Lil Peep wasn't just another rapper with face tattoos. He was a whole aesthetic. When you sit down to figure out how to draw Lil Peep, you aren't just sketching a face; you’re trying to capture a very specific kind of raw, vulnerable energy that defined a generation of SoundCloud rap. It’s about the contrast. You have these harsh, DIY tattoos sitting right next to soft, almost delicate facial features. If you get the proportions wrong, it just looks like a generic guy with ink. But if you nail the eyes and the jawline, you’ve got Gus.
Honestly, most people mess up the hair first. Peep’s hair was constantly changing—pink, black and pink, platinum blonde, greasy, fluffy—it did everything. To draw him accurately, you have to pick an era. Are you going for the Hellboy era or the more polished Come Over When You're Sober look?
The Understructure: Getting the Bone Structure Right
Peep had a very distinct, angular face. He had a strong jaw but also high cheekbones that gave him a slightly gaunt, "heroin chic" look. Start with a basic oval, sure, but don't keep it round. Use sharp, quick lines to define the chin. It was narrow. If you make the face too wide, you lose that signature look.
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Think about the eyes. They’re the most important part. Peep often had this heavy-lidded, tired expression. He wasn't wide-eyed. You want to drop the upper eyelid slightly over the iris to give him that sleepy, melancholic gaze he was famous for. Keep the nose relatively straight and slim. His lips were full but often pulled into a slight smirk or a neutral pout.
Why the Tattoos Are the Hardest Part
It’s tempting to just scribble "Get Cake Die Young" on the forehead and call it a day. Don't do that. When learning how to draw Lil Peep, the tattoos need to follow the curve of his face. They aren't stickers slapped on a flat surface. They are warped by his brow bone and the bridge of his nose.
The "Crybaby" tattoo above his right eyebrow is iconic. It’s cursive, but it’s a bit shaky. It shouldn't look like a computer font. Then you’ve got the horseshoe between his eyes and the "Rose" on his cheek. The "Mood" sun on his throat is a big one, too.
- The "Crybaby" Script: Keep the lines thin. Use a fine-liner if you're working traditionally.
- The Rose: It’s more of a silhouette than a detailed botanical drawing. Focus on the shape.
- The Centipede: This one runs along his jawline. It’s tricky because it has to follow the bone.
- The Forehead "Get Cake Die Young": This is usually partially obscured by his bangs, which is a great trick if you're struggling with the lettering.
Nailing the Hair Texture
Peep’s hair was never "perfect." It was bleached, dyed, and often looked a bit damaged—which is part of the charm. If you’re drawing the half-pink, half-black look, don't just draw a line down the middle. Hair clumps together. Use jagged, uneven strokes.
You should vary your pressure. If you''re using a pencil, use a 4B for the dark side to get those deep blacks and a hard H pencil for the lighter side. Leave some white space for highlights, especially where the light hits the top of the head. It makes the hair look three-dimensional instead of like a flat helmet.
The Style and Clothing
Peep’s fashion was a mix of punk, emo, and high fashion. He’d wear a thrifted hockey jersey or a high-end designer jacket. When you're sketching the body, think about layers. He loved oversized hoodies. If you draw him in a hoodie, make sure the fabric bunches up around the neck—this helps frame the face and draws more attention to those neck tattoos like the "Mood" sun or the "Daddy" script.
Shading for Emo Realism
Because Peep’s look was so centered around a "sad boy" aesthetic, the shading needs to reflect that. Use soft shading under the eyes to emphasize that tired look. Deepen the shadows under the jawline to pop the bone structure.
If you're working digitally, create a new layer for the tattoos and drop the opacity to about 80%. Tattoos sit under the skin's top layer; they aren't pitch black. Softening them makes the drawing look ten times more realistic.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Making the tattoos too neat: His ink was punk. It was meant to look a little bit rough.
- Ignoring the eyebrows: Peep had very light, almost invisible eyebrows sometimes, or they were covered by ink. Look closely at reference photos.
- Perfect symmetry: Nobody's face is perfectly symmetrical. Peep had a lot of character in his expressions. Lean into the slight imperfections.
Stepping Up Your Technique
Once you've got the pencil sketch down, try using watercolors or Copic markers to capture the hair color. Peep’s pink wasn't just one shade; it was a mix of hot pink, pastel, and sometimes a bit of orange-ish fade. Layering colors will give your art more depth.
If you’re struggling with the likeness, try the grid method. It’s an old-school trick where you draw a grid over your reference photo and a matching one on your paper. It helps you place the "Crybaby" tattoo exactly where it needs to be in relation to the eye.
Final Actionable Steps
To really master this, don't just draw him once. Gus had so many different looks.
First, grab a high-res photo from his 2017 Vogue shoot or a still from the "Awful Things" music video. Start with the "Ghost Boy" look—it's simpler because his hair is usually flatter.
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Next, focus specifically on the eyes. Spend an entire page just drawing his eyes and the surrounding tattoos. Once you can do that from memory, the rest of the face falls into place.
Finally, experiment with different mediums. Peep’s music was a collage of genres, and your art can be too. Mix charcoal with colored pencils. Use ink for the tattoos and soft graphite for the skin. The more you lean into the "messy" but intentional style of his aesthetic, the better your Lil Peep drawing will turn out. Use a kneaded eraser to lift highlights off the tip of the nose and the cheekbones at the very end to give it that final pop of life.