How To Draw A Tiki Mask Step By Step

As I said in a previous post, I got my son to help me design the tiki stuff I made for the last Retro Romp. So here's is the method I worked out, so he could help me. He picked the features and I drew them out. Its an incredibly easy system, and a great one to do with the kids and for just general doodling. The diagrams I've drawn are a bit rough, but what the hey, you'll get my drift. This is tribal stuff, the rougher the better.

And don't be fussing about the lines! Kids are constantly told in school to stay within the lines, and unfortunately this can stay with us as adults. When one neighbours kid got upset because he coloured outside the line, I just gave him the big black marker and said, change the line. He was chuffed...

Pick out a nose, eyes, eyebrows and a forehead from the following pics. These are essential features. Then pick out any other optional features, tongues, hands, feet, chests, etc.

Follow the diagrams below. I've drawn it out several times so you can see the progress. You obviously don't have to do this. The grid is just a grid for the essential features, and can be altered at will. I drew out the head in pencil first and then went over it in pen.

Step 1: Draw out a simple 2x4 grid.

Step 2: Draw the nose just above the centre of the grid.

Step 3: Add in the eyes

Step 4: Add the mouth

Step 5: Add the eyebrows

Step 6: Add the forehead

Step 7: Add in any other optionals. Here I have just added hands

I then re-drew the design larger, and just added patterns using 2 thickness of black pen.

So, there you have it! If you have a go, send me a pick/link, I'd love to see what other people come up with.

Here's a few more designs I did using this method with the kids

I wanted the designs to have a more proper Hawaiian feel, so I did a bit of research on traditional patterns. I came across Kapa, a type of bark cloth. Heres an interesting article, with a list of traditional dyes used in kapa making http://www.hawaiianencyclopedia.com/kapa-tapa-barkcloth.asp. Have now added it onto my list of places to go/things to make. a long list... Anyway, heres a few traditional patterns, if you want to add them into you tiki design