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.
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PermalinkOne Ping to “Drawing Realistic Mouth and Teeth”
26 Responses to “Drawing Realistic Mouth and Teeth”
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1. P in Littleton Says:
February 18th, 2008 at 12:04 amThis was excellent. My husband actually gasped when he saw my first drawing after using this tutorial. Thanks!
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2. P in Littleton Says:
February 18th, 2008 at 12:04 amThis was excellent. My husband actually gasped when he saw my first drawing after using this tutorial. Thanks!
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3. PamYla Says:
March 6th, 2008 at 4:06 amExcellent!
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4. PamYla Says:
March 6th, 2008 at 4:06 amExcellent!
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5. Asha Says:
March 6th, 2008 at 2:08 pmThere should be a lighter shade line running along the outer outline of the lips (between the outline of lips and the skin of the face)You can observe this if you look at your own mouth in a mirror.
otherise the tutorial is very good
Asha
India -
6. Asha Says:
March 6th, 2008 at 2:08 pmThere should be a lighter shade line running along the outer outline of the lips (between the outline of lips and the skin of the face)You can observe this if you look at your own mouth in a mirror.
otherise the tutorial is very good
Asha
India -
7. Sid Says:
March 10th, 2008 at 10:15 pmI was wondering how you made the hair tool with the pin. Was it just glued into the old pen barrel?
Thanks, Sid -
8. Sid Says:
March 10th, 2008 at 11:15 pmI was wondering how you made the hair tool with the pin. Was it just glued into the old pen barrel?
Thanks, Sid -
9. onlypencil Says:
March 11th, 2008 at 8:38 amthank you so much. Asha thats exactly what i mean when i say that studying improves your detail. Those subtle details will make your drawings much more realistic. The more you study what you are drawing the more you will be able to add to the drawing.
Sid, i just took one of those cheap mechanical pencils and i inserted a needle on the tip. A 0.7 mechanical pencil would be best because it would be much easier to put in the needle. Once the needle is in, you can tape around it. Make sure to file down the tip a bit so that it doesn’t shred through the paper. If you have any other questions just contact me.
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10. moorthy Says:
March 24th, 2008 at 3:20 amplease sent me mipermation in arts
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11. moorthy Says:
March 24th, 2008 at 4:20 amplease sent me mipermation in arts
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12. Ira Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 2:26 pmThank you very much for very detail descriptions. I took drawing classes for two semesters and did not learn as much as I did reading you tutoring.
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13. Ira Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 3:26 pmThank you very much for very detail descriptions. I took drawing classes for two semesters and did not learn as much as I did reading you tutoring.
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14. Kevin Says:
September 17th, 2008 at 11:21 pmThe texture you added was amazing and i didn't do anything like that xD
i don't have any chamois towels so i fail.
When i go to the 7th grade, hopefully they'll teach something as good as your tutorials.
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15. Terror Says:
December 4th, 2008 at 3:26 pmThis is absolutly amazing!
I tried drawing a mouth both before and after this tutorial. the difference is staggering. Thankyou this was so helpful -
16. Nithya Says:
December 17th, 2008 at 8:34 pmThis too was really useful for me. I tried it and here is the result(http://blithesomenitz.blogspot.com/2008/12/lips.html). I am not sure how it turned out since I didn't have some tools you use(like stylus and kneaded eraser). I am planning to buy those soon. Hope I can improve my drawing with those tools.
Thank you once again for the tutorial.
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17. Tim Says:
January 2nd, 2009 at 6:12 amGreat eye and mouth tutorials, thank you!
Could you please post a nose tutorial sometime to make a whole face? -
18. Shannon T Alston Says:
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:54 pmnice article! nice site. you're in my rss feed now
keep it up -
19. wisdom teeth Says:
February 6th, 2009 at 6:37 amWisdom teeth is a nonsense.
What to me pleasure of what at me in 25-30 years has grown a teeth without which I already easily manage for a long time?
Where they were, when I in a youth teeth opened bottles with beer because it was abruptly? When I clicked a teeth nuts?
And then, why from name “Wisdom teeth” – I that, somehow in another way to chew has learnt? Not how earlier when I was the young fool? Whether business if to years to 30 grew, for example, wisdom fingers! Better, of course, on each hand on the additional index. But on the second big – too it is normal. And then it would be wisdom fingers – because now I precisely know, for what I should seize both hands, to hold strong-strong and never to release. Or from what to wave away – yes, now I know, from what I should wave away very much, sometimes so there is no pair of superfluous fingers on hands that from it to wave away.
Or here, a wisdom eye. It is necessary certainly, to change the passport by 30 years because you on a forehead had one more eye… Well also I represent, as it will be scratched. When it begins to be cut through – hard, yes. But – what pleasure to look in three eyes at that, on what you could not see enough in both in any way… And points cool can be carried – represent, what turn the fashion industry can make!
I ask me to excuse, it is simple a teeth strongly are ill -
20. asif india Says:
March 14th, 2009 at 5:22 ami use only 6b pencil for all light and dark tones, should i need deferent pencils?
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21. Diane Says:
June 6th, 2009 at 10:50 pmOuch. This was harder than drawing the eye. I nearly went cross-eyed trying to sort out all the minute details, but is good training to help see all the finer details which really adds richness to the finished product. I need more practice with this one…. thanks again for the excellent instruction.
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22. doforanimals Says:
June 14th, 2009 at 9:46 pmMy second attempt at this tutorial was a little better. Still having trouble with the stylus. It's hard to see exactly where I'm embedding those lines and discover they're the wrong size or placement after I start blending. Once they're scratched in, they're there to stay! Is this an intuitive thing that you learn eventually or is there a trick to proper placement? Did it take you awhile to feel comfortable using a stylus? Also, all the drawing classes I took years ago pushed the ebony pencil. How does that compare to the graphite pencils you use? Sorry this is long winded… so many questions!
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23. streetwear Says:
October 12th, 2009 at 12:46 amPerfect!Amazing!Super!Thank you very much
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Follow us on twitter http://www.twitter.com/cooliohigh -
24. humberto Says:
March 3rd, 2010 at 5:01 amsometimes its hard to follow allong man idk im 17 i want to learn to draw better than i do so meybee vidoes would be great? i think so thank you so much anyways i m still learning thanks to you
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25. Eric Sturdivant Says:
March 4th, 2010 at 4:14 pmWhere can I get a stylus from
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26. jack Says:
March 13th, 2010 at 3:06 amgood work but i could do better
May 9th, 2008 at 3:06 am
[...] 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. (more…) [...]