Here is a simple and easy way to draw lips in a few basic steps:
- Draw a long isosceles triangle with a curved "u" shape partway down and a straight horizontal line between the curve and base. The width of this line controls how wide the lips will be.
- Use the top of the triangle to draw the upper lip by creating a shape similar to a cupid’s bow or a bow shape.
- Draw the bottom lip by curving a line that does not extend beyond the base of the triangle.
- Erase the triangle and decide the direction of the light source to add shading.
- Shade the top and bottom lips leaving highlights where the light hits, and add shadow beneath the bottom lip.
- Add lip wrinkles with light, vertical pencil strokes to create texture.
This approach uses a simple triangle shape as a base to build the lips and helps keep proportions easy to manage. Using a soft pencil and blending tools can help create smooth shading and realistic textures. Adjusting the triangle’s shape and size changes the lips’ fullness and width for different effects.
If needed, a quick video tutorial is also available that shows how to draw and shade lips step by step with pencil techniques for beginners.
