[BONUS] Laughing Skull Stencil in Use III

Doug Dobey of Richmond, Virginia created this great montage using my free Laughing Skull Stencil! What superhero would come running when this is projected into the sky?

Cubist Skull

We've seen our fair share of blockheads around here at Skull-A-Day, but this pair are featured in a true cubist style.  Raye Mayo of Virginia used acrylic paints on an "upcycled" canvas to create a piece that might very well be "searching" for an identity.  To use a reference that some of the younger readers might not get, I'll let my "fingers do the walking" when I type this thanks to you, Raye!

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!!!

[BONUS] Laughing Skull Stencil In-Use II

Denise used my new free Laughing Skull Stencil to create this amazing stitched piece, which took 5 hours to create! She was also the randomly selected winner of my recent book giveaway, so it was clearly time well spent!

Sunday Simulacra - Version 7.31

Today's simulacrum are similar with their silly bug eyed looks. The first was spotted at the top of a glass of Guinness by Matt Morales from the Bronx, NY. He was thoroughly amused/petrified at the goofy eyes staring into his soul. The second was discovered by Meadow Campbell of Carbondale, IL. Her note included this, "Soaking okra in milk before breading/frying makes it less slimy (and delicious!). I made a batch last month and was treated to a surprise in the sink when I moved the strainer." A couple of bright eyed skulls indeed(if that's actually possible). Don't forget to submit your own skull simulacra if you are lucky enough to find them. Thanks for sharing these with us, Matt and Meadow!

Dementia Demon Skull

Today's skull is most definitely older than some of our readers. I'm not trying to put an age on Hal Weaver from Virginia Beach, VA, but this demon skull that he created with ball point pen on bristol board was originally drawn for Dementia magazine back in 1986.  The bones themselves are scary enough, but this must have been a pretty gruesome beast when it had it's flesh.  Thanks for sharing your frightening work, Hal!

[BONUS] Laughing Skull Stencil In Use

Check out this great animated gif by Scott Krichau using my new free Laughing Skull Stencil!

What will you do with it? Submit something before the end of the day today (Friday, December 27) and you'll be entered to win a signed copy of my book SKULLS! Details are HERE.

Light Skull

Aleix Solé created this light skull. This reminds me of Noah's "66. Sparkler Skull". Though I've seen several submissions of light skulls, I know its quite a feat to create...timing, right light source, shutter speed, exposure length...a skull from light. Here in Richmond, VA, we currently have a massive amount of "tacky lights" (and a tour to see the best ones), so this light skull is festive to us.

White on Black Skulls

For the most part we see a lot of sketches that start out on white paper and then darker colors are added to create the skull. These pieces are great because Martha Vann of Richmond, VA went the opposite direction and started with black paper and used a white pencil to create these excellent sketches. It seems that this approach would cause one to rethink how the image is applied, less coloring for darker areas, more in the lighter areas. This method seems like a great way to reposition your thinking, a healthy exercise that we should all try once in a while.  Thanks for showing us a different perspective, Martha!

[CONTEST] Win a Signed Copy of SKULLS!

 THE CONTEST IS CLOSED, THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED!

One lucky Skull-A-Day fan will win a signed and customized copy of my book SKULLS by using my new Laughing Skull stencil!

I recently created a new stencil in honor of our Facebook page crossing the 20,000 fan mark (and hey, if you're not already a fan over there get to it)! Like our other free downloads the stencil is available as to use as you please (under a Creative Commons license).

As always I'd love to see what our fans make with my creations, so to sweeten the deal I'm offering a signed & customized copy of my, now out of print, book SKULLS to a randomly selected person who sends in a picture of this stencil in use during this week only!

Feel free to use the stencil in the traditional way with paint or get creative and see what other materials you can use with a stencil. I'll post and share the submissions as they come in so you can get inspired!

PRIZE INFO: One (1) copy of the out of print book SKULLS signed and customized by Noah Scalin.


HOW TO ENTER: Download the new Laughing Skull Stencil and create something with it and then send us a picture of the results!


CONTACT INFO: The winner, chosen at random from all of the entries, will be contacted via email by one of the Skull-A-Day editors within 7 days of the end of the contest. If that winner doesn't respond, another winner will be chosen.

WHERE TO ENTER: All entries must be sent to our submission address, which you can find at the bottom of this page.

CONTEST CLOSES: 11:59:59 PM Eastern USA Time Friday, December, 27, 2013.

