Hey everyone! I’ve put together an easy 5-step tutorial on drawing and shading lips. While I’m new to digital drawing, I have several years of experience with traditional drawing, so I’m confident that I can quickly pick up the digital techniques. This tutorial is straightforward, and I’ll guide you through each step.
Step 1: Creating the Basic Shape
Let’s start by drawing two circles side by side for the middle section of the top lip. Then, draw two additional circles for the bottom lip, either the same size or slightly larger. I recommend not making the bottom lip circles smaller than the top ones because it’s more visually appealing the other way around. Next, move to the outer corners of the top lip and draw two smaller circles at each corner to define the edges. You can do the same for the bottom lip, but I find the previous method easier.
Step 2: Outlining the Lips
Once you’ve established the basic shapes of the lips, choose a base color and set it aside for now. Then, select a darker color and use it to draw the outline, following the curves of the circles. Outline the area where the top and bottom lips meet, again following the circles’ flow. If it doesn’t look right, make any necessary adjustments to achieve the desired outcome. Sometimes, the outline may differ from what you initially expected at step 1.
Step 3: Filling in the Colors
After you’re satisfied with the outlining, take the base color you saved earlier and fill in the outlines, making sure not to overlap the actual outline.
Step 4: Shading
Revisit the darker shade and adjust the opacity and flow of the brush to create a soft effect. Begin by gently blending the base and darker color along the outline using a brush (avoid blur or smudge tools for now). Then, start shading the three triangles at the center of the lips, ensuring smooth blending with the base color. Focus on intensifying the shading as you approach the line where the top and bottom lips meet. The blending achieved with the brush doesn’t have to be perfect. Finally, use the blur tool to refine the base color and achieve an overall smooth appearance.
Step 5: Adding Details
For the final step, it’s all about adding details. Select a slightly darker shade than the one used for shading and follow the green guides. Apply a soft shade along the line where the top and bottom lips meet, and add dimension by shading the very bottom of the lip.
To create highlights, choose a lighter shade than the base color and refer to the yellow guides. Be cautious not to make the highlights too intense, as it may look unnatural. For the top lip highlight, apply the color to the entire heart-shaped yellow guide. Then, using a lower opacity, gently drag the color along the sides of the heart shape, following the contour of the lips. As for the bottom lip, softly highlight following the two triangle guides, gradually increasing the intensity towards the center, similar to the shading in step 4. Avoid applying highlight directly to the center; instead, keep it close enough to maintain a natural appearance. Finally, use the blur tool to blend the edges of the shades and highlights for a seamless finish.
That’s it, everyone! Steps 4 and 5 may seem long because I wanted to provide detailed explanations, but they’re not difficult to execute. I opted for a matte lips look as I haven’t yet mastered the technique for creating glossy lips. However, if you prefer a glossy finish, feel free to add it! I hope this tutorial has been helpful, and please don’t hesitate to share your creations with me. I would absolutely love to see them!
