Sketching & Illustrating Anime and Manga teeth from various perspectives

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This article demonstrates how to draw anime and manga teeth in both side and front views. It also discusses how to situate them in the mouth and their various styles.

anime_teeth_drawing

 

Though the simplified anime and manga teeth may seem simple to draw, there is a lot to them. This lesson is divided into three sections that address various elements of drawing them:

1. Sketching teeth from various perspectives/angles

2. Illustrations of anime-style teeth with various facial expressions

3. How may anime teeth be utilized to reveal a character’s personality?

Drawing of anime teeth

Contents

Anime teeth are often portrayed without all of the characteristics of each tooth. Typically, they are shown as a single merged form or with just traces of the separate teeth.

There are a few instances when each tooth is visible; however, they are typically drawn very identically to actual teeth. We will not go over it in this guide since you can simply look at a picture of genuine teeth for reference.

Drawing Anime Teeth from Various Perspectives/Angles

Teeth Position in a Closed Mouth – Side View

anime_teeth_closed_mouth_side_view

Closed mouth side view of an animated character’s teeth

It’s a good idea to have a basic understanding of how teeth are positioned in the mouth before drawing them. The “see-through” graphic above provides a general estimation of this.

The significance of knowing where the teeth are located in the skull should become clear as you go through the course.

Teeth Position in an Open Mouth – Side View

anime_teeth_open_mouth_side_view

Side view of an animated character’s teeth and mouth.

When the mouth expands like a shouting face, the top row of teeth remains in the same place (concerning the head). The bottom row changes with the jaw, but their location about the jaws remains constant.

While you don’t have to design a see-through picture like the ones above every time, it’s a good idea to keep these principles in mind to prevent errors.

Front View of Teeth in an Open Mouth

anime_teeth_open_mouth_drawing

The preceding example is the front aspect of the face from the preceding instances. The teeth become much more difficult to depict at this angle. This is particularly true for the bottom row since it’s difficult to predict how far up the bottom jaw the teeth should travel at this angle.

Teeth Positioning/Drawing at Difficult Angles

anime_teeth_drawing_different_views

An excellent method (as mentioned in previous lessons on AnimeOutline) is to estimate the location of the same body component in a more complicated perspective using an easier to draw from view.
In this situation, you may use a side view drawing of the teeth to project a series of lines that will show you where the teeth should be placed in the front view.
While this may seem a lot of effort, you do not need to create a side view drawing as complex as the example. Make a quick outline sketch.
See Frequent Faults While Sketching Anime & Manga for a list of some of the most common mistakes made when drawing anime.

Drawing Anime Teeth to Demonstrate Different Emotions

As seen in the instances below, displayed teeth may also accentuate certain emotions.

Teeth of an Anime Smiling Face

anime_teeth_smiling_face_drawing

A simple grin is perhaps the most evident emotion that reveals teeth.

anime_teeth_smiling_mouth_drawing

In an anime/manga style, you can usually only draw a few curved lines on either side to provide a sense of the top and bottom row of teeth.

Scared Teeth of an Anime

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A frightened expression is another typical emotion that includes teeth.

aniem_teeth_scared_mouth_drawing

As with the grin, you may show only a smidgeon of the line dividing the top and bottom rows of teeth.

Grinning Teeth of an Anime

anime_teeth_side_view_grin_drawing

Another typical anime facial expression in which teeth are seen is a side view smile.

anime_teeth_grinning_mouth_side_view_drawing

To accentuate the aggressive aspect of the expression, this expression is often portrayed with a hint of the “fang.”

Angry Teeth of an Anime

anime_grinding_teeth_side_view_drawing

The last example’s furious side view expression is fairly similar.

anime_grinding_teeth_mouth_side_view_drawing

The teeth of the furious mouth, like the smile teeth, are frequently shown with a “fang-like” sharp tooth.

Teeth Alignment in Anime Drawing Various Points of View

anime_teeth_drawing_alignment

Again, you can see that even when the facial emotions and mouth shape alter, the teeth stay in about the same place. While you don’t have to completely align the teeth when sketching the same character in multiple perspectives, it’s a good idea to maintain the teeth in about the same spot in relation to the rest of the head.

Drawing Anime Teeth to Demonstrate Character

Occasionally, anime characters are shown with odd teeth. This may assist in highlighting a certain personality and giving them a more distinct appearance. A handful of instances are shown below.

Yaeba has one protruding tooth. Yaeba Anime Teeth

anime_one_tooth_drawing

The “one tooth jutting out” is often used to depict an active and mischievous personality. This is also called “Yaeba” at times.

anime_one_tooth_mouth_drawing

To demonstrate this characteristic, pull the mouth open but just one sharp tooth (like a fang) on one side of the mouth.

Please remember that characters are sometimes shown with one tooth constantly ticking out even when the mouth is closed; however, this is uncommon and might seem weird.

Please keep in mind that while this is a very stylized approach to drawing teeth, the exact positioning of the one tooth becomes less critical, but you should still attempt to be at least somewhat accurate.

Shark Tooth Anime Character with Multiple Sharp Teeth

anime_sharp_teeth_face_open_mouth_drawing

Sharp shark-like teeth on an anime or manga character often suggest a competitive nature. Some characters may have them as a permanent trait, while others may only have them when they make a specific expression.

anime_sharp_teeth_open_mouth_drawing

You may draw these teeth in the same way you would draw a saw or genuine shark teeth.

anime_sharp_teeth_drawing

The picture above is another kind of shark teeth that might occur when a character smiles.

anime_sharp_teeth_smiling_mouth_drawing

Draw these sorts of teeth similar to a saw, but instead of drawing them all in a single line, draw them curving down the mouth.

 

Conclusion

Teeth in highly stylized and simplified anime and manga may seem to be a very straightforward thing to draw, but this is not always the case.

Different perspectives/angles, face emotions, and character styles may make designing teeth difficult.

Hopefully, this lesson has given you a better understanding of drawing them.