As a rule, everything cartoon characters are created based on real people.
All drawn heads, regardless of the style of execution, are created based on real ones. In order to turn a real head into a cartoon one, you need to do two things: (1) Forget about detail and 2) exaggerate the most significant elements. This will allow you to more clearly express the character's feelings and display his character. To give you an idea of what we mean, below we have posted drawings of three people by four artists. Their drawings vary in type of rendering: from realistic to highly stylized. Please note that when conveying a person’s appearance, each artist created a unique, different image.
In the first column There are more realistic heads that are closest in execution to the original. But many details are missed.
(second column) The head can look more cartoonish if you simplify some of the details, in particular the eyes and hair.
(third column) If the character’s appearance is further exaggerated and the head shape is simplified, then he will become even more like a cartoon character.
(fourth column) Even though there is extreme exaggeration and stylization, the heads in this column are similar to those in the first column.
Practice drawing different types goals.
You shouldn’t be content with the ability to draw only a couple of types of heads. Continue to learn new ones, drawing both from examples and from memory. There are over 2 billion potential examples on earth, so you can hardly complain about the lack of new images. Remember that experience comes from practice.
Test for the performance of 25 basic emotions.
This exercise will teach you how to draw the same characters the same way, giving them different expressions, and clearly depict a specific emotion. The best way drawing a character to look like himself is.
Marina Davydova
Drawing lesson “Depiction of human emotions” (for children of middle preschool age)
Program content
Learn depict human emotions in various situations (broke a cup, bought a doll)
Bring up emotional responsiveness
Material
Cards by quantity children with faces(without eyebrows and lips);
Landscape paper for the teacher’s drawings;
Colored pencils, felt-tip pens
Cards - schemes emotions
Vocabulary work:
Add to dictionary children - strokes; fix in the dictionary - contour, line, portrait.
Previous work:
Looking at illustrations (characters facial expressions);
Progress of the lesson
Educator. Want to see how I draw? (Children sit at tables arranged in a semicircle)
Now I will tell you a story. Once upon a time there was a kindergarten teacher. And she was like this. I draw a face with a calm expression.
She woke up one morning, and outside the window there was rain, mud, and wind! So sad. And when man is sad, show me what kind of face he has? The eyebrows are pointed up, the corners of the lips are down. Like this (I draw).
She went to wash her face, but there was no water in the tap! Wow, the teacher got angry! And when man is angry, show me what kind of face he has? Eyebrows with a corner down, lips with a thread, wrinkles on the bridge of the nose. Like this (I draw).
The teacher began to get ready for work. While I was getting dressed, putting on my shoes, and going outside, the weather changed. The sun is shining, the puddles are sparkling, the birds are singing! She was surprised. It was just raining and already it was sunny! And when man is surprised, show me what kind of face he has? Brows "they got on top", there are wrinkles on the forehead, the mouth is slightly open. Like this (I draw).
The teacher came to kindergarten, and there the kids are playing, having fun, "Hello!" they shout at her. She was happy about her children. And when man rejoices, show me what kind of face he has? "Mouth to Ear"! Like this (I draw).
Here's the story of how the man was sad at first(show me a card with a sad face, then angry (show me a card with an angry face, then surprised) (show me a card with a surprised face, then happy (show me a card with a happy face).
Physical education minute
We saw an elephant - we were surprised! spread your arms wide, open your mouth
He ate our candy - so we got angry! frown, stamp your feet
The elephant asked for forgiveness and treated us to a banana! How glad we are! Smile, jump
Now try it draw your portrait.
Anya, imagine what your mother bought you Nice dress. Are you happy? So paint yourself a happy face. (And so each child is offered draw your portrait in a certain situations: broke a cup, quarreled with a friend, saw something unusual)
Children on cards with ready lips are added to the image of the face, eyebrows according to emotion. The teacher helps if necessary.
Next, the children are offered a game “Be surprised, get angry, be sad, be happy!”. Give four children diagram cards human emotions(surprise, sadness, anger, joy). Four more depict matching face emotions. Children with diagrams find their mate.
Have you ever noticed features human face on a wood surface, in an electrical outlet, or on a crispy, delicious melted cheese sandwich? Aside from the fact that you might have taken a cough syrup right before this, this is explained by the fact that people by nature are machines for recognizing familiar images. With a special penchant for recognizing faces and the information they display. Our brain automatically notices them even where they are not there.
