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Here’s a guide to drawing a variety of different emotions, moods, and characters.
Tips for Drawing Facial Expressions
The Most Important Features
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The Eyes - Probably the most important feature for evoking a clear emotion. Utilize the eyelids and eyebrows to create your effect.
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The Cheeks - The way they squash and stretch will affect the look and position of the eyes.
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The Mouth - The shape of the mouth is also very important. It affects how the cheeks move and the shape of the entire face.
Additional Tips
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Note that when you move the shape and position of one feature, it affects everything else. Nothing stands completely on its own.
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For a stronger drawing and character, really push the expression. Instead of simply drawing a happy person, draw one that is ecstatic; instead of drawing an angry person, draw a furious one.
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Have a mirror nearby. When I’m trying to nail down an expression, I often find my own face making weird movements unconsciously. It can make for good reference.
Facial Expressions Chart
Happy |
Ecstatic |
Content |
Sad |
Depressed |
Embarrassed |
Nervous |
Angry |
Furious |
Devious |
Bored |
Annoyed |
Surprised |
Tired |
Exhausted |
Disgusted |
Something Stinks |
Are You Kidding Me? |
Hyper |
Grumpy |
Proud |
Cute |
Snob |
Brat |
Evil |
Sneeze |
Sour |
Talking |
Shouting |
Laughing |
Excited |
Twitterpated |
Smile! |
Fake Smile |
Wink |
Asleep |
Shut Tight |
Kiss |
Scared |
Terrified |
Studly |
Tough |
Intimidating |
Stoic |
Intense |
Goofy |
Serious |
Thinking |
Supermodel |
Confused |
Download a PDF version here.
Feel free to leave additional tips, comments, links, and info by commenting on this post at DaniDraws.com.
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Entries (RSS)
December 6th, 2007 at 11:57 am
Great!
December 6th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Cool one Dani !
I’m just about to get into a 3d character animation project, and your chart will sure come in handy.
Thank you very much !
December 7th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Great collection! Guess it will help me for future drawings.
Big thanks!
December 8th, 2007 at 1:02 am
TE LA SABES CHICA CADA VES ME HAGO MAS Y MAS FAN TUYO… GRACIAS POR TUS TIPS
December 8th, 2007 at 1:03 am
Gracias por los tips te la sabes, cada vez soy fan tuyo… muchas gracias
December 11th, 2007 at 2:21 am
Arigatoo Gozaimashita. Thank you very much. Translated from Japanese. Yeah, I downloaded the .pdf file to study later.
December 12th, 2007 at 4:00 am
You’re brilliant, Miss Jones. Absolutely brilliant.
December 12th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
wow, you are so good! Thanks so much!
December 17th, 2007 at 7:53 am
Very cool facial expressions! You are skillful!
Dugg
December 17th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Hi,
Great article! Is it ok if I link to it on my blog?
Really useful stuff!
Seb
December 17th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Yes, Seb. Linking is fine with me. I only have a problem with duplicating an article in its entirety.
December 17th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Great work Dani! You’re very talented.
December 18th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
Yeah, those are great– if your head’s a circle… Look at Loomis instead.
December 20th, 2007 at 4:59 am
Awesome drawings!
December 21st, 2007 at 5:40 pm
amateurish. I doubt if this can be of help to anyone.
and if you won’t follow the guides (circle and central lines) why do you bother drawing them?
December 23rd, 2007 at 5:00 pm
good stuff.. keep it up!
December 24th, 2007 at 5:23 am
Thank you so much for including the pdf version. I appreciate that very much. You are quite talented!
December 24th, 2007 at 10:55 am
This chart has helped me understand so much about expression, be it round heads or not.
December 25th, 2007 at 1:10 am
This is of help to those who have only ever drawn stick figures ( like me) haha Thanks!
December 26th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Cool! Great work!
December 29th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
This would make a great moo theme at livejournal. would you make one? or allow me to do so, with credit, of course!
January 4th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Nice! Thank you, I’ll download your PDF and use it for future drawing references!
January 5th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Very nice! Regardless of whether you are drawing this figure or your own style, it’s an awesome guide to basic expressions. I use guide lines in a similar way, to keep a somewhat accurate perspective, but they are just that, guides.
January 7th, 2008 at 8:49 am
awesome…handling is so gud and idea of drawing such a sketch iz fabulous becoz nothing is impossible but not even easy but DANI u have done with it n ur work iz worthy..and even self-precious….WELLDONE keep putting ur efforts to be more presentable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Great!!!!
January 9th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Thank you very much!
January 14th, 2008 at 4:24 am
Dear Dani.
You are great. First time in life I could draw faces so well taking tips from you. Thanks a lot.
January 17th, 2008 at 4:46 am
Excellant help!
You were a lifesaver with this!
January 17th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Excelleeeeent!!! :):):) thank you veery muuuuch )
January 18th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Great drawings, such expression. i’m a primary school teacher and this will be very useful to me. I will definitely use it with my students. Thank you so much.
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
thanks a lot!!
February 26th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Great!
You are quite talented!
March 15th, 2008 at 4:28 am
Thanks a lot
March 17th, 2008 at 12:13 am
that s great!!!!! i am learning about sketching cartoons by myself now my cartoon characters got the life ………. thanx a lot… and i have downloaded .pdf file …. is there any more facial expression than these????
March 27th, 2008 at 1:16 am
Very cute faces! The expressions are perfect.
April 11th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Hey Dani,
I have fallen from heaven. I’llbe using your tips to draw for my students….We are talking about mixed emotions and this comes in handy!
Great job
Paulo
Manaus - Am
Brazil
April 15th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
These facial expressions are fantastic. I am a trainee primary school teacher aide. I’m going to have some drawing lessons with some of my students with aspergers. As they have trouble reading body language and facial expressions I definently feel that your drawings are going to help them hugely.
Thanks heaps
Rach.
April 26th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
hiyaa. i hope you can some more pictures on your website cos i think its real good. could you possibly put some more realistic facial expressions on so that i can please learnt hem. thank you ever so much. its realy appreciated that someone goes to the reouble of helping people like me. thank you. x x x x
April 26th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
thank you for the help. i can use these in my gcse art portfolio as i am doing expressive faces. this is perfect. thanxx
May 4th, 2008 at 8:46 am
hey good drawings! i was kinda looking for heads that are more like Calvin and Hobbs. but thanks anyway!
p.s. is it ok if i save this as one of my favorites?
May 9th, 2008 at 5:48 am
Wow!
Really good post Dani!