Self-Portrait, Inspired by Tim Burton

I really enjoy creating projects inspired by other artists, particularly those whose style is nothing like my own. It's fascinating to see that, no matter how much I try to stay true to the artist's aesthetic, my own style is evident. That's definitely the case with today's self-portrait, which is inspired by Tim Burton. This is a great project to do with kids any time of the year, but it's especially fun during the Nightmare Before Christmas season. Affiliate links below. 

Self-Portrait, Inspired by Tim Burton

Materials: 

• toned drawing paper or cardstock
• pencil
• black Flair pen
• white colored pencil

Steps: 

Start by deciding if you will be drawing just yourself or if others (like a pet) will be with you. Lightly sketch an oval head for each character on the toned paper. Add very large circles in the middle of the oval for eyes. Then fill in the rest of the features. The mouth, nose, and human ears should be undersized. The bunny ears should be large. Draw the rest of the torso for each character. It should be very skinny - much skinnier than I made mine! 

When you are happy with your pencil lines, trace them with the Flair pen. Add hair. Then fill in the details: pupils in the centers of the eyes, short lines for eyelashes, small eyebrows, and bunny whiskers. 

Color in the eyes and the bunny's tummy with the white colored pencil. You may need to redraw the pupils after coloring. 

Use the pencil to add shading: around the outside of the eyes, on the side of the nose, along the insides of the face, under the chin, on the shoulders, under the arms, and in the bunny's ears. Add depth to the hair by filling it in with more pencil lines and shading. 

I stopped here, but feel free to add gothic-style clothing, a whimsical border, or an interesting background. You could also make a cool paper frame. Let your creativity go wild!