How to Draw Facial Expressions: Muscle Breakdown for Realism

Tension in expressions comes from changes in muscle structure.

"Why do some faces always look weird?"
→ The deformation of the expression muscle in conjunction with the fat pad is the key to the realism of the expression.

In this article, we will start from the expression drawing of laughter, crying, anger and surprise, and disassemble the related structure to help you improve the emotional tension and three-dimensionality of the drawing of the character's face.

This article will focus on several common emotions (e.g. happiness, sadness, anger, surprise), analyze the corresponding muscle changes, with practical illustrations, to help you build up a sense of "moving face structure" from the ground up.

If you want to learn about the location of the muscles in the face, click on this post Facial Muscle Structure Analysis: Enhancing the Stereoscopic Sense of Figure Sketching

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Basic Principles of Facial Expression Movement

1. Characterization of expressive muscles:

• Most of the expression muscles do not connect to the bones, but to theskinThe appearance of the face is affected.
• Mostly unilateral action, often with asymmetric movements on the left and right side of the face, such as.throw amorous or flirtatious glances at sb (esp. of a woman)

2. Facial fat pads (e.g. zygomatic fat pads) are also pulled and squeezed by the muscles.

Laughing emoticon variations

Muscles primarily involved in expression：

Orbicularis oculi, zygomatic/zygomatic, cheek muscle + corrugator, orbicularis oculi + cheek muscle

The orbicularis oculi muscle: shrinkage leads to wrinkles around the eyes (commonly known as crow's feet).

smiley

1. The zygomatic muscle pulls the corner of the cheek diagonally downward from the zygomatic bone, pulling the corner of the cheek upward and backward along with the skin of the cheek as it retracts.
2. This upward traction willIt also brings up the fat pads on top.The newer the cheekbones, the more prominent it is, the more it is "pushed" towards the under-eye and cheekbone areas.

Suggestions for Smile Expressions：

• Lift the corneal muscles to increase the height of the mouth's elevation

• Lift the upper lip and nasal muscles to pull the nose upward.

• Eyebrow and Eye AreaSynchronized contraction of the orbicularis oculi + brow muscles + nasal wrinkles → tightening of the eyes + wrinkles between the brows
• Cheek contours are "temporarily deformed" due to pressure.

Smile:

primary muscle: zygomaticus major, zygomaticus minor, orbicularis oris.

• The zygomatic muscles are visibly lifted, pulling the corners of the mouth outward and upward.

• Shrinkage of the orbicularis oculi muscle, resulting in wrinkles at the end of the eye.

• Slightly uplifted nose
• Sometimes the nasolabial folds become noticeably deeper and the cheeks bulge.
• Change：
  • The cheek muscles lift the corners of the mouth upward and outward, creating smile lines.
  • The lower eyelids are slightly lifted by zygomatic muscle compression, resulting in “crow's feet”.
  • Slight uplift around the nose

Muscle changes in sadness expression

primary muscle: Descending the corners of the mouth, chin and forehead muscles.

• Changes in facial features：
  • The corners of the mouth droop and form inverted U-shaped corners.
  • The lower lip protrusion is driven by the chin muscle.
  • The frontalis muscle lifts the inner brow, causing the brow to come together with the forehead crease.

• Mainly involved muscles and movements：
  • Lower Mouth Pull Down + Lower Lip Pull Down: Keeps the corners of the mouth drooping down

• Eyebrow lifting muscle: Lift the center of the eyebrow to create a "sad eyebrow" slant.

• chin muscle: contraction causes the center of the chin to rise and fall, with a slight nervous trembling sensation

I'm sorry.Expression Drawing Observations：

• A "bowed" downward curve of the mouth, with tightly closed or quivering lips.

• Crease between eyebrows
• Droopy eyelids and dull eyes

Signs of anger/frowning behavior

primary muscle: Frown muscle, descending brow muscle, nasal muscle.

• Changes in facial features：
  • The inner side of the brow is close and pressed down, creating vertical wrinkles.
  • The nose is wrinkled and slightly flared.

• The upper lip may be lifted, showing teeth, and unlike a smile, the corners of the mouth are horizontal or slightly downward.

• Engaging the Muscles：
  • Frown muscle: pull the brow inwards

• Brow Lowering Muscle: Pressing the eyebrows downward

• Deepening of the nasolabial folds (possible slight flaring of the nostrils)

Angry EmojiConclusion:

• Eyebrows are shaped like the word "Kawaguchi."
• Vertical lines on the nose
• Vertical wrinkles in the center of the forehead as the brow-flattening muscle gathers together the brows
• Deepening of the nasolabial folds and possible slight flaring of the nasal wings
• Mouth closed or teeth clenched, cheek muscles slightly tense
• Tighten the chin and compress the lips

Surprise / Open Mouth

primary muscle: Frontalis muscle, upper lip lift, orbicularis oculi muscle.

Mobility Muscles and Characteristics：

• Frontalis Lift: Lift out horizontal wrinkles on the forehead
• Open-mouth movement affects the entire jaw position → chin sinks downward
• Brow lifting muscle action → double opening of the eyes

Surprise.Emoji Drawing Highlights：

• Oval mouth shape, elongated jaws

• The forehead needs to be visibly shaped, with the eyebrows arched upwards.

• Eyebrows are raised upwards and the forehead is lifted to create horizontal wrinkles.

• Upper eyelid contraction (eyes open wide) and relaxation of the orbicularis oculi muscle.

• The mouth droops and opens, which may be accompanied by a relaxation of the jaw muscles.

ADDITIONAL: How do you observe/practice expressions?

Suggested way to practice expression drawing:

• Drawing multiple moods on the same face → Contrasting the position of the muscles with the deformation of the fat mass.
• Record your own expression changes and analyze facial details frame by frame.
• Try the gradation exercise of "front → middle → high tension" for emotional expressions (e.g., smile → laugh).

Above is the introduction of emoji drawing. Do you have any difficulties in drawing emoji? Feel free to leave a comment or send me a private message.Instagram Exchanges.
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