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Sugar skulls art by Thaneeya

 

My sugar skulls art pieces are amongst my most popular works of art. Colorful, psychedelic, and dancing with intricate designs, these skull drawings embody the mystery and energy of our earthly existence, and tap into the question of what's beyond.

The detailed patterns in my Day of the Dead art represent the never-ending dance of life and death, which are two halves of the same whole. By imbuing these skulls with vibrancy and color, I'm proposing a version of death that is brimming with creative potential.

I started drawing Day of the Dead skulls back in 2005. I've always enjoyed the spirit of Mexican folk art, from the fantastical alebrije creatures to the striking designs of Huichol yarn art. As I learned more about Mexican culture, the concept of Mexico's Dia de los Muertos struck a deep chord with me on both a spiritual and aesthetic level.

My sugar skulls art pieces resonate with the festive spirit of Dia de los Muertos. These skulls are not scary or evil; rather they are grinning reminders that we should enjoy our earthly existence while we can, and honor our ancestors when they return to visit us during the Days of the Dead.

On this page you can see several of my most popular sugar skulls art pieces, inspired by the Mexican sugar skull. You can also see two of my Day of the Dead skulls on the top left and right of this site!

Most of my sugar skull art was created using Prismacolor colored pencils on paper, such as the one to the left and the ones above. Some skull designs were created using pen and ink and then colored digitally, like the sugar skull couple below.

Here is another Day of the Dead skull that was first rendered in ink and then digitally colored. This one is titled "Sugar Skull Love":

The Dia de los Muertos skull drawing below is incredibly detailed. I drew this skull with pen and ink on paper.

In contrast with the ink drawing above, the mixed media skull art below slides towards the simpler end of the scale. This piece was created using colored pencils and watercolors.

Read more about Sugar Skulls

You can see more of my art, including my Day of the Dead art, at my website: www.thaneeya.com.

If you'd like to learn how to create your own sugar skulls art, check out my lessons on how to draw skulls!

You can also learn how to create real sugar skulls, like the skull on the right.

Lastly, check out our How to Decorate Sugar Skulls page to learn more about creating 3D art with sugar!

 

Now you can enjoy Thaneeya's popular Day of the Dead art in a new 2014 wall calendar that will be released on July 16, 2013. To ensure you get a copy you can pre-order it on Amazon now!