The Sugar (Skull) Book

Joby Cummings has well over 2 decades of tattoo and graphic design experience and is the man behind some of our most popular previous features: Hello Skully, 7sins Skull, Muertos Skull.  His sugar skull designs are some of his most whimsical and interesting pieces- ranging from a bunny to an ice cream cone to the Aliens monster and a $#!+load more.  These beauties are all now arranged in a wonderfully colorful book called "The Sugar Book". This is "A collection of 100 sugar skulls illustrated in style heavily influenced by modern day traditional tattoo art. A wonderful compendium of whimsical decorative skulls inspired by the day of the dead."

In other words....IT"S BADASS!  If you like any of these styles then you will drool over how well Joby mixes them.  His website is a great place to see more of what lies in store once you purchase your own copy plus a nice collection of his tattoo works.  Thanks for sharing your hard work with us again, Joby!

Flowers Skull

Ricardo Ferreira created this skull using flowers and butterflies. I'd love to see this arrangement and selection of flowers growing in a garden. I imagine that lizards would enjoy the shade, while butterflies and bees enjoy the nectar. Perhaps the neighbors would admire the shape.

Sugar Skullery

Clair Read, of Sugar Skullery, from Manchester UK, created this Day of the Dead skull painting. I love seeing how various artist interpret the iconic Dia de los Muertos sugar skull. The addition of the gold outline makes the colors pop out more and the design more jewel like. It would be interesting to see how this painting could be transformed into a makeup look. Full of sparkle and color, this would be a stand out Senorita.

Heart Skull

Illustrator, Joanna Carrero apparently loves(hearts) skulls as much as we do. Enough to give her heart design it's own set of skulls. A beautiful design combining the symbols of life and death into one.  A lovely idea at that.  Thanks for sharing it, Joanna!

Acrylic DJ Skull

This skull has got the party jumpin' with vibrancy and energy. Eliza Monks of Bridgeport, CT is raising the volume on our site by a few levels with this acrylic painting that explodes with movement.  Now, DJ Skull commands you to pump up whatever jam you're listening to and give a huge shout out to Eliza.  Thanks for sharing!

Medical Skull Drawings

Kathleen Sawyer drew these ladies for a recent competition. The drawing are postcard size. I love the pinup and medical themes of these drawings. The level of detail is impressive, especially considering the size of the paper. Though these ladies are nude, they are tastefully done. These would be a great series of prints, especially if you had a penchant for medical artwork.

"Surgery"

"Diagnosis"

"Recovery"

Sunday Simulacra - Version 7.13

Today's simulacra are really leaving their mark....

This paintball splash skull was shot by Riki from Toulouse, France....

...and this perky chap was snagged by Job.

I guess some skulls make their presence a little more known that others. Have you captured your own sneaky skull simulacra? If so then be sure to submit it to us. We be as thankful as we are to Riki and Job. Thank you!

Skulloctopus From Outer Space

Plaseebo is at it again with a couple of wonderful new custom skulloctopus figures.  Bob Conge is the creator of these unique creatures using glass eyes, a clear vinyl head filled with cosmic debris floating in space slime illuminated by an internal motion activated color changing LED unit.  I love the bright ideas that these little critters give me.  These are as comical as they are creative.  Thanks for sharing them, Bob!

Natural Selection: Sneak Preview

Here's a sneak preview of my upcoming solo exhibition Natural Selection, opening October 17 at Krause Gallery in NYC. More info to come soon...

Skull Pillow

Danijela Tanaskovic created this skull pillow. I'm a big fan of embroidery and love seeing how people use this classic medium to create artwork. The skull is a fantastic example of anatomy and stitches. The addition of the flowers adds a great textural element for this decorative pillow. The design appears simple, but has a strong impact. I'd love to see more of Danijela's work!

Birthday Skull

freakSTATIC made this card for their mother's birthday. They explained, "It went down really well, she used to sing the Birthday Dirge to us when we were small!" I has to look up this "Birthday Dirge" song for the message on the card to make any sense. Now, I'm hooked. You'll have to give it a listen. It's not a normal birthday song, but for us skull loving people, it's appropriate. I need someone to sing this to me on my next birthday.

Mosaic Skull

This flat faced skull is the handy work of Glen Francis aka - "Mount Rockula" from Victoria, BC, Canada.  Placed together like the jagged pieces of our own skulls and held together with a "skin" of grout.  I only wish we could see the rest of the work that this little fella gets to look at everyday.  Thanks for sharing your skull with us, Glen!

