Mouth
Draw mouths with accurate structure, volume, placement, and expression across angles and lighting.
What it is
A mouth is a small 3D structure made of the teeth block, gums, lips, mouth corners, and the muzzle cylinder beneath them. Build these planes and volumes before adding creases, lip texture, and highlights.
Place and shape the mouth consistently across front, 3/4, and profile views. Check its distance from the nose, how it wraps around the teeth, how the corners move, and how the lips meet in space.
Use the mouth to support expression. The lips stretch, compress, and fold over the teeth block, while the skin around them moves with the expression. You can simplify or stylize these shapes while keeping their underlying mechanics.
Why it matters
Weak mouth structure can make the mouth appear detached, flatten the head, or limit the expression. It can also affect likeness, age, and consistency across portraits. Studying the structure helps you control these changes through placement, volume, and movement.
You can check it when
- ✓Draw front, 3/4, and profile views with the mouth attached to the skull and wrapping around the muzzle.
- ✓Vary neutral, slight smile, big smile, anger, and sadness. Check that the lips, mouth corners, and surrounding planes change with each expression.
- ✓Suggest teeth and gums as forms set into an arc, with depth and separation where needed.
- ✓Paint mouths under lighting so highlights and shadows describe the rounded volume of the lips and muzzle.