Learn how to convey emotions and depict expressions when drawing faces! After finding your character's neutral face, you will explore 16 different expressions by manipulating facial features. Discover how a minor change in a feature can convey an entirely different emotion! Use these skills to make your work more engaging and story-telling - whether you're drawing humans, animals, creatures, or other characters.
Contents
Introduction
Welcome to People Skills: Expressions
Watch: Introduction
Supplies
How to Approach this Course
The Neutral Face
Before you can draw a face expressing emotions, you must first determine what that face looks like when it's NOT conveying emotion.
Watch: The Neutral Face
Homework: Determine your Default Face
Manipulating the Facial Features to Convey Emotion
Simple changes to the eyes, brows, and mouth can dramatically change the emotion that a face is expressing. In this section, you'll learn ways to manipulate the different facial features.
Watch: How to Manipulate Facial Features
Eye Shape
Pupils
Eye Gaze
Brows
Exercise: Expressions with Eyes & Brows
Mouth
Learning About the Emotions
In the following lessons, I'll walk you through 8 major emotions and how you can manipulate the facial features to depict them as facial expressions.
Watch: Emotional Intensity
Watch: How to Draw Emotions & Expressions
Table of Emotions and Inspiration
Happy Expressions
Let's kick things off with a little joy, shall we? Let’s get happy! Click through to learn about how to characterize a happy, joyful expression.
The Feeling of Happiness
Happy
Ecstatic
Homework: Draw Happy Expressions
Sad Expressions
Awww, cheer up! Your lesson about drawing gloomy-looking faces is just a click away.
The Feeling of Sadness
Sad
Anguished
Homework: Draw Sad Expressions
Scared
Drawing expressions isn’t scary! Learn all about how to draw a look of terror.
The Feeling of Fear
Scared
Terrified
Homework: Draw Scared Expressions
Surprise
It should come as no surprise that you’ll be learning how to draw an expression of bewilderment.
The Feeling of Surprise
Surprised
Shocked
Homework: Draw Surprised Expressions
Angry
Grrrrr! Arrrrrgggggg! Hey now, don’t get mad — get a lesson on drawing angry faces!
The Feeling of Anger
Angry
Furious
Homework: Draw Angry Expressions
Silly
Feel like you’re drawing yourself silly this week? Explore some zany, crazy faces in today’s lesson.
The Feeling of Silliness
Silly
Ridiculous
Homework: Draw Silly Expressions
Disgust
Hopefully you haven’t found these lessons too appalling. Learn how to draw a disgusted face in this section.
The Feeling of Disgust
Disgusted
Revolted
Homework: Draw Disgusted Expressions
Love and Peace
Take a deep breath. We're almost done. In this lesson, we'll be drawing peaceful faces.
Feelings of Peace & Love
Peace
Adoration
Homework: Draw Peaceful Expressions
Share your Expressions
Share your expression studies with your fellow art-makers!