Funny Stick People: Pose and Expression Variations

How to use this drawing lesson

Stick figures work because a few deliberate lines carry pose and mood. This lesson defines a drawing convention so your figures stay readable, shows how to vary limbs for walk, run, wave, and sit, and how to change only the head marks to shift expression. You will combine poses and expressions in blank panels, then judge your work with a rubric that accepts valid alternatives rather than one universal answer.

Set a clear stick-figure convention

For the basic upright figure, use one head circle, one straight vertical spine, two arm lines, and two leg lines. Joints are implied where lines meet; no separate elbow or knee circles are needed. A posed variation may lean the straight spine, and a bent limb may use two straight segments meeting at an implied joint. Those stated exceptions include the running lean and the seated knees below. Keep line weight even and avoid shading so the pose reads at a glance.

Place the head circle above the spine with a small gap or a touching point, and keep the spine length consistent across a series so pose changes are comparable. Arms attach at the top third of the spine; legs attach at the bottom. This is a chosen convention, not a universal standard, so any consistent alternative is acceptable if you state it.

Expression lives only in the head: two eye marks and one mouth mark. Do not add hair, clothing, or facial detail beyond these marks. That boundary keeps the exercise about pose and expression, not proportion or character design.

1. Draw a head circle and a spine line with a small gap between them.
2. Attach two arm lines at the upper spine and two leg lines at the lower spine.
3. In the basic upright figure, check that each limb is a single straight line. In the seated variation, each bent leg uses two connected segments. Keep the two arms and two legs distinguishable.
4. Repeat the same base three times before changing any limb angle.

Vary pose with limb angles

Pose is encoded by limb direction and length. A walk shows one leg forward and one back with opposite arm swing. A run increases the angle between legs and bends the spine slightly forward. A wave lifts one arm above the shoulder while the other stays low. A sit bends both legs at an implied knee, with the spine upright or slightly leaned.

Keep limb lengths equal within a figure unless the pose requires a bend; a bent leg can be drawn as two segments meeting at an implied knee. Mark the ground with a single horizontal line so standing, walking, and sitting figures share a reference.

Funny variation comes from contrast: a serious run pose with a surprised head, or a relaxed sit with a wide grin. Change one variable at a time so you can see which change created the effect.

1. Draw a ground line and place four base figures along it.
2. Convert the first to a walk by angling legs opposite and swinging arms opposite.
3. Convert the second to a run by widening leg angles and leaning the spine forward.
4. Convert the third to a wave by raising one arm above shoulder height.
5. Convert the fourth to a sit by bending both legs and lowering the hip point toward the ground line.

Vary expression with three head marks

Use two eye marks and one mouth mark. Eye marks can be dots, short dashes, or small circles; mouth marks can be a short line, a curve up, a curve down, or an open shape. Keep the marks inside or just at the head circle edge so the head stays readable.

Surprise: two small circles for eyes and a small open mouth. Happiness: curved-up mouth and dot eyes. Worry: slanted dash eyes and a curved-down mouth. Anger: slanted dash eyes and a straight short mouth. These are conventions you choose and apply consistently; other mark sets are valid if you can explain them.

Combine expression with pose in a four-by-four grid: four pose rows (walk, run, wave, sit) and four expression columns (happy, worried, surprised, angry) give sixteen combinations. Across each row, hold the complete body pose identical and change only the head marks. Down each column, hold the expression mark set identical while changing the pose. Each pose therefore appears once with each expression.

1. Draw a four-by-four grid of blank panels.
2. In the top row, draw the same walk pose four times.
3. Change only the head marks across the row to show four expressions.
4. Repeat for run, wave, and sit rows.
5. Circle the three combinations that read as funniest to you and note why in one word each.

Check readability and combine

A readable stick figure passes three checks: the pose is identifiable without the head, the expression is identifiable without the limbs, and the ground line matches the pose. If a viewer cannot name the pose in two seconds, adjust limb angles rather than adding detail.

For a combined scene, place two or three figures on one ground line with clear spacing. Use pose contrast and expression contrast together: one figure running with a worried head beside one sitting with a happy head. Keep all figures to the same convention so the scene stays coherent.

Measure your own paper and tools rather than assuming sizes. If you choose a head circle diameter, label it as a hypothetical example, such as a 20 mm circle on your paper, and keep it consistent. Any numerical value here is an example you set, not a manufacturing or printer standard.

1. Cover the head of each figure and ask whether the pose still reads.
2. Cover the limbs and ask whether the expression still reads.
3. Check that every figure touches or aligns with the same ground line.
4. Add one contrasting figure to make a two-figure scene and recheck both figures.

Worked example

Draw a two-figure scene: one figure running with a worried head and one figure sitting with a happy head, both on the same ground line.

Draw a horizontal ground line. Figure one: head circle above a spine leaned slightly forward, two legs at wide opposite angles, two arms swinging opposite the legs, eye marks as slanted dashes, mouth as a curved-down line. Figure two: head circle above an upright spine, hip point lowered toward the ground line, both legs bent as two segments meeting at an implied knee, one arm resting low, eye marks as dots, mouth as a curved-up line. Space the figures so neither overlaps. Check: cover each head and confirm run and sit still read; cover limbs and confirm worry and happy still read; confirm both figures align to the ground line.

Four exercises with answers

Check your drawing

• Pose is identifiable with the head covered.
• Expression is identifiable with limbs covered.
• Only two eye marks and one mouth mark appear in each head.
• Limb lengths are consistent within each figure unless a bend is intended.
• All figures align to a single ground line.
• Convention is stated and applied consistently; valid alternatives are accepted if explained.
• Scene uses pose contrast and expression contrast without extra detail.

Common mistakes

Adding hair, clothes, or facial detail beyond the three head marks.

Erase extra marks and keep only two eyes and one mouth so pose and expression stay the focus.

Changing limb length randomly between figures.

Set one limb length for the series and keep it, changing only angle unless a bend is intended.

Drawing the expression so small it disappears at a glance.

Keep eye and mouth marks large enough to sit clearly inside the head circle.

Letting figures float above or sink below the ground line.

Draw the ground line first and align every foot or hip point to it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need elbows and knees?

Separate joint circles are not needed. The basic figure uses straight limb lines, while the seated pose uses two connected segments per bent leg. A leaned running spine remains one straight segment. Keep those exceptions explicit rather than adding extra joint marks.

Can I use different eye shapes?

Yes, if you apply them consistently and can explain what each shape means. The rubric accepts valid alternatives, not one universal answer.

How many figures should a scene have?

Two or three figures on one ground line is enough to show pose and expression contrast without clutter.

What size should the head circle be?

Choose a size that fits your paper and keep it consistent. Any number you pick is a hypothetical example for your own sheet, not a standard.

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