Step 5
We will now start to add pencil to the lips. The first layer that will be added will used to outline the highlights. For this i used 2h pencil and blended the area with color blender. Slowly i darkened it using 4b progresso pencil. You’ll notice that the lines that you indented in the previous step will become more noticeable. Later on we will add some shadows to these lines which will make them jump out even more. The right side will not that have that much detail because of the light being reflected off of there. If you want you can add detail, just follow the same steps as the other areas, but remember that it will be much lighter.
Step 6
We will continue to dark the lip using the progresso pencil and blending it with the color blender. You will also add shadows to the vertical grooves running down the lip. You will blend from left to right of line. Light is coming from the right so the left side of the lumps will be shadowed. Remember also that the lips are not smooth, using your 2h and 2b pencil you can tap some dots and lines on the lighter areas. You can render these spots into the surrounding area to add more detail. Another trick that you can use is to use your kneaded eraser to add highlights. Squeeze the kneaded eraser between your thumb and index finger. This will make a thin edge, tap some lines on an angle. This will make some highlights, under these lines you can draw a thin line with your mechanical pencil. This line will be the shadow. Using your 2h pencil you can blend that line into the surrounding area. You can also make a point with your kneaded eraser and tap on some areas and then using your mechanical pencil outline the bottom of these highlights. 
Tapping small dots with your mechanical pencil can also add texture and give some good effects. Just don’t make the dots too dark or they will stand out too much. Remember, anything that we add has to flow, so we need to add these details thinking of the surrounding areas. The image on the left is a close up of the finished drawing. You can see the texture that i added using the kneaded eraser to add highlights and outlining them. Lips are not smooth so keep that in mind, but they shouldn’t be too rough either. If you’re not sure, look at your own or look at the reference photograph at the top that shows the details clearly.
Step 7
The bottom lip is basically done. From here on you can keep darkening it by layering with your 2h pencil. Just make sure not to darken the highlights too much. Experiment by adding highlights using your kneaded eraser and then blending them into the surrounding area.
Well the top lip will have some highlights but they will be on the right side. Using your stylus tap on that area and that should indent some spots, you can connect a couple of the dots with the stylus. The top lip will be a bit smoother because she is smiling, so the lips are being stretched. The dark lines that you see that grooves that are made from smiling. These will not be that noticeable since the top will be a bit darker. Add a layer of pencil with your 4b progresso and blend with the chamois. This will smooth it out. You also noticed that i added an outline of the face, this is just to get an idea in what direction the face is looking.
Step 8
Continue adding pencil and blending. Once you have it dark like the image above you will begin to add a bit of texture. Since the area is already dark, the lines or spots that you add will have to be darker. But make sure that these additions blend into the surrounding area. The color blender will be useful here for blending these. 
On the right side you will notice that the highlights are more visible since you started to layer the pencil. If the highlights look like white dots, then tap with your kneaded eraser around that area to remove some pencil. The image on the left is a close up of the top right corner of lip. You can see the texture that i added using the stylus and just added shadows under these. You can also see the areas where i tapped with the kneaded eraser to connect some of the indentations. Using your 2b mechanical pencil you add horizontal lines over the lips, these lines are grooves that are made when the skin stretches from the smile. Blend these into the area around using your 2h pencil. These little tricks will not only improve your drawings but will add texture.
Final
Darken the top lip by running your 4b progresso pencil over the area, the left side being darker. Blend with your color blender and keep repeating the same process until its dark enough. Again you can experiment with adding highlights,except that here they would have to be a bit darker so they don’t stick out too much. Don’t forget that this area has more shadows. The final step will be to add detail to the teeth. This step is not that difficult. Its just knowing where to add the shadows. The right side has the light source so the left side will be mostly shadow. The first two teeth from the left will be the darkest because they will be furthest from the light source and shadows will be cast by the teeth that follow. Start by putting a layer to the first two teeth with your 2h pencil and blending it with your color blender. Darken the edges of these a bit with your 4b pencil. Blend into the center. The reason that the edges will be a bit more darker is because the edge of these teeth are thinner and are a bit transparent so the the dark from the inside of the mouth will be visible through the teeth. 
Well third tooth will be done the same way except that a highlight will be added with the kneaded erase. Make a thin edge on your kneaded eraser and tap out a line on the left and right side of tooth. The right highlight will be a bit dark,so gently run your 2h over it really,really lightly. The image on the left shows a detailed close up of finished drawing. You can see the details that were added using the simple technique of removing graphite with kneaded eraser. Even teeth are not smooth, they have subtle grooves, especially the front teeth. You can see what I’m talking about by just running your tongue over your front teeth and you should feel the grooves that run down vertically over your front teeth. The remaining teeth are done by simply using the color blender and adding shadows to the left of each tooth. Don’t make the shadows too dark because as you get closer to the right, the light source is much stronger to it will reflect more light. But even on these you can add highlights using your kneaded eraser. They might not be as visible as the other highlights but these little things make the drawings much more interesting. Well that should be it for this drawing, experiment and see what else you can do using the same techniques that I’ve shown you.
Conclusion
The best way to improve is to keep drawing. With each drawing that you make you will learn something new. I’m still learning with each one and i don’t want to stop learning. There is always room for improvement and i want you to keep that mind when you are working on your drawings. I’m a firm believer that practice makes perfect and i can guarantee that you will see results with each drawing that you finish. Its all about wanting to improve. Before starting a drawing, i suggest that you study what you are going to draw. Knowing the techniques is important but knowing when to use them is important too. If you understand what you want to draw you will know what techniques to use. Well i hope this was helpful and if you have any questions please contact me or leave a comment.
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PermalinkOne Ping to “Drawing Realistic Mouth and Teeth”
28 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 5th, 2008 at 11:06 pmExcellent!
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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
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27. emma Says:
July 4th, 2011 at 1:39 amhow do you draw like that!!!!!!!!!!!????????
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28. stephy Says:
July 4th, 2011 at 1:54 ami think you have talent! it is sooo hard…… but thanks
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…) [...]