Lesson 3: Facial Expressions

What happens to the "rules" of proportion when someone smiles, frowns, or screams?

How do we use shadows to show skin folding or stretching?

How does shading make an expression look "intense" versus "soft"?

acial Proportions: The starting "map" of the face that we adjust when features move.

Value: The lightness or darkness of a color.

Contrast: The difference between the brightest highlights and the darkest shadows.

Contraction: When muscles pull together, creating wrinkles or "bunched up" skin.

Form: Giving the face a 3D look through careful shading.

VA.CR.HS.3. Refine and complete artistic work.
VA.PR.HS.5. Develop and refine artistic work for presentation.
VA.RE.HS.9. Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

Analysis: Looking at how one change (a muscle moving) affects the whole system (the look of the face).

Precision: Making sure the shading is accurate enough to show a specific mood.

Description: Students will choose an emotion and draw a portrait. They will move the features (like eyebrows and mouth) and use heavy shading to show the "depth" of the expression.

Purpose: To learn that a portrait isn't just a flat map, but a moving, 3D object that shows feeling.

DOK Level: Level 3 (Strategic Thinking) – Students must decide which shadows and proportional shifts best "sell" the emotion they chose.

Emoji Design: How simple lines and shapes are used to communicate complex feelings globally.

Acting: How "method actors" use their facial muscles to tell a story without speaking.

“I should just draw lines for wrinkles.” (Correction: Shading the "dips" in the skin looks more realistic than drawing dark lines).

“The eyes stay the same shape.” (Correction: Squinting or widening the eyes is the most important part of an expression).

For Beginners: Use a "three-value" system (White, Gray, Black) to keep shading simple.

For Advanced: Focus on "micro-expressions"—the tiny, subtle shadows around the eyes and mouth that make a face look truly alive.

• The "Value Check": Can the student show at least 5 different shades of gray in their drawing?

• The "Mood Check": Can a classmate correctly guess the emotion of the drawing without being told?

• Mirrors for making faces.

• High-contrast photos of people with strong expressions.

• Shading tools: Blending stumps, soft pencils (4B or 6B), and kneaded erasers.