A digital illustration lesson focused on symmetry introduces students to Día de los Muertos while inviting them to create skull designs that honor loved ones.

Julie McNulty

That got me thinking about how I could introduce this digital tool while teaching the design principle of balance, specifically symmetrical balance, to my students. I thought of seasons and upcoming holidays for theme ideas. I have always been intrigued by the Mexican holiday and tradition of Día de los Muertos, which celebrates and honors deceased relatives and friends. Like many art teachers, I try to expand my students’ worldview by exploring art and traditions from different cultures. I decided this would be our subject.

I started by creating a folder for each student on our school’s Google Drive and sharing that folder with students. This is where they would store their digital drawing files and skull reference image.

I created a presentation introducing the holiday and showing photos of ofrendas and calaveras de azúcar (sugar skulls), along with other elements of the celebration. We discussed the differences between this holiday and Halloween, including how the decorated skulls and other imagery associated with Día de los Muertos are part of a cultural tradition of remembering and honoring loved ones. We also watched a wonderful short animated video about a little girl who dreams of reuniting with her mother on Día de los Muertos.

In the second part of my presentation, I introduced students to the Sketchbook interface, pointing out the Layers panel, Toolbar, Brush panel, and Color Picker. I explained that they would be using a source image of a skull on one layer while drawing lines and shapes over it on another. The shapes would be filled using the Flood Fill tool and colors selected from the Color Picker or the Copic Colors library.

After students downloaded Sketchbook, they chose one of the skull reference images that I had provided in Google Classroom. Students downloaded and saved the image in their folder, opened it in Sketchbook, and locked the layer to prevent drawing on it. The skull reference image would not be visible in the end.

After creating a new layer above the source image, students used a size 3 brush, black ink, and the Symmetry tool to trace the contour line of half of the skull, one eye socket, and half of the nose cavity. Whatever they were drawing on one side of the axis of symmetry appeared as a mirror image on the other side of the axis. At this point, they were hooked on the project.

I reminded students how important it is to make completely closed shapes so that the color doesnʼt leak out when filled with the Flood Fill tool. I provided plenty of sugar skull reference images as inspiration while students drew their own patterns and decorations on their skulls.

When the skulls were complete, students saved their images as TIFF files and then as JPEG files, naming each in a format that I designated. At this point, we talked about how important it was to correctly name and file their digital work. I printed each digital design on a color copier. Using our Google Classroom, students each completed an artist statement describing their process and experience. Many students enjoyed this new medium and felt good about dedicating their work to the memory of a deceased relative or friend. This personal connection helped students understand that the decorated skulls they had studied were not simply motifs but part of a larger tradition of remembering and honoring loved ones.

Julie McNulty is an art teacher at the Academy of Notre Dame in Villanova, Pennsylvania jmcnulty@ndapa.org

Digital Día de los Muertos Skulls: Remembering Loved Ones through Digital Illustration