Flower Skull

Tattooist and painter, Emma Sailor, is our contributing artist today with this lovely flower skull.  Perhaps this is her reminder to all of us of how delicate our skulls really are.  The soft shades of color and textures could resemble the many emotions we endure in our lives that always wind up painted across our faces.  Or, it could just be one colorfully kick ass skull.  It's all about perception.  Thanks for sharing you work with us, Emma!  

Polka Dot Porcelain Skull

NooN, from France, created this polka dot porcelain skull through K.olin Tribu. I love the anatomical detail of the sculpture itself. The polka dots are an unexpected playful addition. Since skulls are related to death, the polka dots remind me of the red and black fabric dots and beauty marks people used to put over small pox scars and blemishes on their faces. This was popular from the 1600s through the 1800s. Other than covering facial flaws, they were placed to signify many things. Here is a little guide to the history and meaning behind the popular beauty practice. I wonder what it would mean if they were all over someone's face...perhaps that they needed to visit a doctor.

Sunday Simulacra - Version 7.12

Today's simulacra come from the great outdoors....

The first is a great looking calf with a scowling skull pattern on it's face from Susan Scofield of York, PA.  The second is a juicy Black Krim tomato, reminiscent of "Ricardio", from the garden of Thea Brown.  Thanks for sharing these, Susan and Thea!

Lenore's Super Ceramic Skull Saturday

French artist Lenore62 can clearly be regarded as a skull fanatic when you peruse the multitude of skulls she's creating. These ceramic skullptures are quite the impressive group, but it's just a fraction of her body of work that includes drawing and painting as well.  I posted my favorite of the bunch first, but the plant holder and spike mohawk skulls are tied for a very close second.  Thanks for sharing all of them Lenore!

Science Skeleton

Peter Istenik from Slovakia, created this artwork from Black granite. I love the anatomical design of this skull and hand. The shading made by using a hand engraver, is delicate and works well with the multi-tonal shiny granite. This particular granite reminds me of outer space, for which the science theme seems appropriate. To see a time lapse video of this piece being engraved, head to the bottom of this post.

Here is the time lapse video of this engraving being created.

Dia de los Muertos Masks

Amber Allison of Bling Out Your Dead in Los Angeles, CA, creates one of a kind Dia de los Muertos inspired masks. These masks are highly detailed and truly works of art. I love that the 3D elements are incorporated into the mask, vs. just along the top like many Dia de los Muertos masks. With Fall quickly arriving, it's that time of year to start thinking about Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. You can see more of her work on the website, Facebook page, and Etsy shop.

Bat Fastard Skull

No foolin'!  Bat Fastard in London, England is the artist responsible for this painted polyurethane skull that is handmade by himself. "I make these as a hobby but also to sell. They are molded from an original skull carved by myself, and then using a latex mold cast in polyurethane plastic before being painted, again by me." A nifty bit of durable decoration ready for multiple holidays, or every day if you're really "one of us". Thanks for sharing it, Bat!

Stippled Skull

Adele van Heerden is a "multidisciplinary visual artist and illustrator based in Cape Town, South Africa".  Her stippling designs are incredibly detailed with pinpoint accuracy(pun intended).  This excellent skull is just a start.  You can see more of her work on her Tumblr page.  Thanks for sharing, Adele!

Melon Skull Tattoo

Faith Broache said she is "a tattoo apprentice in Richmond, VA and today I practiced tattooing my favorite thing onto a melon!" When I first saw this, I thought it was a bald head, but a melon makes more sense. I love the anatomical sketch quality this tattoo has. Richmond (where Noah and I live) is one of the most tattooed cities, which is about how many tattoo shops per capita we have. This means tattoo artists aren't in short supply as a whole, but extremely talented ones are rare. I'm interested to see how Faith progresses as a tattoo apprentice, since this skull is a great look into her line work.

Sunday Simulacra - Version 7.11

This week's simulacrum are a combination of some real hard heads...

David Blohm of Adrian, MI found this one on a flower pot at his favorite Mexican restaurant.  

Job has this long faced skull coming out of his bathroom floor.

Justyna Walewicz caught this possibly yawning stone face skull. I guess you're get tired of just sitting there all day, too.

Thanks for sharing these, David, Job, and Justyna! Don't forget to submit your own hidden skull images so we can catalog them properly amongst our archives of silent skull watchers.

beadyeyedbrat Skulls

That's right, the beadyeyedbrat from San Diego, CA is the creator of this gruesome paper mache skull trio. These stony faced figures appeared to have been chiseled from the hardest parts of the Earth. A total reverse of the soft, limp, wet material that made them. Thanks for sharing these, beadyeyedbrat!

