Facial Expressions for Artists: Techniques for Capturing Emotion and Mood in Portrait and Character Drawings

Breathe life into your portraiture with this inclusive guide to drawing the full range of human emotions, from fear to rage, grief to joy.

An accurate depiction of a subject or character’s facial expression is the key to conveying their individuality as well as authentic emotion or mood. Written and illustrated by Oliver Sin, celebrated portrait artist, veteran instructor, and author of Drawing the Head for Artists, Facial Expressions for Artists:

• Shows how the skull and facial musculature translate into the planes of the face
• Covers subtle emotions like anxiety and irritation as well as unrestrained ones like exuberance and despair
• Features models with a variety of facial types and ethnic and racial backgrounds
• Includes gesture drawings to demonstrate how certain expressions are supported or complemented by body language and physical poses

Whatever your skill level, and whether you’re drawing or painting an individual’s portrait or developing a character-driven story, Facial Expressions for Artists will inspire and inform you on how to successfully portray authentically expressive and distinctive emotions in your drawings.

The For Artists series expertly guides and instructs artists at all skill levels who want to develop their classical drawing and painting skills and create realistic and representational art.

Also available from the series: Drawing the Head for Artists, Essential Human Anatomy for Artists, Figure Drawing for Artists, Life Drawing for Artists, Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists, Dynamic Still Life for Artists, Landscape Painter’s Workbook, Plein Air Techniques for Artists, and Sketching Techniques for Artists.

Oliver Sin graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. He began his career as a computer games concept artist, including stints at LucasArts and 3DO, and has been teaching for the Academy’s School of 2D Animation and the School of Fine Art since 2001. His award-winning portrait art has been recognized by the Portrait Society of America, and featured on ArtistsNetwork.com, in the journal The Art of the Portrait, and in International Artist and Southwest Art magazines. He is the author of Drawing the Head for Artists. Born in Hong Kong, Sin has lived in San Francisco since 1990.

Instagram: instagram.com/oliversin/
Facebook: facebook.com/oliver.sin.3

Selected Awards
First Place Drawing, People’s Choice Award: Portrait Society of America, 2021 - 22nd Annual International Portrait Competition, The Art of the Portrait
Finalist, Artistic Excellence: Southwest Art magazine, 2020
Exceptional Merit Award: Portrait Society of America, 2019