How To: Sketch a skull

Tired of drawing delicate flowers and ready for something a little darker? You can draw a wicked skull by following the method and including all the qualities you should include to really get your sketch to look like a skull.

Get ready to use your head and learn to sketch a human skull

You Will Need

  * A graphite pencil
  * Paper
  * An eraser

Step 1: Outline skull, add cheekbones

Draw a half circle with the opening at the bottom. This will represent the top of the skull. Add cheekbones by drawing two lines, starting just inside the open part of the half circle and gently curving outside the circle.

Step 2: Add jaw line

Continue the cheekbone lines so they move downward and curve inward, toward the center of the skull. Then connect the two lines horizontally. This will be the bottom row of teeth.

Step 3: Draw top row of teeth

Draw a broad U-shape connecting the bottom of the cheekbones and going across the bottom jaw line. This will be the top row of teeth.

The skull has three basic sections, the hairline to eyebrows, eyebrows to the bottom of the nose, and bottom of the nose to the chin.

Step 4: Add teeth

Draw a second U-shaped line parallel and below the first and draw short, straight lines on both sides. Create teeth with short vertical lines inside the "smile."

Slightly darkening the face of the teeth creates realism.

Step 5: Add eye and nose cavities

Add wide, round eye cavities centered between the top of the head and chin, leaving the space of one cavity between them.

Step 6: Add nose cavity and shade cavities

Add two tear drop shapes between the cheek bones and above the teeth for the nose cavity. Shade all the cavities. The darkest areas will be at the top of each shape.

Step 7: Add more shading

Shade the skull, making the outer edges darker to create depth.

Did you know? A baby's skull consists of several cranial bones held together by a material called sutures, which allow the skull to