Sugar Sugar Sugar skull

I really love sugar skulls. I love what they look like, I love what they are made for, I love the celebration they are included with. Basically, I'm not kidding when I say I really love them. That's why when I got asked to make a sugar skull/elephant tattoo for my best friend, Audrie, I was totally on board. This girl loves elephants. Like a lot. It's super adorable, actually.

I had asked her if she knew what sugar skulls were for and she had said no. So for those of you who also don't know I will give you a tiny taste of this awesome tradition. Basically, sugar skulls are made on Dia de los Muertos (aka Nov 1&2) for the deceased. The skulls are called sugar skulls because they are made of sugar, obviously. How I see it is that they're pretty much celebrating the people who have passed on and their lives. You guys should really read this... It will do a much better job  of explaining than I do.

So I asked Audrie if she was getting it for anyone or wanted to get it for anyone. Oddly enough she had already wanted to get it for her grandpa, the man who brought her the love she has of elephants! It was really quite perfect.

So on I labored, first figuring out the silhouette.

I really liked the silhouette on the right, but thought a literal interpretation may be better. 

She liked both. Sooooo.... Being awesome like I am I combined them.  

Outline of the elephant

Okay, anyone wanting to make a sugar skull, it's freaking hard. Maybe not as much on just a skull, but that is a lot of body to fill.

This one was a no. Really.

Yes. 

I ended up scrapping the first one because it looked like an Indian elephant instead of a sugar skull. I did keep some aspects of it, but the back is really different. I'm not super excited about the back legs on the one I'm keeping (aka the one with color). Really, they're not okay. It looks like fishnets and a valentines day card hahaha. I still like him though. He just needs a little more love!

I'm kind of curious of how many other people have a love for elephants... You should share your love!