Free original lessons
Side-Profile Lips: Contour and Proportion Drawing Guide
Learn to draw side-profile lips using contour guides and proportion checks. Includes worked example, practice tasks, and a planned printable worksheet.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Object Drawing Lessons
Drawing lips in side profile is a contour and proportion exercise, not a shading exercise. You will place the mouth corner, set upper and lower lip thickness with guide lines, and check the silhouette against simple measurements. The convention used here defines lip height as the vertical distance from the baseline (the lowest point of the lower lip) to the midline (the seam between the lips). Letter styles and lip shapes vary, so treat every numerical value as a hypothetical example and measure your own reference or drawing. All resources described are planned and free; none are built yet.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Set the profile baseline and midline
Begin with a light horizontal baseline. In side profile, the lower lip usually sits near this line at its lowest point. Draw a second light line above it for the lip midline, the seam where upper and lower lips meet. The distance between baseline and midline is the lower lip height. Mark a vertical guide at the mouth corner, slightly behind the front of the lips.
Keep guides light so they can be adjusted. The corner placement controls how far the lips project; moving it forward makes the mouth look fuller, while moving it back flattens the profile.
- Draw a horizontal baseline about 8 cm long.
- Draw a parallel midline 1.5 cm above it (hypothetical example).
- Mark the mouth corner on the midline, about 2 cm from the front edge.
- Check that the corner sits behind the frontmost lip point.
Build the upper and lower lip contours
From the corner, draw the lower lip contour forward and slightly down to the baseline, then curve up to the front. The upper lip contour rises from the corner to a peak, then descends to meet the lower lip at the front. Use short, light strokes and compare the two curves: the upper lip often has a gentler slope, while the lower lip is rounder.
Contour means the outline plus the direction of the form. A useful check is to trace the silhouette with your finger and ask whether the frontmost point is above, at, or below the midline.
- Draw the lower lip from corner to baseline to front.
- Draw the upper lip from corner to peak to front.
- Mark the frontmost point of each lip.
- Compare upper and lower lip heights against the midline.
Check proportions with simple arithmetic
Measure the lower lip height (baseline to midline) and the upper lip height (midline to upper peak). A common hypothetical ratio is upper lip height equal to about 0.7 times lower lip height. If your lower lip is 1.5 cm, the upper lip would be about 1.05 cm. These numbers are examples only; measure your own reference.
Also check corner placement: the horizontal distance from corner to frontmost lip point should be consistent with your reference. Record measurements in centimetres and keep units consistent.
- Measure lower lip height in cm.
- Multiply by 0.7 to estimate upper lip height (hypothetical).
- Measure your drawn upper lip height.
- Adjust the upper contour if the difference exceeds 0.3 cm.
Refine the silhouette and corner
Once proportions are close, darken the final contour and erase guides. Check that the corner is a single clear point and that the lips do not cross the midline except at the seam. Valid alternatives include a fuller lower lip, a sharper upper peak, or a more recessed corner, provided the measurements remain internally consistent.
Use the rubric to judge contour clarity, proportion accuracy, and guide discipline rather than matching one universal lip shape.
- Darken the final contour.
- Erase construction guides.
- Re-measure upper and lower lip heights.
- Confirm the corner is behind the frontmost point.
Worked example
A side-profile lip drawing has a lower lip height of 2.0 cm. Using the hypothetical ratio upper lip height = 0.7 times lower lip height, calculate the expected upper lip height and state one contour check.
Worked answer
Expected upper lip height = 0.7 × 2.0 cm = 1.4 cm. Contour check: the frontmost upper lip point should sit above the midline by about 1.4 cm, and the corner should be behind the frontmost lip point.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
A drawing has lower lip height 1.8 cm. Using the hypothetical ratio 0.7, calculate expected upper lip height and state whether a drawn upper height of 1.0 cm is within 0.3 cm of the estimate.
Show answer and check
Expected upper height = 0.7 × 1.8 = 1.26 cm. Difference from 1.0 cm is 0.26 cm, which is within 0.3 cm.
Why: Multiply lower height by 0.7, then subtract the drawn value and compare absolute difference to 0.3 cm.
Check: Recompute 1.8 × 0.7 = 1.26; verify |1.26 − 1.0| = 0.26 ≤ 0.3.
Exercise 2
Describe a side-profile lip diagram where the corner is 2.5 cm behind the frontmost lip point and the lower lip height is 1.2 cm. Calculate the hypothetical upper lip height using ratio 0.7 and state one placement check.
Show answer and check
Upper lip height = 0.7 × 1.2 = 0.84 cm. Placement check: the corner should be behind the frontmost lip point by 2.5 cm, and the frontmost point should project beyond the corner.
Why: Use the ratio for height and compare corner-to-front distance to confirm projection.
Check: Verify 1.2 × 0.7 = 0.84 and confirm 2.5 cm is positive and measured horizontally.
Exercise 3
A student draws upper lip height 1.5 cm and lower lip height 2.0 cm. Calculate the ratio upper/lower and state whether it is within 0.1 of the hypothetical 0.7.
Show answer and check
Ratio = 1.5 / 2.0 = 0.75. Difference from 0.7 is 0.05, which is within 0.1.
Why: Divide upper by lower, then compare absolute difference to 0.1.
Check: Recompute 1.5 ÷ 2.0 = 0.75; verify |0.75 − 0.7| = 0.05 ≤ 0.1.
Exercise 4
In a described diagram, the midline is 1.4 cm above the baseline and the upper peak is 1.0 cm above the midline. Calculate total lip height from baseline to upper peak and state one contour check.
Show answer and check
Total height = 1.4 + 1.0 = 2.4 cm. Contour check: the upper contour should rise from the corner to the peak and descend to the front without crossing the midline except at the seam.
Why: Add lower and upper heights; contour check confirms the silhouette follows the guide lines.
Check: Verify 1.4 + 1.0 = 2.4 cm and trace the contour to confirm no unintended midline crossing.
Common mistakes
- Drawing the mouth corner in front of the lips. Move the corner back so the frontmost lip point projects beyond it.
- Making upper and lower lip heights equal without checking. Measure both heights and compare to your chosen ratio, such as 0.7 (hypothetical).
- Using heavy guide lines that cannot be erased. Draw guides lightly and darken only the final contour.
- Confusing midline with baseline. Label baseline as the lowest lower-lip point and midline as the lip seam.
Self-check rubric
- Baseline and midline are clearly distinguished and labelled.
- Mouth corner is placed behind the frontmost lip point.
- Upper and lower lip heights are measured in consistent units.
- Contour is continuous and does not cross the midline except at the seam.
- Guides are light and erased or darkened appropriately.
- Valid alternative lip shapes are accepted if proportion checks are internally consistent.
Questions and answers
What is the baseline in this convention?
The baseline is the horizontal line at the lowest point of the lower lip. The midline is the seam between the lips.
Do I need a reference photo?
A reference helps, but the exercises are self-contained with described measurements. Measure your own drawing to check consistency.
Are the numerical ratios fixed rules?
No. Values such as 0.7 are hypothetical examples. Lip shapes vary, so use them as starting checks and adjust to your reference.
Can I use a different lip shape?
Yes. The rubric allows valid alternatives if contour clarity and internal proportion checks are met.