The Artist's

Complete
Guide to

GaryFaigin
 THE SIX BASIC fACIAL EXPRESSIONS

SADNESS

ANGfR

FEAR

JOY

SURPRISC

ISBN o-eZ'O-1628- ~

DlSGUST

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WATSON-GUPTILL PUBLICAT IONS

770 Broadway, New York, NY HXlO3
9
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 $35.00
U. 5. A.

The Artist's Cumplete Guide to

•
,". .,

FACIAL
EXPRESSION
Gary Faigin

This comprehensive visual index to the

subtleties oC emotion conveyed by facial ex-
pression is the oruy book of its kind. The
Artist's Complete Cuide to Facial Expression
carefully explains and illustrates the role oC
the musdes of expression and the effects of
these musdes on the face. The images pre-
sented, trom the author's own work and
trom photographic and artistic sources,
tocus on the action of musdes in three key
areas ot the Cace-the Corehead and brows,
the eyes, and the mouth and chino

Gary Faigin shows how the successful por-

trayal oCthe tace is dependent on an under-
standing of the deep Corm s oC head and
skull. Faigin goes on to illustrate the ex- Gary Faigin is a painter and printmaker
pressive results oC individual facial musdes. whose work has been exhibited in one-man
This structural information is then drawn and group shows around the country. He
together in a brilliant section, which is de- was trained at the Art Students League
voted to depicting the six basic human and the Ecole des Beaux Arts de Paris. He
expressions-sadness, anger, joy, fear, currently lectures at the Art Students
disgust, and surprise. Each emotion is por- League oC New York, and has served on the
trayed in steadily increasing intensity, fmm faculties of the National Academy School of
subtle signs oC the emotion to full-blown Design School oC Fine Art and the Parsons
expressions. Detailed renderings are sup- School oC Design. His own school, the
plemented by illustrations Crom such other Academy of Realist Art, offers dasses in
sources as news photos, cartoons, movie Santa Fe, Seattle, and New York City. He
posters, and art masterworks-complex, lives in Seattle and Santa Fe with rus wife,
finished works that show the basic emo- architect and designer, Pamela Belyea.
tional patterns in use. An appendix features
examples oC each nuance of the basic ex-
pressions, induding similar facial states oC
purely physical origin, such as yawning or
the Cace oCpain.
The Artist's Complete Cuide lo Facial Ex-
pression is a major contribution to the Iitera-
ture oC art instruction. This is a uruQue
work, highly intelligent yet lively and enter-
taining, 0 0 a subject crucial to the develop-
ment oC every artist Jacket (Úsign by Bob Fillit, Graphiti Graphics

288 pages. 81J4 x 11 (21 x 28 cm).

400 black-and-white illustratWns. Inda.
WATSON-GUPTILL PUBLlCATIONS
WATSON-GUPTILL PUBLlCATlONS
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 The Artist's Complete Guide to

Gary Faigin

WATSON·GUPTILL PUBLICATION S/ NEW YORK

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 To Henry, Friedil, and Pamela

Senior Editor: Canclace Raney

Associate Editor: Carl Rosen
Designer: Aobert Fiilie
Production Manager: EIIen Greene
Proouction Coordinator: Marybeth Tregarthen
Typographer: Trufanl Typographers, lne.
Set in Century Oldstyle

Copyright e 1990 Watson-Guplill Publications

Firsl published in 1990 tn New York by Watson-Guplill Publi-
calions, a division 01 BPI Communications, lne.,
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
Llbrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publlcatlon Data
Faigin. Gary. 1950-
The arlist's complete guide 10 lacial expression I Gary Faigin.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical relerences.
Includes ir.c:lex.
ISBN 0-8230-1628-5
1. Facial expression in art. 2. Arl_Technique. l. Title.
N7573.3.F35 1990
704.9'42- dc20 90-48379
elP
Distributed in lhe Uniled Kingdom by Phaidon Press Ud., •
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A11 rights reservad . No parlo! this publiealion may be
reproduced or usad in any Iorm or by any means- graphic
electronic, or mechanieal. including pOotOCOJl')'ing. record-
ing. taping. or inlormation storage ar.c:l retrieval systems-
wilhoul written permission 04 the publisher.
Manufacturad in the United Stales 01 Amariea
First Prin!ing, 1990
11 12 13/03 02 01
IIlustrolion (redil: Poge 10 (boltom)-
Vosily Boks.heyev, rile Prose o/ Lile;
lan; Tretyo kov Gollery, Mo$cow.
Ackrwwledgments

T his book might have remained

nothing more than a passing idea had it
crucial importance both in terms of
describing the expressions and analyz-
Dr. Robert Bell; Kyle Wilton; Lee
Lorenz; John Kohn of Pro Lab; Jill
oot been for the ¡nitia] encouragement ing the muscular actions that create Herbers; Phil Murphy; Scott Wilson;
oí my erstwhile instructor and friend them. Other individuals whose help Arlene Smeal; Robin Weil; Elizabeth
Robert Beverley Hale. In mOfe recent was much appreciated: Nick Ullet, Valkenier; Max and Ruth Soriano;
times, Cad Rosen and Candace Raney Terry Brogan, and the 13th Sto Reper- Commander Jim Belyea; Claire
of Watson-Guptill did more than per- tory Company, who provided acting Gutman; Charles Haseloff; Howard
fonn their editing tasks with style and services; the persons at the United Buten; Joel Kostman; Eli Levin;
dispatch; they cornmunicated to the States lnformation Agency who helped Marie-Genevieve Vandesande; Shos-
author an enthusiasm for the book no contact museums and fore ign com- hanna Weinberger; Janet Hulstrand;
publishing contraet can guarantee. panies for picture rights; Richard Stashu Smaka; Sybil l"<ligin; Edward
Johanna Bartelt shouldered the mara- Rudich, who was always available with Maisel; Ken Aptekar; Joel Miskin;
thon task oí obtaining reproduction a "cold eye" and an encouraging word; Laurel Rech; Alexandra Baltarzuk;
rights (rom museums and agencies Judy Wyer, who did valuable research; ABC News; Borden Company; Guin-
around the g1obe; I will never again Claudia Carlson, who reviewed parts ness Company; Stephen Rogers Peck:
take the illustrations in a picture book of the manuscript; and Don Poynter, Kay Hazelip; and finally, all the triends,
for granted. And rather tban single out who, together with my Art Students family member s, and students who
any one thing to credit to Sallie League Saturday claSs, helped in many modeled for the illustrations.
Gouverneur and Pamela Belyea, J'lJ ways. Others who should be singled Gary Faigin otters workshops and
just say that without their various ser- out include: BiII Ziegler; Rhoda Knight c1asses around the country. For turther
vices over several years, this book Kalt; Ray Harryhausen; E lIiot Gold- information, please contact: The Acad-
would never have appeared. finger; Milton Newman; Patricia erny oi Realist Art, 5004 Sixth Avenue
The work of Dr. Paul Ekman was of Belyea; Howard Buten; Rosina Florio; NW, Seattle, WA 98107.

•
 INTRODUCTION 8

Part One
THE STRUCTURE OF THE HEAD 18

GOING BENEATH THE SURFACE 20

CONSTRUCTING THE FEATURES 36

Part TuJa
THE MUSCLES OF EXPRESSION 52
THE NATURE OF THE FACIAL MUSCLES 54
MUSCLES OF THE BROW AND EYE 64
THE MUSCLES OF THE MOUTH 88

Part Three
THE SIX BASIC EXPRESSIONS 124
EMonON AND THE FACE 126
THE EXPRESSION OF SADNESS 132
THE EXPRESSION OF ANGER 160
THE EXPRESSION 01' JOY 188
THE EXPRESSION OF FEAR 238
THE EXPRESSION OF DISGUST 254
THE EXPRESSION OF SURPRlSE 262
CONCLUSION 268 •

EXPRESSIONS IN BRIEF 270

EXPRESSIONS OF PHYSICAL STATES 281

INDEX 286
CREDlTS AND REFERENCES 288

6
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rrCharles, I''iJC had it with you pnd your goddam moods."

T here is no landscape that we

know as well as the human race.
The twenty-five-odd square ¡nches
have such great sign ificance. The
slightest suggestion of a smile can
s tar t a conve r sation between
part of our instinctive equipment, like
our aversion to pain or our feeling of
warrnth toward creatures with lots of
containing the fealures is the most inti· strangers; the slightest suggestion of fur and big eyes. Our mastery oí ex-
mately scrutinized piece oí territory in a frown can start an argument between pression is so deep-rooted that it's pos-
existence, examined constantly, and friends. sible to lose the ability to tell one face
carefully, with far more than an intel- When we look closely at expressions from another yet still be able to recog-
lectual interest. Every detail oí the like smiles and frowns, we realize how nize a smile from a frown. Researchers
nose, eyes, and mouth, every regu- HUle on the face has to ehange for us to studying stroke victims discovered a
larity in proportion, every variation reeognize an altered mood. When we group of individuals who eould recog-
from one individual lo lhe next, are try to draw an expression. we then nize var ious expressions even when
matters about wh ich we are all realize that there is a gap between the they couldn't identify their own faces in
authorities. recognitwn oí an expression and the re· a mirror. There's clearly sornething
We've come to know the face so well ereation of one. fundamental about a skill that can per-
because ¡l's so important to us; in fact, The actual physical threshold that sist despite sueh severe brain damage.
¡l's the center oí OUT entire emotional must be erossed for an expression to Just as innate as our capability to
life... From birth lo death, lhe face Iinks be pereeived can be very slight. For distinguish the facial 'expressions of
us to fr iends, lo family, to everyone example, an audience would know in· others is the reflex by which expres-
meaningful to USo Few things are capa- s ta ntly if a speaker beca me sad, sions appear in the fi rst place. We don't
ble of moving us as deeply as the tace of drowsy, or annoyed; audience mem- learn to srnile or cry by watching adults
a loved one; nothing interests us as bers too distant to distinguish a two- do it. Facial expressions arise power-
much as looking at that same face, in all ineh P trom a two-inch F would have no fu lly and involuntarily like sneezes, or
its moods, in its evolution over time. problem noting a quarter-ineh shift in shivers. A baby boro without sight will
the speaker's eyebrows and interpret- laugh and cry like any other baby. In
ing its expressive rneaning correetly. faet, it's probab le that babies have
THE F ACIAL EXPRESSIONS laughed and cried in a similar manner
No wonder. then. that the little move- An lnnate Skíll as far baek as there have been human
ment s that alte r the look of the Our ability to read facial expressions babies. Most experts believe that the
features-facial expressions- can isn't something we had to learn. It's fundamenta! facial expressions-fear,

8
0<0 ''''''9 ... e Bonon;, D 1973 "'" ""- '10<1< .. M ,~a ... Inc

joy, sadness, surprise, disgust, and picture; (2) depicting precisely the ef- his painting They Did No! Expect Him,
anger-are cornmon to all human soci- fect desired can be maddeningly diffi- changing it many times- partly in re-
eties and have remained unchanged for cult. These facts are related in two sponse to published crit icisms-
thousands of years. ways. First, it is a short step from because he felt thal the whole meaning
recognizing the face's powerful grip on of the picture depended on it
our consciousnesses and the primal
FACIAL EXPRESSION nature of expressions to recognizing Afemorable lmages
AND THE ARTIST that the same power applies to dcpic- The effort can be worth it: certain
Facial expression has long attracted tions ol the tace. By moving us to iden- masterpieces revolve around a particu-
the attention of anists. Leon Battista tify with the emotions of people in lar vivid expression. It's no coincidence
Alberti wrote in rus famou s handbook paintings, art can gain in power and that nearly every acknowledged mas-
for anists, On Painting (1435). that a impact. Second, since depictions of ex- ter of Western art was a master oí
paiming "will move the soul of the be- pressions can be so powerful and sub- facial expression. Included in this book
holder when each man painted there tle. they can, by themselves, make or are major paintings by Velazquez,
dearly shows the movements of his break a picture. Rembrandt. Leonardo, Reubens, and
own soul .. . we weep with the weep- There are many stories about art- Caravaggio; in each. a vivid expression
ing, laugh with the laughing, and ists struggling lo perfect a particular takes center stage. Alberti's advice,
grieve with grieving." He advised an- laugh or grimace. Leonardo Da Vinci is that an artist should show the soul to
ists to carefully study the facial expres- said to have worked for years on the arouse the viewer, is borne out in each
sions, remarking, "who would ever smile ot his Mona Lisa, employing the case; our reaction is the exercise in
believe who has not tried it how diffi- services ol jugglers, musicians, and empathy that he suggested.
cult it is lO attempt lO paim a laughing clowns in an attempt to evoke from bis The manner in which artists have
face, onIy to have it elude you so yoo subject that certain smile. While work- depicted facial expression has also de-
make it more weeping than happy?" ing on his sculpture Marlyrdom o[ pended, to sorne extent, on the period
Alberti's comment nicely summa- Sainl Lawrence, Bemini is reported to in which lhey were working. Arlists oí
rizes the two most important facts have bumed his own leg with a candle lhe late eighleenth century, for exam-
about the relationship of art and ex- in order to study the expression of pie, were more likely to portray emo-
pression: (1) facial expression can have pain. llya Repin agonized over the tions in their paintings by the use of
a decisive impact on the effect of a countenance of the returning exile of obvious, theatrical gestures- what

9
 -
like aclors in a B movie,lhe
characlers in the neoclassi-
cist Oavid's Death o( Sac-
rates overtly demonslrale
their anguish over the phi-
losopher's impending sui-
cide. Melodramalic
geslures and conspicuous
poses (Socrates points
heavenward lO indicale Ihe
immorlalily of his soul, sor-
rowful disciples slump
againsl walls or cover Iheir
heads wilh their hands) dis-
pensewith 011 subllely. ·The
face plays o minor role.

The lrealmenl of emolion in

Ihis lale·nineleenth-cenlury
realisl painling is opposile
lo Ihol of Ihe neoclossicisls.
Rather than brood, unmis-
takable geslures, every-
Ihing is held in; mood
depends on nuance and
deloil. The daughler's slare,
Ihe falher's scowl, and Ihe
molher's express ion rein-
force Ihe sense of isolalion
ond dislress.

