The Grim Reaper symbolizes death.
The Grim Reaper is an entity thought to bring death to those he visits. Since the 15th century, the Grim Reaper has been pictured as a skeletal figure wearing a long black cloak with a hood, which may or may not hide the skeletal face underneath. He is also often shown carrying a large scythe in one hand. Although the idea of the Grim Reaper is terrifying, the Grim Reaper's basic appearance makes him easy to draw.
Instructions
Basic Structure
1. Draw a circle with a pencil on a piece of paper, making the circle as large as you want the head to be. This circle will form the head. Start inside the bottom of the circle and draw a large triangle beneath the circle. This triangle will represent the body.
2. Draw a slightly slanted vertical line beside the circle and triangle. The vertical line needs to be within the Grim Reaper's arm length. This is the scythe. Draw one small circle on top of the vertical line. Draw another small circle on the opposite side of the triangle. These circles are hands.
3. Lightly draw a line across the larger circle, below the center. Arch the line down slightly as if you were drawing the lines on a basketball. Draw a vertical line down the larger circle, making it closer to the left side of the circle. Arch the line toward the left.
Face
4. Look at the position in the circle where the two lines intersect. Position one eye to the left of the intersection, and the other eye to the right of it. Place each eye on top of the horizontal line. Draw the eyes as simple circles to create the appearance of sunken in eye sockets, or draw the eyes as slanted semicircles for a more ominous and evil appearance.
5. Create a small bulge above each eye. Extend a small semicircle above the left eye from the left side of the circle. Draw a small semicircle above and to the right of the right eye.
6. Create a cheek bone on the left side of the face by tracing along the left side of the circle, then indenting the line near the bottom of the circle. Extend the indented line to the point directly below the center of the left eye. Repeat this process on the right side of the face.
7. Draw a vertical line from the end of each indented line to a point just below the circle. This is the outline of the Grim Reaper's jaw bones. Begin on the left side of the jaw-bone lines and draw rectangular teeth until you reach the line drawn for the right side of the jaw bone.
8. Draw a small triangle beneath the eyes and to the left of the vertical line. This is the Grim Reaper's nose.
Hood and Cloak
9. Draw a curved line on the right side of the circle. Start at the teeth and draw up and around the right side of the face. Extend the curved line just above the top of the circle. At the tip of the line, draw a small line going in the opposite direction. This creates a small triangle at the top of the circle.
10. Draw a line that is parallel to the small line you previously drew. This line is the beginning of the Grim Reaper's hood. Extend it to a point above the vertex of the small triangle. Draw a line extending from that point in the opposite direction. Curve this line slightly. Stop when you reach the top of the circle.
11. Start just above the end of the line and draw a sideways triangular shape extending from the right side of the circle. Extend the bottom of the triangle from a point near the bottom of the Grim Reaper's teeth. This is the hood of the cloak.
12. Start at the edge of the bottom corner of the left side of the jawbone and draw a curved line down the large triangle as if you were drawing the side of a tear drop. Extend the line slightly before the halfway point. Draw another curved line below this one, and stop near the bottom of the triangle. Extend another line out toward the vertical line dawn for the scythe. Repeat this process for the right side of the cloak.
13. Draw a wavy line across the bottom of the triangle that connects the lines drawn for the left and right sides of the cloak.
Sleeves and Hands
14. Draw a wavy vertical line that extends out from the top of the cloak and stops at the small right hand circle. Draw a horizontal line from the extended line to the cloak. Erase the line drawn on the section of the cloak that the right sleeve covers. Draw a new wavy line for the inner sleeve, beginning at the bottom of the sleeve and going almost to the top. Do not connect the inner sleeve to the top of the clock. Leave a small area open.
15. Create skeletal fingers poking out from under the sleeve. Draw five long oval shapes that extend from the bottom of the sleeve. Draw smaller ovals beneath the long ovals that end in a point. These are the pointed finger bones.
16. Create skeletal fingers inside the small circle drawn on the scythe. Draw four thin horizontal ovals across the circle. Draw smaller ovals next to the long ovals that end in a point. Draw one pointy oval above the others for the thumb.
17.Draw a wavy line extending from the top of the left side of the cloak to a point on the scythe above the fingers. Draw a second wavy line below the first line from the left side of the cloak to a point on the scythe beneath the fingers.
Finishing Touches
18. Draw a line beside the slanted vertical line designated as the scythe. Connect the bottom and top of the two lines. This is the handle of the scythe.
19. Draw an upside down crescent shape at the top of the scythe that extends out in the opposite direction of the Grim Reaper. This is the blade of the scythe. Erase the lines from inside the blade of the scythe. Draw a small circle over the blade where the blade and handle meet.
20. Trace over the pencil lines for the facial features, hood, cloak, hands and scythe with a pen. Erase the pencil lines used at the beginning of the drawing for guidance.
