How to Draw Perfect Lips in Your Next Portrait

The mouth is one of the nearly expressive features of the face, merely it doesn't have to exist difficult to draw. Get-go, you want to keep a few things in mind when placing the oral fissure on the head:

  • The bottom lip is ordinarily at the aforementioned height equally the angle of the jaw.
  • The outer corners of the closed mouth are in line with the inner corner of the iris.
  • The central line of the oral cavity (the aperture) will be roughly situated ⅓ of the altitude between the bottom of the nose and the chin line.

    • From there, follow this basic formula and keep your reference photo or subject on-hand to crush your portrait every time.Cartoon Realistic Lips

    Level: Easy

    What You Demand

  • HB pencil
  • 4B pencil
  • Eraser

    • Instructions

    1. Draw the Aperture Line

    The first thing to continue in mind when cartoon the aperture: it'southward non a straight line. Pay close attention to your subject's specific curve.

    Draw iii vertical lines with an HB pencil: two for the width of the lips at each outside corner and ane at the eye line. Every bit the head is tilted in this case, the centre line is not in the eye, but about ⅓ of the way along the width.

    Good to Know: We're drawing female person lips, then this discontinuity line volition be the darkest part of the rima oris. It's often more defined on women'due south lips than men's — male person lips tend to be thinner with less of a defined outline.

    2. Place the Master Masses

    The upper lips tin can be divided into iii masses and the lower lips into two masses. Brand a rough sketch of each.

    Good to Know: The low above the mouth (at the center line) is chosen the cupid bow.

    iii. Add the Philtrum

    Lightly depict the philtrum (the crease betwixt the upper lips and nose) and outline the cast shadow.

    Offset adding more details, such as the pocket-size depressions at the outside corners of the mouth (the nodes).

    Pro Tip: The best way to think near nodes is to picture the shape of a donut. Considering this oral cavity is at an angled view, the node on the left side is in perspective.

    4. Detail the Lip Creases

    Place some skin creases on the lower lip. Each lip has a bit more than xx creases, but most of the time only a few are visible. Begin shading around the lips, still using the HB pencil.

    Shade the lower lip. Many times the lower lips volition accept a cast shadow from the upper lip.

    five. Shade the Upper Lip

    The summit lip is usually a bit darker if the light source comes from the top, because of the cast shadow from the nose. In this photo, the lite source is from the left.

    The edge of the upper lip is a flat surface area that will often catch the calorie-free, as seen on the right side here.

    6. Add together Shadows Under the Lip

    Switch to your 4B pencil, every bit this will brand the dark areas darker and provide more dissimilarity. Define the volume of the rima oris past adding a shadow underneath the lower lip. This shadow is usually darkest in the centre. Oft the upper lip is overlapping the lesser lip, and you tin see that in the central part.

    Once you lot finish shading, you lot're ready to move onto the other facial features.