How to Draw a Mouth and Tongue: Easy 10-Step Guide

Mastering facial features starts with the mouth! This tutorial is perfect for young artists and beginners looking to add personality to their character portraits. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and a sheet of paper to get started.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A finished, colored illustration of a mouth and tongue.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Upper Lip Line

Pencil sketch of the upper lip line forming a soft M shape.

Draw a long, curved line that dips in the center, resembling a soft, rounded letter 'M'. Teacher's Tip: Keep this line light; it serves as the anchor for the entire mouth shape.

Step 2: Defining the Lower Lip

Sketching the lower lip outline connecting to the upper lip corners.

Add a wide, curved line underneath to form the bottom lip, connecting it to the top. Tip: Add a slight 'bulge' near the corners to give the lips a natural, full appearance.

Step 3: Adding Inner Lip Detail

Drawing the inner contour line of the upper lip.

Draw a curved line inside the mouth that follows the contour of the upper lip. This creates the inner edge of the lip. Tip: Make sure this line is parallel to the top one for a balanced look.

Step 4: Enclosing the Mouth

Drawing a U-shaped line to define the open mouth cavity.

Use a long 'U' shaped line to enclose the inner mouth area. Ensure the corners come to a sharp point to make the expression look realistic. Tip: Don't press too hard; keep the lines smooth.

Step 5: Starting the Tongue

Sketching the initial curved lines for the tongue inside the mouth.

Draw two overlapping curved lines inside the mouth. These will serve as the base for the tongue. Tip: Think of these as two small hills sitting inside the mouth.

Step 6: Extending the Tongue

Connecting the tongue lines with a U-shaped curve.

Connect the sides of the tongue with a large 'U' shaped line. This creates the shape of a tongue sticking out. Tip: Keep the curve rounded so it looks soft and fleshy.

Step 7: Cleaning Up

Erasing unnecessary guide lines from the tongue sketch.

Carefully erase any overlapping guide lines inside the tongue area to make it look clean. Tip: Use a kneaded eraser if you have one to lift the graphite without smudging.

Step 8: Adding Teeth

Adding rounded rectangular shapes to represent teeth.

Draw small, rounded rectangles along the top of the mouth to represent teeth. Tip: Don't make them perfectly square; slightly rounded corners look much more natural.

Step 9: Adding Dimension

Adding detail lines to the tongue and lips for dimension.

Draw a light line down the center of the tongue and add small curves to the lips to show depth. Tip: These subtle lines make the drawing look 3D rather than flat.

Step 10: Adding Color

Final colored drawing of a mouth and tongue with red and pink tones.

Bring your drawing to life with shades of red and pink. Tip: Use a darker shade of red near the back of the mouth to create a sense of shadow and depth.