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jeffoffo β Advanced Mouth Anatomy Tutorial - Part 1
Published: 2013-07-26 16:08:14 +0000 UTC; Views: 56817; Favourites: 2809; Downloads: 1097
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Description
Long tutorial. This used to be called a Lip Tutorial but I changed it midway through the text and forgot to edit half of it. But same concept throughout.Currently Available Tutorials:
Eye Coloring and Lineart
Female figure
Basic Hand
Basic Expression
Arm Anatomy
Leg Anatomy
Gesture and Curvature
Basic Boob
Mouth Anatomy - Part 1: Location, Shape, Angles, Curves, and Easy Movement.
Remember the disclaimer: This is stylized realistic, my own preferences. But the methods can be used with almost any style and preference.
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Comments: 56
I do this for free, I'm not here to cater a service for you. If you want me to go into detail about something, ask without the attitude. If it was a respectful request, I'd happily go into detail for you. The way you asked here is not respectful and does not make me want to help you.
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Thanks so much for making this I always have trouble with the depth of the mouth and positioning it.
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This is an amazing tutorial, thank you so much, I am going to try it tomorrow 
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really loved this tutorial! Β It makes a HUGE difference when you add explanations along with the rules.... I will be using this and practicing off of it for sure!!
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You have put insane effort into this and I appreciate it. Thank you!
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Sorry but I must say this......
I FREAKEN LOVE YOU!!!!!! This tutorial was just want I needed!!!! THANK YOU!!!!
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Hm... some things are good advice, some less so. The dots - yes, but only when the lips are closed. When a mouth is open it looks completely different from what you've shown here - there's a ring muscle underneath, not separate muscles for upper and lower lip. The little edge is still there, yes, but not as noticeable. And Gaasb is right; not everyone has what you called the Cupid's Bow. Actually the Cupid's Bow is the upper line of the upper lip, not the lower line.
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At the end of the tutorial I specified that dots are not noticeable when lips are open. My tutorial also specifies that the open mouths here are "natural jaw openings" (not a real term), where the mouth is by movement of the jaw and no muscles are flexed. When you open your mouth to eat, scream, talk with emotion, use facial expressions, etc., it will look different. Based on what I see in the mirror and on my participating friends (which is my basis in making these tutorials in the first place), the open mouths I have here are accurate enough. Minimal muscle use.Β
As for Gaasb's comment, I put this here for a reason "Remember the disclaimer: This is stylized realistic, my own preferences. But the methods can be used with almost any style and preference"Β
Not everyone has a cupid's bow, just like how not everyone has noticeable mouth corners or rounded legs or noticeable thigh muscles or a larger lower lip. But what would you have me do, address every possible human body altercation possible? Even as a student I don't think I'll have an intention of drawing the lack of a mouth bump, even if some people don't have it.Β
Though you are right about the Cupid's Bow being the upper line. I'm not sure what that little thing is called though.Β
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When doing a anatomy tutorial it's usually a good idea to throw in some variety. Just saying.
The open mouth in yours is still sort of pinched together at the edges - I'm sorry, it does not look like that. Nope. Open mouth, lips don't touch at the sides. Not even when speaking or singing.
The little thing that is not-the-cupid's-bow doesn't actually seem to have a name... at least I haven't found one.
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Mine looks pretty pinched.
So does my roommates and floormates.Β
Guess we're anomalies then.
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The only time mine (or anyone's I watched the last couple of days) look like that (open mouth, yet lips touching for about half a centimeterΒ at the sides) is when pronouncing something like the "oo" in "loose". Just open mouth doesn't do that. But then again I'm from Europe... Maybe we're aliens, and our anatomy differs radically from yours.
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Eh, maybe I'm seeing something you don't or noticing too much of something, or maybe you're noticing too little of something. Let's just agree to disagree then. Since I still see it on people I talk to.
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Great thing! This will help a lot, thank you!
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Thanks for this tutorial, it's great.Β It helps a LOT.
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Excellent tutorial, and exactly what I needed! Β Thank you! ^^
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OMG! Thank you finally a tutorial that finally makes sense. I have been looking for a tutorial on lips for a while.
Now a tutorial that pots everything together on the face and I should be good
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What about the angle when the mouth is turning away when the far corner is hidden?Β
I think in 60 degrees it would be more hidden and take on a different shape. Currently you have it go from showing in four different angles (0, 30, 45, 60) and then suddenly hidden at 90 degrees. But the mouth sits on a cylinder-like plane, so as it turns away the far side would be hidden while the middle of the lips are still visible.
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Your face would have to be turned at an 80 or so degree angle to really not be able to see any mouth corner. The mouth doesn't immediately stop at the corner. The skin goes inwards and forms the mouth, so there's going to be a shadow there. That shadow is noticeable until around 80 or at least 75 degrees. Even then, all you would do is continue to exaggerate the skew and the sharp points, and omit the corner.Β
The mouth does sit on a cylinder plane, but it's a pretty bumpy plane--you have to take into account the multitudes of shadows that's noticeable in view.Β
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Just tried in a mirror and you're right (about 80 or so degree angle).
I think the thing I was trying to get at is: if someone with thicker lips is turning away, the upper lip sticks out more, and produces this shape that isn't just a sharper angle, but bends back and tucks in. Like, the angle towards the corner reverses because the flesh of the middle of the upper lip starts going in front of the flesh of the part near the corner. Does that make sense? (And this shape is often ignored by beginner artists, or they find it difficult to draw.)
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Hmm I guess that would depend heavily on the person. I just tried it with me and my roommates and we don't seem to have that. The philtrum is a bit more noticeable due to shadow, but the actual lip itself doesn't tuck in (for us at least).Β
Though if someone's lips tucked in at an 80 degree angle, wouldn't it also be noticeable at a profile view too?Β
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a definitive hardline scope of a mouth tutorial, just what I was looking for to justify what I was trying to do with my own pics
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Your tutorial has been featured in my weekly journal: Tutorial Tuesday #11!
I'd love if you could come take a look, and support your fellow tutorial writers through comments
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*thick southern accent* and now you got a pretty mouth :[
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There were a few tips I'd never seen yet, thanks for sharing.Β
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I've been having some difficulty with mouths lately, even though I go for a cartoon approach to it. The whole "always draw the dots" alone helps a lot, and the rest is great info as well. Great tut.
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this couldnt have come at a more perfect time, cheers!
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I just randomly stumbled across this. It's an excellentΒ for later reference to re-read those pointers,Β and also is one of the best-formatted tutorials I've read. Very tidy and legible.
I usually drawΒ the mouthΒ starting with a dot in the middle of the cupid's bow and work outward from there, but the two dots method seems much better! I'll try it out tonight,Β I think.
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Thank you so much! Trying it out in my latest commission and it already feels super comfortable and looks better than the old (lazy) way I drew lips~
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This is really awesome, it's like stickfigures for the mouth!
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