In this tutorial we will be drawing a big smile. The purpose of this tutorial is to learn how to render texture and reflections using simple techniques. We will be using a combination of different techniques to give a more realistic look to lips and teeth. Well i hope you enjoy this tutorial and you learn much from it. My goal is for you to understand the techniques. My goal with this tutorial is for you to understand the techniques that can be used to achieve the effects. Your first drawing might not look as you want it, but i can guarantee that with time you will see results, its all about wanting to improve and practice. Well here we go.

You can use this image for reference. Click to see high resolution image.

Tools Used:

• 2b Mechanical Pencil
• 2h Wood Cased Pencil
• Kneaded Eraser
• Color Blender
• Chamois Towel
• Stylus
• Canson Bristol Smooth

Step 1

Well this is the outline that we will be working on. This drawing measures approximately 6 inches in width. I recommend using 2b pencil to draw the outline since you don’t have to press too hard for it to leave a noticeable outline. If you can use a heavier paper such as bristol it would be best. This will make using the stylus much easier. I will explain this on the next step. Don’t make the outline too dark, just enough for you to be able to see the pencil. I darkened the image a bit so you could see the outline.

Step 2

The stylus is an important tool that i work with. I use it on about 90% of my drawings. I’m all about tricking the eyes too see realism in my pencil drawings. This little tool allows me to add texture and realism with ease. Just like in the eye tutorial, i mentioned that most people haven’t paid any attention to the details of their eyes. The same is true with the mouth. We know the shape of our lips but we don’t know what it actually looks like. First of all they are not smooth. Lips are full of texture and one simple way to test this is to run one finger over them. You will feel the textures and contours. If you look at them close you will notice they are bumpy, especially the lower lip. You will also notice that when moist they reflect light and you can see these reflections. If you’re a woman you will notice these reflections much more if you are wearing glossy lipstick. These little things give the lips such unique characteristics and why not try to capture them on paper to give your pencil drawings much more realism.

Well in this step i filled in the space between the lower lip and the top teeth. Using 4b progresso pencil will give you a nice dark shade. The top gums were filled in lightly using 2h pencil to bring out the teeth. The teeth will be left for last. When working on a drawing with ahigh contrast of light and shadows, its great to lay down the darkest area first for reference. I also outlined the grooves that run down the bottom lip. These grooves are much more visible on fuller lips, but they are present on all lips. Well on the left corner of mouth i added some reflections and i did this my indenting some spots and lines using the stylus. On the left side you can see a reference. Once you have indented the lines and spots you can rub the area with the chamois towel. If you don’t know what it is, you can check out the tools to see what it looks like. Make sure that it is completely dry. Lay down some graphite with your progresso pencil on a separate sheet of paper and rub with the chamois. This will add graphite to the towel. Lightly run the towel over the indented area and you will see the indentations. Like I’ve mentioned before, there are many ways to achieve what you are looking for. This is how i do it, i think that using a stylus gives my drawings a unique look and theres actual texture in my drawings. Another way you can do this is to remove graphite with kneaded eraser in a dotted pattern. Experimenting is the fun part of drawing, and you will be surprised of what you can learn when you do. These reflections are not directly from the light source. The light is coming from the right side and these reflections are on the left side. Well these reflections are from other sources such as windows,light walls,etc that reflect the light source. Basically these are reflections of reflections. These little details will add much more realism to your drawings. Understanding these things will help in all your drawings. Study photographs and question why things look the way they do.

Step 3

We will now begin to work on the bottom lip starting from the left side. Running your progresso pencil over the left side will darken that area and will make the indentations jump out. Remember that the light source is coming from the right side and the area between each groove are raised, so they will cast a shadow to the left.

Step 4

Here we will outline the the reflection lines that run above the lips. These lines will serve as a guide to add the light texture. The red lines are groove lines that i added as well, these will serve as highlights which will give the drawing a bit more realism and much more depth. I added these groves using the stylus, in my case a pen with no ink. You can add finer ones later on using the kneaded eraser. These grooves will be blended into the area around it so they don’t look too obvious using the color blender.

Tools Used:

• 2b Mechanical Pencil
• 4b Progresso Pencil
• Kneaded Eraser
• Stylus
• Color Blender
• Chamy Towel
• 2H Wood Cased Pencil
• Bristol Vellum Paper

Well this is the drawing that we will be working on. The goal of this tutorial is for you to understand the technique that i used to get these effects. If the drawing doesn’t end up looking like this, don’t worry about it. As long as you understand the technique with time and practice you will see results. Well lets get started. We will use the image below as reference.

Step 1

Ok with your 2b mechanical pencil you first draw the outline. Draw it as light as possible so in case you need to erase there will be no marks. This drawing measures approximately 4 inches in width. I made the image darker so you could see the outline. This will tutorial will help you understand how to add texture not only to the nose but its a technique that can be used on other objects as well.