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October 2016

How to draw lips from the side

This tutorial has 3 examples for you to draw from: Overbite, Normal Bite and Underbite. When going through the tutorial, please pick only 1 example to follow instead of drawing all 3 lips at the same time.

how-to-draw-lips-from-the-side_-overbite-normal-bite-underbite

Tools

How to Draw Lips from the Side:

Step 1: Choose top and bottom lip positioning

1-drawing-lips-from-the-sideThis first stroke will determine whether you will draw an overbite, normal bite or underbite.

Step 2: Choose the lip angle

2-draw-lips-from-the-sideThis second stroke will determine the thickness of the top and bottom lip and whether the corner of the mouth with angle up or down.

Step 3: Draw a triangle

3-how-to-draw-lips-from-the-sideTurn your sketch into a triangle. The longer your triangle is, the wider the lips will be.

Step 4: Draw the mouth’s corner

4-draw-lips-from-sideDraw the corner of the mouth. This can be a simple dot, bracket, raindrop shape, triangle etc.

Step 5: Draw the top lip

5-draw-lips-from-the-side

You can start with the top or bottom lip. For this tutorial, I’m starting with the top.

Draw a curve that starts at the top left corner of the triangle. This curve can roughly follow the shape of the triangle, jut out or be drawn well inside the boundaries. It’s all up to you.

Step 6: Complete the top lip

6-draw-side-lipsConnect the curve you just drew to the corner of the mouth. Avoid drawing a straight line across. It’s better to draw a slightly curved line than a completely straight one.

Step 7: Draw the bottom lip

7-draw-side-lips

To draw the bottom lip, start your stroke from the bottom left corner of the triangle and wrap it up until it touches the top lip.

Step 8: Draw the upper and lower lip

draw lips from the sideDraw the upper lip. Be careful not to extend your line too far. The upper lip should be roughly the same thickness as the top lip or more.

When drawing the lower lip/chin for underbites, make sure the curve is less pronounced. The bottom set of teeth push the bottom/lower lip forward, reducing a lot of curvature.

Step 9: Draw the rim of the top and bottom lip

9-draw-lips-from-side

Using your HB pencil with as little pressure as possible, draw the rims around each lip, connecting them to the corner of the mouth. Then erase your guidelines.

Step 10: Add contour lines

10-drawing-lips-from-the-side

Time to shade! If you think your lines are too dark, use your kneaded eraser to pick up 1 layer of graphite from your drawing. Then use a sharp HB pencil to lay down your contour lines.

Step 11: Shade the lips

11-draw-lips-from-side

Start building up more contour lines using your HB, 2B, then 4B pencils.

Around the rim of each lip, soften your edges so they don’t appear too harsh.

Step 12: Shade the skin

how to draw lips from the side

For this tutorial, I used circulism to shade the skin around the lips. I used a blunt HB pencil and built up layers and layers of circles. Then used a 2B to shade darker areas.

how to draw lips from the side

I shaded areas such as the lower lip, cheek, corner of the mouth and skin directly under the nose a bit darker. If you still see a lot of white space, use your HB pencil to go over the skin with even more layers. Don’t press too hard or your circles will be very visible!

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Want to download a FREE PDF version of this tutorial for offline viewing or printing? Please share this page with your friends using the buttons below to unlock the PDF. Thank you! Alternatively, you can purchase ALL my tutorials in PDF form at once, for a small price. Click here for more info.
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Here is your PDF download link:

Click here to download the PDF version of this tutorial :)

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How to draw lips from the 3/4 view

how to draw lips in the 3/4 view

Struggle with drawing lips in the 3/4 view? With this method, you’ll be drawing perfect lips every time!

Since my first lip tutorial was so successful, I decided to base this one off the same idea of drawing lips using a simple triangle. If you liked that one, you’ll enjoy this even more! (If you haven’t tried my first tutorial, I suggest you do that first before attempting this one. Click here).

You can apply what you learn in this tutorial to this one on drawing a face from the ¾ view.

