Following on from last week with our Quackcast on faces, this week we're chatting about expressions, which is a very natural progression! expressions are a great way to enhance communication in comics. they can be fun to play with but tricky to master. Though when you get them right they really help lift your game.

Exaggerated expressions are seen more in cartoony work rather than realistic styles but drawing good expressive faces still works well regardless, even if they ARE more subtle. One of the funniest things about drawing facial expressions is how your own face tends to mirror what you're drawing at the time, so you can look like a freak!
When it comes to expression I think anime took it to a new level with their range of expressions using eyes, sweat drops, and hovering vein symbols. I've never seen western art that has such a facility when it comes to the variety in Manga, like characters who seem to be smiling and good natured but are broken and dead inside, or secretly evil- all done simply with the eyes and mouth.

One of the big myths about non-verbal communication is that it comprises the vast majority of communication, which is pretty silly and easily debunk-able, but the fact that myth is still so popular shows how important expressions are to us, at least in our perception. Obviously the vast majority of communication is primarily through language alone, but body-language and expression do help.

For our Patreon video we all tried drawing facial expressions real time, that's where the cover image comes from. Banes and Tantz were great! I wasn't.
Are you any good at drawing expressions? Do you make silly faces when you do? What's your fave expression?

This week Gunwallace gave us a theme inspired by The Gimblians - Introspective, considered and thoughtful. A short little compact track that leads us down a silent snowy path through a dark forest in the moonlight… and into a bouncy castle filled with clowns!

Topics and shownotes

Links

Featured comic:
Carpe Doodle - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2024/aug/20/featured-comic-carpe-doodle/

Featured music:
The Gimblians - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_Gimblians/ - by Mattgasser, rated E.

Special thanks to:
Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/
Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
Kawaiidaigakusei - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei
Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/
Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/

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