10
 .
actors call indicating-than by focu s- News photos have had an enormous
ing on subtle movements of the face In ,• impact on the modern consciousness.
paintings by the neoclassical artist We can immediately bring to mind the
David, for example, despairing people I photojoumal ist's images such as Lee
fling their arms up in the air or slump Harvey Oswald's seream oí pain (or his
against walls in a manner thal seems guard's seowl) or erying children flee -
terribly exaggerated and artificial to ing their burning village in Vietnam.
the modern eye. One would have seen 'Unquestionably, these too are images
much the same thing in the theater of - where people "c1early show the move-
David's time ment oí their own souls. " These pilotos
Painters working in the late nine- • •- Jo •
are direet suecessors to the "journalis-
teenth eentury. particularly between t ic" paintings oí the nineteenth-
1860 and 1890, placed a higher priority century realists. (lronically, the advent
on careful observation from liCe. Their • oí newspaper photography was part of
artistie clirnate was shaped by the real- the reason realist paintíng fell into
¡st rnovement Gone were paintings of decline. )
nyrn phs and the lives of cJassical Painters will always be passionately
heroes- in their plaee were seenes of interested in the face and its moods in a
farmers, laborers, and the unhappy way that transcends periodic fluctua-
bourgeoisie In the plays oi Chekhov tions in style. The power of the face

,
and Ibsen. in the novels oi ToIstoy and will always inspire artists to explore its
Zola, and in the paintings oi Repin and
Eakins, there was a similar effort to -, expressive possibilities, and pictures
that capture emotions in a striking way
hold up a fa ithful mirror to the contem- I will always be notable. Moments oí
porary world. As actors of the time
I strong emotion are rare in the hum-

I
brought to the stage a new level of drum oC daily life, and we're instinc-
craftsmanship and emotional eonvic- tively drawn to images of the iace
tion, painters sueeeeded in portraying where the "movements of the soul" are
the most eompelling nuanees of facial ! c1ear.
expressions and gesture. No artists
before or since have painted pictures Non-Weslern Traditions
that were so psyehologically true in
their depietions of the tace. ¡ Artists írom nearly every periad and
culture have recorded the effects oí

The Twentieth Centurg e

.1 emotion on the {ace. This book in-
dudes lhe jade head of a crying baby
In our century, there's been a very dif- from pre -Col umbian Mexieo; a
ferent attitude towards the value of wooden, snarling- faeed war helmet
visual truth. Many felt that painters from the Pacific Northwest; scowling
had exhausted the worth of pursuing emperors carved in stone irom ancient
the "merely visible." Artists like Pi- Rome; and theater masks irom japan
casso, Cezanne, and Kandinsky strove and North Africa displaying a range oC
10 ereate an ar t that was independent emotions Crom fear to laughter. Human
of nature, in wrneh color, foon, and expressions also appear on the faces oí
expre ssion were valued simply for animals, demons, and gods; looking at
their own sake. Painting was conceived :"- D
t he art of sorne civ ilizations, it is
oC as a universallanguage, like music, harder to find a face in repose than one
capable oC moving our emotions with- JusI proclicing. Rembrondt's fondness conlorted by sorne expreilsion.
out any referenee to reeognizable ele- for self-portroilure arase early in his
ments. Given this ideal, it's no wonder coreer. These elchings of Ihe youthful
that painting in the twentieth eentury Rembrondl mugging befare !he mirror How ARTISTS llAVE
has seen liule in the way oi continua- were undoubtedly meanl os exercises STUDlED E XPRESSION
in rendering vorious expressions. Any-
tion oí the nineteenth-century realists' For arlists wishing to inform thern-
one who has ever elched o piole can
work. oppreciote the losk he sel himself; ex-
selves on lhe subject of facial expres-
The work oC photojoumalists, how- pressions ore nol usuolly held on Ihe sion, tbere have always been three op-
ever, does represent a link with tlle face more Ihan on instonl, 000 Ihe ef- tion s: (1) look ing in a mirror;
realist painters oi the past (whose forl lo mainlain Ihe poses of fear (A), (2) Iooking at other pictures; (3) direct
drawing s oCten appea r ed in loughler (B), anger (e ), and the slighl observation.
nineteenth-century newspapers). smile (O) is in ilself impressive. Direct observation is clearly the

11
 most difficult option. We don't aften
•
see people in the grip of a primal emo-
tion, and even when we do, there are
obstac1es: expressions don't last very
/ long; they are frequently oí t he utmost
subtlety even when they do last; and
we usually ieel too inhibited or ¡nvolved
to look on objectively when someone
else is suffering anguish or paio.
Sorne artists have nonetheless per-
sisted in working from direct observa-
tion. Rembrandt Van Rijn's sketch of a
screaming child, c1early made from
life, became the basis for the expres-
sion io (and may have inspired) his
painting Ganymede. Perha ps Re-
mbrandt was aware of Leonardo's ad-
vice: ~ Try to be a catm spectator of
how people laugh and weep, hate aod
love, blanch trom horror aod cry out io
paio."
Rembrandt also (Iike most artists)
studied rus facial expressions at the
mirror. Maoy of his early etched self-
portraits have a distinctive, dramatic
expression. These lively pictures were
probably meant as a sort oí exercise,
unrelated to aoy specific work. Like a
musician studying scales, Rembrandt
seems to have been preparing himself
for the demands of his íuture art In a
similar spirit, the French Academy
used to require all students to portray
a specified emotion in an ''expression
competition," feeling that it was an im-
portant skill that students needed to
master.
' :\~. ~ . Traditionally; artists have refened
to the work of other artists to learn to
Rembrondt moy hove relied on quick portray emotion. For example, stu-
nololions from life for his etchings and dents once dutifully copied the an-
pointings, bu! these drowings repre~ guished grief-stricken face of the c\as-
sen! on unusually cleor record of his sical sculpture L(U)COM. In the Middle
procedures. The sketch of a scream- Ages, painters were expected to base
¡n9, struggling liHle bay houled off by their reoderings 00 studio books oi
his molher is a masterpiece of quick standardized drawings. Yet the ex-
observation. Note ¡he flyin9 shoe, ¡he pressions captured io the seu/Piures of
odmonishing gesture of the mother,
the Middle Ages seem taken directly
her scowl.
from life. One wonders ii medieval
sculptors took more liberties with
their research than painters of the
same time.

12
About This Book
Curiously, there have beeo very few
books on the subject oC facial expres-
sioo for the artist. To rny knowledge,
the last one was Sir Charles Bell's Es-
says on the Anatomy 01 Expression in
Painting, published in 1806, and it
wasn't a terribly good book in the first
place. Many more recent drawing
books have included short sections on
expression withoul shedding much
useful light 00 the matler. In fact. art-
ists familiar with s uch sources have
generally had the good sense 10 prefer
their own judgment and observations.
A great amount oC use fui information
about facial expressions has recently
been published by psychologists. The ir
research. especially that of Paul Ek- A B
man, the leading autbority 0 0 the sub-
ject, has beeo a majar source oí t his
book. This book also borrows heavily
from the work of modern photojoumal-
ists, whose ability to be at the right
place at this right time and to point
cameras in the faces of people no mat-
ter what the circumstances, have done
artists a great service.

THE HEAD IN AcTION

This is not primarily a book on how to
draw the head-there are plenty oí
books that do thal It's a book about
depicting the actions of the head. It
focuses on the facial expression oí
emotion, but other actions are illus-
trated, such as the sideways gaze, the
open mouth, the raised brow, which e o
add to the liveliness of a face.
The gist oí this book is in the illus- Facial expression for ortists. Few ref-
erence books have included credible
trations and their accompanying cap-
images of focial expression. These ex-
tiaos. Anypne who reads through the cerpts from the Diderot Encyclopedio,
picture pages will have cavere<:! mast oí iIIustrating (clockwise) reverence (Al,
the material. The text itself oííers discomforl (B), sadness-{Cl, ond on·
slightly more detail and discussions of ger (D), slrike the modern eye os
certain theoretical issues. excess¡ve ond un natural.
Part of this book is devoted to the
anatomical basis ol the expressions.
The study of anatomy, it has been said,
increases the sensitivity oí the artist's
eyes, making forms clearer because
they are more clearly uooerstood. The
expressions offer the eye a potentially
confu sing landscape oí wrink les,
bumps, and altered fealures. Under-

13
 standing what creates these forms
( .... ..--,-~ makes it easier to see the expressions.
and it also makes it easier to see the
•
~/--
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..."
,
simple underlying pattem that is the
I iÜA)j '<
;¡ .....:' "-

_~J "\ true basis of our recognition oí a par-

lJoubt ticular expression. Nearly every facial
muscle. for example, has a character is-
tic "signature wrinkle." Once recog-
nized, this character istic will be seen
/ on nearly every face when the sarue
.
expresslon IS 10 progress.
We discuss first the deep bony
forms, then the muscles that tie atop
) them. In the final section, the facial
~'
expressions are described in detail, re-
ferring back to the individual muscles
involved in each expression. The
reader is encoÚraged to regularly ex-
amine what's discussed on his or her
own face. This book is really meant to
become a sort of guided tour to the
face.

Reverie ,. -. r '
<? .,...
-,
How THE DRAWINGS WERE MAnE
My drawings were primarily done
from my own photographs. In section
3, however, a number of the drawings
of the expressions are based on photo-
graphs from newspapers and maga-
zines. My decision to use newspaper
photographs was based on an' impor-
tant point: sorne expressions do not
seem to be convincing unless they are
completely spontaneous.
,- ¡ At first, I had taken photographs oí
'V' actors portraying various expressions,
but many of t hese were found to be
...DS}$>
" unconvincing. When I showed people
newspaper photogr aphs of angry,
fr ightened, or surprised people who
had been in s ituations where these
Anotomy ond Drowing by Victor Per-
ord ¡neludes this poge on focial ex- feel ings naturally arose, I got a much
pression. If you cover ¡he coptions, stronger response. This was true even
very few af ¡he expressions are eosily though I made sure to remove any
recognizable. Expressions like sur- clues as to what else 'V<Is going on in
prise, loughter, ond onger-when the pict ure. Since my methods were
genuine-should need no label. Ex- hardly scientific, it is difficult to draw
pressions of doubt, suppllcalion, rev- conclusions from the results. But it
erie, and disopproval, however, ore seems clear that we can usually tell the
vague emotionol sietes ¡ha! hove no
difference between a spontaneous ex-
dislincl idenlily on the foce,
pression and a posed one. The artist is
well advised to get a second, or even a
third, opinion if working with a face
where the expression is at all doubtful.
In the end, about half of tbe expres-
sion drawings were based on photo-
graphs from spontaneous situations. I

14
 only used photographs that 1 had
shown to a large number oC people and
for which 1 had gotten sim ilar re-
sponses. Many of those ¡>hotos had
serious technic;al shortcomi ngs in
terms of clarity or lighting. 1 often
studied my own features in similar po-
sitions to resolve particular details. 1
rnade a careful sketch from my own
face, and then 1 transposed it to the
face oí someone else.
A B
WHY THE Focus ON TH.E FACE
Posture and gesture (body language)
can have a decisive effect on the ex-
pression of emotion. The back view ol
an individual slumped over with head in
hands vividly shows that person's leel-
ings. In fact, sorne emotions are insep-
arable from particular gestures: anger
with a lunging íorward oí the body,
e o sorrow with slumping, horror with an
instinctive raising of hands to the tace.
lhe inquiring cornera. Hund reds of pnolos were token in preporalion far this The face alone, however, can com-
book. lhe bes! were used os Ihe bosis far mony of my expression drowings. municate the fuI! range oí human emo-
Sessions with oclors proved useful, bul many expressions were judged unusoble
tion. By just focusing on the face, we
because they oppeared loo extreme (A) or loo ombiguous (B). Besides working
wilh octors individuolly, unscripted scenorios were slaged in on oltempl lo erió! can leam rnany valuable and important
o particular expression. Several oclors gonged up on Ihe figure in Ihe dark shír! things that are no less true because
(e ), bul ¡he expression of fear did nol maleriolize. Al (O), however, il did. they are also part oC a larger context.
Think of the tace as being like the key
solo instnunent in a symphony orches-
tra. In a concerto, the soloist can carry
the melody, as can the fuI! orchestra
along with the soloist. Likewise, the
face can act alone to communicate sad-
ness, fear, or pleasure, but more often
it's message is reinforced by the action
of the rest of the body.

TUE INFLUENCE OF CoNTEXT

Context, or setting, will also influence
tlle emotional message we get from
someone in a picture. If what's going on
in picture leads us to expect to see a
particular expression, w~ will seize on
the least clue to convince ourselves
that that expression exists. For exam-
pie, imagine a portrait of aman with his
eyes slightly widened. We might draw
any number oí conclusions about his
emotional state (induding the conclu-
sion that he's not feel ing anything in
particular). If this same man, however,
is painted throwing opeo the bedroom
There were many times when I needed extra delail on Q par! of a face I was door on his wife and her ¡over, we're
drowing, ond lok ing o closeup of my own foce proved anolher helpful way lo certain to see a great deal more in
do reseorch. exactly the same express ion. We're

15
likely to see shock, anger or both, but roarious laugh or a furious shout, how- dred years after Leonardo's pioneering
we will certainly see sOlpething pro- ever, is little influenced by the studies, the subject of facial expression
nounced based on what we expect to surroundings. still hasn't been entirely sorted out by
seo. the experts. Though psychologists
The faces most susceptible to being have been busy updating our knowl-
influenced by context are those with A NOTE ABOUT THE MUSCLES edge of the face, anatomists have noto
ambiguous or very slight expressions. If you want to know which facial mus- There are major disagreements in the
The less we see going on in a face, the des do what, you won't find a dear anatomy books on a munber of key
easier it is to read our own message answer in the standard reference issues. For example, no two books
onto it. Our perception of an up- books, like Gray'sAnatomy. Five hun- seem to agree on exactly which mus-
des make us smile. While sorne books
insist that the risorius (Latin for "to
laugh") is crucial to the action, others
Our perceplion of facial assert that nothing could be further
expression is enormously from the truth. Some even dispute the
influenced by whal we ex-
very existence oí the muscle, saying
pect lo see. A coplion con
produce on opposing con-
that it's a no-show on many faces, and
lexl: o sob can become o of little importance on others, and it's
smile. The foces mosl sus- really another muscle-the
ceptible lo being influenced platysma-that does the work.
by contexl are those with Several other facial muscles are in a
ambiguous or very slighl similar position of having their very
.
expresslons. existence in doubt. One doesn't en-
counter this problem studying the
anatomy of the arm or the calf. The
fact is that the muscles oí the face are
so minute, so confusingly deployed un-
der the surface, and of so little interest
to researchers (not being crucial in dis-
This is o drowing of a wo- ease, sports, or disabling injuries) that
mon who has just learned sorne fundamental questions are still
of Ihe dealh of a close unreso[ved.
relotive. This book represents an attempt to
compromise between being too vague
and being too certain and specific. The
drawings show the surface appear-
ances as they are; but exactly what's
going on under the surface is still
something oí a mystery. Few artists
will find this a serious handicap; still, it
would be nice to know what really
makes us smile.
How ro USE THIS BooK
This book is meant to be read with a
mirror close at hand. Many, if not all of
the expressions can be fairly easily
posed, though sorne individuals are
more gifted at this than others. The
position of the eyebrows in sadness,
for example, is very easy for sorne peo-
This is o drowing of a wo-
pie to duplicate; others can only do it if
mon al a reunion with a rel-
ative she'd thoughl deod for
they really are sad. But everyone is
many yeors. With Ihis cop- able to produce the frown or the sneer.
tion, we see her foce very !t's even more useful to get someone
d ifferently than with Ihe else to sneer or frown and to study that
more tragic caption (in fact, tace carefully. lt's also helpful to use
this last coption is true). your sense oí touch to trace the three-

i6
 dimensional forms on your face when
posing the expressions.
Every opportunity should be taken
to observe these expressions from lite.
Front-row seats at the theater are per-
fect spots for expression research. and
playgrounds can also be great places-
children don't tend to hold back when
they're angry or distressed or mind
being looked at. 1 also recommend lin-
gering at bus stations during'" rush
hours to watch for commuters late for
their buses and spying on tables full of
tipsy people in cafés. If you discreetly
observe travelers saying their good-
byes at airports. you may well spot the
channing expression in which sadness
mingles with a smile. And unexpected
opportunities arise: 1 can still vividly
bring to mind the distressed look on
the brow of tlle poor woman 1saw once
being arrested for shoplifting. Just
remember-it's not polite to stare!
(tllough dark glasses can help).
Movies are useful, and videotapes
particularly so, as an interesting face
can be watched more tban once or even
frozen as a still frame. The daily papers
and news magazines are also scanned a
bit differently when you're indulging
your curiosity about the face-a clip
file can be an important tool.
Finally, have fun with a pencil. The
easiest way to begin trying out these
expressions is by drawing simple,
cartoon-like faces like those in the ap-
pendix. Even such rudimentary faces
can be quite expressive. Next, you
might want to take an existing surplus
drawing or painting of a íace and exper-
iment with the effects oí various alter-
ations in the look oí the eyebrows or
the mouth. Copying pictures of
expressions-either photographs or
works of art-is also useful.
Ultimately, the value of this book
may be in hinting just how a slight
movement here or there can add life to
a portrait and help bring a personality If 01 firsl you don'l succeed, Iry a slightly differenl version. Merely by slightly
to life. It may also help someone trying changing Ihe pos ilion of Ihe eyebrows, Courbel gave Ihe lap porlrait of Jo,
to remove an unwanted expression. My Whisller's mislress, on underlone Ihe one obove complelely locks. The slighlly
fondest hope, however, is that this benl eyebrow (ond lo a lesser exlenl, Ihe look of the eye and brow) suggesls
book will prove helpful to those artists sadness or worry. Inslead af o prelly young womon admiring herself in a mirror,
who have ambitions, beyond those of we see Ihe pointing os o medilolion on Ihe fleeting nolure of beouly, or simply o
sludy of melancholy. Mony arlisls mighl be curious oboul the effecl such o
most oí their contemporaries, to cre-
chonge mighl hove on Iheir painling, bul few would be curious enough lo poinl
ate works of art in which the human a complele olternale version.
drama-and the "world of visual
appearances"-plays a central role.

