STUDY OF A TILTING  HEAD

SK1. I use this proko skull all of the time. The 4" skull can be screwed into a sturdy tripod and then set at any tilt.  I use the skull to practice drawing skulls or to "revisit" a drawing I have had difficulty with. 

SK2.  For example,  during a life drawing pose, I knew the figure model's head was tilted back. However, when I walked around to the front of the model, I realized that her head was also tilting towards her right shoulder.  

Above is my attempt to draw the tilt of her head during the drawing session. I was lost, and the placement of the ear was a wild guess.  

SK3. Using the proko skull, I recreated what had been my side-view of the model. The skull tilting back was clear, but the tilt to the side was not so obvious. The black line is the skull centerline. The yellow represents the location of the ear.

SK4. Without changing the position of the skull, I turned the tripod to show what I had seen when I went around to the front of the model. The distinct tilt to the side was unmistakable. However, the backwards tilt was now less noticeable.  

SK4. Revisiting SK2. Practicing drawing the figure model using the proko skull.

SK5. I am starting to understand the importance of the centerline - from browline to forehead to crown to the nape of the neck.

Seeing some of the other side of the top of the skull helps to communicate the tilt.

SK6. To make progress drawing tilting heads, I have a lot to learn  -  and many hours of practice ahead. (Drawn using the proko skull, 2026).

SK7. This is a study of a skull in clay that I sculpted in Steve Saxenian's workshop, Sculpting and Drawing the Skull (2025). Here is where I learned to look at the model from all angles before and during a drawing session.