how to draw a skull

Learn how to draw a skull!

There are 9 different fun and funky skulls to choose from. Grab a pencil and paper and you're ready to go!

You can also use a pen, markers, or crayons, but to practice you might want to try with a pencil first. That way you can erase your mistakes. If you like the final drawing, you can always go over the lines with a marker or other art material!

This drawing lesson will show you all the steps to create the skull on the left. This is one of the more complicated skulls, so if it feels overwhelming, start with an easier skull.

In total, there are 9 different skull designs to choose from. Choose the skull that most suits your fancy, or try them all!

When you're done drawing your skull, you can then color and decorate your skull drawings for Day of the Dead! If you don't know what Day of the Dead is, read all about it! For examples of my Day of the Dead art, see my skull drawings on the right.

Click on each skull to be taken to simple step-by-step instructions for drawing each one.

	This skull is a bit more complicated than the other skulls, so there are more steps. Watch the animation on the left before you start drawing, so that you can see how the individual steps build to create this cool skull drawing!

Draw the upper half of a half-circle.	Continue drawing the lines, as if you were about to draw a circle. Leave a wide opening.	Add 2 lines, 1 inside each side of the circle. Start the lines inside the circle and gently curve them outside the circle.
Continuing on these 2 lines, draw 2 lines (1 on each side) bringing the angle of the lines back inwards. These lines will form the cheekbones of the skull.	Complete the checkbones by continuing these 2 lines inward again at an angle.	Start the jawline by drawing 2 lines (1 on each side) that angle slightly towards each other.
Finish the jawline by connecting the 2 sides of the skull with a gently curving u-shaped line.	Now you'll draw the teeth. Go back to the bottom lines of the cheekbones, and draw 2 lines (1 on each side) going downwards.	Connect the 2 lines you just drew with a gently curving u-shaped line that runs almost parallel to the jawline. This will form the bottom of the teeth.
Above the line you just drew, draw a similar line that runs parallel to the previous line. This will be the middle of the teeth.	Above the line you just drew, draw a similar line that runs parallel to the previous line. This will be the top of the teeth.	Add vertical lines for the teeth!
In between the cheekbones, just above the teeth, draw two tear-drop shapes for nostrils.	In between the nostrils and the sides of the skull, draw two large circular shapes for the eyes.	Here is an animation showing all the steps to create this skull.

Cool, you've just drawn a skull! There are 8 more skull styles to choose from, so once you've mastered this one, go back to the beginning of How to Draw A Skull and try your hand at a few more funky skulls.

If you like drawing skulls, and you want to get more advanced, check out these Day of the Dead skulls. They are colorful, detailed and fun!

Would you like to learn how to draw more realistic skulls? Visit my friend Ivan's page about how to draw skulls for an easy step-by-step tutorial about drawing skulls!

 

 

Now you can enjoy Thaneeya's popular Day of the Dead art in a new 2014 wall calendar that will be released on July 16, 2013. To ensure you get a copy you can pre-order it on Amazon now!

 

If you like sugar skull art, try your hand at making real sugar skulls which you can decorate with colored icing, beads, foil, and more! Check out my site dedicated to the Mexican holiday the Day of the Dead.

• Check out this collection of Day of the Dead art! View colorful and intricate skull art that celebrates Dia de los Muertos in style, while learning what November 1 and 2 are all about.