How to Draw a Skull

If you want to know how to draw a skull, you have found the perfect guide! We have created a super easy method that anyone can follow. Just grab your favorite pencil, and let's make some fun art together.

Easy
15 minutes
Ages 5+
Art
Drawing
Beginners
Kids

Start drawing

Step 1Step 2

Easy for beginners

Why This Tutorial Makes It Simple

Learning how to draw a skull for kids or complete beginners is incredibly simple when we break it down into easy shapes. By starting with a basic circle for the top of the head and adding a curved box for the jaw, you will build a great foundation.

Pencil — For sketching the basic cranium shape.

Eraser — To clean up overlapping jaw lines.

Black marker — For tracing the final outline and darkening the eyes.

Crayons or colored pencils — To add fun colors to your drawing.

Jump to the steps

Drawing supplies: pencil, paper, eraser and crayons

How to Draw a Skull Step by Step

1
Step 1 of 9
Draw the main circle
Start by drawing a large circle right in the middle of your paper. This big round shape will form the top part of the head, called the cranium. Keep your lines nice and light so you can erase them later if you need to as we continue learning how to draw a skull.
Tip: Draw lightly so it is easy to fix any little mistakes.
2
Step 2 of 9
Add the jawbone shape
Below your big circle, draw a wide U-shape that connects to the bottom half of the circle. This creates the lower jaw area. The bottom line should be slightly flat instead of perfectly round. Now your shape should look a bit like a lightbulb!
Tip: Make sure the jaw is narrower than the top circle.
3
Step 3 of 9
Outline the cheekbones
Let's give the face some shape by adding curved lines on the sides. Draw an inward curve just below the middle of the big circle, connecting down to the jawline. Doing this on both the left and right sides will make the cheekbones stand out beautifully.
Tip: Try to keep both sides looking mostly even.
4
Step 4 of 9
Draw the eye sockets
Right in the middle of the face, draw two large ovals for the empty eye spaces. You can make them perfectly round, or slightly angled down toward the center for a tough look. Leave a little bit of space between the two shapes.
Tip: Big eye sockets make your drawing look much more fun!
5
Step 5 of 9
Add the nasal cavity
Just below the eyes and right in the middle, draw a small upside-down heart shape. This forms the hollow space for the nose area. If an upside-down heart is too tricky, a simple triangle works perfectly too! You are doing great.
Tip: Place the nose directly between the bottom of the eyes.
6
Step 6 of 9
Draw the mouth line
Find the middle of the lower jaw section. Draw one long horizontal line straight across this space. This line gives us a guide for where all the teeth will go in the next step. Curve the ends of the line up just a tiny bit.
Tip: Keep this horizontal line centered inside the jaw.
7
Step 7 of 9
Add the teeth lines
Now, draw several short vertical lines crossing right over that horizontal line you just made. Space them out nicely to create small blocks. These little blocks will instantly look like rows of upper and lower teeth. Draw about five or six lines across.
Tip: They do not have to be perfectly straight; natural lines look awesome.
8
Step 8 of 9
Clean up the outline
Take your eraser and carefully remove the lines from the original circle that run through the cheekbones and jaw. Trace over your final outer shape to make it bold and smooth. Now your guide on how to draw a skull is almost fully complete!
Tip: Go slowly while tracing to keep your final lines neat.
9
Finished drawing
Add simple color
Time to finish up! You can leave the main bone area white or color it a soft cream. Fill in the eyes and nose hole with solid black or dark gray. Congratulations, you have successfully learned how to draw a cool skull!
Tip: Use a dark marker to make the eyes really pop.

Draw Skull in 9 Easy Steps

Anyone can learn how to draw a skull — no drawing experience needed.

Simple steps

15 minutes

Start to finish

Ages 5+

Great for

Fun Ways to Customize Your Art

Once you know the basics of how to draw a skull head, you can change the details to make it unique! Try these fun ideas next time you draw skull shapes.