• 60 ideas
  • Checked October 2026

Painting Ideas of Lips

Three ideas, each a canvas of lips, its colors and the single step that gives the style.

Painting Ideas of Lips

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  1. Glossy lips in profile, the highlight on the outer curveCoral, red, white, peach. Put the white where the curve turns toward the light.
  2. Silver chrome lips with hard-edged reflectionsGray, white, black, pale blue. Put the lightest light right beside the darkest dark.
  3. Ladybug walking along the top edge of a smileRed, black, pink, white. Paint the ladybug as a red dome with a black head and spots.

Next step Paint the rest of the faceDrips and pours in the abstract list

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Pop art 12

  • Flat red lips with a thick black outline on yellow Yellow, red, black, white. Fill the lips flat, outline in black, then add one white bar of shine.
  • Gray newspaper-style face area with only the lips in red Black, white, gray, red. Paint everything in grays and only the lips in red.
  • Half-tone lips, the shading made of dots large to small Magenta, white, black. Dot the shadow side with larger dots and the light side with tiny ones.
  • Hot pink lips across a split blue and yellow ground Hot pink, blue, yellow, black. Paint the two halves of the ground first, then the lips across the join.
  • Lip outline alone, upper double curve then lower sweep White, black. Draw the double curve of the upper lip first, then the lower curve, with a liner.
  • Lips divided into color blocks like stained glass Red, orange, pink, purple, black. Divide the lips with black lines and fill each piece flat.
  • Lips with comic-book rays bursting out behind Red, yellow, black, white. Rule the rays from a point behind the lips with a flat brush.
  • Neon-edged lip outline on a black canvas Black canvas, hot pink, white. Paint a white line first, then a wider pink line over it so the edge glows.
  • Rows of tiny lips printed with a cut sponge Red, pink, white, black. Cut the lip shape once and print it in rows, dipping it again each time.
  • Same lips four times, a new color pair in each quarter Pink, teal, orange, purple, black. Tape the canvas in quarters and swap the colors in each.
  • Smiling lips on a background of even printed dots Red, white, sky blue, black. Print the background dots with a cotton swab in even rows.
  • Wide grin with one plain band of white teeth Red, white, black, turquoise. Paint the teeth as one white band and divide it with thin gray lines.

Glossy 12

  • Candy-apple lips as one shiny shape Bright red, white. Paint the lips as one flat red shape and add a single curved highlight.
  • Cherry-pink gloss with two small highlights Pink, rose, white. Place one highlight each side of the dip in the upper lip.
  • Coral gloss with fine upright creases showing through Coral, red, white. Pull thin darker lines up the lips before the highlight goes on.
  • Glossy lips in profile, the highlight on the outer curve Coral, red, white, peach. Put the white where the curve turns toward the light.
  • Glossy red lips with one white highlight on the lower lip Red, dark red, white. Blend the red darker toward the corners, then add one curved white stroke.
  • Glossy smile with the light catching both lips Red, pink, white. Put a long highlight on the lower lip and a short one on the upper.
  • High-shine gloss built from three thin glazes Rose, crimson, white. Glaze thin crimson over dry rose twice, then add the highlight.
  • Highlight study: the same lips lit from left, top and right Pink, rose, white. Paint three pairs and move only the highlight.
  • Mirror-shine lips with a tiny blue horizon in the highlight Red, sky blue, white. Paint a thin strip of blue inside the highlight.
  • Peach lips with a satin sheen and one soft highlight Peach, coral, cream. Blend the two tones, then lay one soft cream highlight on the lower lip.
  • Plum gloss, its highlight a tiny four-pane square Plum, violet, white. Paint the highlight as a small four-pane square.
  • Sheer gloss over a soft natural pink Rose beige, pink, white. Keep the color soft and let two thin white streaks do the shine.

Drips, glitter and metallic 12

  • Flat red lips with the drips drawn as black outlines White, black, red. Paint the lips flat and draw the drips as outlines only, unfilled.
  • Glitter lips built from hundreds of cotton swab dots Rose, gold, white. Dot in three sizes, densest in the middle.
  • Gold lips with paint drips running off the lower edge Gold, ocher, white, black. Paint each drip as a narrow line with a rounded end.
  • Paint-dipped lips, the lower half turquoise Red, white, turquoise. Tape across the lips and paint below the tape with a wavy lower edge.
  • Pearl lips on a black canvas Black canvas, white, pale pink, pale blue. Glaze thin pink and blue over dry white for the pearl sheen.
  • Pink lips melting like ice cream into a puddle Pink, cream, tan. Round every drip and pool them at the bottom edge.
  • Rainbow drips falling from bubblegum-pink lips Pink, yellow, teal, purple, white. Paint each drip a different color, long and short side by side.
  • Rose-gold lips with one four-point sparkle Rose, gold, white. Add a four-point white star at the brightest spot.
  • Silver chrome lips with hard-edged reflections Gray, white, black, pale blue. Put the lightest light right beside the darkest dark.
  • Silver dots thickest at the dip of the upper lip Violet, silver, white. Dot most thickly at the dip and thin the dots toward the corners.
  • Sponge-dabbed shimmer, half gold and half silver Gold, silver, black. Tap each metallic on with a sponge and let them meet in the middle.
  • Sprinkle lips, short colored dashes instead of glitter Pink, white, yellow, blue, green. Paint short dashes in every direction over dry pink.