Tools:

Step 1: Draw a Cross and Triangle

step-1-three-quarter-lips

Using an HB pencil, make a straight vertical line. Add another line going through it that is slightly angled.

Then, draw a triangle.

Step 2: Add a curve at the top

step-2-3_4-lipsMake a curve close to the top of the triangle. This is the cupid’s bow. The distance of the curve to the base of the triangle will determine how big/thick the lips will be.

Step 3: Draw guidelines for the opening of the mouth

step-3-3_4-lips

Draw a long shallow curve halfway down the triangle. The length of this line will determine the width of your lips.

Since the triangle is facing towards our left, the left side of the lip should be less visible, so draw your curve shorter on the left side and longer on the right side of the vertical line.

Step 4: Draw the rim around the top lip

step-4-three-quarter-lips

Finish the outer rim of the top lip by connecting the cupid’s bow to the predefined corners of the mouth.

Step 5: Finish the top lip

step-5-three-quarter-lips

While staying inside the triangle, draw another curve that sits on the outline created in step 4. Depending on how much you bring this part forward (left) or back (right), you can end up with a strong overbite or underbite.

Complete this section by following along the rest of the outline.

Step 6: Draw the bottom lip

step-6-three-quarter-lips

Draw the bottom lip by starting at the base of the triangle and then curving your line up on each side.

The curve drawn for the bottom lip does not need to touch the corners of the mouth.

If the bottom lip looks like it’s coming out too much, simply erase and position it more to the right.

When you’re done, erase all the guidelines.

Step 7: Add some contour lines

step-7-three-quarter-lips

Shading time!

Use any realistic shading technique of your choice. For this example, I’m going to use the contouring method. It’s great for shading lips because the lines help to create realistic lip wrinkles/texture. The more curved your lines are, the more plump the lips will appear.

Step 8: Shade

With an HB pencil, use my Shadow-Lining technique to do a rough outline of areas you want to highlight or areas of shadow. Then, shade outside the Shadow Lined areas. Use an HB, then 2B and finally a 4B to build up depth in your drawing. It’s okay to shade into the areas you Shadow Lined or even change it up slightly as you go along.

If you want the lips to look very glossy, make your highlights as clean as possible and your shading less gradual.

step-8-how-to-draw-three-quarter-lips

Step 9: Blend it

step-9-how-to-draw-three-quarter-lipsUse a blending stump to smooth out your shading. Blend using the same motion your contour lines are flowing. Do not blend from light to dark.

Step 10: Touchups

step-10-how-to-draw-lips-in-3_4-view
If your highlights are too dark, pinch your kneaded eraser and mold it into the shape of a curve similar to your contour lines and press it along areas of the lip you want to lighten.

how to draw lips in the 3/4 view

Continue to lighten your highlights or even add softer graphite to darken areas such as the creases, corners of the mouth or shadows under the bottom lip.

Step 11: Optional

This step is completely optional. But I highly encourage it because it may take your artwork to a completely new level.

Depending on your preference, use your left or right hand to navigate your mouse down to the share buttons on this page and click on any social media platform to share this awesome tutorial with your friends!

If you enjoy my teaching style and want to see more tutorials on a regular basis, please share so I can continue to do what I do. Thank you for your support! :)

Wanna share your 3/4 lip drawings with me and other RFA readers? Submit your artwork via my facebook page and I’ll post it in the gallery!

Share to Unlock

Want to download a FREE PDF version of this tutorial for offline viewing or printing? Please share this page with your friends using the buttons below to unlock the PDF. Thank you! Alternatively, you can purchase ALL my tutorials in PDF form at once, for a small price. Click here for more info.
FB Like
Facebook Share
Tweet

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

😊 Thank you for sharing!

Here is your PDF download link:

Click here to download the PDF version of this tutorial :)

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

How many tries did it take you to successfully draw lips in the 3/4 view? What steps did you struggle with the most? Let me know in the comments below!

More lip tutorials:

Drawing lips from the side

Drawing lips from the front

Drawing a smile with teeth

How to draw lips from the 3/4 view Read More »

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