How to Draw a Tongue - Detailed instructions on how to create a tongue sketch (2023)

LLearning to draw a tongue is a unique activity because the tongue itself is a fairly abstract structure. However, when we contextualize the tongue in the mouth, we begin to see how its shape makes sense. It can be fun to draw the shape of the tongue as it can take different shapes. In this tutorial, we'll draw the tongue from a picture of someone taking it out of their mouth. Learning how to draw a protruding tongue is a great way to understand how the tongue is positioned in the mouth and how it is positioned in relation to the teeth. In tongue drawing, not only do we learn to draw the tongue, but we also learn to draw the teeth and lips. Drawing the mouth is essential for drawing a tongue because when we learn to draw a protruding tongue we will find that we need teeth and lips to put the tongue in context.

A beginner's guide to drawing a tongue

In this tutorial we will make a realistic tongue drawing. We will find that the process of tongue out drawing is quite simple. Since the tongue is quite abstract, we'll find that shading and drawing the tongue is pretty easy.

Sometimes strange structures like tongues are easy to draw because they just need to be contextualized by other features to look realistic.

We will find that we use a reference image to develop a light tongue sketch which we will then turn into a refined realistic tongue drawing. As we go through a few simple steps on how to draw a tongue, we'll slowly build the ability and confidence to draw other elements of the mouth as well. Let's see what materials we need.

Necessary materials

As we learn how to draw a protruding tongue, we want to make sure we have the right materials. We want to make sure we have a pencil to develop the sketch of the tongue in the previous steps. This means we need a sharpener to keep our pencils sharp and an eraser to correct unwanted mistakes. We will also use a pen to draw the tongue.

Using a pen can add a lot of contrast to your drawing and make it a little more lively and interesting.

For our tongue out drawing, we want to make sure we have good paper. You can buy paper at your nearest stationery store. Lastly, we use a reference image that you can download. All materials can be found at the following links:

• Pencil
• pencil sharpener
• scribbler
• Rigid

Step-by-step instructions on how to draw a tongue

A realistic tongue drawing requires a process of building the structure through multiple layers. We start with a pencil sketch. Shaping the tongue with a pencil sketch helps us slowly build up the structure of the tongue and mouth compared to how we see it in the reference image. The reference image serves as a guide for the entire drawing process.

As we continue to add light pencil shading, we'll refer to the reference image for guidance. We want the reference image to give us an indication of shadow and light and how it is defined on the tongue and in the mouth.

Next we will proceed to pencil drawing and shading to enhance the shadows and features of the tongue hanging out drawing. Now that we know what the process involves, let's go through the different steps on how to stick your tongue out.

Step 1: Slightly tighten the tongue

Let's start with a light sketch of the tongue, using the reference image as a guide. The intent here is to create a light tongue sketch where we'll go back and forth between the drawing and the reference image. We want to spend time here adjusting the drawing.

Spending time developing the sketch of the tongue with our pens will make the rest of the tutorial much easier. Especially if we turn to shading and pen drawing. Again, take the time to note the features of the reference image.

For example, look at how the teeth sit on the tongue or how big the spaces next to the tongue are. Look at that kind of detail.

As you draw the tab, notice that the tab has small notches on the sides. We want to focus on the lines that make up the tongue, specifically the little notches on the sides of the tongue. We can also color the dark areas in the mouth. Again, be sure to focus on all features and consolidate them before we add light shading.

We can also add lines inside the lips. The lips in the reference image show small indentations within the upper lip. Spend some time referring to the reference image while adding some lines to outline these features within the lip.

Check your drawing and see how the outline and light sketch are similar to the reference image.

Step 2: Add light pencil shading

Here we start to refine our drawing by adding some shading with our pencils. We still want to constantly refer to the reference image as we observe the shadows forming on the image features.

We can see that there are different shades, from the darkest in the mouth to the most subtle shadows that form on the sides of the tongue.

When we add a bit of shading to our drawing, we want to pay attention to the various small indentations and curves in the tongue. Especially near the bottom of the tongue where the tongue has some curvature that creates shadows near the tip. Another area to note is the slight shadow that the teeth cast on the tongue.

We also want to note how the shadows on the lip are formed within the reference image. The lip defines a light shade that is darker on the right side and lighter on the left. We want to work the shadows into the small indentations in the lip.

Take the time to switch back and forth between the reference image and the drawing.

Continue with this process by adding some light shading and notice how the shadows are formed in the reference image. Again, you want to make sure you're using the reference image to guide your shading process. Especially when it comes to tongue shading since tongue has very subtle shadows.

We can see that the reference image shows a language that contains multiple tonal values. This is because the tongue has an odd texture that is a different color. In addition, the tab also has a slight curvature that creates darker and lighter sections.

Be sure to spend time on the tongue while adding some shading.

Another feature where we can add a little pencil shading is the teeth. Although teeth are considered white, this is not entirely true. This is because the teeth have a brilliant shine that gives them some tonal variation. Be sure to check the reference image while adding some shading to the teeth.

Step 3: Shade the teeth and mouth with pencil

Now we can shade the drawing with our pens. We want to be careful when shading the drawing with a pen. Using pens allows us to use the same concept of printing that we would use with a pencil.

The more we press, the darker the marks become. Keep this in mind as you continue to shade the drawing of the tongue with your pen. Let's start with the gaps on the sides of the mouth.

Start shading the darker parts of the mouth on the right side of the gaps. We can see how the reference image shows the shadows lighting up from the gaps in the mouth as they form under the teeth on the tongue. We can also add very light and subtle shading on the teeth. We want to use both the pencil marks and the reference image to guide our pencil shading process.

