If you’ve been wanting to draw a skull and crossbones with realistic features, but don’t have much experience and don’t know where to start, don’t worry! Our online store has created this ultimate guide for you to help you achieve a realistic skull drawing in 5 simple tips. That way, you’ll know how to draw a skull and crossbones every time you pick up a pencil. Let’s go ! ✍️
Skulls are incredibly versatile and can be drawn in many different ways. They offer a multitude of possibilities in terms of shapes, perspectives and colors, and it would be impossible to list them all. If you’re looking for ideas on how to show off your design in the best possible way, you’ve come to the right place.
Designing different types of skulls on a blank sheet of paper may seem like a challenge, but in reality, it’s not that difficult! Just follow a few guidelines and you’re all set.
How about trying a skull and crossbones style that’s both modern and geometric? Or perhaps a more sophisticated, feminine version with floral motifs? Read the 5 tips below carefully, and your friends will be asking you for lessons on how to do this with a simple drawing pencil 😉 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
Use Shadows
If you want to create a highly realistic skull, the use of shadows is essential. They give your drawing a realistic look and make it stand out.
Start by using a real skull image as a reference and trace the basic contours of the head. Then add interior lines to help you achieve the correct perspective. You can erase them later if necessary. Next, decide where the light source is coming from in your scene and leave the areas that will be lit blank. This will allow you to create darker shadow areas.
A little tip: if you use colors in your drawing, play with them to create your shadows too. Don’t just use black and gray. Light reflects off the color it hits, creating shadows with shades of color.
Opt for Geometric
If you want to create a really cool and trendy skull, a design that could feature on the cover of a magazine, then go for a geometric style right now. It’s easier to do than you think!
Start by drawing a basic shape for the skull. Next, add dots at regular intervals along the lines of your design. Finally, connect the dots using straight lines. 📏 It’s our little secret. Many people tend to curve lines, but keeping it simple with perfectly straight lines will give you a “cleaner”, more professional drawing.
Once you’ve drawn your lines, you’ve already got a really captivating skull image! From this already charismatic skull, you can add colors to make it even more realistic.
Tip: to add an extra geometric touch, fill in the inside of the skull with triangles starting from the dots you’ve placed along the outline.
Draw your skull in watercolor
The way you color your skull drawing will make a huge difference to the skull’s overall appearance. Watercolor is very popular right now, and many artists use a messy “splash” style to color their work. This is one of our favorite elements for getting a very realistic result from your skull.
To start, make a solid black sketch of your skull. Once your sketch is dry, dampen the paper where you want to apply the color. And don’t worry if you go over the lines! Then apply the color to the moistened area with a brush. Let the shades blend together for a gorgeous rainbow-like effect. 🎨
Choose the colors you like. Some people opt for a single color, while others prefer to use several. The choice is yours. After all, we’re talking more about choosing paint here than simply drawing on a blank sheet of paper. We urge you to try your hand at this style of drawing, which often offers stunning results. 😵
Give Facial Expressions to the Skull
The idea here is to give life to your skull. Don’t just reproduce its appearance. Give it a facial expression that will make it stand out from the drawings made by most artists.
You can, for example, make it smile or look disgruntled by accentuating the facial features at the level of the eyes, forehead and mouth downwards. It’s a simple technique that’s incredibly effective!
Also try to get him to stick his tongue out. 👅 A moustache can also have its effect. Strictly speaking, there’s no secret. Just experiment again and again to find the perfect expression to give your skull.
Add Elements around the Skull
Whimsical skull designs are all over the Internet and make great decorations. Accessories such as glasses, a cigar, a flower or any other object will make your skull design more lively and therefore much more realistic. Have fun, that’s the key 😉 Here are some examples of elements you can add to your skull to bring it to life:
Flowers: Start by drawing a realistic skull using the tips mentioned above. Then draw intertwining plants and flowers inside and outside the skull, as if they had really grown there. Use soft pastel colors to achieve a worthy finish. 🌹
Wings: Angel wings are particularly popular with skull fans. The combination of the two will take your design into the grandest category! Wings give a real 3D effect when well executed, and sometimes give the impression that the skull is flying. A feeling of freedom then emerges.
Bones: What better accompaniment to a human skull than bones? Crossbones behind the skull are often used. Just be careful not to make too common a design that could be mistaken for a “danger” sign! 🦴
Weapons: It all depends on your personality and what you want to express through your drawing. If you want an aggressive style with a skull that gives off a violent aura, add a gun, swords, knives, grenades or any other type of weapon to give it the “bad boy” edge you’re looking for. Our favorite: swords crossed behind the skull. The impact is guaranteed. ⚔️
Enhance your Realistic Skull Drawing
Making a drawing is fantastic. If you enjoy making it and you like it, then bravo, that’s the main thing! But why keep it to yourself? Use your talent to bring pleasure to others. 🙃 The best way to showcase your creations is to use social networks, like Instagram or Pinterest for example. 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