How to Draw People Kissing

Co-authored by Kelly Medford

Last Updated: May 17, 2022 Approved

Do you like romantic comedies or love stories? A simple kiss can be a surprisingly challenging act to draw! This tutorial will help position characters in a light kiss, useful for comics, romantic illustrations, or your sketchbook.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Medium Shot Side View

1
Draw the outline sketches. Sketch two ovals slightly intersecting each other. These are the outline sketches for the foreheads. If you're drawing traditionally, do this in pencil, pressing lightly.
- If you don't have a lot of drawing experience, try copying or tracing a similar drawing or painting by an artist that you really like. This can help you learn how they make marks and approach their artwork.
2
Add the jawline profile view of the first character. This time the head outline of the first character looks like an acorn shape.

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3
Continue with the jawline of the second character. Make sure it's more on the side of the oval rather than the bottom, unlike the first character's jawline. It should form somewhat of a heart shape.
4
Draw the skeleton outline for the first character. The purpose of the skeleton outlines is to guide you in drawing the body pose and composition. You don't have to be an anatomy expert to do this, either. Use a line for the spine, which should be slightly curved. Add two lines for the arms. For the shoulders, elbows, and hands use simple circles. Try to anticipate how you want their bodies to look together.
5
Add the skeleton outline for the second character. Using the same techniques, add the skeleton outlines for the second character.
- Make sure the characters aren't just standing there kissing. Put one character's arms on the other's lower back, under their jaw, or on the back of their head. You could also have them holding hands.
6
Draw the facial feature outlines. Draw a vertical line slightly curved into the direction the face is going, then add a horizontal line across the middle of the head facing the same direction. The horizontal line will be where the eyes are, and where the two lines meet will be roughly where the nose bridge starts.
- Use a mirror every so often to examine your drawing. This technique can help you see your drawing in a new way while also pointing out any obvious mistakes.
7
Erase some of the outline sketches and start drawing the actual lines for the faces based on the outlines. If you're drawing digitally, lower the opacity of the sketch layer and create a new layer for the outlines.
- If the drawing program you're using doesn't have layers, you can use the paint bucket tool to make the sketch lines grey, then bucket fill them white when the outline is finished.
8
Draw the line art for the bodies. The black lines, or the lines not in the sketch that you're going to keep, are called the line art. When lining, make sure to give them different body shapes. Maybe one has broader shoulders, a narrower waist, etc.
9
Draw the actual lines of the clothes of the first character. Clothes can be drawn conforming to the shape of the body, effects of gravity, movement, friction, layers, and wind. Add small folds where the fabric would be stretched against something (most likely the joints) or where a lot of fabric bunches up. Generally, the more folds, the tighter the clothing.
10
Draw the actual lines for the clothes of the second character. Follow the same guidelines you used for the first character.
11
Add the line art for the hair of the first character. Make sure the bangs are in the same direction as the face and don't continue all along with the head. The character should have longer pieces of hair or sideburns on the sides instead of the bangs continuing. ch
12
Line the hair for the second character.
13
Erase the sketch or any unnecessary lines.
14
Color the characters. You can also add shading if you'd like.
15
Add the background. You can draw a complicated background, or just use a solid color or pattern.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Method Two: Eye Level Profile View

1
Begin with the outline sketch of the heads. Draw two oval shapes that slightly overlap for the forehead outlines.
2
Add the jawline sketches
- Notice the heart shape on the head outlines. Always remember that whenever you draw two people kissing on profile angles or side views, the outline sketches for the characters’ heads look like a heart shape.
3
Draw the facial feature outlines. Add curved four vertical lines and a horizontal line for each of the character’s head. The vertical lines show what direction the face is in and is an outline for the eyes. Since this is a side view, the horizontal line is the outline for the ears. If it is a frontal view of the face, where the two lines meet becomes roughly where the nose bridge starts.
4
D the line art for the faces. Always begin drawing kissing people on the forehead through the nose. It is easier starting that way.
5
Draw the line art for the lips, jawlines, and the ear. Make sure the lips aren't just pressed against each other; they should be somewhat linked together, with the first character's top lip under the second character's top lip and such. You could also tilt their heads further and make their lips diagonal to each other.
6
Line the necks.
7
Draw the hair of the first character.
8
Add the hair of the second character.
9
Draw the line art for the clothes. Add folds where the joints are or where the excess fabric would bunch up.
10
Erase the sketch. If you're drawing digitally, delete the sketch layer. If the program you're using doesn't have layers, you can use the paint bucket to make the grey sketch white, though this is a bit messy and tedious.
11
Color the characters. You can add an effect on the color digitally. Since this view shows a closer look at the characters, you can add blush on their cheeks.
12
Add the background.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I draw a kiss on the cheek?

Community Answer

It depends on how you want your picture to look. If it's someone leaning in, I'd practice by drawing the sides of faces first, then draw the person kissing, and then behind them, the person being kissed. You can have different reactions like surprise or embarrassment! If you can, have someone re-enact it in real life and possibly draw the basics from that and then edit it to suit your characters.
Question

How do I draw them kissing while dancing?

Community Answer

Simply readjust the position of their hands and bodies to show them dancing. If you need extra help, reference pictures work great.
Question

How do you draw them kissing while hugging?

Community Answer

Find a reference picture and draw from that.

Things You'll Need

Traditional:
- Paper
- Pencil
- Pencil sharpener (optional)
- Eraser
- Colored pencils, crayons, markers or watercolors
Digital:
- Drawing program or website
- Drawing tablet or stylus (optional)