Winky Face Drawing: Eye and Mouth Expression Variations

Object Drawing Lessons

A winky face is a simple face where one eye is closed and the other is open, often with a playful mouth. This guide defines a drawing convention so you can vary eye and mouth expressions while keeping the winky signal clear. You will use a baseline-to-midline x-height for the open eye, choose from defined eye and mouth options, and check your work with a rubric that allows valid alternatives. All measurements are hypothetical examples; measure your own paper and tools. The practice tasks are self-contained and solvable from the text.

Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.

Convention and setup

Use a face circle about 6 cm across as a hypothetical example. Mark a light vertical center line and a horizontal midline. The open eye sits on the midline; the winky eye sits on the same midline but is drawn as a closed curve. The mouth sits below the midline, centered or slightly offset.

Define x-height as the distance from the baseline to the midline. On a 6 cm face, a hypothetical x-height of 1.5 cm places the midline 1.5 cm above the baseline. The open eye is centered on the midline, so its center sits at the x-height; the eye's top and bottom extend above and below that line. Letter styles vary, so you may use a round open eye, an oval, or a small circle with a dot; the rubric accepts any clear open-eye shape centered on the midline.

Use a pencil for construction lines and a darker pencil or pen for final lines. Keep the winky eye as a single curved line or a shallow V; avoid drawing a full open eye on the winky side. The mouth may be a smile, a smirk, a small open oval, or a flat line with a corner lift.

1. Draw a face circle and mark the vertical center and horizontal midline lightly.
2. Place the open eye on the midline at the chosen x-height; keep it simple and clear.
3. Draw the winky eye on the opposite side as a closed curve or shallow V on the same midline.
4. Add the mouth below the midline using one of the defined mouth options.
5. Check the winky signal: one eye open, one eye closed, and the mouth supports the playful tone.

Eye variations

Open-eye options: round with a dot, oval with a dot, or a small circle with a short lower lash line. Closed-eye options: a single downward curve, an upward curve, or a shallow V. Keep the closed eye shorter than the open eye so the contrast is clear.

You may add a small eyebrow above each eye, but keep eyebrows light and separate from the eye shapes. Do not add full cartoon characters or other facial expressions; stay within the winky-face boundary.

1. Choose one open-eye shape and one closed-eye shape from the lists.
2. Draw the open eye first, then the closed eye, keeping both on the midline.
3. Compare the two eyes: the closed eye should read as closed at a glance.
4. If the closed eye looks like a squint, simplify it to a single curve.

Mouth variations

Mouth options: a simple smile curve, a smirk with one corner lifted, a small open oval, or a flat line with a slight corner lift. Place the mouth about 1 cm below the midline on a 6 cm face as a hypothetical example.

Match the mouth to the eye choice: a smirk pairs well with a shallow V winky eye; a small open oval pairs well with a round open eye. The rubric accepts any mouth that is clear and consistent with the winky tone.

1. Pick one mouth option and draw it lightly below the midline.
2. Check that the mouth does not touch the face circle edge.
3. Adjust the mouth size so it is narrower than the distance between the eyes.
4. Darken the final mouth line after checking the overall balance.

Checking and improving

Use the rubric to score clarity, contrast, placement, and consistency. A valid alternative is any drawing where one eye is clearly open, one is clearly closed, and the mouth is readable. Measure your actual paper and tools; the 6 cm face and 1.5 cm x-height are hypothetical examples only.

If a check fails, simplify the eye or mouth rather than adding detail. Keep construction lines light so they do not compete with final lines.

1. Score each rubric item from 0 to 2.
2. Circle any item below 2 and make one targeted change.
3. Re-score after the change and keep the improved version.

Worked example

Draw a winky face on a 6 cm face circle with a round open eye, a shallow V winky eye, and a smirk mouth. Use a hypothetical x-height of 1.5 cm.

Four practice exercises

Common mistakes

• Drawing both eyes open or both closed. Redraw the winky eye as a single curve or shallow V and check that the open eye remains clearly open.
• Making the closed eye too large. Shorten the closed eye to about half the open eye's width and keep it on the same midline.
• Placing the mouth too high or too low. Measure about 1 cm below the midline on a 6 cm face as a hypothetical example, then adjust to your actual face size.
• Adding full cartoon character details. Remove hair, bodies, and extra facial expressions; keep only the winky face plate elements.

Self-check rubric

• Clarity: the winky signal is obvious at a glance (0-2).
• Contrast: the open eye and closed eye are clearly different (0-2).
• Placement: both eyes sit on the midline and the mouth sits below it (0-2).
• Consistency: the mouth matches the playful winky tone (0-2).
• Boundary: no full cartoon characters or other facial expressions (0-2).

Questions and answers