How to Draw a Skull Using a Simplified Planar Approach
- James Otto Allen
- Apr 2
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 15
Understanding the structure of the human skull is essential for any artist looking to improve their portrait and figure drawing skills. In my latest YouTube video, I break down the process of drawing a skull using a simplified planar model alongside a real skull reference. This exercise helps train your eye to see the underlying forms and volumes, making it easier to draw realistic heads with confidence.
Why Use a Simplified Skull Model?
When learning to draw the head, it's easy to get lost in the complex details of a real skull. The simplified planar model breaks the skull into basic geometric planes, helping you understand the way light falls on the form. By practicing with both the simplified model and the real skull side by side, you’ll develop a stronger sense of form, proportion, and structure—essential skills for drawing the human head.
Step-by-Step Breakdown
In the video, I take you through my drawing process step by step:
Laying Down the Basic Shapes – I start by lightly sketching the major forms of the simplified skull, focusing on big shapes before adding details.
Understanding Planes & Light – By analyzing the flat planes, I can see how light interacts with the form, which makes shading easier later on.
Applying Knowledge to a Real Skull – Once I have a solid grasp of the simplified skull, I move on to drawing the real skull, applying what I’ve learned.
Refining the Drawing – I adjust proportions, emphasize structure, and reinforce the major forms before completing the study.
Watch the Full Demonstration
This drawing study is an excellent way to improve your ability to simplify complex forms and build confidence when drawing the human head. Just click on the thumbnail at the start of this blog post to watch me draw.
If you find this helpful, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel for more drawing tutorials. I’ll be sharing more content like this, leading up to my upcoming course on mastering charcoal drawing from a 2D reference!
Let me know in the comments—have you ever practiced drawing with a simplified skull model? What’s been your biggest challenge when drawing the human head?
Download the Reference & Step-by-Step Drawing Breakdown
To help you follow along with the video, I’ve put together a downloadable folder containing:
✔️ The reference photo of the skull and simplified planar model I used in the video.
✔️ Step-by-step images showing the different phases of my drawing process.
If you're wondering how to draw the skulls with correct proportions, you could try the method I outlined in a previous blog post 'How to Make a Line Drawing from a 2D Reference to Scale – A Step-by-Step Guide'
Use these resources to practice on your own, and see if you can apply the same principles to your own skull studies. If you try this exercise, feel free to share your work with me—I’d love to see what you create!
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