Learn how to draw a great looking Sugar Skull with easy drawing instructions and video tutorial.
By following the simple steps, you too can easily draw a perfect Sugar Skull.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Sugar Skull
How to Draw a Great Looking Sugar Skull for Kids and Beginners - Step 1
Begin by drawing a large circle.
Drawing Step 2
From each side of the circle, draw a curved line, extending down.
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Drawing Step 3
Connect these lines using a long, curved line.
Drawing Step 4
Erase the guide line formed by the bottom of the circle.
Drawing Step 5
Draw two circles within the figure. These will form the eyes.
Drawing Step 6
In the middle of the figure, draw a shape like and upside down heart. Draw a smaller upside down heart within the first.
Drawing Step 7
Draw a smaller circle within each eye circle. Within the smaller circle, draw a swirling, curved line.
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Drawing Step 8
Draw a zigzag pattern in a circle around each eye. Each zigzag pattern will consist of thirty to forty short, straight lines, forming about twenty small triangle shapes around the eye.
Drawing Step 9
Draw a decorative pattern on the top of the sugar skull. To begin, draw a short, straight line. Connect another short, straight line at a right angle, and extend another line from this one. Add a larger, curved line to this point. Repeat the process to form a mirror image on the other side. Connect the two sets of lines with a short, straight line.
Drawing Step 10
Within the shape just formed, draw a smaller version of the same set of lines.
Drawing Step 11
Draw a flower like form within this shape. Draw a small circle and place a spiraling curved line within it. Using a wavy line, outline the circle. This will resemble simple petals.
Drawing Step 12
Draw a curved line above each eye. These lines give the appearance of furrowed brows and define the shape of the skull.
Drawing Step 13
Above each brow line, draw a teardrop shape.
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Drawing Step 14
Draw a small heart between the teardrop shapes.
Drawing Step 15
Draw a larger teardrop shape above the end of each brow line.
Drawing Step 16
Draw a curved horizontal line in the bottom portion of the sugar skull. This line will resemble a smiling mouth.
Drawing Step 17
Draw teeth above the mouth line. Use eight curved, upside down "U" shaped lines to form the teeth.
Drawing Step 18
Draw seven "U" shaped lines beneath the mouth line to mirror the teeth above.
Drawing Step 19
Add more detail to the sugar skull. Draw a dot between each of the large teardrop shapes and the design at the top of the skull. Draw a heart shape on each side of the sugar skull, partially hidden by the skull's edge. Draw a smaller heart within each, and shade the smaller heart. Beneath the mouth, draw two swirling shapes consisting of two curved lines. The shapes will resemble an apostrophe.
Drawing Step 20
Shade the inner heart shape of the nose and the circles around the eyes.
Drawing Step 21
Color the sugar skull. Traditionally, sugar skulls are decorated with an array of bright colors.
Learn More About The Sugar Skull Drawing
Sugar skulls, called calaveras in Spanish, are edible, handmade representations of human skulls made from sugar or chocolate and decorated with icing, foil, beads, or feathers. The term also refers to similarly adorned decorative clay skulls.
These skulls are typically made in celebration of the Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, a holiday celebrated in Mexico that roughly corresponds to Halloween.
The holiday has roots in the Mayan and Aztec cultures, and the skulls are often placed on altars as ofrendas, or offerings.
The name of a deceased loved one may be written on the skull.
Sugar skulls are also used for the Roman Catholic holiday called All Souls' Day.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
If you would like to be able to draw your own sugar skull, follow this easy, step-by-step sugar skull drawing tutorial.
You will need a piece of paper, an eraser, and something with which to draw, such as a pencil.
You may also want to use crayons, colored pencils, markers, or other materials to decorate your completed sugar skull.
Each step in this drawing guide is accompanied by an illustration. In each picture, new lines drawn in that step are highlighted in blue. All other lines are shown in black.
It is advisable to sketch lightly at first, as you will be erasing early lines, called guide lines, as you go along.
If you liked this drawing tutorial, see also the following guides: Skull drawing, Skeleton drawing, and Ghost drawing.
Sugar Skull Drawing Tutorial - Easy & Fun Printable Pages
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See a Google Web Story of this Sugar Skull Drawing Tutorial.