Learn Basic Mouth Drawing Techniques for Beginners

Understanding the Basic Structure of the Mouth

Before you begin drawing mouths, it's worth learning how mouths are actually built. The mouth is not just a simple line or curved shape—it's a complex feature made up of several distinct parts that work together. Understanding this anatomy helps you create mouths that look realistic and natural, regardless of your artistic style.

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The mouth consists of the upper lip, lower lip, and the opening between them. The upper lip is generally wider at the corners and tapers slightly at the center. The lower lip tends to be fuller and more rounded than the upper lip in many face types. Between these two lips sits the mouth opening, which can vary greatly depending on whether the mouth is open, closed, smiling, or neutral. Many beginners forget that lips have thickness—they're not flat surfaces but three-dimensional forms that extend slightly outward from the face.

The corners of the mouth, called the commissures, are important landmarks. These are the points where the upper and lower lips meet. In a relaxed state, these corners typically angle downward slightly. Above the upper lip sits the philtrum, which is the vertical groove running from below the nose to the upper lip. This feature appears on every human face and serves as a helpful reference point when positioning the mouth on a face.

The muscle structure underneath creates the overall shape. When you understand that the mouth follows the curved surface of the face rather than sitting flat, your drawings will immediately appear more three-dimensional. The lips also have natural color variation—they're typically darker or more saturated in color than surrounding skin, with highlights that reflect light.

Practical Takeaway: Spend 15 minutes observing your own mouth in a mirror. Notice how the upper and lower lips relate to each other, where the corners sit, and how the lips catch light. This observation will inform all your future mouth drawings.

Drawing the Closed Mouth in Profile and Front View

A closed mouth is the foundation for learning mouth drawing. Mastering this position gives you confidence and provides a baseline for all other mouth expressions. A closed mouth in profile view shows how the mouth sits relative to other facial features, while a front view demonstrates symmetry and proportion.

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When drawing a closed mouth from the front, start by lightly sketching a horizontal line where the mouth line (the seam where lips meet) will go. This line should be slightly curved, not perfectly straight. Many mouths have a gentle downward curve at the corners. Next, block out the upper lip above this line and the lower lip below it. The upper lip typically takes up about one-third to one-half of the vertical space, while the lower lip fills the remaining space.

For the profile view, the mouth projects forward from the face more than many beginners realize. The upper lip extends slightly forward from where the nose ends, and the lower lip extends even further. There's usually a small indentation between the lower lip and the chin. The profile view helps you understand the three-dimensional nature of the lips. In profile, you can clearly see that the lips have depth and thickness.

When adding shading to a closed mouth, remember that lips typically have a highlight on the upper portion where light hits them. The area between the upper and lower lips often appears as a thin shadow line. The corners of the mouth usually cast a small shadow. Add subtle shading to show the volume of the lips—they're not uniformly colored but have areas of light and shadow that give them dimension.

Practice drawing closed mouths in at least five different widths. Some mouths are wider relative to face width, while others are narrower. This variation helps you understand that mouth proportions change from person to person, and practicing different proportions makes you more versatile.

Practical Takeaway: Draw the same closed mouth 10 times in a row, adjusting the size slightly each time. This repetition trains your hand and helps you develop a feel for proper mouth proportions without overthinking each line.

Creating Expression Through Mouth Position and Shape

The mouth is one of the most expressive features on the face. Small changes in mouth shape and position communicate emotion instantly. Learning to draw different mouth positions opens up your ability to create characters with personality and feeling. The same person can look happy, sad, angry, or surprised simply by changing their mouth.

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A smile involves lifting the corners of the mouth upward and often opening the mouth slightly. In a genuine smile, the mouth line curves upward significantly, and you may see the upper teeth. The cheeks rise slightly, which affects how the corners of the mouth position themselves. An open smile shows more vertical dimension than a closed smile. Many beginners draw smiles too symmetrical—real mouths often have one corner slightly higher than the other, creating a more natural, lived-in appearance.

A frown reverses the smile curve—the corners of the mouth point downward, and the mouth line curves downward in the center. A frown often makes the mouth appear smaller or more compressed. The vertical distance between the nose and the mouth may appear to increase with a frown because the mouth pulls downward.

An open, neutral mouth shows the mouth opening with minimal expression. To draw this, show the gap between upper and lower lips, and often include some indication of the interior of the mouth—teeth, tongue, or the shadow of the mouth opening. Be careful not to make the opening too large unless the person is truly wide-mouthed.

A surprised mouth typically shows a wide, round opening with raised upper lip. An angry mouth often shows tension in the corners, a compressed appearance, or visible teeth with the lips pulled back tightly. Each emotion changes not just the mouth line but also affects the surrounding facial muscles—the tension in the cheeks, the position of the chin, and the angle of the jaw.

Study photographs of different expressions. Notice how the same mouth structure creates completely different emotions depending on position and shape. Screenshot or print images showing the same person in different emotional states, and analyze the specific changes in their mouth for each expression.

Practical Takeaway: Create an expression sheet by drawing one mouth shape in eight different emotional expressions: happy, sad, angry, surprised, disgusted, fearful, neutral, and confused. Label each one and keep this reference sheet nearby as you practice.

Mastering Proportion and Placement on the Face

The mouth's location and size relative to other facial features affects whether a face looks balanced and believable. Incorrect mouth placement can make a face feel "off" even if the individual features are drawn well. Understanding proportional relationships ensures your mouths sit correctly within the larger context of the face.

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In a standard adult face viewed straight-on, the mouth typically sits roughly one-third of the way down from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin. More precisely, the mouth line usually falls approximately midway between the bottom of the nose and the bottom of the chin. This proportion holds true for most adult faces, though it varies slightly with age and individual differences.

The width of the mouth typically aligns with the inner corners of the eyes in many faces. This is sometimes called the "corner-to-corner" measurement. Some mouths are wider or narrower than this standard, but it serves as a useful starting reference point. If you divide the face into thirds horizontally, the mouth's width occupies roughly the middle third of the face, though this varies.

The vertical size of the mouth—measuring from the top of the upper lip to the bottom of the lower lip—is usually much smaller than most beginners initially draw. A closed mouth often takes up only about one-tenth to one-eighth of the total head height. Many beginners draw mouths that are too large because lips are such a focal point visually.

When the head tilts or turns, the mouth's position changes relative to other features. If the head tilts back slightly, the mouth appears lower on the face. If the head tilts forward, the mouth appears higher. When the head turns in profile or three-quarter view, the mouth's horizontal position shifts, and its apparent width changes based on perspective.

Create a facial proportions chart by drawing multiple heads in different angles. Mark where the mouth falls on each one. This exercise teaches you to think about the mouth as part of a whole face rather than an isolated feature. Use light reference lines to establish these proportions before adding details.

Practical Takeaway: Draw a face outline without features, then accurately place just the mouth by measuring its position relative to where the nose and chin will be. Do this five times with the head in different angles to train your sense of mouth