Introduction
Welcome back! In our last lesson, we mastered a method for drawing the nose by simplifying it into a planar structure based on its underlying anatomy. We're going to apply the exact same thinking as we move down the face to our next feature.
Today's learning outcome is to draw the mouth and lips, considering the curvature of the underlying teeth and jaw. The most common mistake when drawing a mouth is to treat it as a flat symbol on a flat surface. Our goal is to see it as a soft, three-dimensional form that wraps around the solid, curved structure of the jaw and teeth.
Just as we deconstructed the nose into a simple wedge, we will deconstruct the mouth area into an even simpler geometric form: a cylinder. This structural approach is the key to creating lips that look full, fleshy, and correctly integrated with the face.
1. The Foundation: A Cylinder for Teeth and Jaw
Before you draw a single lip, you must understand what they sit on. The lips are soft tissue draped over the hard, curved form of the teeth, which are embedded in the upper and lower jawbones (maxilla and mandible). The simplest way to represent this underlying structure is as a cylinder.
Thinking of this "tooth cylinder" is the single most important concept for this lesson. It dictates the curvature of the entire mouth. Let's see this in action.
How to Draw Lips - Anatomy and Structure
In this segment from his video "How to Draw Lips - Anatomy and Structure," artist Stan Prokopenko introduces the foundational idea of the "tooth cylinder," which he humorously calls a 'bloated tuna can.' This concept is crucial for understanding why lips are not flat.
Watch from 00:26 to 01:14. Pay close attention to how the centerline of the lips curves as it wraps around this cylinder. This is the antidote to drawing a flat, straight line for the mouth.
To reinforce this core idea, let's look at it from another artist's perspective. The following reading uses a "cheese wheel" analogy to explain the same principle and explicitly shows the common mistake of drawing lips on a flat plane versus a curved one.
Lesson 14 I Drawing the mouth - Lillian Gray - Art School
This article, "Lesson 14 I Drawing the mouth" by Lillian Gray, provides a simple but effective visualization of the mouth's curvature.
Read the section titled 'Structure of the mouth'. Focus on the images comparing a mouth drawn on a flat rectangle to one drawn on a 'cheese wheel' or cylinder. This clearly illustrates the concept we're aiming for.
2. Deconstructing the Lips: The Five Soft Forms
Now that we've established the cylindrical stage upon which the lips sit, let's look at the structure of the lips themselves. Instead of seeing two single lips, it's more helpful to break them down into five smaller, softer forms, like little pillows.
- The top lip consists of three forms: a central form (the tubercle) and two forms on either side.
- The bottom lip consists of two larger forms.
The central form of the top lip wedges down between the two forms of the bottom lip. When viewed from an angle, these forms overlap, which is a powerful visual cue for creating depth.
How to Draw Lips - Anatomy and Structure
Let's return to the Proko video to see how he breaks the lips down into these 'squishy little pillows'.
Watch from 02:30 to 03:18. Notice how the forms overlap and create 'T' intersections. Recognizing these overlaps is key to making your drawings feel three-dimensional.
3. The Mechanics: Open Mouths, Jaws, and Teeth
Our learning outcome specifies understanding the role of the jaw and teeth. This becomes especially important when drawing an open mouth. A common error is to simply drop the lower jaw straight down, which is anatomically incorrect. The jaw (mandible) works on a hinge located near your ear.
When the mouth opens, the jaw swings down and back.
Furthermore, the teeth are not arranged in a flat line; they follow the curve of the jaw's cylinder. To draw them convincingly, you first establish the curved plane they sit on, and only then do you indicate the individual teeth.
Let's watch a video that explains these mechanics clearly.
Artist David Finch, in his video "How To Draw MOUTHS," gives a fantastic explanation of the jaw's mechanics and how to place teeth within a curved mouth.
Please watch two key sections from this video: Jaw Mechanics (05:42 - 07:03): Focus on the concept of the jaw working on a hinge. See how opening the mouth involves swinging the jaw down and back, not just dropping it. Drawing Teeth (14:11 - 16:30): Observe how he first establishes the curved plane for the upper and lower teeth before drawing them. This ensures the teeth follow the 3D form of the jaw.
Understanding this hinge mechanism and the curved arrangement of teeth is what separates a structurally sound drawing from one that looks flat and incorrect.
4. Practice Drill: Constructing the Mouth
It's time to put these structural concepts into practice. Your goal is to construct mouths using the principles we've covered, not to create perfectly rendered drawings. Focus on the underlying forms.
Your Task (20-25 minutes):
You will draw several mouths, both closed and open. Use the image "Pencil sketches of lips and teeth" below as a reference for different angles and expressions.
Part 1: Closed Mouths (Front and 3/4 View)
- Start with the Cylinder: Lightly draw a cylinder to represent the tooth structure.
- Draw the Centerline: Draw the main line between the lips, making sure it curves around your cylinder.
- Block in the Five Forms: Lightly sketch in the five "pillow" shapes. Remember the central top form wedges between the two bottom forms.
- Refine the Contour: Draw the final outline of the lips over your construction lines.
- Repeat this for both a front view and a 3/4 view. In the 3/4 view, the forms on the far side will be foreshortened and will overlap more.
Part 2: An Open Mouth (3/4 View)
- Sketch the Head/Jaw: Lightly sketch the side of a head and indicate the hinge point of the jaw.
- Open the Jaw: Swing the lower jaw down and back from the hinge point.
- Establish Teeth Planes: Draw the curved surfaces where the upper and lower teeth will sit.
- Indicate Teeth: Lightly sketch in the mass of the teeth. Don't draw every single tooth perfectly. Focus on the overall shape and the fact that they recede into the mouth.
- Draw the Lips: Sketch the lips stretched over the open jaw. Notice how they become thinner and pulled taut at the corners.
Focus on the process. This drill is about building the right structural habits.
Conclusion
Great work today. You've learned to see the mouth not as a flat graphic, but as a complex 3D structure. By understanding the underlying forms, you can now construct it with volume and believability from any angle.
Key Takeaways:
- The mouth and lips are not flat; they wrap around the cylindrical form of the underlying teeth and jaw.
- Breaking the lips into five primary soft forms (three on top, two on the bottom) helps in constructing their volume and overlaps.
- The jaw opens on a hinge, swinging down and back, which is critical for drawing open mouths correctly.
- When drawing teeth, first establish the curved plane they occupy, then indicate the teeth as a group.
In our next lesson, we will complete our survey of the major facial features by tackling the ear. You will learn to sketch the simplified structure of the ear and its correct placement on the side of the head, breaking down its seemingly random cartilage folds into a logical, drawable system.