To become a pro at drawing anime, you need to know human anatomy by heart. You need to memorize facial features and know how the face changes when you are experiencing different emotions.
To become good at anime drawing, you also need to think about how the head shape changes depending on the expression. Think about what features of the face you want to emphasize in order to get your message across. Artists typically focus on the eyes and mouth, then the eyebrows.
In today’s article, we will be covering some main elements of expression, common facial expressions in anime, and some tips for making an amazing drawing. Let’s get to it.
Anime Drawings: Key Points
Anime artists use specific visual language to convey the character’s emotions to the public. In these drawings, you can see large eyes, mouths, or anything that adds personality.
The style is often minimalistic and focused on the main persona. Their style is greatly influenced by Japanese art, known for its simplicity. Emotions are also shown in body language, background, head shape, and by extenuating different features that add to the character and story.
The Main Elements of Expression: What to Focus On
When drawing anime faces, it’s important to understand the role of each facial feature in conveying emotion. For example, eyebrows play a significant role in conveying anger, surprise, and concern. You should also pay attention to elements like head shape and the background.
Some basic elements to focus on are:
- Eyes: The eyes are the most important element in anime art. They can convey a range of emotions, from joy and excitement to sadness and fear. You can experiment with different shapes, sizes, and pupil variations to capture the mood of your character.
- Eyebrows: The position and shape of the eyebrows play an important role in expressing emotions. Raised eyebrows show surprise or disbelief, while furrowed brows show anger or concentration. Pay attention to the spacing of the eyebrows to add depth to your character’s expression.
- Mouth: The mouth is another crucial feature for conveying emotions. A slight curve upwards can signify a gentle smile, while a downturned mouth indicates sadness.
- Head Shape: The head shape changes based on the expression. When the cheeks and jaw change, so does the overall head silhouette. For example, when the mouth is open, the jaw moves a bit down.
- The Background: Anime artists often use the background to emphasize what the character is feeling. For example, a bright and colorful background might indicate a cheerful moment, while a dark background could indicate danger or a bad mood for the character. Also, lighting and the weather in the drawing can enhance the mood of the scene.
- Facial Proportions: Understanding facial proportions is essential for creating believable expressions. Practice sketching different facial structures and experimenting with exaggerating or minimizing different features.
Common Facial Expressions in Anime Drawings
Some common facial expressions in anime drawings are:
- Happy
Happy and content expressions are often communicated with open mouths, closed eyes, and blushing. Sometimes, the artists make the eyebrows rounder. Often, the lip line is slightly curved to show that the character is happy.
These expressions can also be communicated with large, sparkling eyes with raised eyebrows, and a wide, open smile with curved lips.
- Sad
Sadness is expressed through downturned mouths and closed or half-closed eyes. The eyebrows may be furrowed or drawn together, and the eyes can look more hollow.
The lip line is curved down. The character’s eyes often stare into the distance. You can use shading to create a sense of depth and heaviness.
- Angry
Anger is quite easy to illustrate in anime. The eyebrows are lowered, and the eyes are wide open. The jaw doesn’t move down much even though the mouth is open, accentuating the strong emotions of the character. The character is often red in the face.
Another way to show anger is with a really small mouth (just a small line), a small distance between the eyebrows, and a specific eye shape.
- Blushing
Blushing is represented with a pink or red tone on the cheeks. The character also has a smile or is looking down, which communicates their feelings of embarrassment or shyness. You can combine this with hand gestures to enhance the effect.
- Distressed
Distress is shown through half-closed or squinted eyes, with tears coming out of them, and with a downturned mouth. The character may also be red in the face or have swollen eyes. Sometimes artists add sweat drops or tears to emphasize the feelings of anxiety.
- Surprised
Feelings of surprise are conveyed through wide-open eyes and an open mouth, often with a raised or arched brow. You can create an O-shaped mouth with slightly parted lips.
- Concerned
Concern is expressed with narrowed or furrowed eyes, raised eyebrows and a focused gaze. The mouth is often curved down, and the eyes have a light squint. You can add subtle lines around the mouth to indicate tension.
- Scared
Fear is often depicted with wide eyes, a gaping mouth, and a trembling body. Dark shading and jagged lines can enhance feelings of unease and tension.
- Confused
Confusion is portrayed through raised eyebrows, a tilted head, and a puzzled expression. Experiment with asymmetrical features and overlapping lines to capture the unsureness of the character.
Tips for Conveying Emotions Effectively
Here are some tips for practicing your drawing skills:
- Study Real-life Expressions: Observe people’s faces in different situations to gain inspiration for your drawings. Pay attention to how their faces change when they feel surprised or worried. You can really learn from your surroundings.
- Practice Regularly: Like any skill, mastering expressions in anime drawing requires dedication. Set aside a bit of time each day to practice.
- Use References: Use reference images or videos to help with your drawing process. Studying how professional artists convey emotions can help you gain insights and improve your artwork.
- Seek Feedback: Share your artwork with other artists or online communities to receive some feedback and advice. Embrace constructive criticism and be open to improvement in your artistic journey.
Conclusion
Mastering expressions in anime drawing isn’t easy, but it is rewarding. You will be able to breathe life into your characters from a blank piece of paper, using your mind alone.
By understanding the elements of expression, studying common facial expressions, and practicing regularly, you can become an expert in drawing anime.
So, pick up your pencil, and start practicing today! We picked out the perfect anime face drawing tutorial to start your journey with.
