Sorry, if you've answered this before, but do you have any tips on drawing mouths and lips?
Hello anon! :D I’m not the best at making tutorials and giving tips but I’ll do my best to answer your question! ^^
I sure do love drawing lips! It might be in fact my favourite part of the face to draw.
Let’s see what makes them so irresistible ;)
tip 1: let them shine! that tiny shiny spot does wonders for the lips - it makes them fuller, softer and more three dimensional. It also makes the lips look slightly wet. Sexy!
tip 2: Build the depth with some darker spots. Quirking corners are great for that, and if you make the darkest spot in the middle of the mouth it seems like it’s about to part. And maybe whisper something seductive ;)
tip 3: The very middle of upper lip is my favourite area, it gives the mouth its distinct character. It’s also a great spot to play with shadows, one lighter stroke, one darker stroke and you have a very dramatic shading going on!
tip 4: When drawing lineart it’s good to keep the line varying in width and pressure. Equally thin, flat line might look good in anime, but even there it’s rarely the case. Making the line thicker in the shadowy part of the mouth adds depth to your drawing.
I almost never outline the upper lip, it tends to look weird. Just a thin “U” shape in the middle is usually enough.
Upper lip is usually in the shadow, at least half of it. Lower lip tends to catch the light, especially with pouty plump lips. The more shadow you add under it, the fuller the lips look.
When drawing male characters I usually play around with skin tones instead of pink and red (see the third row of examples). But it’s not a rule. Some boys rock them rosy lips. ;)
Never paint the teeth white, never. Gray, yellowish and pinkish tones are great.
And the final tip: use reference! Look for pictures of people with beautiful lips, with thin lips and full lips, try to see which line goes where and how it changes the shape and expression. I hardly ever draw without a reference.
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