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January 21, 2025 12 min read

Facial Expressions Guide: Convey Emotion in Comics and Manga

Master drawing facial expressions for comics. Learn the fundamentals of emotional communication through eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and face shapes.

Facial expressions carry the emotional weight of your story. A character’s face tells readers what they’re feeling before dialogue appears—sometimes more honestly than words allow. Mastering expressions transforms adequate comics into emotionally resonant experiences.

This guide breaks down the fundamentals of drawing expressive faces, from basic emotional categories to subtle nuances that bring characters to life.

The Core Expression Elements

Three facial features do most of the work in communicating emotion:

Eyes

Eyes are the primary emotional indicator. They communicate:

Direction of attention
Intensity of emotion
Type of emotion (combined with other features)
Character’s inner state

Key eye variables:

Openness: Wide (surprise, fear) to narrow (suspicion, anger, contentment)
Pupil size: Dilated (interest, attraction) to pinpoint (fear, anger)
Eye shape: Round (innocence) to angular (intensity)
Gaze direction: Direct (engagement) vs. averted (avoidance, thought)

Eyebrows

Eyebrows modify and clarify emotional signals:

Raised: Surprise, interest, skepticism
Lowered: Anger, concentration, disapproval
Tilted inward: Worry, sadness, pleading
Tilted outward: Anger, disgust, contempt
Asymmetric: Confusion, skepticism, complex emotions

Mouth

The mouth confirms and completes expressions:

Open: Surprise, joy, fear, speech
Closed/tight: Anger, determination, suppression
Curved up: Happiness, satisfaction, amusement
Curved down: Sadness, disgust, disappointment
Open corners: Fear, grimace, forced smile

The Six Basic Emotions

Psychologist Paul Ekman identified six universal expressions. These form the foundation for all emotional art.

Happiness

Features:

Eyes: Slightly narrowed, with wrinkles at corners (“crow’s feet”)
Eyebrows: Relaxed or slightly raised
Mouth: Corners pulled up, teeth may show
Cheeks: Raised, pushing up under eyes

Variations:

Joy: Exaggerated features, eyes nearly closed
Contentment: Subtle smile, relaxed features
Amusement: Asymmetric smile, raised eyebrow
Relief: Exhale expression, relaxed tension

Common mistake: Drawing smiles without eye involvement. Real smiles engage the whole face.

Sadness

Features:

Eyes: Inner corners raised, may be wet/teary
Eyebrows: Inner corners pulled up, creating worry lines
Mouth: Corners pulled down, lips may tremble
Overall: Face seems to droop downward

Variations:

Grief: Extreme features, tears, open mouth
Melancholy: Subtle, distant gaze
Disappointment: Less intense, may include frustration elements
Loneliness: Distant focus, minimal mouth expression

Common mistake: Making all sadness look like crying. Most sadness is quieter.

Anger

Features:

Eyes: Narrowed, intense stare
Eyebrows: Lowered, pulled together, creating vertical wrinkles
Mouth: Tight lips, may show teeth, square shape
Jaw: Tightened, muscles visible

Variations:

Rage: Extreme features, veins visible, teeth bared
Irritation: Subtle version, eye narrowing primary indicator
Contempt: Asymmetric, one side of mouth raised
Frustration: May include elements of sadness or confusion

Common mistake: Drawing angry eyebrows on otherwise neutral faces. Anger involves the whole face tensing.

Fear

Features:

Eyes: Wide open, whites visible above or below iris
Eyebrows: Raised and pulled together
Mouth: Open, pulled back, may show teeth
Skin: Pale (in color), sweat drops

Variations:

Terror: Extreme features, screaming
Anxiety: Milder, with elements of anticipation
Nervousness: Subtle, averting gaze, tight smile
Shock: Initial reaction, frozen expression

Common mistake: Using identical eyes for fear and surprise. Fear has more tension in the brow.

Surprise

Features:

Eyes: Wide open, raised eyelids
Eyebrows: Raised high, curved
Mouth: Open, dropped jaw (relaxed, not tense)
Overall: Face seems to lift upward

Variations:

Astonishment: Extreme features, prolonged
Realization: Quick transition to another emotion
Startle: Brief, combined with fear
Wonder: Positive surprise, may blend with happiness

Common mistake: Making surprise look like fear. Surprise has relaxed (not tense) features.

Disgust

Features:

Eyes: Narrowed, may look away
Eyebrows: Lowered, but not pulled together
Nose: Wrinkled, nostrils may flare
Mouth: Upper lip raised, may stick tongue out
Overall: Face pulls back/away

Variations:

Physical disgust: Strong nose wrinkle, mouth involvement
Moral disgust: More contemptuous, less nose involvement
Distaste: Subtle, slight lip curl
Revulsion: Extreme, full face involvement

Common mistake: Neglecting the nose. Disgust centers on the nose scrunch.

Complex and Blended Emotions

Real emotions rarely exist in pure forms. Characters feel complex states that blend multiple basic emotions.

Combining Emotions

Surprised happiness: Wide eyes of surprise + smile Fearful anger: Furrowed brows of anger + wide eyes of fear Sad anger: Downturned mouth + intense eyes Disgusted contempt: Nose wrinkle + asymmetric sneer

When blending, decide which emotion dominates and which modifies.

Subtle States

Some important expressions aren’t dramatic:

Thoughtfulness: Slightly narrowed eyes, gaze unfocused or upward, relaxed mouth Suspicion: One eyebrow raised, eyes narrowed, slight frown Determination: Set jaw, focused eyes, level brows Embarrassment: Averted gaze, partial smile, possibly blushing Confusion: Asymmetric brows, unfocused gaze, slightly open mouth

These quieter expressions often appear in dialogue scenes and character development moments.