NUMBER OF WINNERS: One

PRIZE SHIPS: This contest is open to all skull lovers around the world!

IF YOU DON'T WIN: Stay tuned for details about a brand new Skull-A-Day book in 2014!

Sunday Simulacra - Version 7.30

My first inclination of these two rocks is that they are great skull simulacrum, but then I started wondering if maybe Mother Nature was responsible and perhaps we should credit these to her. No matter which way you think it should be I still need to give credit to the ones who captured the images and shared them with us. The first is from Brad of Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia who found this awesome sight at the Mulu National Park. The second comes from Jen Craniac of Peru, IL who discovered this landmark at the Cave Of The Mounds near Blue Mounds, WI.  These both seem like great destinations to visit, even without their skulls.  Take a hint from Brad and Jan and get out there and explore your world.  If you happen to find a skull simulacra then share it with us so that we can spread the wealth.  Thanks for doing just that, Brad and Jan!

Sugar Skull Wedding Cake Toppers

Dany Hernandez gives new meaning to "Til death do us part" with these beautiful handmade sugar skull cake toppers.  A perfect match for each other as we hope that the bride and groom will be.  Best wishes to the recipients of these and thanks to Dany for sharing your work with us again.

Mask of a Skull

Raven Arbuckle is passionate about bones and skulls, and loves putting them her in artwork. We get a lot of human skulls submitted. Animal skulls are a rare treat. This is a beautiful combination of an animal skull with a human wearing it. This drawing is very mystical, and brings to mind stories of ancient ceremonies. With Solstice and Christmas happening soon, this ceremonial drawing seemed fitting.

[CONTEST REMINDER] Win Penelope from Skelly Chic

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks for participating!

Don't forget you have until 11:59pm Eastern USA Time Friday, December 20, 2013 (TODAY), to enter the the current giveaway.  Skelly Chic is giving away Penelope Skelly to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan. You can find the original contest post by clicking the side bar ad, or this link.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

[BONUS] 422. Cereal Killer Skull

I recently bought some retro boxes of the classic monster cereals to put on display in my office and while I'm planning to never open Franken Berry, Boo Berry, Count Chocula, and Frute Brute, I did break into Fruity Yummy Mummy and decided to make this with it...

Did you eat breakfast cereal as a kid? If so what were your favorites?

[CONTEST REMINDER] Win Penelope from Skelly Chic

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks for participating!

Don't forget you have until 11:59pm Eastern USA Time Friday, December 20, 2013, to enter the the current giveaway.  Skelly Chic is giving away Penelope Skelly to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan. You can find the original contest post by clicking the side bar ad, or this link.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

Fast Draw Skull

Today's bit of skull art genius is courtesy of Jackie McGill of 321 Fast Draw, a company that produces customized whiteboard presentations (also known as Whiteboard videos, Explainer videos or Scribing videos). Today's skull is not just a fancy little bit of fastly drawn art. It's also a FREE screen saver. Jackie has included a video of the process as well as provided this link for our readers to find the skull and other fast drawn screen savers. Be sure to check out all of the free screen savers that they have in their goodies section. Thanks for sharing your skull with us, Jackie!

[CONTEST] Win Penelope from Skelly Chic

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks for participating!

Leigh Hannan is the artist behind Skelly Chic. All of her skellies are handmade from paperclay or paper mache over a handmade armature, painted with many layers of acrylics, detailed in pen, sealed with a medium and embellished with fabric trim. Each is one of a kind; there are no ordinary skellies! Her love for colorful skeletons started with a trip to visit her father in El Paso, Texas. There she noticed color, color, color everywhere, and also Day of the Dead skeletons. Since then Mexican Day of the Dead artwork has been a big influence on her own artwork. Leigh wants to share this love for skulls, by giving away this Penelope Skelly to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan.

PRIZE INFO:
Penelope is a one-of-a-kind (OOAK) skull art doll, hand-sculpted from paper clay over a hand-made armature, painted with many layers of acrylics, sealed with a matte medium and embellished with fabric trim and a rose brooch. She is 13.25" H x 2.75" W x 2.5" D, and weighs 1.3 oz. Penelope has important hair. It ripples, and flows, and you can feel a soft ocean breeze beckoning to you whenever you look at her! A fresh teal ruffled collar and pretty peach rose brooch complete her look. Penelope is not a toy, and not waterproof; please protect her to ensure that you have her company for many years to come. Penelope is signed and dated.

