How to Depict a Nightmare Self Portrait Tutorial in the mode of Tim Burton

A drawing of a Nightmare Self Portrait, made with the help of an easy step by step tutorial.
PDF Tutorial Sample Drawing (page 3)

Information technology only takes a few simple supplies and a couple of cartoon tips to larn how to describe a Nightmare Self Portrait. The project name is in award of Tim Burton, the artist and managing director of "The Nightmare before Christmas" movie, which has the famous style of skinny figures with big white eyes.

There are some professional person artists effectually who will make a Nightmare cartoon of you for a fee, only who needs that when yous can make your ain? A few exaggerations in a couple of places volition result in something that captures the look, and provide some good pencil drawing practice for young artists too.

Drawing Projection Tips

For best results, it'southward actually helpful to depict on some kind of off white newspaper. This sample was done on a Newspaper Source carte du jour stock that was called Gravel, but any kind of low-cal grayness or dark-brown would work also. The most important reason is that the added colour allows students to make full in those big optics with a white pencil crayon. They are the key feature of this self portrait and the bright white eyes popping off the shadowy background actually helps to accentuates them.

Lastly, to aid students make their drawing as original as possible, this cartoon tutorial comes with an added tip sail. The main tutorial will show what guild to draw the portrait shapes in, but an boosted sheet offers more options for the shape of the head, and the large eyes and tiny mouth. And perhaps most importantly, some ideas on how to depict different styles of hair, which is what stumps a lot of students. The idea is that they accept a piddling assistance in visualizing their own faces, so they come up with their own original Nightmare Cocky Portrait.

Note: For those that want to get all out, I've included a fun frame template in the download, and a sample drawing of how I used it. It just seemed like a fun pick and a place to add even more than creativity, which is e'er a expert affair. Scroll downward to come across a little preview of it.

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Use the Button below to Download a PDF Tutorial

A step by step tutorial for how to draw a Nightmare Self Portrait, which is available as a free download.
PDF Tutorial (folio i)
More drawing ideas for the Nightmare Self Portrait project. Lots of options will help students see how to draw their own portrait.
PDF Tutorial Tip Sheet (page 2)
PDF Tutorial Sample Drawing (page four)
PDF Frame Template (page 5)

Materials to Depict a Nightmare Cocky Portrait

  • Newspaper. Card stock paper that has a light grayness or brown shade for an old-fashioned blackness and white expect.
  • Pencil. The Ticonderoga brand are the near reliable, make nice dark lines when you need them, and are the easiest to erase. Buying the pre-sharpened ones will save busy teachers a lot of fourth dimension.
  • White Pencil Crayon. Prismacolor cost a niggling more than than the others, but they ever exit the brightest color. That'southward particularly true for the white ones.
  • Eraser. Big ones you can hold in your hand do a much amend task than just the pencil tip erasers, peculiarly when erasing leftover pencil lines afterwards tracing.

Directions to brand a Nightmare Self Portrait

Time needed:45 minutes.

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Choose your head shape and depict information technology large.

  2. Add two very large circles for the eyes.

  3. Draw tiny circles for the pupils, and a nose and lashes.

  4. Add a tiny mouth and skinny neck.

  5. Depict brows, ears and whatsoever pilus on the forehead.

  6. Finish the hair with the outer line.

  7. Trace all of the caput with a pencil, making a heavy night line. Add together shadows around the OUTSIDE of the middle with a pencil.

  8. Add whatever actress details that make y'all unique.

  9. Fill in dark areas with the pencil, and color the optics with a white pencil crayon.

  10. Bonus Tip Canvas includes a few more than options for the head, eyes, olfactory organ and mouth.

Student Art Inspiration

Past Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, 2nd grade German, Glendale, CA
by a M-5 Lifeskills Class

More fun Halloween Drawing Projects

Scream Cocky Portrait
Witch Hat
Frankenstein meets Picasso