Free original lessons
Smiley Face Variants: Eye and Mouth Expression Practice
Learn to draw varied smiley faces by changing only eyes and mouth. Includes a convention, worked example, four practice tasks, and a fair rubric for expressive line art.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Object Drawing Lessons
A smiley face is a circle with two eyes and a mouth. Small changes to eye shape, pupil position, and mouth curve create clearly different expressions. This lesson uses a simple drawing convention: the circle is the head outline, eyes sit on an imaginary horizontal midline, and the mouth sits below it. You will practice varying only eyes and mouth while keeping the head circle consistent. The goal is controlled variation, not realism. Work in pencil so you can adjust line weight and symmetry. Measure your own paper and tools if you set sizes; any numbers here are hypothetical examples for practice, not manufacturing standards.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Set a consistent smiley convention
Draw a circle about the width of your palm. Mark a faint horizontal midline and a faint vertical center line. Place two eyes on the midline, spaced evenly from the center. Place the mouth below the midline, centered. This convention keeps variants comparable.
Use simple line shapes: dots, short dashes, open circles, or curved arcs for eyes; upward curve, downward curve, flat line, or open oval for mouths. Keep line weight similar across a set so expression changes read clearly.
- Draw a circle and mark faint midline and center line.
- Place two eye marks on the midline, equal distance from center.
- Draw one mouth shape below the midline, centered.
- Label the variant by eye type and mouth type before drawing the next.
Vary eyes without changing the head
Eye shape carries alertness and mood. Dots read neutral; upward arcs read happy; downward arcs read sad or tired; open circles with centered pupils read surprised. Pupil position adds direction: pupils toward the center read focused, pupils apart read distracted.
Keep eye size and spacing consistent within a variant set. If you change eye size, change both eyes equally unless the expression intentionally uses asymmetry, such as a wink.
- Choose one eye type from dots, arcs, or open circles.
- Place both eyes on the midline at equal spacing.
- Add pupils only if using open circles; center them or offset both equally.
- Check symmetry by folding the paper gently or using a straight edge.
Vary mouths to complete the expression
Mouth curve changes the read quickly. An upward curve suggests a smile; a downward curve suggests a frown; a flat line suggests neutral; an open oval suggests surprise or speaking. Combine mouth and eye types deliberately: happy eyes with a frown creates mixed signals, which can be useful but should be labeled.
Keep the mouth width proportional to the eye spacing. A mouth much wider than the eyes can dominate the face; a very narrow mouth can look pinched. Practice three widths: narrow, matching eye span, and wide.
- Draw the mouth below the midline, centered.
- Choose curve direction: up, down, flat, or open.
- Match mouth width to eye span for a balanced default.
- Label the intended expression in one word beside the drawing.
Build a variant set and review
A variant set is four to six smileys that share the same head circle but differ in eyes and mouth. Draw them in a row or grid. After drawing, review each pair for a clear difference in expression. If two variants look too similar, change only one feature, such as mouth curve, and redraw.
Use a simple rubric: circle consistency, eye placement on midline, mouth placement below midline, clear feature variation, and legibility. Valid alternatives include different eye shapes or mouth widths as long as the convention is stated and followed.
- Draw four circles of equal size in a row.
- Assign each circle a different eye and mouth pair.
- Label each variant with its expression word.
- Review with the rubric and adjust one feature if needed.
Worked example
Draw one smiley using dot eyes and an upward curved mouth. Label the expression. Then draw a second smiley with the same head circle but open-circle eyes with centered pupils and a flat mouth. Label both.
Worked answer
First smiley: circle, two dots on the midline, upward curve below midline, label happy. Second smiley: same circle size, two open circles on midline with centered pupils, flat mouth below midline, label neutral. The head circle and eye spacing stay the same; only eye type and mouth curve change.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
Draw a smiley with upward arc eyes and a downward curved mouth. Label the expression in one word. Use a circle about the width of your palm and mark the midline first.
Show answer and check
A circle with two upward arcs on the midline and a downward curve below the midline. A reasonable label is 'sad' or 'mixed'; accept any label that matches the drawn features.
Why: Upward arc eyes often read happy, while a downward mouth reads sad. The combination is a mixed signal, so the label should reflect the actual features rather than a single expected word.
Check: Verify both eyes are on the midline, the mouth is below it, and the label matches the drawn eye and mouth shapes.
Exercise 2
Draw two smileys with the same head circle. First: dot eyes and flat mouth. Second: open-circle eyes with pupils offset toward the center and an open oval mouth. Label each.
Show answer and check
First smiley: dots on midline, flat mouth below, label neutral. Second: open circles on midline with pupils toward center, open oval mouth below, label surprised or focused.
Why: Dot eyes and a flat mouth read neutral. Open circles with centered pupils and an open mouth read surprised. Offsetting pupils toward center adds focus but does not change the basic read.
Check: Compare head circle sizes, confirm eye placement on midline, and check that each label matches the drawn features.
Exercise 3
Draw a three-variant set in a row: happy, sad, and surprised. Use the same head circle size for all three. Vary only eyes and mouth. Label each variant.
Show answer and check
Happy: upward arc eyes, upward mouth. Sad: downward arc eyes, downward mouth. Surprised: open-circle eyes with centered pupils, open oval mouth. All three share the same circle size and eye spacing.
Why: Each expression pairs eye and mouth features that reinforce the same read. Keeping the head circle and eye spacing constant isolates the expression change.
Check: Check that all three circles are equal in size, eyes sit on the midline, mouths sit below it, and each label matches its features.
Exercise 4
Draw a smiley with one dot eye and one upward arc eye, plus an upward curved mouth. Label it. Then explain in one sentence whether the asymmetry is intentional and how it affects the read.
Show answer and check
A circle with a dot eye on one side of the midline and an upward arc eye on the other, plus an upward mouth. A reasonable label is 'wink' or 'playful'. The asymmetry is intentional and adds a playful or winking read.
Why: Asymmetry is allowed when stated. One dot eye and one arc eye create a wink-like effect, and the upward mouth keeps the overall read positive.
Check: Confirm both eyes are on the midline, the mouth is below it, the label matches the features, and the explanation states the asymmetry is intentional.
Common mistakes
- Eyes placed above or below the midline, making variants hard to compare. Mark the midline faintly first and place both eye marks on it before drawing details.
- Changing head size between variants, which hides the eye and mouth changes. Use a template circle or trace the first circle for each variant in the set.
- Mouth drawn off-center or too close to the eyes. Use the vertical center line and leave a clear gap between eyes and mouth.
- Mixed signals without a label, such as happy eyes with a frown. Label the intended expression or adjust one feature so the read is clear.
Self-check rubric
- Head circle size is consistent across the variant set.
- Both eyes sit on the marked midline with equal spacing from center.
- Mouth sits below the midline and is centered.
- Eye and mouth changes are clear and labeled with an expression word.
- Line weight is similar enough that features read clearly.
- Valid alternatives are accepted if the stated convention is followed.
Questions and answers
Do I need perfect circles?
No. Consistent circles matter more than perfect ones. Trace a coin or cup if you want equal head sizes, but keep the convention visible.
Can I use different eye shapes in one set?
Yes, as long as you state the convention and keep placement consistent. The rubric rewards clear variation, not a single correct eye type.
How many variants should I draw?
Four to six is enough to practice controlled variation. More variants can help, but review each for a clear expression difference.
What if my smiley looks angry by accident?
Check eye arcs and mouth curve. Downward eye arcs with a downward mouth often read angry or sad. Change one feature and relabel.