With Krea
How to draw faces and expressions
To draw faces and expressions, start with a face map (a circle, a line across the middle, and the eyes on that line), then change the eyebrows and the mouth to change the feeling. In this course your kid draws a simple cartoon face, learns how eyebrows and mouths make happy, sad, angry, and surprised, pushes each feeling further the way cartoonists do, and tests the faces on someone. Krea hosts four short films for kids 6 to 13, with a round cartoon character named Bo as the example all the way through, and your kid ends with an expression sheet on paper: one character in six feelings. Plan about 4 minutes of films and 30–45 minutes of drawing. On Kubrio, all four films and the quiz are free, with no account.
All 4 lessons and the quiz are free on this page. Your kid doesn't need an account. See every lesson
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▶ 1:45 tourWhat your kid makes
Your kid ends with an expression sheet on paper: one character in six boxes, happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised, and proud, with the same head, ears, and hair in every box and only the face changing. The character is ready for a comic or a film.
- Ages
- 6 to 13
- Time
- 4 films, about 4 minutes, then 30–45 minutes of drawing
- You need
- Paper, pencil, crayons or markers (optional), someone to guess the feelings
- Host
- Krea
The 4 lessons
Lesson 1. The face map
A circle with a line across the middle puts the eyes halfway down, not at the top. Simple shapes are easy to change, and when they change, the feeling changes.
- Draw a circle and a line across the middle
- Put the eyes on the line
- Add a nose, a mouth, and an ear on each side
Where: Paper
Lesson 2. Eyebrows and mouths
Eyebrows and mouths do most of the work: brows tipped down in the middle look angry, lifted in the middle look sad or worried, and raised high with a round O look surprised.
- Draw the same face four times
- Change only the eyebrows and the mouth
- Make happy, sad, angry, and surprised
Where: Paper
Lesson 3. Push it further
Cartoonists make feelings bigger than real life. A wider smile, stronger eyebrows, and an extra mark like steam or a drop of sweat make a feeling read from across the room.
- Pick one face you drew
- Draw it again with a wider mouth and stronger eyebrows
- Add one extra mark, like pink cheeks or a puff of steam
Where: Paper
Lesson 4. The expression sheet
One character in six feelings on one page: the same head, ears, and hair in every box, with only the face changing.
- Fold a page into six boxes and write a feeling under each
- Draw the same character in every box, proud included
- Cover the words and ask someone to guess
Where: Paper
Take the quiz
Krea asks 3 questions about the films. Get 2 right and you finish the course.
Transcript
Lesson 1: The face map
Today you draw faces that show feelings. Happy, sad, angry, and more!
Every face starts with a map. Draw a circle. Then a line across the middle.
Here's the trick. The eyes go on that line, halfway down. Not up at the top!
Under the eyes, a little nose. Under the nose, a mouth. And an ear on each side.
Keep it simple. Dots for eyes, a curve for the mouth. Meet Bo!
Simple shapes are easy to change. And when they change, the feeling changes.
Your turn. Draw a circle and a line across the middle. Put the eyes on the line, then add a nose and a mouth. Then press Next.
Lesson 2: Eyebrows and mouths
Here's the big secret. Eyebrows and mouths do most of the work!
Watch. Same eyes, same face. I only change the mouth. A smile is happy. A frown is sad.
Now the eyebrows. Tip them down in the middle, and Bo looks angry.
Lift them up in the middle, and Bo looks sad or worried.
Raise them up high and open the mouth in a big round O. Surprised!
Two lines and a curve. That's all it takes to change a whole feeling.
Your turn. Draw four faces. Happy, sad, angry, and surprised. Change only the eyebrows and the mouth. Then press Next.
Lesson 3: Push it further
Your faces work. Now push them further!
Cartoonists make feelings bigger than real life. That's called exaggerating.
Happy? Make the smile wider. Turn the eyes into happy curves. Add round pink cheeks.
Angry? Pull the eyebrows down hard. Show the teeth. Add a puff of steam!
Scared? Make the eyes big and the pupils tiny. A wobbly mouth, and a drop of sweat.
Small feeling, big feeling. Which one can you read from across the room? The big one!
Your turn. Pick one face you drew. Draw it again, but bigger. Wider mouth, stronger eyebrows, and one extra mark. Then press Next.
Lesson 4: The expression sheet
Now make an expression sheet. One character, six feelings, on one page!
Fold a page into six boxes. Under each box, write a feeling. Happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised, and proud.
Draw the same character in every box. Same head, same ears, same hair. Only the face changes.
Proud is a new one. Chin up, eyes closed, and a small happy smile.
Then test it. Cover the words, and ask someone to guess each feeling.
If they guess it, it works! Now your character is ready for a comic or a film.
Your turn. Draw your six feelings, then test them on someone. You made an expression sheet!
Free guides to practise with
Questions parents ask
How do I help my kid draw facial expressions?
Start with the eyebrows and the mouth. With the same eyes and the same head, a smile is happy and a frown is sad. Brows tipped down in the middle look angry, lifted in the middle look worried, and raised high over a round open mouth look surprised. Then push each feeling bigger, the way cartoonists do.
My kid draws the eyes at the top of the head. Is that normal?
Yes, it's the most common slip. On a face, the eyes sit halfway down, on a line across the middle of the circle. Lesson 1 draws that line first, so the eyes land in the middle.
Where can my kid use the faces they draw?
In comics, films, and games. When your kid draws a hero, a sidekick, and a rival for a story, the expression sheet gives them the faces to draw in every picture.