17
Part &te

•
 •

•
•
•
.. ,
•

• ..
•

,
•
,
•
F acial expressions come and go. whole-it will prevent {he elassic be-
They pass over the surface of the ginner's error: starting with the fea-
face like light ripples Oll the surface of a tures first and then adding on the head.
gigantic, because they 100m gigan-
tically in the beginner's mind. The way
we recognize someone is actually
pondo The deep structures beneath, Because of this drawing order, be- based on overaU appearance-the
like the deep waters on the bottom of a ginners almost always draw the fea- elues that make us recognizable from a
pond, remain unperturbed. But the tures as far too big, the head holding distance or as a vague figure in a group
bony forms of the head make the pres- them as far too small. photo. lt's a pattem that ineludes hair
ence of the facial expressions felt Oll There is a universal tendency to and head shape and general propor-
the surface indirectly; the teeth give misjudge the face in this way, probably tions. No matter how perfectly the eye
form to the smile; the frontal bOlle because we learn early on that faces is drawn, for example, if the surround-
gives fonn to the frown. and facial expressions are pretty good ings aren't right, the head won't look
A majar theme oí this book is that indicators of whether we can expect to right.
knowledge enhaoces seeing. Once you be stroked or scolded. Reward and The cure for these problems is
know what the hidden parts of the tace punishment being such important simple-start with the bigger forms,
look like, you can see- and draw- things in life. we fall into the habit of then work down to the smaller. We
their effects 00 the surface more focusing on the features of those must work very hard at pioning down
c1early. So we study the deep farms, around us. So when we draw or paint a that big pattem first. When the time
and the forms oí the head as a whole, head, we naturally tend to zero in on comes to work 00 the details, we look
befare we look at the locaJized, super- the part that interests us the most: the at them io relatioo to their surround-
ficial expressions. face. ings; they will shrink io size accor-
Beginners are also under the ¡m- diogly. One of my drawing teachers
pression that a likeness depends very used to say that "io relation to" is the
AvOIDING THE BEGINNER'S ERROR much on getting the features exactly most importaot phrase in drawing. No-
There is another, equally important right and very httle on the rest of the where is it more important than when
reasan to start out with the head as a head. So the features are drawn as drawing the head.
-

---

First things first. Fealures-

and ony express ion they
reveal-are ¡he lasl Ihings
developed in o drowing of
¡he head. The masl difficvl t
and importan! 510ge is QC-
lually ¡he firsl, defining ¡he
overoll shape of ¡he heod.
In ¡he second 510ge the
heod is broken down inlo
lit ond shadowed planes,
building ¡he sense of three
dimensions. Finolly, ¡he feo-
tures are rendered-a
much easier ¡ob if ¡he firsl
two 510ges ore done righ!.
LooKJNG A'I' THE SKULL
THE SKUll SIMPlIFIED
The skull is too most important oí the
deep forms that give shape to the face.
Differences between one person and
another are largely a result oi differ-
ences in the skull. The skull deter-
mines the shape oí our head and the S'DE fRONT
location of our features. Hallowe'en and
horror films aside, it is a beautiful and
fascinating structure.
,
Part of an artist's training is lo care-
fully observe and draw the skull from a
variety of angles (a plastic skull can be
used). Eventually, the skull's basic
framework is me morized and then A simple model for ,he head, the
used as sort of a mental armature combinalion of a slightly rounded box
whenever the head is drawn. Norman ond a smaller wedge, can be easily
Rockwell, whose drawings of heads visualized from a variety of pos¡tions.
were always his strong point. recalled, The box form is like o cube with a bit
"1 had an art teacher yea rs ago added 00; the wedge is a slreomlined
(George Bridgeman) who made us version of the skeletol jaw.
draw hundreds of skulls in al! positions.
1 felt he was overdoing it at the time,
but now 1 realized what a wonderful
lesson he taught us. Whenever 1draw a
head, 1 instinctively feel the skull
structure beneath."
We'lI look at the skull in a simplified,
streamlined version. Then we'\1 exam-
ine it's proportions, finally describing
the different parts of the skull and how
they relate to what we see on the face.

A Simple Version
The best way to memorize a complex
fonn is to find a simpler fonn that's a •
close equivalent. From an artist's view-
point, cars are boxlike; Christmas
trees conelike; smokestacks and pen-
cils simply larger and smaller versions
of cylinders. Relating objects lo simple
fonns is very helpful both in drawing
them from life and from the imagina-
tion. Although attempts have been
made lo equate the head with a box, an
egg, or another fundamental form,
most artists prefer a slightly more
complex shape to use as their imagin-
ary model. One example is illustrated.

22
SkuU and Head Proportions
Although the skull is what makes OUT vious. People, and skulls, are different, Overall 8hape
heads different, all skuJls are basically but not al! that different. We're just The height of the skull and the depth oí
the same. We think that because ev- used to people. the skull are nearly the same. Keeping
eryone looks so different, the differ- The consistent shape of the skull this fact in mind helps avoid the com-
ences between one person and the makes proportional rules for the head mon drawing error, "cutting off the
next must be quite pronounced. But possible. The exceptions to the rule back of the head"- making it too
we're experts; we've been looking at aren't off by mucho It's not true, for short. In a side view, before marking
faces every day of OUT lives. lf you've example, that all people have eyes half- off the end, compare the height to the
ever watched an expert in another field way up their heads. The exception depth, making sure they're approx-
at work- say, a geologist examining a might be someone with eyes slightly imately the same.
rock, or a palm reader looking at a higher or slightly lower. And ior the The width of the skull is the smallest
hand-you know how rnuch more they vast majority of us, this pattem wiJI dimensiono The average skul! is only
see in what they're examining than we hold true. about two-thirds as wide as it is tall. It
do. Their long experience lets them gets that wide at the level of the cheek-
distinguish tiny variations between bones; it's narrower aboye and below.
¡tems we might think identical. The SOME PROPORTIONAL FACTS Skulls with wider cheekbones have a
distinctions we are capable Di making There have been a lot oi rules invented more oval shape. With slender cheek-
with the face are just as refined, but concerning the proportions of the skull bones, the skull appears more rec-
skulls are another matter- we simply going back at least as far as the Greeks. tangular, because there's less differ-
don't have enough practice looking at I discuss below the ones I think the ence in size between the cheekbones
skulls, and so the variations aren't ob- most important. and the rest of the skull.

lOME PROPORTIONAL FACTI

'-- D

.-.. . 6,.,
i Oft'

The similorilies omong human heads ore more slriking Ihan Ihe differences. Arlisls hove A. UPPER THIRD
a name lor Ihe majar Iype 01 similarily : proporlion. Proporlional pollerns in Ihe head B. MIDDlE THIRD
hove been Ihe subject 01 ortisls' ottention since dassicallimes. We use Ihe skull os our C. lQWER THIRD
guide becouse ils londmarks are Ihe mosl slable. The mosl consislent, and uselul, pro- D. HAlFWAY POINT
porlional rule regarding the skull is the location 01 Ihe holfway poinl. It almost olwoys
lolls in the middle 01 Ihe orbil, which on Ihe lace is Ihe middle 01 the eye : The eyes ore
holfwoy up the head . Exceplions lo Ihis rule ore rore. Another imporlanl pottern is Ihe
rule 01 Ihirds. From Ihe lop of Ihe fareheod , Ihe skull divides inlo Ihree equal sections:
foreheod - brow; brow-bose 01 nose sockel; base 01 nose sockel-chin.

23
Location 01 the Eges head) makes a sharp break with the This proportional pattern-the divid-
The smaller forms of the skull help upper plane-it's just slightly below ing of the skull (and tace) into three
determine the locations of the fea· the actual toPo From here the skull is equal regions-is nol quite as univer·
tures. The eye socket, for instance, divided into thirds. and each dividing sally true as the one concerning the
determines the position of the eyes. line falls on a major landmark as eyes. But skulls- and people-don't
Since the eye socket invariably falls follows: vary trom this arrangement by mucho
about halfway up the skull, the eyes are When there are exceptions to this
always found on or near the midline of
O One-third ot the way down from the rule, it's usually the central third that
widow's peak, the bony prominence
the head. To be more precise, the inner varíes from the arrangement. Accord·
called the eyebrow (or superorbital)
eye comer usually sits on an imaginary ing to the rule of thirds, the distance
ridge bulges out above the eye socket.
line drawn through the middle of the from the base of the nose to an imagin-
On the face, this is where the eye·
head. This rule alone would save many ary point between the eyebrows is lhe
brows grow.
students a lot of grief. Because people same as the distance from nose base to
tend to make the features too big, the O Two-thirds of the way down from the bottom of the chin. l'd say this is
eyes tend to go a 101 higher up the head the widow's peak, the bottom of lhe right on the mark about 70 pereent of
lhan just halfway. oval·shaped nose socket is found. On the time. The rest of the time it's usu-
the face, this is where the nose ends- ally the length of the nose that's short.
The Rule 01 Thirds where the lip turns under to meet the About 30 percent of us have noses that
The skull can be divided in another upper lip. are a bit shorter than the space from
way. A point is located just below the
top of the skull caUed the "widow's
O The lower border oí lhe skull is the oose to ehin. It is exceedingly rare to
find someone with the distance from
edge of the bony jaw. On the face, this
peak." This is the spot where the ¡ron· oose base to eyebrow longer than the
is the border of the chin, where the
tal bone (corresponding to the fore· distanee from nose base to chino
face ends and the neck begins.

Nobody's perfectoWos il she, O( wos il

her pO(lroil poinler? A mast peculior.
looking effecl occurs when Ihe eyes
foil higher Ihan halfwoy up Ihe head.
The woman mighl have looked Ihis
woy, bul a far more likely explanalion
is thatlhe artist (an early American
painter) inodvertently leh out part of
her forehead. Taking a bit off the top
¡s Ihe mast comman of 011 errors in
porlraiture.

,
24
Long-nosed or average? The arislo-
eralie Eduard Degas painled many
self-porlraits. A slriking feature of
mosl of Ihem is his long, slim nose.
Long indeed; as seen in the elehing,
Degas's nose is longer than Ihe dis-
lance from the base of his nose lo his
eh in. On Ihe average face, Ihe dis-
lance from Ihe lop of Ihe nose (A) to
Ihe nose base (S) is Ihe same as Ihe
dislance from Ihe nose base to Ihe
chin (e). On one aul of four people, A
lo B is shorler. The Degas nose oceurs
less thon 5 percenl of Ihe lime.

Is Ihis Ihe "Degas nose"? Examining

Ihe pholograph of Ihe arlisl, il ap-
peors Ihol he had proportions more
average Ihan Ihose he painled, Ihal is,
his nose ond chin lenglhs seem equal.
Ralher Ihan being as literal os Ihey
seem, Degas's self-parlrails may rep-
resenl a calculaled exaggeralion, a
sarl of self-caricature.

25
 • A , FRONTAL BONE
B. PARIETAL BONE
C. TEMPORAlllN~
D. SUPERORBITAl RIOGE
E. ORBlT
F. GlABéllA
G. NASAL BONE
H. TEMPORAL BONE
L ZYGOMATIC BONE
J. ZYGOMATI( ARCH
K. MAXlllA
l. MANDIBlE
M. NOSE SOCKET
N. MENTAL PROTUBERANCE
o. EARHOlE
P. HINGING POINT OF JAW
Q. ANGlE OF JAW

26
No olher skelelol form inspires such slrong ossociolions
os Ihe human skull. It's so close in shope to Ihe heod Ihol il
olmosl seems lo hove its own personolily. Here, eoch of the
key forms of Ihe skull is odded lo Ihe simplified head
block, orea by oreo. Eoch mokes ils presence slrongly fell
on Ihe surfoce of the living heod. Artisls con benefil greolly
by retoining these forms in Iheir minds as a sort of ormo-
lure upon which renderings of Ihe heod con be bosed.

The skull con be summorized as o wedge honging below

o rounded, reclongulor block. By odding on ond corving
away, Ihese simple shopes can be altered lo produce o
version much closer lo Ihe skull's actual appearonce.
This will be done in stoges based on the three sections:
widow's peak lo brow; brow lo bose of nose; ond base
of nose lo chino

The basic block: o perfect

square in fronl, rectangular
on the side, and rounded
on Ihe lop.

The foreheod plone (A)-Ihe vertica l

portion of Ihe fronlal bone-makes on
obrupt break with Ihe curved dome of
the skull 01 Ihe widow's peak (8 ). lIs
surfoce is genlly rounded, like Ihe
roof of a caroSo slaw is Ihe curve Ihal
Ihe lighl volues change on the fore-
heod more graduolly Ihan anywhere
else on Ihe foce. The lower edge of
Ihe foreheod plane protfudes oul os
Ihe two orched mounds of Ihe eye-
brow or superorbi lal ridges (e ). link-
ing Ihem in Ihe middle is Ihe keystone-
shoped globella (D), Ihe allachmenl
painl for the frowning muscles.

27
 Brow ridge lo base of nose sockel. The middle Ihird of lhe skull is Ihe masl in·
leresling porl. II's gollhe shodowy, sod·looking eye sockels ond Ihe projecting
cheekbones. II's also Ihe porl where Ihe forms ore Ihe mosl complex. Curiously,
the upper and lower half of this orea are proctically reverse images of eoch
other. The upper holf, oround the eyes, consisls of two voids connected by o
bony plane; the lower holf, oround Ihe nose sockel, is mode up of Iwo bony
The eye sockels are roughly
planes seporoled by o void. With the exceplion of Ihe nose sockel, which is
rectangular. The besl way
complelely invisible on Ihe living foce, alllhese forms ore fel! slrongly on Ihe
lo understoOO Iheir shope is
surface.
by cleorly visuolizing Iheir
booy rims, curving from
franl lo side and bend ing
from aboye lo below. Here,
o rim's shown as a wire
frame, twisled by Ihe sleps
below inlo required shope.

A. The primory form is o

rectongulor frome wilh
rounded corners, I¡ke Ihe
frame of a po¡r of
eyeglosses.

B. The lower, inside corner

is cul off, reploced by on
orc. rrhis curved line will
shows on most faces.)

-- -
A
A As seen in profile, Ihe fore-
C. The enlire frome folded heod slope (A) varies from
o bit 0lon9 ils woisl, bend· neorly verlicollo quile on·
ing left 000 righl verlicols.
gled. As o rule (wilh plenly
of exceptions), men's fore·
heads are more sloped
thon women's. A slrong eye·
I

•
l' brow ridge (B) is o more
conslonl indicolor-if a
skull has il, il's definitely
mole. Wilhout Ihe brow
D. The oulermasl quorler of ridge, Ihe femole profile 01·
Ihe frome is twisled lo the woys shows o smoolher
oulside, so ¡hol porl o f the tronsition from foreheod lo
frome foces frontward, porl nase. Note Ihe slonl of Ihe
sidewoys. The in·ond-oul globello (C)- il olwoys
curve of Ihol ouler edge looks downword.
shows up in olllhree-
quorler views.

28
 The nose sockel has a keyhole-shaped, raised edge. The upper porlion, be-
Iween eye sockels, is formed by Ihe bridge of Ihe nose. The bridge, a slrong,
sharp-cornered form (A), projects oulword al oboul Ihe same angle Ihal Ihe
g labella (B) pro jecls inward. The angulorily of Ihis (never softened by fol) pro-
duces Ihe sharpesl edges on Ihe heod. When lighl comes from Ihe side, no-
where else is Ihe boundary belween lighl ond dark as clearly visible. The
bridge can be fell clearly under Ihe skin; below Ihe bridge Ihe rim of Ihe nose
sockel is nol so cleorly marked on Ihe surfoce.

