Free PDF for Drawing Realistic Facial Expressions

Learn to illustrate authentic facial expressions using just a pencil alongside a professional portrait artist

When it comes to drawing people, replicating the lifelike parts of the human form can be a challenge, particularly when it comes to the face. From the eyes and ears to the nuances of a smile, the way you illustrate each feature says a lot about your subject’s expression and the mood you’re trying to convey.

For portrait artist Sam Brisley, capturing authentic facial expressions is what he likes most about his craft. He has been passionate about portraiture, figure drawing, and anatomy from a young age and has since turned it into a career alongside his full-time job as a structural engineer.

In this free PDF for drawing realistic facial expressions, he teaches you how to take your portrait illustrations to the next level.

Sam shares his tips for drawing some of the trickiest parts of the face, along with examples of his process in this nine-page illustration guide. Start with the eyes before moving on to the nose, mouth, and ears, and learn his do’s and don’ts for capturing each of them in a realistic way.

Download the facial features cheat sheet

After you click the download button below, a PDF titled Facial Features Cheat Sheet by Sam Brisley, will appear in the Downloads folder of your computer.

Check out Sam’s full course: Artistic Portrait Drawing: Capture Authentic Expressions where he teaches you how to draw striking pencil portraits using creative shadow mapping techniques.

Discover more resources on portrait illustration

1. Check out all of Domesetika’s online portrait drawing courses.

2. Create experimental, mixed-media portraits full of energy and color using ink, tea, water, and alcohol: Drawing Tutorial: How to Make a Portrait with Movement.

3. Learn to illustrate Expressive Portrait Drawing with Soft Pastels.

4. Draw on-the-spot sketches with a famous courtroom illustrator in this course: Intro to Portrait Sketching: Draw in Real-Time.