Colors you would not expect 12

  • Black and white check lips on a red ground, grid curved Black, white, red. Pencil a curved grid and fill alternate squares.
  • Black and white lips, colors swapped at the midline Black, white, gray. Split the lips down the middle and swap the colors of lip and ground.
  • Flower-print lips dotted with five-petal blooms Cream, pink, green, yellow. Dot the flowers with a cotton swab over the dry base.
  • Leopard-spot lips in tan and brown Tan, brown, black. Paint brown blobs and ring each loosely with black.
  • Mint green lips on a candy-pink ground Mint, dark mint, pink, white. Paint flat and add one white highlight.
  • Nebula lips: magenta and blue sponged thin, dotted white Black, magenta, blue, white. Sponge the colors thinly, then dot the stars.
  • Night sky lips with stars and a small crescent Navy, violet, white. Blend navy into violet, then dot stars with a cotton swab.
  • Ocean lips, deep blue below and foam along the top Navy, teal, white. Stipple white foam along the upper edge of the lower lip.
  • Ombre lips, plum at the corners and pale in the middle Plum, pink, white. Blend from the corners inward.
  • Rainbow bands running across both lips Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. Paint the bands as upright stripes and blend each join.
  • Sunset lips blending yellow through orange to pink Yellow, orange, pink. Blend across the lips from one corner to the other.
  • Watermelon lips with seeds and a green rind line Red, green, black, white. Dot the seeds as small teardrops.

Lips with one thing 12

  • Blue butterfly resting on a smiling lower lip Red, blue, black, white. Paint the butterfly as two pairs of wings with a thin body.
  • Brace-wearer's grin, thin wire through silver dots Pink, white, silver gray. Paint the teeth, then a dot on each and one thin line through them.
  • Ladybug walking along the top edge of a smile Red, black, pink, white. Paint the ladybug as a red dome with a black head and spots.
  • Lips puffing dandelion seeds into a blue sky Rose, white, gray, sky blue. Pull the seeds away with a liner brush, each with a tiny tuft.
  • Lips puffing out a single birthday candle Pink, yellow, orange, white. Lean the flame away from the lips.
  • Paper mustache on a stick held above a grin Red, black, tan, white. Paint the mustache as one black curl and the stick as a thin tan line.
  • Pink gum bubble hiding half of a smile Pink, pale pink, white. Trace a lid for the bubble and add one curved highlight.
  • Smile with a daisy tucked at one corner Pink, white, yellow, green. Paint the lips, then the daisy overlapping one corner.
  • Snowflake landing on a rosy smile Rose, white, pale blue. Paint the snowflake as six thin crossed lines.
  • Striped paper streamers curling down beside a grin Red, yellow, blue, white. Paint each streamer as one long striped curl.
  • Tiny five-point gold star beside a pink smile Pink, gold, white. Paint a small five-point star in thick gold.
  • Whistling lips with three music notes floating off Coral, black, yellow. Paint the lips as a small rounded O and float the notes away.

How it works

The double curve along the top of the upper lip is called the Cupid's bow. These canvases sort painted lips by style, from pop art and glossy to drips, odd colors and lips with one small thing.

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Lip painting ideas, shape first

Pencil a wide, flat M for the Cupid's bow, a shallow curve under it for the lower lip, and join the two at the corners. Fill both lips flat before adding anything else. Lip outline alone, upper double curve then lower sweep is that drawing and nothing more.

Where the highlight goes

Gloss is one hard-edged white shape on dry color. In Glossy red lips with one white highlight on the lower lip it is a single curved stroke. Highlight study: the same lips lit from left, top and right moves only the highlight between three pairs.

  • The easy ones are under More filters, Level.

Questions and answers

What is the easiest way to paint lips?

Candy-apple lips as one shiny shape is one flat red shape and a single curved highlight. Flat color inside a black outline, as in the pop art group, also forgives a wobbly edge.

Which colors do I need to paint lips?

One red or pink, a darker version of it for the corners and white for the highlight. Black adds the pop art outline. Another group swaps in navy, mint, rainbow bands or black and white.

How do you paint glossy lips in acrylic?

Let the lip color dry, then add the highlight in pure white with a hard edge: a curved stroke on the lower lip and sometimes a short one on the upper. Leave it unblended.

How do I paint dripping lips?

Paint each drip as a narrow line with a rounded end, long and short side by side, as in Rainbow drips falling from bubblegum-pink lips. Flat red lips with the drips drawn as black outlines leaves them unfilled.

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