Step by Step Cartoon Skull Drawing Tutorial
In this tutorial I’m going to show you how to draw a cartoon skull. It’s really easy, making it perfect for the beginner artist.
Anyone can learn to draw. It just takes consistent practice over time. The more you draw the better you will get.
So let’s grab our supplies and get started on the cartoon skull drawing.
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Art Supplies
- Thin black marker
- Paper or cardstock
- Markers
- Pencil
- Click Eraser, Pink Pearl Eraser
- White Gelly Roll pen
Skulls in Art
Skulls have been a powerful symbol in art throughout history, representing mortality, spirituality, and the passage of time. From prehistoric carvings and Mesoamerican rituals to medieval Christian memento mori, they have urged reflection on life and death.
During the Renaissance, skulls appeared in anatomical studies and vanitas paintings, emphasizing life’s transience. In modern art, they evolved into philosophical and cultural icons, explored by artists like Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst.
Today, skulls remain a versatile motif in art, tattoo culture, and fashion, blending historical meaning with contemporary aesthetics.
Cartoon Skull Sketch Practice
Doing a sketch practice exercise is a great way to warm up and work through some ideas for drawing your cartoon skulls.
Here’s how to do it.
- Get some paper and something to sketch with (pencil, pen, marker, etc.)
- Pull up some reference photos of skulls
- Set a timer for three or five minutes
Then simply sketch out as many cartoon skulls as you can before the timer runs out. Or, continue drawing until you run out of room on your paper.
Either way is fine and will help you warm up. Just be sure to keep your sketches loose and quick. You don’t have to worry about shading or specific details.
How to Draw a Cartoon Skull
I like to begin my drawings with some simple shapes and guidelines. So that’s how we’ll be starting our drawing today.
I’m making my cartoon skull drawing on an artist trading card (ATC). But you can use any size or type of paper you’d like.
Step 1: Guidelines
Begin by drawing a circle for the head. Then add a small rectangular shape to the bottom for the jaw.
You can also add a line of symmetry down the center of the circle, and divide the circle in half horizontally as well. Add a small line between the center of the circle and the bottom to indicate where the nose will be.
Step 2: Rough Sketch
Now we can start adding some details to the drawing. I like to begin with the nose, which I drew as an arrowhead shape.
Next, draw two circles for the eyes. You can draw them the same size, or you can make one smaller than the other. Also, since this is a cartoon skull drawing, you don’t need to worry about drawing perfect circles.
Then under the bottom of the circle, where the rectangle is, draw some teeth. I like drawing them big and drawing fewer than what would be on a realistic skull.
Finish the sketch by drawing the cheek bones and the top of the skull. The cheeks were made round and the head is much smaller than on a realistic skull. This is a good place to experiment and try out different ideas for your drawing.
Step 3: Additional Details
Finish your drawing by adding any additional details. For my cartoon skull drawing, I added a spider web to the background. You could also add a spider or some other small details.
Cartoon Skull Outline
After you’re finished with your sketch you can add an outline using a black pen or marker. I like using a black pen for all of my outlines.
You could try using a color other than black as well. Experiment and try new things to develop your own style.
Learn How to Find Your Artistic Style.
One of the benefits of working small, like on ATCs, is it gives you the freedom to take risks and try new things. If you’ve never tried working on a smaller scale, give it a try.
To make your outline, simply trace over your pencil lines. You can make your lines thick, thin, or a combination of line weights.
When your outline is finished you can use a big eraser to clean up your drawing.
How to Draw Cartoon Skull with Markers
I’m using markers for my cartoon skull drawing but you can use whatever medium you prefer.
If you want to be able to blend the colors together you need to use alcohol based markers and work while the alcohol is still wet. To do this just work on small sections at a time.
Choose two or three markers for each color. If using three markers, choose a light, dark, and mid value for each of your colors. If your drawing is smaller, or if you have a limited supply of markers, use two colors.
Make sure your markers are similar in color if you want them to blend without a rough transition edge.
I like to start with the lightest color, then add the darker color on top of that. You can use the lighter color to blend the two together, or use a colorless blender.
For the areas that are white, use a light gray and a slightly darker gray and then use the white as your lightest value.
Finish by adding some color to your background.
A white Gelly Roll pen can be used to add highlights.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Now that you know how to draw a cartoon skull, what’s the next step? Since art and drawing are learned skills, you’ll need to practice consistently. This doesn’t mean you have to practice all day, just a few minutes each day will take you far.
I like to do seven day drawing challenges where I stick to a theme for the week and try to do one drawing each day following that theme. It’s a great way to improve your creativity and drawing skills.
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