As a character artist, it is a big oversight to not be able to imbue an inanimate object with life through expressive physiognomy; convey the feelings and thoughts of its owner; make us feel for this character, empathize with him and even with age continue to experience special sympathy To ordinary drawings on paper. It’s akin to magic (and maybe even a little absurd).
...However, since you're reading this, I guess there's no point in me advocating the benefits of making characters emotional. Instead, I'll make some snarky remarks about myself as I present my chaotic notes and subjective judgments regarding the drawing process.
WHAT YOU SHOULD UNINFORM FROM
There are many tricks that allow you to avoid painstaking work on the emotionality of the character. Not that they're all harmful, but if you call yourself a character artist, you have to decide how much you'll limit yourself (and your characters) by relying on these tricks. Some examples:
Zauria-zheniya
Yes, I understand that they are “fashionable” (like the plague in the Middle Ages), but besides this they are absolutely monotonous, which makes them look like emoticons, and not real emotions.
Instead you can use distinctive features your characters to make their emotions unique. Or you can continue to plaster these mediocre smiley faces right on their faces, every time you need to revive them. And I will remain passive-aggressive in everything related to this topic.
Permanent “C” shaped Mouth(1 picture) .
Emotions created by an open mouth save incredible energy and time... but they also look incredibly boring and monotonous.
Flounder-faced commotion(2 picture) .
I am familiar with the practice of having some of a character's facial features, like a majestic flounder, placed on one side of the face. It's terribly sexy. In low-budget animation, they sometimes resort to drawing the mouth in profile in order to avoid animating the lips and chin. This is by no means a separate style and certainly not an excuse for not learning how to draw an emotion in profile.
HOW TO LEARN TO DRAW
A couple of controversial pieces of advice (It all comes down to observation).
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
Think about everything you study! (It may not have much benefit, but it's worth it.)
Think about the structure of the character: what three-dimensional figures it consists of, and how they are connected to each other.
This is incredibly helpful in understanding how to draw a character under different angles with a face deformed from emotion.
(A.) Don't forget that all facial features are simultaneously involved in creating emotion. And the eyes, and eyebrows, and mouth compress, stretch, shift and twist at the moment when emotion appears on the face.
(b.) When recreating such compression and stretching, animators resort to deliberate violation of the anatomical structure of the body. The more they exaggerate, the more cartoonish the emotion appears.
A small change in the focus of the gaze already significantly changes the facial expression. The pupils drawn in the very center of the eyes depict surprise, as if the character is staring blindly into the distance.
Pupils drawn closer to each other look as if the gaze is focused on a close object, the face looks more fascinated, alarmed.
Practice. And as often as possible.
It's best to start with a rough sketch. Most emotions can be depicted with just a few lines, so there's no need to draw in detail to experiment with facial expressions.
Such quick sketches are good help to create more detailed drawings like the ones below.
(Just in case, below, in addition to everything else, I have also included notes on expressions that can debatably be called useful.)
To tone your muscles, come up with different situations for your characters. This will make you think about how to portray emotions more serious than the usual emotions of happiness, sadness, anger, etc. A specific situation usually requires a specific type of emotion: feigned curiosity, slight notes of rage, irritation, a sardonic grin...
For example, here is a passage with an incredibly stupid situation. Essentially, this is an exercise in drawing gestures and emotions.
Copying of this translation is permitted only with a link to this page.
Example? Please.
Bruce Willis - sidelong glance, asymmetrical grin. Marilyn Monroe - chin raised, eyes narrowed, mouth slightly open. Try to mentally imagine that the faces of these people will take on each other’s expressions; they will seem strange and completely unfamiliar.
Facial expressions truly express a person's character. There are many books about how different emotions affect facial muscles. For example, “Body Language” by Allan and Barbara Pease or Paul Ekman is the first thing that comes to mind (not counting anatomy for artists, of course). If you want to draw emotional portraits, information about the work of facial muscles will not be superfluous.
And for those who would like to try their hand at drawing emotions already now, I would advise starting with sketches and quick sketches. And to begin with, I suggest you watch one lesson on this topic:
The lesson was prepared by the artist Tatyana Olenchinkova.
Emotions attract attention, it’s hard to disagree with that!
Here are some more image examples for inspiration: emotions in the paintings of great masters:
Repin, “Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan”
Ribera, "Hawk Moth"
