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Stock Photosfrom pattang/ShutterstockThis post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please readour disclosurefor more info.
This is perhaps best illustrated in the human head.
Its a necessary and helpful exercise to learn how to draw a skulleven if youve rendered a portrait before.
Grab your favorite drawing supplies to get started.
Stock Photosfrom fotoslaz/Shutterstock
We recommend asketchpad,multiple graphite pencils(in varying grades), and aneraser.
Why should you learn to draw a skull?
These are the basics of a face seen from a straight-on view.
Stock Photosfrom pattang/Shutterstock
(Like an upside-down egg!)
Here’s how to draw a skull step-by-step.
Stock Photosfrom pattang/Shutterstock
Once youre ready to begin drawing, find a source photo for a skull.
Photo & art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
Another alternative is to buy areplica skulland sketch from that to improve your direct observation skills.
(It will also work great instill lifes!)
Step 1: Start with the basics.
Photo & art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
Photo & art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
Begin by sketching the most fundamental shapes you see.
The lower jawbone (mandible) will be a smaller circle that overlaps with it.
Where the two intersect is where your jaw joint moves.
At this point, also pencil in where the eye sockets will be as well as the nasal cavity.
Step 2: Refine the fundamental shapes with contour lines.
Observe the nuances of the skull while following the guidelines that you set.
Notice what’s contained above and below the horizontal and vertical lines of the face.
The nasal cavity, for instance, will intersect with the vertical line you drew.
This is the most important stage of your entire drawing.
Its worth it to take extra time to really look at the features of the skull.
Ask yourself questions along the way.
How big is the nose compared to the eye sockets?
How many teeth are there?
What is the curve of the mouth, and where do the teeth fit into that?
Remember, its a challenge to draw a skull.