A. Three flal piones ar-

ranged in an upside-down
U make Ihe bridge of Ihe
nose, olso colled Ihe nasal
bone. This shape is similar •
lo Ihal of a row of slaples.

B. To complele Ihe nose

sockel, Ihe side planes of
Ihe bridge are exlended
down Ihe skull, flaring oul-
ward slighlly ond curving in
a sort of oval. The bollom
of Ihis conslruction, found
on Ihe living face benealh
Ihe lip of Ihe nose, is simply
a lillle flal shelf. The angular cheekbones, like Ihe fore-
heod and bridge of Ihe nose, con be
fel! jusi below Ihe skin. Once you find
Ihe beginning of Ihe cheekbone be-
• • ; neolh Ihe eye sockel, you can follow
• • Ihe roised bony surfoce back lo Ihe
ear. Bul jusi below Ihe cheekbones no
bone is fel! 01 011. This is Ihe locolion
of Ihe Ihickesl fally pod on Ihe face .

Here, Ihe cheekbones are visuolized os resembling o poir of card-

board spectacles. The flal, squarish fronl planes ore similar in size
lo Ihe eye sockels; where Ihey sil is olways Ihe widesl poinl on Ihe
face. The eyeglass "slems" are known as Ihe zygomat;c arches,
prominenl nol jusi on our skulls, bul also on Ihose of many of Ihe
mommols, like cals and mice. The orches end jusi in fronl of Ihe ear-
hole, halfwoy back on Ihe skull. Where Ihe slem ond Ihe fronl piole
jo in, a Ihin, uprighl slem orises, following Ihe eye sockel along ¡Is
ouler rimo This form can be cleorly seen on Ihin people.

29
Bose of nose to chino The lower por-
tion of the skull is more or less wedge-
shoped, the product of the combined
forms of the upper ond lower jows.
The fixed upper jow (the moxU/o) is
much simpler in overoll form¡ the
horseshoe-shoped lower jow (the
mondible) is the one Ihol moves. The
forms of both jows are somewhal hid-
den on the living foce; Ihe cleoresl
penetrolion to the surfoce is the ouler
edge of the lower jow, which forms
Ihe chin ond the jow line extending
back la lhe eor.

The upper jow drops from the cheek-

bones ond nose socket like a smoll
holf-cylinder. It's a bit flollened, as
cylinders go, porticulorly the front
port. The leelo oren't distincl from Ihe
jow obove in terms of shope ond di-
reclion. They're curved jusi os Iheir
supporling cylinder is curved : a bil
flol in the fronl, lurning suddenly la
Ihe side. (line A seporoles idenlical
curves of upper leelh ond upper jaw.)
The cylinder of Ihe upper jow and
teelh-like the molching cylinder 00
the lower jaw-is more shorply The lower jow is bosicolly
rounded Ihon the resl of lhe foce. The o horseshoe wilh orms,
moulh, which follows ¡his surface supporting Ihe holf-cylinder
closely, is olso more curvedlhan the of Ihe leelh (B). It's squared
foce surrounding il. The shope of Ihe off in fmnt (Iike Ihe leelh),
upper jow ond leelh has o mojar im- ongling 'boc'kword like the
poclon the shope of Ihe smile, when Iwo legs of o V. Two flol,
Ihe slrelched upper lip is pulled inlo vertical orms rise from the
clase conlad. rear end of Ihe jow lo o
hinging poinl jusi aheod of
Ihe eor. The movable mon-
dible con odd an inch or
Iwo lo lhe lenglh of Ihe foce
when il drops open.

30
 THE SKUll AND THE fACE
1I fakes very I¡IIle lo turn
a skull into o face. In mony
places the outline of Ihe face is Ihe outline of Ihe skull. If
you practice drawing Ihe skull for a while, afler a time you
getlhe impression of "seeing" Ihe bone through the
surfoce.

Visible planes. Th is figure shows Ihe shadow edges tha! follow

Ihe planes of Ihe skull undernealh. The sharpest edge is usuolly
010n9 the si de of Ihe nasal banes, al the bridge of Ihe nose.
Notice how Ihe edge softens as il moves onto the fleshy por! of
the nose. The skull also shows around the inner edge of the orbil
ond the entire lower edge of the iow.

A
Here ore Ihe fealures, superimposed on a
drowing of the skull. The outline on Ihe 'eh
side of the foce follow$ the bone exoctly, ex·
cepl for Ihe soft oreo between the cheek-
bones ond the chino On the right, the skull
defines the plone turnings: forehead, cheek-
bone, edge of the orbit, bridge of the nose,
chino
A. The eyebrows grow out of the superorbi-
tal ridge.
B. The cheekbones ond orbit are olwoys on
Ihe for outline in three-quorter views.
C. There is a chonge in direction where Ihe
cheekbone ends ond the fleshy cheek be-
gins. This line is usuolly foirly stroight.
D. The moulh is centered on the upper leeth,
not Ihe edge where Ihe leelh meel. The
curve of the lips follaws the curve of the
teeth .
E. The eor is locoted jusi in bock of Ihe end
of the zygomalic arch. This is Ihe locotion of
the earhoJe.
F. The temporal Jine sometimes shows on
people.

31
 lOOKING MORE (lOSElY AT THE JAW

T he lower border of ¡he face is de-

fined by ¡he jow. A sensitive drawing
will show ¡Is shorp ehonge s in diree-
tion. SIraighl lines will wor k more ef-
fecl ively Ihon curves.
No motter whol ongle !he lower jaw
is drown from, il con be morked by
Ihree defining lines. TIle firsl, corre -
sponding lo ¡he chin (A), is flol fro m
bolh ¡he fron l and ¡he sides. It con-
necls on e ilher side with ¡he ongled
lines of ¡he body of Ihe jow (B); short
when seen frcm ¡he fronl, lo ng frcm
¡he side or Ihree-quarler view. The up-
righl romus (e ) makes on o lmos! verti-
cal edge, pointing 0 1 ¡he ear lobe.

from lhe fron! the uprighl sides

of ¡he jow appeor lo slcn! in-
ward slighlly frcm ¡he eors. The
break between ramus and
body-Ihe ongle of ¡he jow-
occurs jusi below the level of
e ¡he mouth (D). The eh in mound is e
bo ll-like ¡ on some peo ple there
•
is o groove in the middle, re-
fle eting a similar groove 00 the
front of ¡he jaw.

B B

32
lOOKING MORE (lOSElY AT THE JAW

As the head turns, !he body of In profile, Ihe iow oppeors as o

Ihe jow oppears lo shorlen. On ben! l-shape, consisting of Ihe
the far side af ¡he fac e, ¡he almos! vertical romus (D) and
foreshortened body (B) oppeors Ihe olmos! horizontal body. The
lo 90 in olmos! Ihe sorne diree- bock edge of Ihe romus points
tion os the vertical romus (e ). A 01!he fron! of the ear. The eh in
slight ehcnge in direcfion is hos on in-ond-oul shope be-
maintained, and Ihe chin ap-
e cause of ¡he canine fasso (E)
peors almos! flato ond ¡he mentol protuberance (F).

33
 Here's two heods tho! contrast Ihe
show¡ness of Ihe jaw line. On Ihe wo·
mon's foce (belaw), il shows through
mosl of its lenglh. O n this man's heod,
Ihe jawline disappears ofter Ihe chin
bul sti ll con be sensed under ¡he
surface.

, I

Th is womon has wider cheekbones

Ihan Ihe mon obove. Her face thus has
o more oval qualily and o sharper on-
gle from cheekbone lo chino Learning
¡he onatomicol farms when they op-
peor ¡he clearesl helps lo see Ihem
when Iheir laak is much more sublle.
The very wide cheekbones moke Ihis
line o much sharper angle Ihon overo
age (A).
•

34
In profile, the relationship
between skul! and face is
particulorly clear. The ha ir
follows the shope of the
skull-straighter hoir
would hug the form even
tighter. The eyebrow ridge
is only o vague bump (A).
Whether ar not ¡he cheek-
bones show up depends on
the th ickness of the fatly
pad of the cheek as wel! as
the shape of the cheekbone
itself.
B. The iaw ohen becomes
less sharply marked as il
rises from Ihe angle of the
law.
C. This shadow is caused
by a lack of cheek fal un-
derneath the prominent
mound of zygomatic arch;
we coll this "high
cheekbones."

35
CONSTRUCTING
THE FE ES

T he skull determines the big pie-

ture; the features control the nu-
anees. ¡'ve started with the skull to
THE SYMBOllC EVE

emphasize the importance oí having

the right framework befare you 51art
lo work up the details. Gel the re/a-
tionships oí ene part of the head lo
another right, and you have a solid
foundatían tor your rendering.
The rest of this book looks al the
fealures and the muscles that act on
them. In this section, I start by dis-
cussing the fundamentals: the underly-
ing construction and primary forms oí
the eye, llOse, and mouth. By primary
forrns, 1mean "three-dimensiona'''; it's
crucial to visualize the fealures as
solid, rounded objects-not just lines
on papero
Study and draw your own fealure s
up clase in a mirror. Its al50 useful to
copy the fealures from master draw-
ings and sculptures, where the fonns l he eyes hove ¡l. l he eyes, Ihe mosl compelling feolure, ore oflen d rown over-
have already been c1arified and inter- sized. lhis is done by bolh beginners, occidenlolly, ond nonobjeclive ortisls, on
preted. Also try drawing heads in var- purpose. In bolh coses, Ihe eye is seen os o symbol, nol a Ihing. Symbols, unlike
ious positions trom your imagination; Ihings, are nol offecled by perspeclive or lighl ond shode¡ here, exoctly Ihe
there's no better way to stretch your- some symbol is used for two rodicolly d¡fferenl views of Ihe eye. lo drow Ihe
self and find out where the gaps are in eye reolislicolly, we hove lo forgel Ihe symbolic view of Ihe eye os o symmelri-
your understanding. The better you're col ovol wilh o cirde in lhe middle¡ we hove lo forgel ils emolionol ossociolions
able to draw heads withaut a model, ond merely drow il os o collection of shopes ond forms, os we would airee
the better you can draw them with one. Irunk or o rock.

36
TheEye
The eye is both the most impor tant over the ball, and the slits will curve able ways that the eye is irregular in it's
feature and the most difficult ane to around it like lines of latitude on a shape. The eye's not horizontal:The in-
draw. Students fuss ayer the rendering globe. The eyeball is in fact an exaet ner comer of the eye is situated a ]jttle
ol the eye in their drawi ngs, and duplicate of the table tennis baH in size lower down the face than the outer
they're right: a poorly drawn eye will and shape, and the cJoth acts like the corneroThis arrangement has practical
make an other wise tolerable portrait eyelids, molding around the ball. value: tears, which are constantly
look amateurish. Why does the eye From most views, and on most moistening the eye's surface, move
present such a chal1enge? faces, the ball of the eye makes itseJf downward to their drain, the liule red
Part of the problem is psychological. felt: in the curving path of the lid rims gland in the ioner comer. So just like in
We are so engrossed in our preconcep- as they are from comer to comer; in a bathtub, the drain in the ioner eye
tions ol lhe eye that \Ve tend lo draw the fu llness oi the lids themselves; and comer is Iocated aL the lowest point of
fmm an idea rather than what we actu- in the way light plays over the whole, tlle eye.
ally see. We conceive of the eye as revealing the roundness of the lids and Though the lids are both arched,
important, so we draw it too large; we the exposed eyeball. they do not get to the peak of their ares
think oí the eye as symmetr ical and Try looking at yOllr own eye in a al the same point. The upper lid rises
flat, and so it appears in drawings. mirror as you move your head baek and sharply from the inner comer, curving
Part oCthe problem is more mun- larth and up and down; you'll notice more slowly down to lhe outer (it's noL
dane. Under usual circumstances- lhat the eyelids always stay pressed as far down); the Iower lid is very f1at at
sayo in a drawing class-we're simply tight against the eye and follow its tirst, dipping low íurther to the out-
too lar from the eye 10 see very much curves no maLter how it moves. Raise siOe. The high point oí the upper liO
detail. To make matters worse, the eye your eyebrows as high as you can and and the low point ol the Iower are diag-
is the part oí the Cace most often in Iook at the upper lid-the ball under- onaffy across from each other.
shadow, further hiding the forms. But neath becomes vividly apparent. Gen-
watch two people drawing the same tly feel your eye and the surfaces TUE IRIS ANO PUPIL
madel from the same distanee and around it for the limits of ball and bone. The colored portian ol the eye, the iris,
learn a valuable lesson. The more- If you want to master the drawing of
is centered around a circular opening,
experienced artist will draw on a men- the eye, grab a ball from your closet, the pupil. Even if the iris is partly hid-
tal image of the eye to make up for the set it on a table in good side lighting den, the pupil must be in the middle of
limited amount actually visible, not un- (one well-defined shadow zone, one
the entire, and nol just the visible,
like the way a eomputer "enhanees" a well-defined zone of light), and draw it
cird e.
photograph from a distant planetary until it looks round. (You'Uknow when
When yoo draw the iris, be sure to
probe, fill ing in what's left out, making you've succeeded.) Yoo have to be able judge its real size relative to the eye-
edu cated g uesses . The less- to shade such a sphere befare you can whites surrounding it; there is a ten-
experienced pe rson can only draw shade an eye. deney to draw it much too large. A
what is visible, with no help from the good rule is that the iris, in the adult
experieneed imagination. The results GOING BEYOND THE MAss eye, is al ways about one-third the
will show the difference. A good ren- CoNCEPTIONS width of the entire eye opening. One
dering of the eye, then. is based on a TIte first part of going beyond the sym- problem with making it too big is that
combinotion of prior knowledge and di- bolic eye is observing its roundness; you give whomever you've drawn an
rect observation. the second part is getting beyond sym- infa nt ile look; babies have huge-
metry. A well-drawn eye shouldn't look appearing irises becauSe their eye slit
STARTI NG WITH THE SPUEKE like it could be turned upside down and ¡sn't wide enough to show much al the
Here's one al the main things that prior work just as well. The upper and lower rest of the eye. When thf! lace grows,
knowledge will teH you: the eye is eyelids, and the border they make the apparent size oí the iris shrinks.
round, not flat! Imagine cutting a small along the eye, are quite different from This just gets us started with the
slit into a piece of soft leather cloth, each other. The inner half oi the eye is eye. Later we'll look at the lascinating
then holding the cloth tigbt over atable shaped differently from the outer. and subtle ways the eye changes to
tennis ball. The cloth will mold itself Fortunately, there.are sorne predict- accompany our various moods.

37
 ' When lit from obove Ihe upper lid
cosls o shodow on Ihe eye ilself (A).
The eyeboll is one of Ihe lis thickness, ond Ihot of Ihe lower lid,
more neorly sphericol is due lo o reinforcing plote of cor-
forms in noture. lis round- tiloge obout Ihe thickness ond
ness shopes the surfoces pliobility of bellleother. Whenever Ihe
surrounding il, especiolly line of Ihe lid is drown, it should be
the lids. An oworeness of imogined as Iroveling ocross the sur-
this helps give o sense of foce af o sphere.
solidity to renderings of the The lower lid is norrower ond less
eye. And Ihe more salid orched. lis upper surface, curved ond
feeling the eye, Ihe more uprighl like the (im of o leocup,
lifelike, Ihe more cotches brighl light-oflen brighter
expresslve. than Ihot on Ihe eye. The resl of the lid
surfoce, looking down more Ihon up,
Imagining Ihe eye os a boll with thick, vi - is usuolly much groyer thon the bright,
sorlike lids produces o drowing beoring lop-focing upper lid. Nolice how both
clase resemblonce lo Ihe living eye (os well lids- and the eyeball itself-curve
os o medievol helmel). The light is visu- owoy inlo shodaw, increasing the illu-
olized os folling from upper leh, Ihrowing sion of roundness.
right-hond forms into shodow. Alwoys show
movement of Iones on white of Ihe eye lo
ovoid Ihe -deod fish- look.