Drawing Expressions Step by Step

Step 1: Establish the Base Face

Draw your character’s neutral face structure:

Head shape and proportions
Feature placement
Any distinguishing characteristics

Know what “neutral” looks like before adding emotion.

Step 2: Set the Eyebrows

Eyebrows establish emotional direction more than any other feature:

Sketch brow position first
Check: Do they suggest the right emotion category?
Adjust position and angle

Step 3: Shape the Eyes

Match eye shape to eyebrow message:

Adjust eyelid openness
Position pupil/iris
Add any moisture or light effects
Check: Are eyes and brows consistent?

Step 4: Form the Mouth

Complete the emotional picture:

Draw mouth shape matching emotion
Show teeth if appropriate
Add any tension in surrounding face
Check: Does mouth confirm what eyes/brows say?

Step 5: Add Supporting Details

Finish with secondary elements:

Cheek tension and position
Jaw clench or relaxation
Nose involvement
Sweat, tears, blush as needed

Step 6: Check Silhouette

Squint or zoom out—can you read the emotion from the shape alone? Strong expressions read even at thumbnail size.

Expression Intensity

The same emotion at different intensities looks quite different:

Happiness Scale

Content: Slight eye softening, corners of mouth barely raised
Pleasant: Noticeable smile, eyes engaged
Happy: Full smile, eye crinkles visible
Joyful: Big smile, eyes nearly closed from cheeks pushing up
Ecstatic: Extreme features, possibly tears of joy

Anger Scale

Annoyed: Slight brow tension, neutral mouth
Irritated: More obvious frown, tighter lips
Angry: Full frown, visible jaw tension
Furious: Bared teeth, veins visible
Enraged: Extreme features, screaming, lost control

Match intensity to story moment. Not every emotional beat requires maximum intensity.

Style-Specific Expression Tips

Manga/Anime Style

Manga uses exaggeration and symbolism:

Large eyes: More range for expression
Simplified mouths: Often just lines with limited shape variety
Symbolic additions: Sweat drops, anger veins, soul leaving body
Chibi moments: Extreme simplification for comedic emotion
Speed lines and effects: Environmental response to emotion

Western Comic Style

American comics tend toward:

More realistic proportions: Expressions closer to real faces
Subtle details: Fine wrinkles, specific muscle tension
Less symbolism: Emotion shown through actual face changes
Color supports emotion: Flushed cheeks, pale fear

Webtoon Style

Webtoon expressions must read on small screens:

Clear, bold expression: Simple shapes that read small
Consistent style: Readers learn your expression vocabulary
Strategic detail: Save complexity for important moments
Full-color emotional cues: Blushes, lighting changes

Expressions in Context

Matching Dialogue

Expression should match (or intentionally contrast) with words:

Match: Character says “I’m so happy!” while smiling
Contrast: Character says “I’m fine” while clearly upset
Subtext: Character’s expression hints at unspoken feelings

Contrast and subtext create depth. Characters who say exactly what they feel are less interesting.

Expression Changes

Show emotion transitions:

Panel 1: Neutral face
Panel 2: Beginning of expression
Panel 3: Full expression

Sudden jumps work for comedy; gradual changes work for drama.

Consistent Character Expressions

Different characters express the same emotion differently:

Reserved character: Subtle, controlled expressions
Expressive character: Big, obvious emotions
Guarded character: Expressions that hide true feelings
Honest character: Expressions that match their words

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Emotion Wheel

Draw your character’s face showing all six basic emotions arranged in a wheel. Then fill in the spaces between with blended emotions.

Exercise 2: Intensity Scales

Pick one emotion. Draw five versions at increasing intensity from barely visible to maximum.

Exercise 3: Reference Studies

Find photos of real facial expressions. Simplify them into your art style, identifying which features communicate the emotion.

Exercise 4: Mirror Work

Make expressions in a mirror. Feel which muscles activate. Sketch what you see.

Exercise 5: Dialogue Expressions

Write a simple four-line dialogue exchange. Draw the appropriate expression for each line without showing the words. Can others guess the conversation?

Common Expression Mistakes

Mistake: Symmetrical Expressions

Problem: Perfect mirror symmetry looks artificial Fix: Add subtle asymmetry. One eyebrow slightly higher, mouth slightly crooked.

Mistake: Same Mouth for All Emotions

Problem: Over-relying on eyebrows while mouth stays neutral Fix: Practice mouth shapes independently. The mouth dramatically affects expression.

Mistake: Static Expression Through Scene

Problem: Character’s face unchanging through multiple panels Fix: Subtle expression shifts keep characters alive. Even “neutral” moments have tiny changes.

Mistake: Wrong Intensity

Problem: Dramatic expressions for minor moments, subtle for major ones Fix: Save extreme expressions for extreme moments. Build intensity progressively.

Mistake: Expressions Don’t Match Character

Problem: All characters emote identically Fix: Develop expression vocabulary for each character based on their personality.

Building Your Expression Library

Create reference sheets for your characters:

Six basic emotions
Three intensity levels each
Character-specific quirks
Common blended emotions for your story

Having references speeds up your work and maintains consistency.

Platforms like Multic let you share character expression sheets with collaborators, ensuring everyone draws characters with consistent emotional range.

Emotional communication makes comics powerful. Technical skill matters, but readers connect through character feelings. Master expressions, and your stories will resonate.