Drawing Skulls and Bone

Drawing a skull or any complex item requires some time in setting up. It is important to measure while you sketch the outline of the skull so as to get the proportions correct. I don’t worry about things like eye sockets, little holes, etc. until later.

With this drawing of a deer skull, we will be adding a smooth tone to the blocked out line drawing before any details or shading begins. This gives a mid-value base to start from which can be added to with pencil or taken away from with a kneaded eraser.

When the blocked out skull is ready, take your 4B graphite stick and gently, evenly apply tone to the surface of the paper, keeping inside the boundaries of your drawing. Try to find a flat spot on your stick which will leave a wide trail of graphite. I find small, circular strokes work well, applying very little pressure. Then, with some tissue or paper towel, gently rub the graphite to produce an even tone.

At this point you can erase any graphite which got rubbed outside the lines of your blocking. Then you can add detail and shading with your HB and 2B pencils and remove tone with your kneaded eraser to create highlights.

~ by amyheggieart on April 25, 2012.