Facial Expressions (Part 1) Changing the expression of anime and manga characters isn't particularly difficult, but it helps to know which features need to be adjusted for each type of emotion.
In this tutorial, I will show you how the various parts of the face work together to convey different emotions. Once you learn what features to change to achieve the look you want, you should be able to draw any emotion you like. Please read through my other facial tutorials, though, since it helps to have a working knowledge of how the features should be aligned before you begin.
First, we'll start off going over sadness, a fairly common emotion. This is a typical anime and manga face, but notice the changes that have been made. This form of sadness is more subdued. This picture is sort of a transition between sadness and anger. This guy is clearly very ticked off, even though he isn't shouting. ^_~ You can draw angry people without them screaming their heads off.
<< Back to Index ——————— Go to Part 2 >> Cool Illustrated Facial Expressions. The Most Comprehensive Drawing Tutorials Collection. How to Draw Cartoon Emotions & Facial Expressions Drawing Lessons. You can change the expressions on your face without changing your emotions (by acting) but don’t you wish that drawing facial expressions was just as easy?
Well, with practice, you will see that it is just this easy and a LOT of fun to try. Most facial expressions can be easily made by changing the size, shape, and relationship of eyes, nose, and mouth and other parts of the face such as eyelids and eyebrows. If you want to be a cartoonist, an illustrator, an artist or just simply good at drawing, it would be a good idea to start studying people’s faces. Keep a sketchpad with you at all times and when you see people’s faces change in emotion, quickly draw a simple shape (as seen below) to chart out all of the differentt expressions that a person’s face can make. It would also be a good idea to study your own face in the mirror as you make silly and crazy faces.
You Might also find the previous drawing article helpful : How to draw Cartoon Emotions and Expressions in Characters Eyes. Human Anatomy Fundamentals: Mastering Facial Expressions. To anyone whose illustration work includes characters, facial expressions are like this computer monitor: if it doesn't work right, then all the brilliant engineering that went into building the hard drive is wasted.
The human face ranks at the very top of the hierarchy of things the eye is immediately drawn to: if a face is visible in a given composition, the very first thing we look at is its expression. The body expresses action, but the face is a window into someone's inner life, and the expression of this inner life in a character makes all the difference between a skilled, observant artist (or writer) and a wooden one. These are two massively important reasons why we should really work on this particular skill. A facial expression that is alive can make up for some weaknesses in proportions (partially because it will keep the eye from wandering away from the face!)
, but not the reverse – a character with a face like a wax mask is a turn-off. Much can be done with the eyes alone. 50 Facial Expressions and How to Draw Them.