Chapter 2 | MIXED FEELINGS

Have you ever said “Yes” when you would rather have said “No” or vice versa? You can also pretend that nothing is wrong while inside you are deeply concerned or angry. There are many examples of mixed emotions. The following drawing example shows mixed feelings in a face in a funny way.

Exercise 1: Cover with your hand first one half of the face and then the other. You will then see two opposing feelings! Try to draw this face.

In the following six newspaper photos by Martin Verkerk you see a mix of surprise, passion and pride. All emotions you can feel during a match.

Martin Verkerk, tennis player, foto’s AD/EP

Exercise 2 : Find an image of a face with a striking facial expression and try to draw or trace it. If necessary, attach a whole figure to it. (For tracing images, see the Lesson Handy Drawing Tips Part 1 Chapter 5.)

A pupil copied two newspaper photos on one paper.
Left: an athlete after a fantastic victory at the Olympics.
Right: former US President Bush Jr. just after hearing a terrible report. Sometimes a facial expression becomes almost frozen when something really bad has happened.

Exercise 3: Find pictures of faces with a “speaking” facial expression and try to copy them.

As a result of this lesson about facial expressions , a student of high school (and already an artist at his young age) invented the following facial expression: it seems an example of extreme despair. Maybe he thinks: “How could I’ve ever done something so terribly stupid?”