sad faces

Let see... I think I can help. I'm so glad you acknoledged your flaws and the parts you don't like about your sketeches. I'm no profesional, but I suggest that you break down the face. Meaning, You could start with getting the shape of the face down before you move onto the eyes next, then nose, etc. You said "Capturing headshape is hard. Hard to rationalize that big bone in there." That's why it is so important to learn anatomy. In fact, I just learned to stop procrstinating and finally learn the fundamentals properly myself.

Now some advice from personal experience to help down the road. I've learned that learning the basics will help a lot. I'm self taught and my art was decent but I wanted to get better. I am now learning anatomy and perspective. Why perspective, you ask? Well, perspective is what gives life to your drawings. I actually just watched a video about how perspective helps you improve immensely. I'll place the link at the end. I also noticed that you aren't beating yourself up over this. That is an amazing trait have early in your art journey! I didn't have that same energy. To be honest, I was drawing to draw but I wanted it to look like all those amazing twitter posts or concept art you see pop up everywhere. Art is a huge journey and you have to be ready to go with the flow. I believe you will do great things, because you already have crucial traits of becoming an artist. I am so proud of you! Keep going!

https://youtu.be/wcNWbcDg9mw

I find that one of the most telling areas for sad or sorrowful faces is the eyebrows and how they move. The furrow between is also a good indicator. Perhaps some work done on the same faces both normal and sad might help observe the changes?

Nice job on your very first-ever drawing face post, eternalwip. I think you're too tough on yourself, and I feel that you're totally making great progress so far.

The suggestion from me to you is, though I really don't see any "pursed" lips on this practice sheet, but I can feel it just a little bit, so would you please loosen up but solidify the forces and forms of these lips, with a 10 minute practice face and expression?

The reason why you would, could, and should do this critique is because, it can, shall, and will be able to help you reduce stiffness of the overall proportions of the human face, yet to make it more dynamic, energetic, and organic and expressive and cartoony.

Good luck, cheers, and I hope you've found these completely and positively encouraging and concrete.

Hey man, it's all part of the process! We've all been there, don't be too frustrated with yourself because you'll get better the more you practice with intent. I would try to get down the proper proportions of the face before jumping into the facial expressions here, personally. Remember that the ears are right below the eye level, glasses are a great example to help remember that.

There are tons of head tutorials on YouTube, Proko has a great explanation on the Loomis head proportions and how to draw it and break it down etc. The Andrew Loomis Head and Hands pdf should be free online as well! Keep up the great work!

Heads are weird and challenging. That is why people can spend a lifetime mastering the portrait.

As a general rule when you map out the face the eyes are generally halfway down. It always looks wrong at first but I assure you it's right. Cut the bottom in half again and that is generally the bottom of the nose. Cut the bottom in half again and you have the middle of the mouth.

The corner of the mouth often ends where the pupils are when looking straight forward. And on average the space between the eyes is the she width as the eyes themselves.

If you want to master portraits I strongly reccomend sketching out just those proportions with no real features over and over till it becomes muscle memory.

Then I reccomend practice sessions on individual feature. Do just eyes, just noses, just mouths. You would be amazed at how much a nose actually moves.

I created a reference chart for expressive features. I did a page of noses and each row was a different emotion. Then the same with eyes and mouths.

I think your practice is frustrating you because you seem to be working to master proportions and features at the same time. And I reccomend practicing them separately until you feel more confident.

I wanna say a huge thanks to everyone who's offered me advice. I really appreciate your help. I have to work on proportions first and foremost, and then let myself try out the lil nuances of the face. I'll post another pigture when I get the chance to! I hope you're all doing well. 🖤