The three-quorter view is o good ongle to

see the curving slructure of Ihe lids. Beyond
the eye is Ihe inner eye carner, seen here os
o small nolch (B). 11 does not follow the ball
bul is sel into Ihe foce, and so lokes on ils
own d irection, bending owoy from the rest
of Ihe eye. 11 afien cotches o good bil of
shodow. The shodowed edge of the upper
lid is quite dork-il's one of Ihe dorkest,
heoviesllines in Ihe foce. It oppeors to over-
lop the lower lid line, Ihen continues on, be-
coming a shollow skin fold (e ).

•
When Ihe eye clases, Ihe
upper lid does 011 Ihe mov-
ing. The line of the closed
lids is simply the original
lower-lid ' ine, its Ihickness
increosed by the joining of
the eyeloshes. More of Ihe
upper eyelid is exposed
when it closes-port of its
upper surfoce is usually
hidden by o skin fold.

38
 THE BAll IN THE SOCKET

T he eyebo!! is sel into a ríng of bane, ¡he orbit. Whot

makes every eye unique is ¡he particular woy three
forms-bony rim, eyeball, and underlying fal-asserl
themselves.

The ¡nner eye carner is o

U-shoped pi! where ¡he tWQ
lids join (A). It does nol sil
on ¡he ball bul slorls where
¡he ball ends. On Asialic
eyes this corner is hidden
by o skin fold. The eyeball
resls 'on o pod of fati ¡he
less full ¡he pod, the
deeper sel ¡he eye. A pouch
afien forms above ¡he auler
corner of ¡he eye (B), 50ft-
ening ond partly hiding ¡he
upper lid.

The eyeball 5ils more-or-Iess cenlered in ¡he hollow, bony The curve below the eye (D) morks the end of Ihe eye-
orbit. The eyelids are onchored lo ¡he orbit 01 e ither corner boll; the globe shope shows through the lid. The upper
by smallligaments, ¡he ¡nner of which is afien visible (e ). portion of the eyeball, on the other hond, is more hidden.
The size of ¡he eyeball ilself varies very lillle between ane The rim of the orbit (E) is very distinct olong Ihe nose and
face and anolher. Whal makes eyes appeor big or smoll is aboye ond below Ihe inner eye comer; il is usually soft-
Iheir relalionship lo Iheir surroundings. ened around Ihe autside comer.

In on older face, whol's undernealh

begins lo show Ihrough Ihe surfoce.
Here you con see Ihe rim of Ihe orbil
Ihe enlire way oround Ihe eye, includ-
ing Ihe ouler carner (F) where il is
usually hidden. The enlire upper eye-
ball shows Ihrough Ihe lid . The skin
has losl ils elaslic quolilies, which
smoolh over Ihese forms in younger
faces. I '

39
MORE ABOUT THE EVE

\
Tne cirele represenls Ihe eyeboll, mos!
of which is hidden within Ihe eye
sockel. The exposure of Ihe eye in
profile is very norrow; beginners lend
lo exlend Ihe eye corner too deeply
toward Ihe ear. Note Ihe relative cur-
vature of Ihe lids: The upper lid is
more arehed and, because of ils thick-
ness, exlends farlher beyond Ihe eye-
ball. lhe lower lid is thinner ond
flotfer-doser lo being horizontal.

In this study fer on ongel's

f~
head by Leonardo, Ihe CUf-
ving forms of Ihe eyelids
are rendered with particu -
lar darily. Note arching of
lids oround Ihe eyeball 00
Ihe far eye, ond Ihe woy Ihe
ligh! (frcm aboye) sepa-
rotes Ihe edges of Ihe lids
frcm Ihe resto The Ihick
edge of ¡he upper lid foces
downward and is dork;
'-
!hol of ¡he lower lid faces
upword ane! is lignl. Tne
lids Inemselves ore shoded
os ful!, rounded forms.
Nole how eye, upper lid,
oncllower lid 011 move ¡nto ,
shadow together, following
the tonal movement on the
sphere underneoth.
The
El ojo noeye is not symmetrical.
es simétrica.
El párpado superior e inferior
The upper and lower lid
márgenes tienen muy distincl
margins
formas. haveimaginaria
Una diagonal very distincl
(A l connecls la
punto más altoAn
shapes. imaginary
de la tapa superior di-
agonal
con el punto más (A bajo
l connecls
de la the
inferior; estos puntos no son
high
alineada point of the
verticalmente, como se upper lid
with
sería si elthe
ojo eralowun point of the
ovalada sencilla. El punto más alto
lower;
es eloser sobre these points
la esquina interior, are not
el punto más bajo de la
vertically aligned, as they
exterior. Además, el interior del ojo
would
esquina, conbe if the eye was a
su prominente
categoría, siempre se encuentra por debajo de
simple oval.
la esquina externa del The
ojo, high point
is sólo
nat eloseren ojos to the osinside cor-
asiáticos,
se cammanly suppased.
ner, the low point to the •
outer. Also, the inner eye
corner, with its prominent
notch, is always located be-
lEl ojo no es simétrica. El párpado superior e inferior márgenes tienen muy distincl formas. Una diagonal imaginaria (A l connecls

, ,

The pupil is always centered in the

iris. And the iris should olways be vi-
..
,
sualized as a full cirele, even when, as
here, it's partly cut off. Datted lines in-
dicote how the iris continues beyond
what we see; crossed Ijnes shaw how
the pupil is centered. Iris width on av-
erage is obaut a third af total eye
width. If the iris is drawn much wider,
, ,
the eye takes an an infantile look, far
,
tha t's the way it loaks with very yaung
children, where the alreody adult-
sized iris dominates the smoll eye
.
opemng .
..

-.,, "<.,.-'.
TIre Nose
It's hard lo say too rnuch about lile eye; upper lid and the line around the iris. greatly from person to persono lt is the
when it comes lo the nose, people lose 1be nose tip. however, doesn't present cartilage- not the bone-that makes
interest a little more quickly. In fact. us with any dear-cut boundaries (ex- every nose so distinct.
this lack oí excitement ayer the nose is cept in the profile), and we can only But before we get into the details of
carried lo an extreme in fashion ilJus· render it by determining those bound- the nose tip, look at it again in tenns of
lration. It's not unusual tor fashion iJlus- aries ourselves. And since lhe bound- the simple block. lf you see through
trators to amit the nose entirely, leav- aries are rounded, their expression the interesting detail, underneath it all
ing the more fashionable mouth and must be tonal, not linear: shading is essentially the form we've illus-
eyes lo carry on withoul it. Even when rather than lines. trated: the end of a block. The wings
included, the fashion nose is aften little and the rounded tip are just little
more than a flick of lhe brusn ANOTIIER GEOMETRICAL MODEL bumps on the large fonn; they're not
1 won't argue that the nose is of When it comes to shading, nothing large enough or defined enough to
much aceDunt in fac ial expression. helps us see where tonal changes must change the overall plane movement. If
Though 101s of expressions drastically occur like having a dear sense oí the nat side plane of the nose block is in
affect the nose tip-smiling and s neer- planes. The nose has four main planes. shadow, for example, the wing and the
ing immediately come lo mind-we do Each plane is quite flat, and together side of the tip on that side will be in
not really react lo lhe nose in those they fonn a long, wedge-shaped block, shadow too. The details follow the
face s but merely note its presence and shaped like a f1at-sided brick chimney mass.
its contribution lo the total effect. (Ac- that narrows as it rises. In the upper
tually lhe s neering nose, al times, dots portion of the nose, where the bones of CoNSTRUCTI NG TUE TIP
seem lo be an important part ol the the nasal socket dominate, the sim- A simplified construction for the nose
expression. ) plified planes of the tapered block builds on the block form. with separate
The very faet that the nose has so serve quite well as a sort of template pieces tor the septum, wings, and hall.
little to do with our emotional response for rendering. We've already seen how The ban is seen as a sort of shallow
to a face ultimately makes it easier to the sides of the nasal bone make a f1at. dome added to the end of the block; the
draw than an eye 1bere is less of a sharp turning with the front At those wings as two little wedge-blocks; and
tendency to see it conceptually or sym- edges, and the other major edges of the septum as a flat, slightly tolded
bolically, more ease in drawing it as just the block, we look for the value plane underneath the tipo Shapes that
another formo There are two main changes that will establish the nose are partkularly boxy and angular are
problems people seem to have with the volume. lf the light is coming from the helpful when trying to render an area
rendering of the nose: constructing side, for example, one of the side walls that is often a bit vague In fact. 1 sug-
the wings and the tip and making the will always be in shadow, one will al- gest looking carefully at sculpted and
nose appear to come out from the face ways be lit. The block helps us orga- drawn heads to note how artists often
These problems are particularly se- nize our seeing of the actual nose make the nose tip an extra bit chiseled
vere in the front view, where the wings About halfway down the nose. the and angular to give it a more solid
and tip are most foreshortened and the simple bony planes give way to the presence
projection of the nose is subtle more complex planes of the nasal car- Note that the nostrils are entirely
The nose tip might be even easier to tilage The cartilage makes the tip of contained in downward facing planes.
draw if it was a bit more well defined. the nose tricky to get right. Cartilage Beginners tend to cut them out oí the
At least the eyes offer obvious lines is a stiff but pliable substance-it is sides of the nose-a major anatomical
that can be copied. like the line of the also found in the ear-and it vades fa ux paso

42
 IHE PLANES OF IHE NOSE

• •
,
•

, The nose has four mojor piones. Gel o

clear sense of !hem in your mind. es-
peciolly ¡he bottom plone (A ), which is
¡he hardes! lo recognize. The underly-
ing form of ¡he nose is o topering
prism. The top plane, ¡he franl of Ihe
nose, is ¡he narrowesl porl (B). 1I turns
shorply inlo ¡he muen wider side
piones. Wilh lighting from obove 000
lo ¡he left, ¡he righ! side plone ond ¡he
bollom plone ore in shodow¡ !he lop
plane is brighlly lit.

The Africon mosk

uses lhe sorne block form
far lhe nose. When ortisls
slylize ¡he nose, Ihe prism
is frequently used; ¡I's so
clase lo ¡he natural form
!hol il seems en obvious
choice.
 CONSTRUCTING THE NOS! TIP

The tip of ¡he nose is the masl complicoted por! lo draw.

II's compased of severol separate forms, 011 built oround
the underlying topered block (shown here wilh ¡he ligh!
coming from ¡he upper right).

The nose lip is rounded al

¡he very end bul is flottish
01009 Ihe sides. II's nol ex-
octlyo ball; ¡l's more like a
curve in shallow relief, os if
¡he lorge end af on e99
hod beeo cut off (Al. When
Ihol shope is odded lo ¡he
box, i' merges smoothly
wilh ¡he ridge coming from
above (B, right) bul drops
off sharply on either side
and below.

Underneoth ¡he nose tip is

the septum, a ridge of cor-
lilo ge Ihol coonecls the
nose lo Ihe up per lip. A
simple way lo visualize ¡he
seplum is os the covers of
en apened book, with ¡he
flol spine connecfing ¡he
Iwo lilted si des (( ). The
seplum covers the cenler
port of Ihe underside of the
nose ond conlains port of
Ihe nostril opening
(bottom).

The wings con be Ihoughl of as two wedges, like wood-splitling blocks, added
lo Ihe prism alongside the tipo Though Ihey are rounded off in life, they reta in
their wedge shape. The nostrils foil parlly on Ihe underplone of Ihe wedge,
portlyon the underplone of the seplum¡ avoid digging Ihem out of lhe side of
the nose (os in illustrotion on p. 36).

44
 •

A. At¡he poin! where the bone meets ¡he cartilage, raok

for o chonge in direction ond/or a bump. From here lo ¡he
tip is 011 cortifage.
B. This is o break where ¡he cartilage of ¡he lip meets cor-
tilage of ¡he shoft. There is almos! always o slight chonge
in direction-the lip curves out more.
C. The seplum starts here: curved piece, separoling tWQ
noslrils ond moking ¡he !rcnsilion lo ¡he upper lip.
D. The wing is mostly fot, nol carti lage, giving il o softer
- .... .
,
contour, softer edges. .-
.
-
~.
• . •

•
•
A
•
•
,
•

••
•
e
/
•
,
• ,•
•

A. Below ¡he level of ¡he orbit, the si de plone of ¡he nose

begins lo swell out. The base of the nose is widesl where
¡he bone meets the cartilage. The form is gently rounded,
like the section of on e99. The !rcnsilion from top lo si de is
much shorper Ihan fram side lo face. .
B. Shadow shorply defines ¡he for side of Ihe nose. The
neor side is nol in shadow, bu!, as lighl is more lo Ihe fronl
Ihan side, ¡he side plone is slighlly grayed down. No mof-
ler whal di reclion Ihe lighl is from, if Ihere is only one main
source, every mojor plane will hove o ditferenf value.
C. The lip is usually Ihe lacolion of a sharp highlighl, one
of the brightesl on Ihe foce.
D. The noslril loaks down, nol sideways. Near edge of Ihe
noslri l is sharper Ihan the far edge, which is closer lo Ihe
foce.
E. Far noslril jusI shows beyond Ihe tip; os Ihe head turns, il
disappears complelely, well before profile pos ilion is
reached.

45
TheMouth
There's one majar difference between The center Iobe becomes the creased more of the mouth lining is turned in-
the mouth and the other features we've part; the outer two become angled side out, making the lips appear wider.
looked al The nose and the eyes are planes alongside. We always sense the If you think about the mouth as/just
built around a solid, f1Xed element an- division between them. the thickness of the skin showing
chored in place lo the sku lJ. The The whole arrangement is some- through the edges of a hole, then the
mouth, however, has no flXed attach- thing like a curtain with three large mouth's relationship to its surround-
ment whatsoever. This, combined with folds. The two outer folds start at the ings makes more sen se. The peaks oí
the fatt tbat there are a host oC muscles outer ends of the nose, and, widening the Cupid's bow shape of the upper lip,
specifically aimed at stretching and as they descend, sweep down to the on the ~hem" on the folds of the lip
moving the mouth around. makes the upper lip. The center plane faces di- aboye,. join the ridges of the filtrwn.
mouth the most variable feature in the rectly forward and is split by a shallow The dip of the bow lies bek>w the fil-
Cace. Leaming it in repose is one thing; groove, thefiltntm. ltmaybedeepand trum's groove. The bow's sloping legs
learning it in action is another. Mast well marked, with soft ridges running follow the curving sides ol the upper lip
people who've just gotten out of art along either edge, or it may be barely aboye.
school still can't draw a smile beca use visible. In any case it disappears when The central notch-two wing ar-
it changes t he mouth's shape too the lip is stretched, as in a smile. rangement is universal, regardless of
much! One of the funct ions oC this The portian of the skull underneath particular lip shape. In rendering the
book, oí course, is to address this very this area has a rounded form like a upper lip, care should be taken to pre-
problem. section of a parasol-curving from serve its crisp, angular quality, the
The extent to which t he mooth is a sirle to side, as well as sloping íorward. sense of form folding sharply under.
continuation oC its surroundings is easy The folds aboYe the lip follow this gen- Note that all the lip surfaces are subtly
lo overlook because of its differe nt eral formo They slope forward as they rounded, both from top to bottom and
color. As you can confirm by feeling part and curve from side to side; like from side to side.
your own tace, the mouth doesn't so the skull, they are flatter in the front-
much interrupt the forms around it but where the fil tr um is-a nd more TUE LoWER LIP
continues them. The three-part curve curved along the sides. The lower lip is usually fuller and
oí the region under the oose flows into A crease oHen separates the cheeks softer as a form than the crnseled up-
the three-part curve ot the upper lip; from the upper lip. This is referred to per lip. It is composed of two rounded
the lower lip is an extenslon of the shelt by anatorrllsts as the noso/abia/jo/d. It halves, each egglike and with a simple
aboYe the chino These rounded íorms runs downward, from the nose to the lower and upper outline We don't usu-
are created by the rounded forms oí outer comer of the mouth. Although ally see the upper margin. actually-
the skull beneath-the curves of the its deepening is a sign of age, it ap- it's covered by the upper lip. Its two-
teetb, upper jaw, and chino So we'lIlook pears even on a young face when the hill-and-valley shape is exposed when
at the mouth in its region , not just by mouth stretches in cer tain expres- the mouth opens.
itself, continuously referring back to sions, most particularly the sm ile. Underneath the lower lip and sitting
those skeletal shapes below. There is a natural tendency for folding on the chin is a rounded ledge, which is
al that point for two reasons: many similar to those half bowllighting flX-
UNDERNEATU TUE NOSE facial museles attach to the lip right tures you see on the walls in up-scale
A Iot of "threes" erop up in deal ing with along this line, and their pulling action office lobbies. Feel it on yoor own tace.
lhe upper lip. There are three planes leads to folding; and there's a fatty layer The 1edge has a hellow spot right in the
aboye the lip, and these fIow into the underneath the cheek that ends along mirldle where the Iower lip overhangs
tllree parts of lhe upper lip itself. In the line. the most and shadows almost always
regard to proportion, the edge where appear. But at the outer c0IT!ers of the
the upper and lower lip meet-the line THE U PPER LIP ledge the lower lip merges with it
between the lips-is one-third of the Technically, the upper lip ineludes the smoothly. 1 often challenge people in
distance between the base of nose and area aH the way from the base of the my classes to fi nd the edge of the lip al
the chino nose to the line between the lips. The this spot; you can't. There is a color
The ~threes" of the upper lip struc- red lips are reaHy just a well-defined change, but oot aplane change. When
ture go back to our earliest beginnings. turning under o( the skin. The folded- drawing this area, artists shoold ask
There is a stage in the deve10pment oí in part has a differenl sort ol skin from themselves, are we creating a border
the fetus where the skin aboye the its surroundings; it's actually the outer because we think there shoold be one,
mouth is actually divided into three edge ol the lining trom inside the or because we see one? The Iower lip is
unattached Iobes. When these join at mouth. It appears dark because there better left less-defmed in these cor-
•
around eight weeks they still maintain are more blood vessels close to the ners, especially when the comer is in
something of their separate character. surface. In sorne expressions even shadow.