Chalk Skull

Diego Seconetti drew this skull. Since there was no info included about this drawing, by my analysis, it's white chalk on black paper. There is a lightness to this drawing, because chalk has a sheerness that can be built up. I like that this drawing is the reverse of the normal black on white drawings. The whiteness of the chalk plays with the highlights and the shadows. This makes me want to experiment with dark paper and light mediums.

Swirly Skull Tote Bag

Wayne Chisnall, of London, England, created this Swirly Skull tote bag. Per a request, he had a series of these printed, as an affordable alternative to normal paper prints. If you are interested in purchasing one, you can find more info about them here. I love the concept printing artwork on an alternative media. Through various artists I've talked to, their artwork sells better when it's not a traditional print. When it's tactile and usable, it's more likely to be purchased than something that will hang on a wall. Just a thought for you other artists looking to branch out from traditional prints. You can check out more of Wayne's work on his blog, Flickr, and Twitter.

Crystal Skull Pendant

August Voss is creating some amazing skull pendants including this one made of clear quartz. This piece measures 1" tall and 5/8" diameter.  Patience, desire, and a steady hand must be necessary tools to create such fantastic work, and I'm totally mesmerized by his FB page that has a slew of other skulls. Thanks for sharing this wonderful pendant, August!

Skull Whistle Pendant

In case you don't remember Michael Mueller he's the man who brought us this nifty skull pipe through the miracles of 3d printing. Now he's back with one bad ass whistle that's loud enough to wake the dead.  This skeletal screamer is gold plated brass and decorative enough to be worn as a pendant. A bit of double duty as a fabulous adornment that can also call attention to a dangerous situation.  Like the raising of the dead!  Thanks for sharing your work again, Michael!

Bob the Deceased Builder Bag

Dawn "had fun giving new life to an old bag and Bob the Builder got a cool skull makeover." "Bob the Builder" has been airing for over 10 years, and perhaps it's time for a new look. I wonder what Bob the Deceased Builder would be using his equipment for? Perhaps up-keeping cemeteries, constructing mausoleums, and visiting ship graveyards, hoping to get a pirate ship up and sailing again. I think we need a new spooky kids show like this. Go to Dawn's blog, Potionsmith, to see the before photo and what supplies she used for the makeover.

Sunday Simulacra - Version 7.10

Today's batch of simulacra are a mechanical bunch.  Each serving it's own unique purpose...

Scott Patrick McBride was at Johnny Brenda's in Fishtown (Philadelphia) watching The Veils.  When the show was over he and a friend went to the first floor bar and happened to sit across from this juicer press. The skull of "Jucifer".

DJ Carlito found this mixer skull.  "Kinda like seeing the image of Jesus in an omelette, but it's there only if you look at it (or point your camera) in the right angle."

Al Frank from Austin, TX found this smiley skull on the inside of the battery space on a Coleman electric lantern.




These mechanical marvels were designed by someone.  Someone who, I wonder, might be a secret skull fan working their subject into their design.  Or maybe it's just coincidence.  Either way we want to thank Scott, DJ, and Al for sharing their finds.  If you happen to find one of your own then be sure to submit it for the rest of the skull loving world to see.

Steampunk Craniometer

Every so often we get the pleasure of seeing some work that is only best explained by it's creator. Today's awesome work is from Art Donovan so I'll let him take over from here...

Craniometer

The following is from Art's website
"Shiva Mandala. My most complex work to date.

The Center is hand painted and duplicated from an ancient astrolabe created in 1291 by Muhammad Ali Bakr, the great Persian scientist. Ancient Persian text is inscribed in gold and the Rete is hand cut polycarbonate (translucent).

The Shiva slowly rotates @ 1RPM. A 24 hour clock with masonic, past master compasses and mariners' quadrant has a swinging pendulum with a holographic, All Seeing Eye. The skull is full-sized and supported in a handmade mahogany gimbal with brass rods.

Masonic symbology throughout the design.

Designed and entirely hand made by Art Donovan. Featured at the historic Oxford Museum Steampunk exhibition."

Shiva Mandala

Where do I begin with all that I love about this piece?  The skull of course!  I adore all of the symbolism that covers many, many walks of life.  A rich tapestry displayed to teach us lessons of time, value, morality, and balance.  I personally want to meet Art upon the level, act upon the plumb with my sincerest thanks, and part upon the square in wishing him the best of luck with all of his glorious endeavors.  Thanks, Art!   

Skeleton Makeup

Rachel Battle, of Richmond, VA, created this skull artwork.

I was looking through the submissions and thought "Wow, this face looks familiar...sort of like Rachel's face." Then, I looked at the submitter's name. Rachel and I used to work together several years ago. She's a cosmetologist who is a master of her craft. Everything she creates is a work of art, and truly impressive. This skull makeup, photograph, and editing, are no different. Absolutely stunning!