Learn how to draw a great looking Bird Skull with easy, step-by-step drawing instructions, and video tutorial.
By following the simple steps, you too can easily draw a beautiful Bird Skull.
Jump to the step-by-step instructions.
The bird's skull is made up of five parts: the top of the head, or frontal area; the back of the head, or parietal area; the premaxillary and nasal areas of the top beak; and the mandible or bottom beak.
The bones of birds are very light, with the skull comprising only about 1 percent of the total body weight. This adaptation keeps birds light enough to fly.
The most common place to see an illustration of a bird's skull is in the scientific literature. Before the advent of gene sequencing, researchers often compared the skeletal anatomy of animals to determine how they were related to one another. The artist and naturalist John James Audobon kept a collection of preserved birds from which he painted highly realistic depictions.
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One of the most memorable instances of a bird's skull in cartoons occurs in the animated film How to Train Your Dragon. The young Viking maiden Astrid's garments are adorned with numerous small white bird skulls.
Birds were once deified in many cultures. They could be considered sacred, the messengers of the gods, or harbingers of evil. One myth in Appalachian North America held that if a pregnant woman looked into the eye of a dead bird, her child would not survive.
Would you like to draw a bird skull? This easy, step-by-step cartoon drawing tutorial is here to show you how. All you will need is a pen, pencil, or marker and a sheet of paper.
If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Turkey, Feather, and Yellow Angry Bird.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Bird Skull
How to Draw a Great Looking Bird Skull for Kids, Beginners, and Adults - Step 1
1. Begin by drawing a long curved line. This outlines the braincase or rounded portion of the skull.
Easy Bird Skull Drawing - Step 2
2. Draw another long curved line extending from the front of the skull. Double it back upon itself to form the maxilla or point of the beak. Double it back again for just a short distance.
Easy Bird Skull Drawing - Step 3
3. Draw the lower jaw or dentary. Extend a long curved line from the base of the skull to the tip of the beak.
Easy Bird Skull Drawing - Step 4
4. Outline the maxilla and dentary by drawing a curved line on the lower bill and a "V" shaped line on the upper bill.
MORE DRAWING TUTORIALS:
Easy Bird Skull Drawing - Step 5
5. Draw a large circle in the middle of the braincase. This is the orbita or opening of the eye. Contour the orbita with curved lines, some in front to indicate a bulge in the bone and others behind it like eyelashes. This is the sclerotic eye-ring, a circle of tiny bones.
Easy Bird Skull Drawing - Step 6
6. Draw the nasal aperture. Enclose a rounded triangular shape near the middle of the beak. Draw a curved line along one side of it.
Easy Bird Skull Drawing - Step 7
7. Continue to contour the skull with curved lines. Draw an "L" shaped line and a backward "S" shaped line between the eye and the nostril.
MORE DRAWING TUTORIALS:
Add More Details to Your Bird Skull Picture - Step 8
8. Draw curved lines below the eye to further contour the skull.
Complete the Outline of Your Bird Skull Drawing - Step 9
9. Draw curved lines on the braincase behind the eye. This contours the frontal area, parietal area, and occipital area.
Color Your Bird Skull Drawing
Color your bird's skull. Bones come in many colors depending on their condition. Healthy bones are white. Decay or preservation may make bones black, brown, or grey.
Check out our cartoon animal drawing guides to sketch living birds still in the feather.
For more great Bird drawing tutorials, see the 41 Easy to Draw Bird Drawing Tutorials post.
Bird Skull Drawing Tutorial - Easy & Fun Printable Pages
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