HOW TO ENTER: Penelope looks like a girl with a great story. To enter this giveaway contest, you must comment with an answer to this question. Who is Penelope? For example, I think she lives by a beach in France, writes romance mystery novels, and goes antique shopping with her little dog.

CONTACT INFO: The winner, chosen at random, will be contacted via email by one of the Skull-A-Day editors within 7 days of the end of the contest. If that winner doesn't respond, another winner will be chosen. With your comment, please INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!! Entries are only valid with this information.

WHERE TO ENTER: All entries must be made on this blog post, on Skull-A-Day.com. You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

CONTEST CLOSES: 11:59:59 PM Eastern USA Time Friday, December 20, 2013.

NUMBER OF WINNERS: One

PRIZE SHIPS: This contest is open to the USA only. Sorry international folks!

IF YOU DON'T WIN: Don't fret, while the contest is running, Skelly Chic is offering 20% off orders of $50.00 or more (excludes custom orders) in their Etsy shop. Use coupon code SKULLADAY at check out. You can find more of Skelly Chic's work on their Website, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Sunday Simulacra - Version 7.29

Colin Kilpatrick has a keen eye for spotting those sneaky skulls hidden around us everyday. So much in fact that he's submitted two skulls that he found at different times and in different states. The sidewalk skull is located in Santa Barbara, CA and the shadow was spotted back at his home in Alabama. It just further proves that these skulls are EVERYWHERE! Keep your eyes peeled and be sure to submit them to us. Thanks for sharing yours, Colin!

Skateboard Skulls

Chicago street artist, Saro, is here today to share these killer skateboard decks that he has awesomely adorned with skulls using hand cut stencils and Montana Gold paint. These decks are actually part of a larger show called "Deck The Halls" that started on Nov. 16 and runs through Dec. 21 at Vertical Gallery in Chicago. Featuring 50+ artists from all over the globe and displaying 80+ custom skateboards, all of which are for sale with 20% going to a charity called The Simple Good.  Awesome art for an awesome cause!  This is a great way to get our weekend rolling.  Thanks, Saro!

Dia de la Abby: #85 La Calavera Catrina Doll

A few years ago, I started making a La Calavera Catrina doll. I crocheted the doll, but never finished decorating it. Last week, I starting participating in a 30 day drawing challenge. Today's challenge was "Dolls or Puppets", so it was the perfect time to play with finishing up my doll concept. I drew everything with a pencil, inked it, and used colored pencils. To see what other projects I'm working on, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Crafty Lady Abby. To see the other 84 skulls I've created over the years, go here.

[CONTEST REMINDER] ...from Sin in Linen

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks for participating!

Don't forget you have until 11:59pm Eastern USA Time Friday, December 13, 2013 (TODAY), to enter the the current giveaway.  Sin in Linen is giving away a set of 2 Jolly Roger pillowcases to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan. You can find the original contest post by clicking the side bar ad, or this link.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

Skull with Antlers

Rachel Quinlivan, from Alabama, created this oil on acrylic painting of a skull with antlers in a bed of flowers. This time of year, makes me think of reindeer, so this skull with antlers seemed fitting to share now. The face is covered by the plentiful flowers, so I can only imagine that it's non-human. However, perhaps it's some poor soul who's end was met while wearing festive antlers. Either way, it's a great painting. You can find more of Rachel's work (including some fossils and more skulls) on her Facebook page.

Eyeliner Skull

Cuteness comes in all forms, including this little cotton ball with eyeliner skull from Erin Bunting of Huron, OH. She's proving that "inspiration can be found anywhere, even the bathroom". This piece is one of many she's creating for her "A Face A Day" 365 blog.  Thanks for sharing your inspiration with us, Erin!

[CONTEST REMINDER] ... from Sin in Linen

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks for participating!

Don't forget you have until 11:59pm Eastern USA Time Friday, December 13, 2013, to enter the the current giveaway. Sin in Linen is giving away a set of 2 Jolly Roger pillowcases to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan. You can find the original contest post by clicking the side bar ad, or this link.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

Two Skull Tattoo Tuesday

I know a "2 for Tuesday" sounds hokey, but not when you get tattoos like the ones here from Rob Young of Altered Images Tattoo.  A couple of ink in skin skulls make any day of the week good for me.  These two just happen to fall on Tuesday, making this Tuesday a little better of course.  Thanks for sharing your killer work with us, Rob!

