How to Draw Extreme Emotions

Pencil artists have created different visuals to symbolize different emotions. These visuals are simplistic and meant to tell the reader immediately what emotion is being expressed in the picture. If a pencil artist wants to highlight the emotion felt by the characters in a particular scene, plenty of visual cues can be used.

Things You'll Need

• Drawing pencil
• Pencil eraser
• Drawing paper

Instructions

Pounding Vein

1. 

   Add folds between the eyebrows to show that the eyebrows are extremely narrowed. Draw the eyes wide open.

2. 

   Draw one curved line on the forehead.

3. Draw three more curved lines that form a curvy intersection. Now the character is so angry that he has a pounding vein.

4. 

   Add scribbles over his head to make him very angry.

Crying

1. Bend and lower the eyebrows with the inner parts of the eyebrows curving up.

2. Add wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

3. Draw slightly wavy circles to represent the tears.

4. 

   Point the edges of the lips downwards.

Arrogant

1. Raise the eyebrows in a slight curve.

2. Lower the eyelids slightly.

3. Raise one end of the grin higher than the other.

4. Tilt the head to the side to demonstrate his confidence.

5. 

   Keep the nose in the air to demonstrate haughtiness.

Love

1. Draw the head with the neck slightly tilted.

2. 

   Draw slightly drooping eyebrows to emphasize sensitivity.

3. 

   Replace her eyes with hearts to symbolize her intense feeling of love.

4. 

   Add further hearts above the head to increase the character's feeling of romance.

Dizzy

1. Draw eyebrows closer together.

2. Keep folds of eyebrows very bent. Keep the eyebrows low.

3. Draw one or both eyes shut to emphasize her disarray.

4. Have face slanted as if equilibrium is lost.

5. Draw the mouth very bent to signify a clenched jaw.

6. 

   Draw one lone sweat drop to signify the character's struggle to maintain stability.

7. 

   Draw a spiral to make the character appear very dizzy.

Wow--Character Sees Something Unexpected

1. Keep eyebrows, eyelids, and pupil very separated.

2. Draw the pupils slightly smaller.

3. Draw hair disheveled.

4. Add lines to create the effect of a flushed face.

5. 

   Draw the mouth low to create a surprised look.

6. 

   If the surprise is a good one and she is really happy about it, turn the frown upside down and add sparkles around her head.

7. 

   Change her eyes to sparkles also if she is overwhelmed with joy.

Terror

1. Draw her upper lips curving downward and her lower lips curving upward. Draw a line in her teeth to show that her teeth are clenched.

2. Raise the inner parts of her eyebrows.

3. 

   Draw the eyelids separate from the pupil to create the effect of widened eyes.

4. 

   Draw sweat drops to show that she is developing a cold sweat. Exaggerate their size so that they are noticeable.

Tips & Warnings

• Combine different effects and features to create different emotions