Linda's Voice: Lesson: How To Draw A Mouth

Monday, September 22, 2014

Lesson: How To Draw A Mouth

Mouths are very tricky because so much depends on subtlety.

Use a very light touch, especially in the beginning stages, to make sure that you don't outline the shape of the lips too much.

Otherwise this will result in a clownish, "drawn-on" look.

Sketch the shape of the upper and lower lip, remembering that on a head-on view the ends of the mouth generally line up with the middle of the eyes.

Divide the lips with a dark line, and add darks to the corners of the mouths as well.

These areas are among the darkest places on the face, so don't be afraid to lay down graphite with a very soft pencil--4B or so.

Add light shading to the upper lip, and to the top and bottom of the bottom lip. There will generally be a highlight across the center of the bottom lip, because it is a fleshy area that protrudes and catches the light.

Add lines to the lips to indicate that the skin puckers. Use both lines and highlights to give the lip greater realism.

When the lines are in place, blend your darks to smooth the lips, re-adding more contrast where needed.

Remember that the lips follow the curve of the face, and so the corners will be darker than the front.

Pick out highlights across the top of the lip and in places on the bottom. This highlight will serve as the "line" of the upper lip; it will mark the change in skin tone from cheek to lip and show the viewer where the lips begin without outlining them.

Make any finishing touches in terms of highlights and darks to finish.