashtags are okay, but Reddit’s r/CODZombies is where the heavy hitters post their "I spent 60 hours on this" masterpieces.
You’ll also find incredible work on ArtStation by searching for the actual concept artists who worked at Treyarch, like Dan Wilton. Seeing the official concept art side-by-side with fan-made Call of Duty Zombies drawings shows just how thin the line is between the two. The fans are that good.
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Getting Started with Your Own Project
Don't overthink it. You don't need a $2,000 Wacom tablet to start. Some of the coolest sketches I've ever seen were done on lined notebook paper during a boring math class.
- Pick a favorite Perk-a-Cola.
- Imagine what a "Modern Day" version of that perk would look like.
- Sketch the bottle, then add the character drinking it.
- Focus on the expression—relief, power, or maybe just the gross taste of Quick Revive (which supposedly tastes like fermented fish).
The beauty of this community is that it isn't judgmental. We’ve all spent hours failing the "Easter Egg" steps because someone forgot to save a zombie. We’re all in the same boat.
Final Practical Steps for Aspiring Artists
To really make your work pop in the current scene, you should focus on the "Aetherial" effects. Mastering the look of smoke and glowing particles will set your work apart from a standard sketch. Use references from the "Chronicles" version of the maps, as the lighting engine there was much more advanced and gives a better guide for how light hits surfaces.
Once you finish a piece, share it on Twitter (X) and tag the former devs or the current studio. They genuinely enjoy seeing the passion. And who knows? Maybe your design for a new Wonder Weapon will be the one that gets people talking about the next big "Zombies" comeback.
Focus on the storytelling within the frame. A drawing of a zombie is just a monster. A drawing of a zombie wearing a tattered 935 lab coat, clutching a broken locket? That’s Call of Duty Zombies. That’s what people are actually looking for. Keep the grit, keep the glow, and most importantly, keep the lore at the center of the image.