46
 THE fOLDS ABOVE THE MOUTH

The orea below ¡he nose is

alwoys morked wilh three
strong divisions, like folds
in a curio in. The folds are
droped aver ¡he curving,
forward-li lled form of !he
upper jaw benealh. The
ucurlain" ends where il
¡oins ¡he cheeks, o border
afien morked by o creose.
The three folds fine up ex-
actly wilh Ihe three ports of
¡he bose of ¡he nose ond
¡he three seclions of ¡he up-
per lip; this is due lo ¡he
common erigin of ollthese
forms in three finy subdivi -
sions in ¡he embryo.

A. Almos! invisible on a
younger foce, ¡he curved
border belween cheek ond
upper lip deepens as we
oge. The line-which olso
marks en imporlanl chonge CONTOUR UNE OF UPPER LlP
in plane-is colled the
naso!obiol fold. It always
storts alongside ¡he nose
wing and ends jusi oppo-
sile Ihe moulh cornero
B. Wilh slrong lighl from
Ihe left, Ihis seclion of up-
per lip will olwoys be in
shodow-Iook for slighl
lonol chonge where il
meels Ihe cheek.
C. Groove down middle of
lip, called Ihe filtrum, gels
wider os it descends. Note
Ihol ouler edges of groove
line up with peoks in upper
lip, ond cenler lines up wilh
Ihe dip.

As we oge, the lips ond

Iheir surroundings chonge.
The line of the mlrum (E),
concave in profile in o
younger foce, loses its
curve ond conforms more
dosely lo Ihe form of ¡he
skull beneolh. It becomes
eilher slroighl or slighlly
bowed oUlward, os here.
The indenlolion below Ihe
lips moy 0150 be floltened
out (F). The lips Ihem,elves
Ihin ond become less
shopely.

47
 THE FORMS OF THE LIPS
Schematic versian af piones
of upper l ip: keystone-
T he upper lip is more complex Ihon shoped central par! ond
¡he lower. lis ¡hree sections, linked lo two orching wings. Key-
the ¡hree piones af the skin aboye, ore slone projects more for-
reflecled in bolh Ihe slrelched ward Ihon !he res! ood
M-shaped upper outline ond ¡he drops clown fortner; Ihere's
M-line between ¡he lips-the peoks af en ¡ndentelion in lower lip
the M are where the sections jo in. lo receive il (A j. lis ¡nner
piones are usually nol well
defined. The triangular
wings are curved from top
lo bollom ond side lo sicle.

Skin curls upword jusi aboye lip line,

leoving o "white edge" olong ¡he bor-
de r af ¡he lip. The border af ¡he entire
upper lip is usuolly dislinc!. The lower
lip is only welt defined in cenler, nol
so olong oulside. The borders of Ihe
upper lip are Iypicolly shoped like Ihe
legs of o rodicolly slretehed M-Ihe
Cupid's bow. Upper edge is a more
angular version, Ihe lower edge less.
Almosl every lip, even Ihose Ihal seem
stroighl ocross, conlains elemenls of
Ihe bow. In drowing Ihe lips, artisls
usually slort wilh Ihe line between Ihe
lips aod work outward. This is per-
haps Ihe heaviesl lioe io Ihe foce.

There are two mojor forms of Ihe

lower lip, eoch shoped like an egg
wilh a bit of o loil. The slight groove
betweeo is where Ihe oolcn of Ihe up-
per lip sils. Upper portion of Ihe lip is
usually lighl io volue; Ihe lower por-
tioo moves iolo shodow willT 00 egg-
like edge.
The Ihree parls of Ihe upper lip. The
cenlral noteh is like a cooliouolioo of
Ihe groove aboye; Ihe peoks lo ei lher The lower lip is 00 exleosion of o shelf
s¡de are io lioe wi lh Ihe ridges aloog Ihal comes oul from Ihe chio (D). The
Ihe edge of Ihe filtrum. The upper lip shelf is hollowed·oul io Ihe middle
is usually darker Ihao Ihe lower, os il ood rouoded al Ihe eods; il's shaped
faces away from Ihe usual obove lighl like a holf o bowl wiln o deol io Ihe
direclioo. Here il's cleor how Ihe lip ceoter. At {lE), Ihe cnooge is ooly o

,
faces more dowoword io Ihe oeor cor- color differeoce, 001 o plooe chonge.
oer {B), Iheo luros more uprighl, aod - For Ihol reasan orlisls ofteo break Ihe
lighleos, loward Ihe middle (e ). A outline 01 this point when drowing
shadow is casi 00 Ihe lower lip. lower lip.

48
 F

•
•

A. The upper lip begins halfway belween Ihe nose lip and
back of nose wing.
B. The upper lip is one of lhe few concave curves on Ihe
body.
C. The upper lip usuolly overhangs lower, reflecting Ihe •
overhonging upper leelh. The upper lip faces downword,
usuolly colching a 101 of shodow.
D. The shope of Ihe upper lip in profile is exactly half of
Ihe Cupid's bow: one dip, one peak, and one long slope lo
¡he comer.
E. Sharp undercut below middle of lower lip wilh lhe outer
edge only voguely defined.

Descending from nose eoch form sleps bock:

F. Nose
G. Upper lip
H. Lower lip
1. Chin

, 49
THE PERSPECTIVE FACTOR
PERSPECTIVE ANO THE MOUTH
For sorne reason people are rnortally
afraid ol the subject of perspective in a
way they never are of anatomy or pro-
portian, both equally technicaL It's all
how you approach it Perspective is
basically the science of how point oí
VleW aífects tlle way we see the physi-
cal world.
Point oí view aííects the way the
mouth looks in two main respects:
1. The curve of the fine between the
lips is straight when the mouth is on
our eye level, an upward arc when tlle
head is tipped up, a downward one
when the head is tipped down. This
same principIe governs the way any
curve looks in perspective. Think oí it
this way: When the head is tipped
down, you have to give tlle mouth a
"smile" to make it Iook like it has no
expression at all.
2. The difficulty oí drawing three-
quarter views oí the mouth is also a
factor oí perspective. It's tlle principIe
oí foreshortening: objects appear
shorter as they tum sideways to our
view. In a three-quarter view. the íar
side oí the mouth is going around a
much tighter turn than you might ex-
pect The turning of the teeth is very
abrupt Ilere. and the mouth íollows the
turning oí the teeth. The near half of
the mouth will appear tbree or four
times longer than the far part because
the far half is seen practically edge-on;
that is, almost completely íoreshor-
tened. Beginners tend lo make both
halves oí the mouth equal no matter
what the view. leading to grievous
results.
The bottom line oí this chapter is that
facial expressions are only as effective
as the head they're on. First. one mas-
ters the head, then the features, then
tlle expressions. And how is tbis mas-
tery achieved? How do you get to Car-
negie Hall? The same way-practice The moufh curve is grealer Ihan Ihe
curve af Ihe face surrounding ¡l.
 PERSPECTIVE AND THE MOUTH

Perspective offecfs ¡he moulh in two

ways. The line belween ¡he lips is
curved, bul when ¡he head is level, ¡he
curve oppears stroightened out (A).
When ¡he head lips up or down, how-
ever, ¡he curve beco mes clear. When
¡he heod tips up, ¡he curve is highest
in ¡he middle ond lowest al ¡he culer
corners, like o frown (opposite pagel.
When ¡he head is Clown, ¡he curve is
lowesl in ¡he middle, like o smile (B).

A
~I---'--~
::: .

The lips ore much shorler on the far

side ¡han ¡he neor side in three-
quorter views, becouse they turn such
a shorp cornero

«;...._ _11;".. •

---

51
Part TuJa

•
•
THE NAT E OF
THE FACIAt

E veryone's (ace is continually re-

shaped in response to di(ferent
moods and impulses. Watch people in
muscles, and there wouldn't be much
left. On the other hand, take away the
facial muscles, and the íace would prob-
oí all his meticulous effort was not just
anatomical drawings. The men in bis
haUle scenes, just like the women in
conversation; their faces are rarely at ably look more or less the same. The his portraits, have faces more real, and
resto Their (eatures respond as they facial muscles are virtually the only more alive, than any that had appeared
listen and accompany their voiees as muscles on the body that have no real in painting before. Science in the ser-
they speak. The (aet that we are capa- form of their own. vice of art led to a mastery oí
ble oC so rnuch cornmunication with OUT expresslon.
faces is a great help in OUT ¡ives as SOME PREDECESSORS: Though Leonardo and others had
social creatures. Those around us can LEONARDO AND DARWlN mapped out the facial muscles, lhe
share in OUT pleasure when they see us The way the facial muscles are mixed function oí the various muscles were
smile or be moved to cheer us up when in with everything else under the skin not well understood until the nine-
they see we are sad. made life very difficult for early anato- leenth century. In the mid-nineleenth
OUT faces are as expressive as they mists trying lo map out the muscles of century, Duchenne ot Boulogne found
are because oí a complex group oC tioy. the face. The famous anatomy of Ves- that slight electrical jolts to various
thread-like muscles: t he muscles oC alius, published in the late 1500s, points on the tace caused the muscles
expression. There is a network oC shows the facial muscles in a vague and to contract individually. His photo-
these muscles running beneath the misleading way. Other muscular sys- graphs of electr ically-induced smiles
surface oí the face, as thin and refined tems oí the body, larger and easier to and snarls are both strange and com-
as a spider's web. By their movements, dissect , were more accurately peJling; his descriptions of which mus-
these muscles can totally alter the way portrayed. cles do what, an important advance.
a face appears. Though these are rela- Nearly a century earhe r, another pi- The question of why we smile and
tively small and weak muscles, they oneer anatomist had patiently explored snarl was addressed by a man more
are attached so close to the surface of and diagrammed the facia l muscles in famous for his work in another fieki.
the skin that a modest movement of beautiful, accurale drawings. But the Charles Darwin's book on facial ex-
muscle fiber oíten translates into a big anatomical drawings ol Leonardo da pression, The Expression oJEnwtion in
movement oí skin. Certain of these Vinci, like so much of his scientific and Man and Animals (1872), remains to
muscular movements are recognized artistic work, were by the time of Ves- this day probably the single best book
as reflections oí emotional states. alius scattered in private collections on the subject Making use of the work
These are the facial expressions. and unknown to the world at large. The of DuchelUle and others, Darwin spec-
1 was once explaining the nature of anatornÍcal text Leonardo intended to ulated about why we make the faces we
the muscles of expression to someone, publish had never been realized. do and whether lhey are specirlC or
and he pointed to his cheek in surprise, From my own experience, I know universal. (ln recent times lhere has
"'You mean its not aU muscle in there?" how excruciatingly palient one must be been a resurgence of interest in facial
His question made sen se. Look at to explore the anatomy of the face. lt's expression, led not by artists or anato-
someone's arm or calf, and much oí the much like trying to extract the threads mists but by psychologists interested
bulk of what you see is the musculature oí just one color from a complicated in the realm of non ve r bal com-
underneath the skin. Thke away the tapestry. In Leonardo's case, the result munication. )

54
 The earliesl knawn drowings af the muscles af
expression were lhase faund among lhe anatom-
ical sludies af Leonardo Da Vinei. Leonardo is
~. ....J )J ...,.., .). ... '?f ......,. .,J .., - .fllll.l alsa the first artist we know af whase sketch·
baoks ond paintings ..e.eal o concem for por.
- . "of....~ ,1"" ...¡.,"'. "'/f .,1)",
',flfH traying the ronge of emotions seen on the foca.
~ ~I\II~ ·.11~ '..¡.....,. . &. '" "Ijtjtf ~~I"'"r>fI''' -' But even far Leonardo, mysteries may hove re·
• 41 'u,.., "'''( lo1'(¡ mained. The two sludies-af deeper ond more
superficial muscles of expression-Iock a cleor
.\W (f'lv.t ·-trfl..;"'Rl ...·u '0'1 1.'( ,,~.../ indication of the corrugator, one of the chief
muscles of sorrow ond ooger. Cleorly indicated,
\. • J ~, .~.<..,. ~~ ~¡"
' 1 ' """ . ~~• , .... ,'.'-,;' .. ...1' .... ~...,. ,., nowever, ore muscles of disgust (A) ond smi/ing
¡ ,,. .... '""'f" ' 1' J (8 ). II took ather anatomists olmosl two centu·
•
ries lO match these drowings.
)

w.>'/11
N __""·I II"~.t" '•
•

~,., ...])/ ~~,," "

. ••u"¡""'1 """" ,
,...¡n~,. ...
,
~

r-~ "'~\~/C-.¡,¡~ ;.,

',"1' ., ... J)"jt

• I '-t, ~"f"IJ. 'f

..... ........... '!'r.'J
./, "It.o
'. . _w. ' ......... r.'·.,.
fW[ ,..fJ ~~ ...... '
.,1t"·~h .f I fft
, ,
\ "'I9f

...
4 . f<it.., ·>¡"~ " ""·I

'.,..,.
/
,¡- ". ..
#I"¡""'';> -

.......
, _~~
_ , .. 'f'Wf ,

.¡;.,'."w •.~••;,~-., ,
' ~ '~'~!í~~ ~"J'*r~
• - .•~....'" ."1If"I
oM,' '\, .• <n\Mf1"'.
- C'
'1 ), ___
~.
, ,••
'-, ........)t ' ''.''''-' ,.¡t"f
.,.~ .,.,.,,¡ _¡ .q -""'1rtj>l A

.~"'.,.,~ '1 T<7"" n',..·.'))t-,Jf ,,,,·t

_.,.th _ I.ooo",,""';)}
""fl~, • •

. '\
.,,, .. ~ "'JO".. ..,,,... ) ..,..,,. Mtt' .r 1 -,'<1
":,-
-"

55
 THE MUSCLES OF EXPRESSION
We hove ways of making you lough .
Dr. Duchenne of 80109no, a
nineteenlh-cenlury French scientist,
become famous for his explorotions of
muscle function using electricel stimu -
lolion. In his book Meconisme de lo
physionomie humoine, he illuslrated
the oclions of mony of Ihe fociol mus-
eles by photogrophing subjects whose
foces he "sfimuloled" with eleclrified
needles (il's soid lo be o very unpleas-
cnl feeling). Here Duchenne demon-
strates Ihe aelian of Ihe zygomotic ,
major, touching lhe ends of Ihe muscle-
on Ihe zygomatic arch-with his elec-
trodes. The muscle reocts by contract-
in9, pulling Ihe moulh inlo o smile. l,

Duchenne used his lech-

nique lo ottempt lo demon-
slrole emolions as well os
individuol muscle aclions.
Here multiple eleclrodes
are employed, opplied lo
bolh Ihe neck and Ihe fore-
head, lo illuslrale Ihe ex-
pression af fear. The
muscles octivaled include
Ihe corrugolor, Ihe fronlalis
(forehead). ond Ihe risorius
ond plolysma (neck).

