Course Highlights


Sketching Facial Expressions

To sketch facial expressions, we must understand how the muscles in the face operate and their effect on the shape and placement of facial features as well as their influence on the appearance/surface texture of the skin. Facial expressions convey different emotions and are a key element of any portrait.

Running vertically along the forehead are two independent muscles, each about half the width of the forehead. This pair of muscles largely controls eyebrow movement - as you know, the position of the eyebrows plays a big role in the expression of sadness, surprise, fear and other emotions. Apart from the position and shape of the eyebrows, the wrinkles/folds that form with each muscle movement are also key to the expression of emotion.

Smaller muscles exist between the eyes, extending upwards and over the eyebrows. These muscles pull the skin just above the eyebrows as well as the eyebrows themselves down and towards the center of the face in a frown-like manner when expressing emotions like anger, sadness and anxiety. This results in slightly curved, vertical wrinkles between the eyebrows.

There are also tiny muscles that rest within the upper eyelids which control the extent to which they are held open or closed. As mentioned, the degree to which the eye is exposed by the eyelid is very suggestive of emotion. For example, partially opened eyelids when combined with other muscle contractions could reflect confusion, skepticism, fatigue, and despair among others.

Oval-shaped muscles surround the eye and extend outward, creating wrinkles known as crows feet as well as bulges under the eye when expressing emotions like stress, anger, happiness, and pain.

Small but powerful muscles run from the corners of the mouth up to the ears, shifting large portions of the lower face in the form of a smile when happy or laughing. On the flip side, there exist muscles that extend from the corners of the mouth downward, shifting a section of the face in the manner of a frown. A series of muscles also surround the mouth that are able to make a large variety of motions used in speaking as well as expressions of surprise, anger and sadness.

Below is a sketch of a sad facial expression:

Other pages of interest

Composition
Arrangement
Sketching a portrait
Sketching facial expressions
Shading a face

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