Drawing people

Drawing a mouth

Steffi 21. May 2025

Learning to draw a mouth – step by step to a realistic mouth

The mouth brings expression to the face – so it is all the more important to be able to draw it confidently and with feeling. Here I’ll show you how to build up lips and mouth positions from different perspectives step by step. With simple shapes, clear guidelines and a little practice, you’ll get a better feel for proportion, volume and expression.

Anatomy: Structure of the mouth

The mouth consists of several important areas that you should know when drawing in order to be able to build a mouth without a model.

When drawing the mouth, a precise understanding of lip anatomy is essential in order to achieve convincing and realistic depictions. The lips are a complex interplay of soft shapes, subtle elevations and characteristic lines. In particular, the transitions between the skin of the lips and the skin of the face, the structure of the red of the lips and the surrounding shapes such as the philtrum or the corners of the mouth have a decisive influence on the expression. The following features help to capture the mouth in an anatomically correct and expressive way:

Anatomical features of the mouth and lips

Philtrum: The vertical groove between the tip of the nose and the upper lip.
Philtrum pillars: The slightly raised lines that border the sides of the philtrum.
Cupid’s bow/armor arch: The heart-shaped indentation of the upper lip in the center.
Outer lip border: The transition between the red of the lips and the surrounding facial skin.
Inner lip border: The inner border of the lips, visible when the mouth is open.
Corners of the mouth: The lateral end points of the lips – important for facial expressions.
Tubercles: Small, natural elevations on the upper lip, usually in the middle or slightly offset to the side.
Lower lip red: The pigmented, curved surface of the lower lip, often with striking light reflection.

These elements contribute significantly to the depth, shape and expressiveness of a drawn mouth.

From closed to open

The extent to which the mouth is open can be determined in advance using a longitudinal and transverse axis. The shape of the mouth can also be determined in advance with a double prong. The transverse line determines the length of the mouth.

Drawing the mouth - open and closed — Drawing the mouth – open and closed

Drawing the mouth shows a person’s emotions most clearly and can be drawn in so many different ways: full lips or narrow lips or or or or. The basic shape of the mouth is a more or less narrow oval (depending on the mouth – full lips, for example, look more sensual than narrow ones).

Mouth drawing example tutorials

Drawing realistic mouths is a particular challenge, as they should not only be anatomically correct, but also expressive and proportional to the rest of the face.

Here I show you step by step how to draw different mouth shapes – from a closed mouth to an open laugh, from the front and in profile. The sketches will help you to better understand proportions and gain more confidence when drawing lips, nose and chin.

Just try it out and draw along!

Lip sketch – schematic structure

This tutorial shows you a simple, schematic approach to capturing the structure of lips.

Start with a horizontal line as a base line.
Sketch the upper and lower lip with simple, geometric arcs.
Refine the shape with implied volume.
Add implied muscle or shadow structure.
Shade softly for a sculptural effect.

Drawing female lips

Here I draw soft, feminine-looking lips with a focus on proportion, shape and shading.

Draw a horizontal base line and draw the shape of the upper lip.
Sketch the lower lip as a gently curved arch.
Set both lip shapes in harmonious proportion to each other.
Add texture with a light line structure.
Add volume and shine to the lips with strong shading.

Drawing a male mouth with nose and moustache

This exercise is about sculpting a male mouth with a nose and moustache.

Draw male lips / mouth and nose with moustache

Start with two circles for the mouth and nose.
Mark the base of the nose and lip line.
Add the lip shape and moustache structure.
Use dense hatching for hair and shadows around the nose and mouth

Draw male lips from the front

Here you can see how to draw masculine lips in frontal view with volume step by step.

Male lips / mouth drawing with moustache

Draw a horizontal line as the lip line.
Lightly outline the curved upper and lower lip.
Build up the shape of the mouth with symmetrical contours.
Use initial shading for lip volume.
Shade the entire surface for a realistic play of light and shadow

Draw an open mouth in profile

In this example, I’ll show you how to build up a wide open mouth from the side step by step.

Draw open mouth in profile

Start with a slight diagonal center line for the profile. Sketch the tip of the nose and mouth.
Draw the distinctive shape of the lips with a generous opening, using sweeping lines to help you.
Complete the nose, the chin area and the inside of the open mouth.
Sketch in the teeth and tongue.
Emphasize shadows on the nose, upper lip and inside of the mouth to create depth.

Draw an open mouth from the front

Here you will learn how to construct and effectively shade an open mouth from the front.

Draw a vertical central axis and a horizontal one; a circle serves as the tip of the nose.
Sketch simple shapes for the nose and mouth opening.
Work out the lip shapes with the mouth open.
Show the rows of teeth by hinting at them lightly.
Add strong shading inside the mouth and under the nose to create a spatial effect.

Drawing male lips in profile

In this tutorial, I draw a male mouth in profile – with a clear shape and defined contours.

Draw male lips / mouth in profile

Start with an inclined axis and ovals for the nose, mouth and jawline.
Define the lines for the bridge of the nose and lip contour.
Shape the nose with the tip of the nose and draw lips with a slight overbite.
Complete the chin and the lower part of the face.
Emphasize nose shading and lip rounding with hatching for volume.

Draw an open mouth from the side

I’ll show you how to convincingly depict an open mouth from a slightly lateral perspective.

Draw a diagonal axis with two ovals as the basic shape of the nose and mouth.
Roughly sketch out the nose and open mouth shape.
Draw in the teeth and tongue loosely.
Work out the details of the nostrils and lip contour.
Add shadows for the curve of the cheeks and the depth of the mouth.

Drawing the mouth in pencil Examples

Facial expressions and emotions

A mouth is more than just a shape – it shows emotion. Whether it’s an implied smile, a broad grin or a hearty laugh: even small changes in the mouth area can change the entire mood of a drawing.

If you want to learn more about emotional facial expressions, you can find more examples and tips on another page.

Mimik und Gesichtsausdrücke

From closed mouth to laughter in profile

I’ll take you through four facial expressions – from closed mouth to laughter, all in profile.

Here I show you how to draw different stages of a smile – from a subtle smile to an open, hearty laugh. The profile view is particularly helpful in understanding changes in tension, angle and opening of the mouth.