Easy Skull Drawing Ideas

Learn one of the most fundamental skills in drawing: The human head

Learning to draw heads and skulls is a fundamental skill that every artist should hone. It's like having a strong foundation in art. The human head is not just a body part; it's a canvas of emotions, expressions, and character. Mastering head and skull anatomy gives artists the power to create realistic portraits, but it's not just about realism. Understanding the underlying structure allows for artistic freedom – you can exaggerate, stylize, or even create fantastical creatures with convincing head designs. So, whether you're a budding artist or a seasoned pro, diving into the intricacies of heads and skulls is your ticket to unlocking a world of creativity and expression on your artistic journey.

Unlocking the art of sketching skulls, muscles, facial expressions, and more, all without a model, is a thrilling creative expedition! The human face is a fascinating canvas of emotions and individuality, a vivid showcase of our distinct personalities and the quirkiest facets of our inner world. These lessons are your trusty guides on this exciting skull-drawing journey, and guess what? You can get access to them for free! Just be sure to sign up at Domestika.org to get access to these fantastic, free lessons!

1. How to draw the cranium

In this lesson, Figure Drawing: The Human Head, artist Miguel Bustos Gómez, better known as Zursoif, teaches you different techniques to master the drawing of the human head and its elements, without using a model.

Zursoif will show you how to draw the skull from different points of view using measurements and anatomical structures. Starting with simple geometric figures, see how light and shadow work, then experiment with different skin, hair and bone textures. At the end of this course, you will be able to represent a face, with its multiple movements and expressions.

With Zursoif as your guide, you can also discover the basics of figure drawing with his other course: Figure Drawing for Beginners, to create a pose catalog of the human body, starting with lines and circles.

2. How to draw a human body

Spanish painter and illustrator, Diego Catalan Amilivia delves into the world of illustrating the human body proportionally by analyzing its structure in his course, Realistic Human Figure Drawing.

Every good artist's ability to draw the human figure is based on the study of its anatomy and the analysis of its form. When you are able to draw as your eyes see, you can go farther and allow yourself certain creative freedoms. Diego Catalán is passionate about everything human, both the physical and the psychological, and is an expert at capturing the essence of the body in great detail.

In his previous course, Realistic Portrait with Graphite Pencil, he showed how to use different techniques and tools to achieve a unique portrait. However, in this lesson, you will have the opportunity to analyze the surface and the bone and muscle structure of the body to learn how to successfully draw the human figure from scratch.

3. How to draw a pencil portrait

Join in on this fun lesson with Juan Perednick and discover the art of creating expressive portraits. Juan will guide you through the basics of lighting, helping you grasp the ins and outs of human face proportions through the magic of light and shadows.

Self-expression through portrait drawing is Juan Perednik's way of understanding art and reinterpreting the world around him. He has been drawing for as long as he can remember, and it's his delicate and unique style that has enabled him to create portraits for celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Josh Brolin, as well as collaborations with The Rock, PayPal, MercadoLibre, and Canal 13.

Learn more by signing up for his online course, and draw realistic portraits by focusing on the basics of lighting as a vehicle for expressing emotions far beyond what the eye can see. Discover the secrets of light, shadows, and proportion to create one-of-a-kind images.

4. Portrait drawing: Proportions and structure

The human figure is complex and intricate, which provides an endless source of learning and exploring for those who choose to represent it.

The challenges of capturing likeness and interesting facial expressions are what artist Sam Brisley loves most about drawing portraits.

Draw striking pencil portraits by learning how to apply shadow mapping techniques to capture realistic facial structures is an essential part of drawing the human form. In this lesson, Sam guides you through his entire process of creating impactful pencil portraits. Learn about the basics of light and shadows, facial structure and proportions, right down to the final details.

Are you ready to grab your pencils and start drawing?

Explore our full range of online illustration courses today!