Capturing Life in Facial Expressions

Step 1: Expressive Sketch

I always start with a quick sketch for each pose. This allows me to capture the intention of the face before even going into detail. I use the G nid to start with

At this stage, I focus only on the emotion: the tension of the gaze, the curve of the smile, the position of the eyebrows. Everything must convey the character’s energy, even before adding color.

This sketch is intentionally loose, often done in a single stroke, to keep the gesture natural and expressive.

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Step 2: Single layer Coloring

After the sketch, I move directly to coloring, proceeding much like in traditional painting with an impasto technique. Here, tools like the G-pen help define the outlines, and after laying down the base color with the paint bucket, I build up the colors using brush tools, oil brushes, and pencil.

It is preferable to use multiple layers for these additions, but personally, I chose to do them on a single layer. This depends on your software’s ability to handle multiple layers at once. I didn’t want to limit myself here, but it’s important to keep in mind that multiple layers are recommended, especially for possible later adjustments.

The filling is done in color blocks without aiming for perfection at first. The goal is to establish the main values — shadow, light, base tone — to build the overall atmosphere of the face.

This method helps maintain a natural result, where each color interacts with the previous one.

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Step 3: The Blender Tool

After the sketch, I move directly to coloring, proceeding much like in traditional painting with an impasto technique. Here, tools like the G-pen help define the outlines, and after laying down the base color with the paint bucket, I build up the colors using brush tools, oil brushes, and pencil.

It is preferable to use multiple layers for these additions, but personally, I chose to do them on a single layer. This depends on your software’s ability to handle multiple layers at once. I didn’t want to limit myself here, but it’s important to keep in mind that multiple layers are recommended, especially for possible later adjustments.

The filling is done in color blocks without aiming for perfection at first. The goal is to establish the main values — shadow, light, base tone — to build the overall atmosphere of the face.

This method helps maintain a natural result, where each color interacts with the previous one.

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Step 4: Finalisation and Rendering

In the final stage, I focus on the texture of the clothing, using the decoration tool and the oil paint brush to give each fabric a more tangible, hand-painted look. I also pay close attention to how each emotion influences the character’s posture and details — whether it’s a smile, a hint of shyness, or a burst of laughter. These subtle visual cues add depth and authenticity, making every emotion noticeable even before the character is recognized.