As we continue to add shadows to the drawing, we want to make sure that we use both the pencil marks and the reference image to guide our shading process. Always refer to the reference picture to help you.

Remember to use light hand pressure when shading with a pen.

The shadows within the gums and teeth are very subtle. Since you are constantly referring to the reference image, be sure to keep these markers clear. Remember to pay attention to the pressure you are applying to your pen while shading these areas.

As you go through each tooth in the mouth, you want to make sure you add light shading to each tooth. Be sure to zoom in on the reference image to get a clearer representation of how these shadows form on the teeth.

We achieve these shades with light hatching on the inside of the teeth.

Step 4: Shade the tongue with a pen

Let's start shading the tongue on the right side. Within the reference image we can see that the shading is predominantly to the right of all features within the reference image. This means that we want to make sure that the shading is done mostly on the right side.

We can continue this process by adding the shadows that form on the right side of the tongue.

We want to keep adding the shadows inside the tongue as we constantly refer to the reference image for guidance. We want to make sure that we use our pencil shading markers to give us an indication of the high light or dark we need to shade with our pencils in different areas of the tongue.

The shadows in the tongue are very subtle. Let's remember this when we notice the pressure we put on our pencils while shading. We can also add some faint lines and points in the tongue that run along the middle of the tongue.

This gives the tongue a more accurate representation of its condition. Continue shading the tongue while gently moving across the entire tongue.

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Step 5: Shade lips with pencil

When we get to the last step where we are shading the lips, we want to make sure that we are going through the shading process as carefully as possible. We want to allow the pencil marks and reference image to deal with the shading process.

Be sure to notice the small lines inside the lip and how the shadows are darker on the right side of the lip.

We can see that the reference image shows the shading within the lips quite fragmented. This is because the lips have a unique multi-notched structure. We're depicting that quality within the lips by creating these little vertical gradients that run across the lip. We can also show the texture with subtle lines inside the lip.

Adding the shadows inside the lips can be tricky so remember to take your time. Again, the shadows aren't smooth or even, but rather sporadic and spaced. This gives the lip a realistic texture. So be sure to check out the reference image to guide you through the shading process.

Continue this process until the lip is complete, moving from the darker shadow areas to the lighter ones. Adding small horizontal lines can create subtle little cracks that are unique to a lip's texture.

Again, as long as you constantly refer to the reference image as you draw with the pen, drawing the tongue should give you the best chance of more accurately defining the lip.

That's it, a tutorial on how to draw a tongue. Realistic tongue drawing doesn't have to be complicated. We just want to take our time, and that's the most important skill in drawing. Working patiently on each drawing element may take some time, so remember to take breaks.

There you have it, a few simple steps to pulling out a tongue!

Tips to remember

• always take it easy. Drawing takes time and patience to do each step slowly.
• Keep your pencil sharp.When you're drawing something with intricate detail, you want to keep your pencil sharp at all times.
• Be sure to consolidate the drawing before proceeding with the pen.. Make sure the pencil drawing is complete before proceeding to the steps using a pencil.
• Have scribble paper for your pen.. Sometimes ink gets stuck in the pen, so it's always a good idea to scribble some ink on a piece of paper before drawing or shading with the pen.
• Always be careful with the pressure applied to the pen.. Remember, the harder you press, the darker the marks will become.
• Enjoy the process.. Learning something new can be difficult, so stop and take it easy.

Realistic tongue drawing is about understanding how light and shadow form on the structure. These two concepts make a drawing appear realistic. As you develop your tongue sketch into a more refined tongue drawing, you'll want to explore how shadows are formed within features. Again, a language does not exist in isolation, contextualizing the language is an important part of drawing a language. So make sure you focus on all aspects of tongue drawing and not just the tongue. Finally, always remember to take your time when drawing with a pen.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pull out a tongue?

We'll start by developing the shape of the tongue and how it fits in the mouth. A good suggestion is to have a reference image to guide you in developing your tongue sketch. As you learn to draw a protruding tongue, you should constantly refer to the reference image as you slowly shape each feature of the drawing. If you do this back and forth between the reference image and the drawing, you will find that it is erased and redrawn until it correctly resembles the reference image. From there you want to add some shading. In this way we slowly add more dimension to the drawing of the tongue. This means we refer back to the reference image and want to see how the shadows are defined in the language within the reference image. From there we want to shade the drawing, focusing on each feature individually and using the reference image to guide our drawing process.

How to draw a realistic tongue

You will always need a reference image when attempting to draw anything realistic, especially one as unique as anatomical structures. What makes something realistic within a drawing is the shading. The shading represents how the object interacts with the light. All objects bend light to some degree and cast shadows. This means that when we draw something realistically, we want to mimic that quality. When trying to represent shadows and lights within a drawing, we want to constantly refer to a reference image since we are only making light shading marks. Once we've created the shading with lighter markers, we can darken the markers and increase the contrast by overlaying our shading with darker pencils or other dark media like pencils. However, make sure you understand the concept of light and shadow and how real objects define these concepts within their structures.

How to draw the texture of a tongue

The primary way to add detail to a tongue drawing is by using shading. Adding shading and using shading as a means of creating dimensions within a language. In this way we add shadows to the structure and give it a more three-dimensional quality. However, adding small lines and dots can be another way of defining the texture of a language. However, we would like to add these details using a reference image to give us an accurate description of how these markings are placed in the tongue. We want to add these features along with the shading process. Using both shading and small moments of lines and dots, we'll find that we're creating the rough texture with a tongue drawing.