Kelly Edelman, one of our Fuel Your Creativity artists, is known for her vivid and colorful portraits using mixed media. For many of Kelly's portraits, she uses Real Brush Pens® to achieve her bold compositions. Read more about Kelly's artistic background and inspiration here. Keep reading to learn how to create and shade lips perfectly for your next portrait using Real Brush Pens®! 

Supplies Needed:
Real Brush Pens®
Water Brush Pen (Included with Arteza Real Brush Pens®)

Base Layer 

Start with a dark red color (Kelly uses Red Currant) and create a line where the two lips meet in the center, which will be the darkest point. Also, add this same shade underneath the bottom lip to create shadow and depth. 

Next, Kelly creates mid-tones with Bubble Bath Pink. You'll be placing the mid tones right above the red you've just drawn on the bottom lip and above the red line where the lips meet. When added next to the red, you'll see that the colors will bleed into one another and create a soft gradient. 

Use the water brush pen to blend the colors lightly. For the top lip, lead the watered-down Bubblegum Pink faintly up to the edges of the lip and midway through. Make sure to leave the upper lip near the cupid's bow as free of color as you can for now (this will be a highlight point). For the bottom lip, do the same process until you leave a white oval in the middle of the bottom lip. 

To create more layers and depth, use Fuchsia to build up the corners of the mouth and for the outline of the upper lip. Using the Water Brush pen again and lightly pull that shade around the lip to create a nice blend.   

Lastly, use Blush Pink to add details to the lips by creating strokes upward on the upper lip and downward strokes on the lower lip. Continue to add more detail wherever you feel it is needed, making sure you leave two oval-shaped spots free of color on the upper and lower lip for highlight points.  

Fine Lines and Details 

Now that you've created the base let the piece air dry for 5 minutes, or use a heat gun/hair dryer for 30 seconds to a minute. Now you can add fine lines and details. For this step, Kelly uses the same shades as before and adds any lost color. Adding details also helps with creating depth and layers. 

First, she uses Red Currant shade for the bottom of the lip and where the lips meet. Then she'll add Fuchsia to the inner part of the lips (still making sure to leave white for the highlighted area). Lastly, she'll layer Bubble Bath Pink, mostly to the top lip, cupids bow, and anywhere else that needs blending. 

Now you've created perfectly shaded lips with Real Brush Pens! We hope this how-to has taught you a few new tips and tricks and fueled your creativity to create.