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Photo:Stock Photosfrom Valentina Razumova/ShutterstockThis post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please readour disclosurefor more info.
When it comes to portrait drawing, lips might be an afterthought.
But, let’s face it: they do a lot more than help us to speak and sing.
Lips are also a way to express ourselves without having to say words.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom marinafrost/Shutterstock
Think about puckering your lips or moving your mouth to form a grimace.
Those expressions say a lot!
So if you want to convey emotion in your art, its important that you learnhow to draw lips.
Photo & Art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
To do this, really study your source drawing.
What direction is the mouth line?
Is it straight across or does it curve?
Photo & Art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
And if so, how much?
Step 2: Refine your initial drawings.
Once youve determined the overall shape of the lips, begin to refine what you initially drew.
Photo & Art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
There will be parts that are plumper than others, while other areas will be thinner.
Step 3: Block out the shadows.
With the shape of your lips refined, its time to start thinking about the shadows.
Photo & Art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
Mark it on your drawing.
You might see a highlightprobably in the center of the bottom lipso mark that on your paper, too.
Step 4: Add some shading.
Photo & Art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
Now that you have the shading planned, its time to start adding it to your drawing.
As you apply grayscale values to the lips, use thedrawing techniqueof theback-and-forth methodto layer the graphite.
To convey the plumpness of some lips, try creatingcurved pencil strokesas you shade.
Photo & Art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
It will give the sketch an additional feeling of three-dimensionality.
Explore facial features in this step-by-step online class,Portrait Drawing for BeginnersonMy Modern Met Academy.
Looking for others who love drawing?
Photo: Melissa de Nobrega / My Modern Met Academy
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