Several aclors porlroying "anger" from Charles Darwin's

Expressian of Emotions in Mon and Animo/s. Darwin's book
remoins Ihe besl written on Ihe subjecl. Much of his infor-
molion come from his own meliculous observalions of
family and neighbors. Bul Ihe book's illuslralions- Ihough
full of period chorm- ore nol ils slrong poinl. Even loday,
good pholos of facial expression are nol plenliful, and
Darwin made whal use he could of his limiled sources; his
besl piclures are Ihose from Duchenne.

56
How FACIAL M USCLES AcT
In what they do, and how they do it, the
facial museles are different from other Facial musdes do Iheir
museles in the body. Most oí our mus- work by pulling on Ihe skin,
unlike mosl olher muscles,
eles, like the biceps in the arm or the
which are designed lo
hamstrings in the leg, stretch írom one move Ihe bones. When o
bone to another, usually across a joint. facial muscle contracts, it
When these muscles contract, the creales very visible
bones involved are brought closer to- changes; often a whole
gether, often bending at a joint. Mus- hill-ond-valley landscape
des always pull things together; it's of bulges and wrinkles ap-
the ooly way they work. They shorten, pears, as on area of Ihe
and their ends approach. They never face folds on ilself.
push. For example, when the biceps The zygomatic major is a
contract, the radius in the forearm is typical muscle. It has a
pulled closer to the hume rus in the fixed end (A) attached to
upper arm, and the arm bends. When Ihe zygomatic arch and a
the hamstrings contract, the tibia ap- free end (8 ) attached to Ihe
proaches the íemur, and the leg bends. corner of the moulh. A
Facial muscles, however, usually smile is the resull of 8 ap-
have just one flXed end, attached di- proaching A. The naso-
rectly or indirectly to the bone of the labial fold (e ) is formed al
skull. The other end oí the musele is righl angles to Ihe direction
of pull; most wrinkles arise
stitched into the skin (or into another
in a similar fashion. Nole
musde that attaches to the skin). also the bulging cheeks (D)
When a musde of expression con- and wrinkles under eyes.
tracts, skin, rather than bone, moves.
The portion oí skin near the end-
strands of the muscles is pulled in the
direction of its attachment on the bone.
Take the smiling musde, the zy-
gomatic major. Its bone-end attach-
ment is on the cheekbone, just below
the outer comer of the eye. Then the
muscle stretches diagonally downward
toward the mouth, where it attaches
indirectly to its outer comer. When it
contracts, the comer oí the mouth
rises up toward the cheekbone, and we
smile. This is typical oí the way most of
the museles of expression work.

•
THE IMPORTANCE OF WRINKLES
WRINKLES RELATED TO FACIAL EXPRESS ION
When the zygomatic major contracts,
and its mouth end rises towards the Some express ion, differenl oge. Wrinkling when we smile is not a foclor of oge,
cheekbone, the skin caught between bul the noture ond omounl of Ihe wrinkl ing is. The fundamental pottern of Ihe
the two ends of the muscle has no· smile is the some in both foces, but the older foce shows o more complex ver·
where to go. The skin in the cheeks, sion of the pottern, with more minor wrinkles. Almost 011 the wrinkles on Ihe
pressed up from below, bulges out like older foce (bottom) ore permonenl; Ihey merely deepen when she smiles.
a tiny balloon being sQueezed.
Above and below this bulge. wrin-
kles appear. The wrinkle that runs
from the side of the nose to the side oí
the mouth is particularly noticeable.
This crease, the nasolabial íold, is a
perfect example oí the sort oí wrinkles
that most frequently íorm when ex·
pression muscles contract: it Hes at
right angles to the direction of the pul!.
Similarly, the horizontal wrinkles that
appear when we raise our eyebrows
are perpendicular lo the vertical pull of
the forehead muscle. Look al the verti·
cal folds that appear when you frown;
the frowning muscle pulls directly
ac.:ross this fold.
1ñough overall pattems tend to be
recognizably the same, details oí wrin·
kle lines are quite different (rom per·
son lO persono 1be age oí the individ·
ual is probably the most important
factor in wrinkling. Very young people
might not show any wrinkles at all
when they lift their brows, while on
older people. many permanent wrin·
kles may make new wrinkling difficult
to perceive.
Thin people and obese people have
different·looking smiles, as do men and
women. A smiling woman would tend
to show fewer crease lines than a smil·
ing man of the same age (al! other
factors being equaJ) because oí an ex·
tra \ayer of fatty tissue always present
under a woman's skin.
The strength of the pull is also a
factor. lf we smile half·heartedly, sorne
of the folds might appear only faintly,
or not at all. But if we smile widely,
added creases and dimples might formo

Signature Wrinkles
The wrinkles tbat arise when a partic·
ular facial muscle tightens are like its
signature : distinctive and recogni·
zable. We have discussed a few of
these signature wrinkles, like the na·
so\abial fold for the smile. Wrinkles are
one oí the keys to understanding and
depicting expression-they are part oí

58
 WRINKlES RElATED ro FACIAL EXPRESSION

W ilh lhe passage of time, ¡he more ephemeral wrinkles crealed by facial ex-
pressions become permonenl. Although attempls hove been made lo "de-
cipher" personalily from the pottern ¡ha' emerges, olmos! a lllhe wrinkles here
may be coused by eilher expressive, converso'ional, or even funclionol (i.e.,
squinting in !he sun ) use of Ihe sorne muscles.

A. Brow wrinkles. B. Crow's fee!. C. Nosolobiol D. Frowning E. Creases of up- F. Commissurol

Horizontal folds l ines rodioling fald. Crease from folds. Verticol per lip. Very fold. Creose from
owing lo acl ian from corners of nose lo side of folds owing lo foinl, vertical moulh corner lo
of fronlolis. Ihe eyes, owing moulh comer, oelion of lines formed by jow. Res ults from
lo oelion of or- crealed by sneer- corrugolor. oelion of moutn- olllne oelions
.
biculoris oculi ing musele o nd squeezlng mus- Ihol wide n Ihe
ond zygomolic zygomolic mojar. ele, orbiculoris moulh: speaking,
mOl or. OrlS. smiling , eoting.

59
the code by which the face communi- hattan. Yet people with crow's Ceet are move trom darkest dark to a very light
cates. Much of their identity is retained nol necessarily accustomed to smiling tone on the opposite, upward-looking
even when they combine in complex frequently. A number oC years oC hav- slope (perpendicular to the light)-
expressions; we recognize certain ele- ing to squint in the bright sun will de- this is lhe only hard edge; finally, as we
ments that we have become aware of. velop exactly the same lines. Many fa- move down this slope, we gradually
Almost everyone's signature wrinkles cial muscles are used regularly in merge back into the skin tone we
are the same. ordinary conversatíon. Don't jump to started with.
Cartoonists and primitive sculptors, conclusions about the origin of a wrin- In a line render ing oC the face,
among others, have developed highly kle pattern! creases are best expressed as a tum-
skilJed and effective ways to summa- ing, rather than as a crack in a smooth
rize these crucial elements. They've Drawing Wrinkles surface; this is done with a light, bro-
learned the most important things Creases are not just Hnes on the skin. ken, or double line (or all three). dis-
about depicting expression: what yoo They are complete forms, with top, tioct Crom the harder tine used Cor the
can leave out and what yoo can't. side, and bottom planes and long outline of a Cace.
rounded edges; think oí them as minia- Here's anothe r impor tant point.
Do Wrinkles Rejlect PersonaUty? ture hills and valleys. Rendering drap- Suppose you were drawing a head,
It is said you can read a lot about per- ery is good practice for doing wrinkles. with brow raised, and rows of wrinkles
sonality trom the pattem of folds that Now, raise your eyebrows and look emerged. Even if those wrinkles were
forms as a person ages. This is not in a mirror. You are using the frontalis evenly spaced and unbroken, like the
entirely true, although an expression muscles to raise your brows, creating stripes on a flag, it would not be a good
leaves its mark on yoor face if you re- horizontal wrinkles across your fore- practice lo draw them that way. Or-
peat it often enough. head Chances are, the light is fall ing ganic fonn s are irregular by nature. If
If we smile a 101. the smiling wrin- from aboye. To shade an individual we let any element in our depiction
kles will be among those that become crease, we would begin by gradually become too mechanical. or too uni-
perrnanent grooves. lf we frown a lot, darkening the skin tone as we move form, it begins to Jook stiff. The acci-
we should develop vertical creases be- down the hill into the valley; the valley dents, lhe unevenness, helps a draw-
tween lhe eyebrows. In fact, lhese wiU be the darkest value-the deeper ing or painting oC the tace look right.
wrinkles are awfully common among, the wrinkle, the darker the tone; as we Invar iably, if you think a pattern is reg-
say, middle-aged businessmen in Man- rise up out of the crease, we suddenly ular, look again.

W rinkles on Ihe face ore

very much like folds in a
piece of fabrico like drap-
ery, Ihey ore rende red ton-
olly, not simply with lines.
Here Ihe light is from
above. lhe tone graduolly
dorkens os the surface
curves under. In !he Irough
of Ihe fold (Al, o heovy •
shodow occen! occurs, wilh
o sharp lower edge. lhe
brighlesllones (B) oflen
occur righl up ogoinsl
dorkesl Iones. Shoflow
folds lock Ihe sharp lower
edge ond dorker Iones.
Oflen o deeper wrinkle
Irails off inlo o shallow one
(e ).

60
Looked 01 closely, no two
wrinkles ore olike. They dif-
fer in shope, in lenglh, in
spocing, ond in depth. If
drown in even rows, they
look "off"¡ living form is
never rnechonicolly
repelilive.

Wrinkles ore cleoresl in

oreas of Ironsilion belween
ligh! ond dork (A). In lighl-
esl oreas, wrinkles, unless
they ore very deep, will
snow up ooly foinlly (B). In
shodows, wrinkles, unless
very deep, will fode inlo Ihe
general gloom (e ).

A pen-ond-ink version of
Ihe sorne foce. In Ihis me-
dium, ochieving soft Ironsi-
lioos is more difficult. In o
delailed rendering, cross-
halching is used lO ochieve
Ihe desired grodolioos-
soft obove, sharp below. In
a simpler, more linear slyle,
like Ihol used in corloons, a
differen! opprooch is used.
Wrinkles ore indicoled wilh
o lighl or broken line, dis-
linc! from Ihe heovier line
used for Ihe outline.

61
Two THINGS To BEAR IN MINO are exc\uded because they don't do Wrinkles are important. but not ab-
much expression-wise, are hardly ever solutely essential. in helping our per-
1. Onlg Part 01 the Face 18 InvoWed used, or both. ception out. It's the same principie ol
1ñe whole Cace does not participate This leaves us with a total ol twe1ve unconscious lamiliarity we use to pick
equally in most expressions. The bur- key muscles, five 01 which act on the out any change in our environment We
den oC getting the message across usu- eye/brow area and seven of which act don't think about where the furniture is
ally falls mast heavily on the brow in on the mouth. Even here we can sim- in our parent's house, for example, but
combination with the eyes, and the plify things somewhat. The museles if something is moved while we're
mouth and its surroundings. These can be grouped according to what they away, when we return it's the (irst
two locations are the areas oí the do: for example, most ol the muscles thing we notice. We get habituated to
greatest muscular development and so that surround the mouth can be placed the features al rest and therefore no-
are capable oCundergoing the greatest into the category ol downward puller, tice any changes right away.
changes. 1ñey are also, not coincKlen- upward puller, or outward pulJer. Being consciously familiar with the
tally, the parts of the face we always at-ease Iook of the features can also
notice first and to which we respond 2. How We Know What We Know: help us avoid unintentionally creating
the mast strongly. Neutral Positions an expression when none is desired.
If you cover your nose, you will find Our knowledge of the features in re- This is often a problem in portraiture,
that you willlose very little in terms of pose make recognition of change pos- as indicated by John Singer Sargent: "a
expression; cover your eyes, and you sible. We know how the eyebrows tend portrait is a picture oí the head with
lose everything. to sito what the corners ol the mouth something wrong with the mouth. "
Since there are so many muscles of look like, how wide open the eyes usu- Given the s ugge stiveness of the
expression (from twenty to twenty-six, ally are. These elements are constant mouth. that "something" is often the
depending on which anatomy book you enough from lace to lace that we can existeoce oC an accidental scowl or gei-
are using) examining them grouped by normally recognize a changed lace. mace oe s neer or a similarly un-
active area will simplily our task This is true whether we are familiar welcome expressiorl Not the thing to
greatly. A certain number ol museles with the person's face al rest or noto please a touchy elient!

The oreas enclosed in lhe two boxes ore where we look

when we wont lo delerm ine someone's mood. They're the
oltochmenl ploce for mosl of Ihe fociol muscles ond the 10-
colioo of masl of Ihe surfoce chooges. Occosionolly we gel
cruciol ioformolion from elsewhere-Ihe cheek, for in-
slonce, helps reod the smile-bul mosl often Ihe res! of Ihe
face is o "frome" for Ihe eyes/brow 000 moulh.

62
 THE ElEVEN KEY MUSCLEs OF FACIAL EXPRESS ION

O UI of ¡he twenly-six or so 2. levator palpebroe. 3. levolor labii superioris. 4. Zygomotic Mojor. Origi-
mvscles fha! move the foce, Originales on orbif, 01- Three bronches-inner nales on zygomotic arch¡
only !hose piclured here laches lo upper eyelid. brand, originales on base inserls inlo moulh cornero
ore responsible for fociol Roises eyelid, os in of nose; middle bronch on Pulls moulh inlo smile;
. .
express Ion. surpnse. bollom edge of orbil¡ ouler known as the smiling
branch on zygomatic orch. musde.
1. Orbicularis oculi, AI-
Al! insert inlo skin above
toches lo ¡nner orbit and S. Risorivs/platysmo. Ris·
upper lip. Known os !he
skin of cheek; squeezes OI"ius originales over reor
sneering muscle.
eye, os in squinling. of jow, inserls inlo mouln
comer; plolysmo originales
on upper chesl, inserls inlo
moulh cornero Bolh ocl 10-
gelher, slrelcning moulh, os
in crying . Known os lhe lip
slrelcher. (The plolysmo is
nol piclured here, os il
would cover olher muscles.)
6. Fronlolis. Originales
neor lop of skull, olong
hoirline; inserls in skin un-
der eyebrows. Roises eye-
brows slroighl up, os in
surprise. Known os Ihe
brow lifler.
7. Orbiculoris oris. Origi-
nales from muscles of eor-
ner of mouln. Curls,
ligntens lips. Known os the
lip tigntener.
8. Corrugolor. Originoles
on nosol bridge; olloches
lo skin under middle of
eyebrow. Lowers inner end
of eyebrow. Known os Ine
frowning muscle.
9 . Trionguloris. Originales
olong lower margin of jow;
inserls inlo {l'Iouth comer.
Pulls down on mouln cor-
ner. This is Ihe "nove-
o-bod-doy" muscle.
10. Depressor lobíi inferi-
06s. Originoles olong bol-
10m of ehin; inserls inlo
lower lip. Pulls bolfom lip
slroighl down:os in
speakíng.
11. Menlolis. Originales
jusi below Ine leelh, on
lower jow; inserls inlo skin
of boll of eh in. Wrinkles
chin, creoling roised "is-
1000"; pushes lower lip up.
Known as Ihe pouling
muscle.