[CONTEST] Win a Set of Skull Pillowcases from Sin in Linen

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks for participating!

Based in Seattle since 2004, Sin in Linen inspires passion in the home. Producing soft goods with hardcore style, Sin in Linen pairs evocative designs with traditional linens for bed, bath, kitchen and home décor. Retro styling, rock and roll themes and dreams of seduction are infused into everyday products in hopes that customers can feel enthusiastic about their personal style in the home. Sin in Linen wants to share their love of skulls by giving away a set of two Jolly Roger pillowcases, to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan!

PRIZE INFO: One set of two Jolly Roger pillowcases. These jet black pillowcases, made of 100% cotton, feature skull and crossbones, and nautical stars embroidered on the hem.

HOW TO ENTER: Since these pillowcases are meant for getting a good rest, to enter the contest, comment below with your answer to this question. If you won these pillow cases, where would you use them to sleep well? For example, I'd use them to cover the pillows on my favorite nap spot.

CONTACT INFO: The winner, chosen at random, will be contacted via email by one of the Skull-A-Day editors within 7 days of the end of the contest. If that winner doesn't respond, another winner will be chosen. With your comment, please INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!! Entries are only valid with this information.

WHERE TO ENTER: All entries must be made on this blog post, on Skull-A-Day.com. You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

CONTEST CLOSES: 11:59:59 PM Eastern USA Time Friday, December 13, 2013.

NUMBER OF WINNERS: One

PRIZE SHIPS: This contest is open to the USA only. Sorry International people!

IF YOU DON'T WIN: Don't fret, Sin in Linen is offering 15% off all purchases until Monday, December 16, 2013. Enter code SKULLADAY at checkout. Find out what else Sin in Linen is doing, on their Facebook, Twitter, and Blog.

Sunday Simulacra - Version 7.28

The kitchen is always a great place to find hidden skulls. Perhaps they are reminiscent of spirits who enjoyed the atmosphere. Today's finds from Nathan Cavanaugh(water mark on cutting board) and Tesa Gammon(pancake) are no different. Merely longing to remain where they can be with good food and good friends. Thanks for sharing these with us, Nathan and Tesa!

Ferreira's Super Skull Saturday

Today's Super Skull Saturday is a dominant performance from Justin Ferreira.  His works here cover a wide range of media, including tattoos.  I couldn't decide on which to post so I posted all of them.  These pieces really speak for themselves so I'll stop typing and let you get to observing them.  Thanks for sharing these, Justin!

Microsoft Paint Skeleton

Sarah Ripley of Richmond, VA, made this skeleton using Microsoft Paint. I have to say, despite digital drawing technology being fantastic now, I still love playing with old school Microsoft Paint. Sometimes, I just turn on some music and doodle freely on it. However, none of my doodling has ever produced something as nice as Sarah's skeleton. It has such nice details and shape, that I wouldn't have known it was created on Microsoft Paint, if it wasn't for that pixeled haze around the lines! Hate when that happens no matter how many times it's corrected. I guess that's a reason to be thankful for better quality drawing programs.

[BONUS] 421. Puzzle Skull II

When I was a kid my family would go on vacations to the beach and we always brought along a giant jigsaw puzzle for everyone to work on together. Since my family decided to spend this past Thanksgiving at the beach, I thought it would be fun to resurrect the tradition by bringing along a particularly challenging puzzle. Before we got too far my mom suggested I make a skull out of the pieces...

And yes we did complete the puzzle before the vacation was over!

Tribalistic Skulls

Scott Middlehurst is doing a impressive job of representing old and new techniques of skull art.  The first is an ornate wood carving, an art form as old as humans; the second is a digital image, a media as new as a few seconds ago on the scale of the history of the Earth and the Cosmos.  Both share equal qualities of grace and toughness yet seem to span millennia in their delivery.  Thanks for sharing both of them, Scott!

DEATH TARTS!!!

Let me tell you my two favorite things about Amanda Colianni's submission.  It's a stellar skull and it was made for somebody else to enjoy.  Amanda's boyfriend was the lucky recipient of some raspberry tarts that were skullified for his birthday.  A sweet way way to celebrate your life- DEATH TARTS!!! Sorry, that last part was all me and not Amanda.  Thanks for sweetening our day, Amanda!