Week 7- The Human Skull

Last year, we had a task in which we had to draw an animal skull, but other than that I have never drawn a human one. One particular thing that I remember thinking about working on my last drawing is that measurements were very important, having to approach it as seriously as I would approach a regular portrait. Another important aspect while drawing a skull is retaining the surface detail. We want it to look real, not like a plastic one.

Starting the drawing in the studio, I made a quick thumbnail sketch to figure out the placement and sizing.

After that, I started working on the final one, making a quick sketch, while also being mindful of the proportions and measurements.

Having the base of the drawing done, I went back and polished it, fixing some proportions issues and contouring the shapes better, in order to get a more accurate look.

As for all of my black and white drawings, I have used graphite powder to help me with the tonal value. I made sure to erase the highlights, which helped me a lot at the shading stage as well.

 

Starting the shading process, I decided to add the dark background from early on, in order to make the skull pop more and induce that it's quite light in colour.

Adding detail such as cracks and places with different values was very important since the skull is meant to look old and damaged.

A common mistake that I have seen in other drawings of skulls is not so detailed teeth, nor in shape or shading, which I made sure to not do. Teeth are a focal point in a skull drawing, and I don't want them to look flat, those being as 3D as the skull itself. 

I am very pleased with how this drawing turned out, having the background and the box that is sitting on bringing everything together, and making it look like a completed drawing, rather than just a simple study.

 To achieve this I have used pencils such as F, HB, B, 2B, and 3B for the skull, and 4B, 6B, and 8b for the background.