Draw your comic hero showing different expressions!
Draw your own comic hero showing five different facial expressions in separate panels, practicing proportions, emotions, and coloring to tell a short visual story.
Step-by-step guide to draw your comic hero showing different expressions
Step 1
Gather your materials.
Step 2
Use the ruler to draw five comic panels across the page.
Step 3
Lightly sketch the same-sized simple head shape in the middle of each panel.
Step 4
Draw a vertical center line and a horizontal eye line inside each head to help with proportions.
Step 5
In each panel draw the facial features to show five different expressions: happy surprised angry sad and mischievous.
Step 6
Add simple shoulders and a small prop in each panel that matches the character’s feeling.
Step 7
Trace your final pencil lines with the black marker to create clean comic outlines.
Step 8
Let the ink dry completely.
Step 9
Erase the pencil guidelines and any stray marks.
Step 10
Color each panel using colors that match the mood of each expression.
Step 11
Add small speech or thought bubbles with a few short words in each panel to tell a short visual story.
Step 12
Give your comic a fun title at the top.
Step 13
Share your finished comic hero showing five expressions on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I substitute if I don't have a ruler, black marker, or markers for coloring?
Use the straight edge of a hardcover book or a cereal-box strip to draw the five comic panels, trace final lines with a fine-tip pen or dark colored pencil instead of the black marker, and color with crayons or colored pencils in place of markers.
My faces look uneven or the ink smudged—how do I fix that?
Redraw even panels using a straight edge, keep your head shapes light and use the vertical center and horizontal eye lines for proportion, and wait until the ink dries completely before you erase pencil guidelines to prevent smudging.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children pre-draw the five panels and simple head shapes so they only add facial features, shoulders, and small props, while older kids can use the center/eye guidelines to refine proportions, add detailed shading when coloring, and write longer speech or thought bubbles to expand the short visual story.
What are some ways to enhance or personalize my five-expression comic hero?
Give your comic a fun title at the top, add matching backgrounds and unique props in each panel, experiment with different color moods, or turn the five inked and colored panels into a flipbook or share the finished comic hero on DIY.org.
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Facts about drawing characters and facial expressions
⏱️ People can recognize basic facial expressions very quickly — often in just a few hundred milliseconds.
🎨 Color changes mood: warm hues like red and orange feel energetic, cool blues and greens feel calm — use color to set each panel's tone.
🖊️ Comics use panels and the idea of "closure" so readers mentally fill in the action between drawings — a concept explained by Scott McCloud.
🎭 Paul Ekman identified six basic facial expressions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust) that are recognized across many cultures.
🧑🎨 Cartoonists often exaggerate features (big eyes, sharp brows, wide mouths) to make emotions read clearly from a distance.
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