Learning how to draw an open mouth doesn’t have to be a long and winding journey. With a few simple steps, some practice and a creative eye, you can be displaying works of art with open mouths in no time!
Before you even begin your journey, you need to have the right tools and a basic understanding of facial anatomy. Start by sourcing some quality pencils, markers, and sketchbooks. Next, learn the basics of the human face—such as the nose, lips, and placement of eyes. Familiarizing yourself with the layout of facial features is essential to learning how to draw an open mouth.
Next, your muse should be determined. Look for a reference image that works for your project. If a live model is unavailable, then observing a photo will do just fine. Make sure the image is up close, clear, and well-lit.
The key to drawing a great open mouth is in the details. Pay attention to the small features—like facial wrinkles, contrast of highlights, and the creases of the lips. Use reference materials to attain realistic lip structure, as the curvature of lips will determine the authenticity of your open mouth.
Start by sketching the basic structure of your open mouth. Place emphasis on the area where the lips touch, to achieve the natural form of the lips. Some of the most overlooked details of an open mouth are the corners of the mouth and the creases that outline the lower lip.
Now it’s time for the fun. Mediums like pencils, markers and paint make adding detail to your work exciting. Create soft gradients for a realistic open mouth using a range of lighter and darker shades, or go for a vibrant high contrast look.
Highlights are a great tool for adding dimension to the look of the open mouth—they make the mouth bolder and more realistic. Adding some shine to the lips can be achieved by drawing lighter and brighter reflections of light.
Finishing your project off in the right way is paramount. To prevent smudging and accidental wiping off of details, I’d recommend a quick spray fixative, as this will set the pencils and paint in place. This step enhances the artwork and also preserves it for the long term.
Now here’s the fun part – experimenting! Working on a few projects that involve open mouth sketches and paintings makes this art form second nature. Don’t be afraid to get creative with it—try drawing with some different mediums, or blend styles and techniques to create something truly unique.
To sum it up, learning how to draw an openmouth is an exciting journey. Through patience, practice, and an artistic eye, you can draw realistic and beautiful open mouths in no time!