6J
 OFTHE
BROWANll E

T he eyes and brow together are

easily the most magnetic and
compelling part Di the face. There
STARTING PLACE:
THE RELAXED POSITION
lid. Depending on the individual, their
par ticular neutr al position may be any-
where from there to the top of the ir is.
OF THE EYELIDS
seems to be something almost magi- Each face has its own personal spot.
cally responsive and alive in the organ The irises are the key to judging the The upper eyelid will always return to
Di vision. We instinctively fee! that the general state of the eye. T he amount of this same resting position.
eyes provide our most direct link to the iris exposed by the upper and lower
lids is crucial to most facial expres- UPPER LlMIT - The neutral upper limit
persan within. The brows too seem to
have a life Di theif own. sions. Although eyes vary, they do so 01 the uptJer lid is the top 01 the iris.
We can be responsive to the subtlest in a range narrow enough to make pos- When the lid moves above the relaxed
of shifts in the eyes and brow, meas Uf- sible certain generalizations about lid upper limit, white begin's to show and
able in mere fractions oí ao ¡och. Far position. the eye begins to look excited. A few
example, if you're talking to someone people always show sorne white aboye
and his or her eyes shift past yOll, yau The Range ofthe Upper Lid the iris. Theoretically, we should find it
will natice it irnmediately. What is it Let's look at the relatlonship between difficult to tell jf such people are ex-
yau've noticed? When your frieod's the upper lid and the iris ftr st. cited or not; but in fact we know in-
eyes switched away from looking di- LOWER UMIT - The neutrallower l¡mit stantly that their lid simply sjts higher
rectly at yau; the irises moved about 01 the upper lid is the top 01 the puPilo than usual. We are probably carefully
6mm (Y4~) further away from each noting telltale details: thli fullness of
other. That's the difference between When we are alert, the upper lid al- the upper lid (which would be retracted
the close focus and distant focus posi- ways covers part of the iris, but it if the eye was opeo extra wide) or the
tioos oi the eye The closer the object stops just short of the upper edge of lack oí extra arching in the line of the
we are looking at, the closer the irises the pupil. lf it falls any lower and begins lid edge.
come to each other; the further away to actually block the pupil-even You can perform a simple exercise to
the object, the more separated they slightly-the whole face irnmediately understand a bit more about why the
are T he fact t hat we recognize such takes on a different cast. It begins to upper lid sits the way it does. Look in a
tiny changes instantly and effortlessly look sleepy, sad, dopey, 0 1' drunk. Any- mirror and lower your lid until it begins
suggests how great a capacity we have thing but alert. to cover the pupil. Irnmediately, you
for subconsciously retaining important The top of the pupil marks the low become aware of the lid in your visiono
facts about the eye point of the range of the neutral upper You will not allow this if you are awake

64
eoough to careo But to lift your lid
aboye the iris takes a special effort; RESTING POSITION OF EYElIOS
this cao't be sustained either.
The resling pos ilion of Ihe
The Range 01 the Lower Lid eyelids is the posilion Ihe
The lower lid's range of resting posi- lids loke when Ihe eye (ond
tioos is much narrower. Ihe person) is reloxed. In
the average eye (A), ¡he lid
UPPER UMIT- The neutral upper limit line crosses Ihe iris wilh
o/ the lid is just above the bouom o/lhe room lo spore obove Ihe
• •
IrtS. pupil. On some people, Ihe
The lower lid usually just grazes the eyelid sils much lower (B).
iris, covering a bit of its lower edge. lo This is as low as ¡he [id con
expressions that involve squioting, like A go before il begins lo inler-
laughing and cryiog, the lower lid can fere wilh visiono The upper
limil is less well d efined¡
rise much higher, covering part of the
Ihough Ihe eye 01 (e ) has on
pupil from below.
unusuolly high upper lid, il
LOWER UMIT- The neulrallower limil ¡s o[so possible lo find peo-
o/ the lid is jusi below lhe iris. pie wilh lids even higher,
Sometimes we can see white below where white olwoys shows
the iris. Wherever it is, this lower bor- obove Ihe iris. A greot deol
of while showing obove in-
der oí the lid is fixed; the lower lid dicotes either on unheollhy
almost never moves below its neutral condilion or on express ion.
position. It's an island of stability io the The lower lid normolly
eye's complex, movable landscape.
• hides o bil of Ihe iris (D),
bu! il is not uncommon for il
THE RELAXED PosmON OF TUE lo ollow while lo show (E).
EYEBRDWS Unli ke while showing
obove Ihe iris, while show-
UPPER LIMI T-The eyebrows al so ing below has no emotionol
vary within a predictable range. From connololions wholsoever;
the viewpoint ot expression, the ioner Ihere ore no expressions
where ¡he lower lid moves
third of the eyebrow (near the nose) is
forlher down in refiponse. In
where aH the action is. It's the most foct, Ihere ore no musdes lo
movable portion, the part over which move Ihe lower lid down.
we have the most subtle muscular con-
trol. In a neutral tace, it is always either e
level with, or slightly below; the outer
two-thirds of the eyebrow. As sooo as
it curls upward eveo slightly, the eye
takes 00 a look ot distress. Since the
brow never oaturaHy grows this way,
we cao recognize distress from the
brow positioo alooe, eveo without the
usually accompanying wrinkles and
bulges.
LOWER UMIT- The lower limit of the •

eyebrow is established by a particular D

faciallandmark: the fold that marks the
top of the upper lid. No matter how low
the eyebrow grows, it seems to oever
go below ao imaginary line drawn level
with this toldo Wheo the brow crosses
below this line, pulled by the corruga-
tormusc!e, the tace takes 00 ao expres-
sioo. It may look thoughtful, or angry,
or perplexed, depeodiog 00 what the
rest of the face is doing.

65
 A

The averoge mole eyebrow (Ieft) is heavier and closer lo

¡he eye; women's lend lo be thinner and higher (right). In
bolh cases ¡he eyebrow folloW5 ¡he bulge of ¡he eyebrow
ridge; for men, ¡he brow lends lo sil on ¡he downslope,
while on wamen ¡I's on ¡he upslope. The eyebrow olwoys
shows al leos! o bit of orch, with Iypically more orch on a
woman's ¡han o mon's. The break in ¡he orch is oboul tWQ-
thirds of ¡he way from inner end lo ouler (A), right al ¡he
poin! where ¡he foreheod (and the brow) lurns from fran!
plone lo side.

•
e

lll,"I Of SRO!!!

There is a lower limil beyond which even ¡he lowesl mole

or femole brow will nol normally drop. 1I is ¡he top edge of
¡he upper lid (B). Here both brows, male (Ieft) ond femote
(right), foil jusi aboye that limit. In expressions that involve
frowning, like concentrotion or onger, the inner brow end
(e) will move below the line, pulled downward by Ihe cor-
rugator muscle.

66
 'WHICH !VE HAS THE EXPRESSION?

5TRAIGHT-ACROSS TYPE HIGH-ARCHED TYPE

LQW-ARCHED TYpt BRQW OF DISTRESS

The inner end of ¡he eyebrow con be very expressive emotionolly. If il drops
down below a cerloin poin! (see p. 66), il indicoles one sorl of emolionol slote.
Jf il moves aboye a cerlain point, il indicales distress. Whot separates ¡hese is
¡he relotionship of ¡he inner third of ¡he brow lo ¡he Quler Iwo-Ihirds. Ordinorily,
¡he inner third líes either level with or below the res! of ¡he eyebrow. If il moves
even slightJy aboye ¡he res! of ¡he eyebrow, ¡he eye looks dislressed.

\ 67
H enri de Toulouse-laulrec never saw
on eyebrow he could leove olone.
Toulouse·laulrec demonslroles a cori-
calurisl's fascinolion wilh Ihe changes
o simple Iwisl or slonl in Ihe eyebrow
con bring, combined wi th o genius for
poinling ond porlroiture-a rore
combinotioo.

UPSlANTED

RAISED

KINKED

68
 No particular expression (onger, sodness, ¡oy, elc) is sug-
gesled by mosl of Ihese foces-jusl o vivid sense of liveli ·
ness ond slroog characler.

. ) - -
I ..__-

(
UPSlANTED UPSLANTEO DOWNSLANTED

• .- •
•
•
--. -

• r
(',

e e L
J
"

Nl1NE '
Eglanline Cléopatre
~~.~ JOone Av~ Gazelle " "
•

69
Musc/es 01 the Brow
Considering how much can be ex- frontalis attaches along this entire clearly through the tight skin. That
pressed by the eyes and brow, it is edge. portion of the skin that usually bags
surprising that there are only five mus- When the frontalis contracts, all the over the upper lid, partially or com-
eJes responsible for jt all: two under the skin just above the eyes and nose is pletely hiding it, is IiHed free, and the
forehead and brow, and three sur- pulled straight up toward the hairline, entire rounded form of the lid shows
rounding the eye. OUT control Qver with the eyebrows coming along for clearly. The eye itself, however, does
these muscles is so fine -tuned that we the ride. As the forehead rises, the not necessarily open any wider. Its
can express virtually the whole range skin caught in the way gathers into opening is a separate function.
of emotions withjust a Hule twist hefe, horizontal creases: the worry lines The creases, the tightened skin, and
a little [ift there: OUT perception is so mentioned above. the exposed lid, taken together, are
practiced that we can instantly recog- You may have no crease lines, or you important in showing that the frontalis
nize the differences. may have half a dozen or more, fairly has acted. The eyebrows move upward
evenly spaced, but the creases will as well, but sometimes eyebrows sim-
THE EYEBROW KAISER: FRONTALIS never be exactly straight. Typically, ply grow high. The other effects, how-
The frontalis lifts the eyehrows they will have a long dip in the middle, ever, only occur when the frontalis
straight up the forehead, creating the and as they approach the side oí the contracts.
familiar worry [ines 00 the forehead. forehead, they will suddenly change
!t's often thought of as the musde of direction, curve sharply downward, Outer half/lnner half
surprise (as in the expression, "that'll and die out. They are arched very sim- Portions oí the frontalis muscle can act
mise sorne eyehrows"), hut it also coo- ilarly to the way the eyebrow is arched. on their own. Many people are able to
tributes to fear and sadness. When the lift of the brow is only use just the outer half to raise up the
It is a broad, flat muscle that hes partia!, fewer wrinkles, and fewer outermost portion of'one eyebrow.
across the entire width of the forehead, complete ones, will appear. Wrinkles form above this portion, re-
like a sweatband. Its fibers r un ver- sulting in an odd, rather quizzical ex-
tically, dropping from the hairline, Other EjJects pression. When just the inner hall eon-
where they are fIXed in place, to its free As the eyebrows are puUed upward, traets, only the innermost ends of the
end, the skin underneath the eye- the skin below them, rather then being eyebrows are raised, and wrinkles
brows. You can trace its Jine of attach- wrinkled, is stretched taut across the form aeross just the middle of the fore -
ment by rurming your hand along the underlying bone. Bags and wrinkles head. Most people can only move the
upper rim of your eye socket, starting are smoothed out, as though ironed inner portion in combination with the
at the outside and continuing across flat. The upper edges of the orbit, the corrugator group in expressions of
the glabella, the root of the nose. The glabella, and nasal bones all show grief or anxiety.

ATTACHMENTS OF FRONTALIS

lhe fronlolis is o sheel-like musde running verlicolly down Ihe foreheod. There ore two
dislincl holves, which jo in jusi obove Ihe nasal bones. The fixed end of Ihe fronlol is is
righl 01 Ihe widow's peak, where il olloches lo Ihe Ihick fiber of Ihe scolp. The free end
attoches olong a horizonlol 'ine 01 Ihe level of Ihe eyebrows. Some people hove con-
scious conlrol over jusi one holf of Ihe muscle, ollowing Ihem lo roise one eyebrow.
When we're dislressed, only innermost fibers of muscle centracl (A). This roises inner end
of eyebrew ond only happens in combinotion wilh aclion of corrugotar.

70
fRONTAlIS: THE EYEBROW lIfTER
The frontal is is ¡he muscle undernealh
!he forehead. lis bosic odian is sim-
ple: il lifts Ihe eyebrows stroight up-
word, creoting rows of wave-shoped
wrinkles. The expressions of fear, sur-
prise, and sadness 011 involve sorne
degree of this brow lifting. Bu! ¡he foc!
¡hal so mony older people hove !hese
wrinkles has a more mundane expla-
nation: roising ¡he eyebrows is ¡he
masl common of 011 ¡he conversolional
expressions. We raise our brow$ fre-
quently ond unconsciously lo aCCOffi-
pony our lalk, with ¡he sorne sorl of
meaning as o hand gesture.

The wrinkles of fronlalis ore arehed

like ¡he eyebrows, wi¡h o dip in ¡he
middle, and o descending leg on ¡he
side. The higher ¡he eyebrows ore
raised, ¡he deeper ¡he wrinkles. Some
of the wrinkles moy be broken, or
only part way across, porticularly if
the eyebrows ore only part-way
raised. The topmosl wrinkle is Ihe
mosl shallow. The eyebrow does not
glide evenly up Ihe forehead. The
ouler end is "pinned" lo the face ond
does nol move with the resto So os il
rises, the eyebrow changes in shope
from a shallow arc lo a deeper one.
As the brow rises, it also slrelches the
skin around Ihe eye. Mosl af the upper
eyelid is exposed. The skin of the up-
per orbil and globello is smoothed,
ond Ihe bony forms show more clearly
underneolh (A). The eye moy be
opened more, as ot (B).

Roising jusI one eyebrow is a skill

some people hove. A slightly quizzical
D look may result. This action's made
possible by Ihe facl thot the different
sections of the frontolis can be con-
trolled seporately. In this cose (e), the
right half is being contracted¡ the left
half is relaxed. The orching "signa-
ture wrinkles" fode out as soon as
they reach the midline (D). Note the
difference between ¡he Iwo upper lids
and the Iwo upper eye sockets.

71
THE FROWNING MUSCLE: The corrugator group has fibers that movement of the brow is more than
CoRRUGATOR radiate upward from the bridge of the just down and together; it's also for-
The corrugator is lhe mosl human of nose and go into the skin of the lower, ward. The bunching of the skin above
the expressKlO musc\es. Sorne mighl middle brow. The corrugator itse1f has the eye creates a sort of shelf. project-
argue in favor of the zygomatic major, its two flXed ends anchored to the skull ing outward.
the smiling musc\e, but it's too easy to at the outer corners of the glabella.
smile with nothing behind it. No Qne From this point the two musc\e bodies, Other EJJects
tries to cry, to be afraid, or to scowl strips about as wide across as your The movement of the eyebrows also
with concentration-all expressions in little finger, run diagonally outward affects the area between the eyebrows,
which the corrugator is the main pro- and upward to a point just above the where two-three, at the most-very
tagonist. They're responses to the ups middle of the eyebrow. Here, the free deep, vertical wrinkles tend to formo
and downs of me. 1ñe smile can be a ends are knotted into the skin. These wrinkles, inside of each inner-
mask; when we use the corrugator, il's The procerus is fan-shaped. The brow lump, are quite straight tor most
often because the work! has broken base of the fan is flXed onto the nasal of their length, but tbey often curve
through. bone where the bone meets the car- under the brow lump before fading out.
The corrugator has thus acquired a tilage. The upper, movable end is at- The se wrinkles are per manently
very bad reputation. When novelists tached to the skin in the area between etched into the tace of mo~t older peo-
talk about someone's "troubled brow," the two eyebrows. pIe, par ticularly meno
"knil brow," or "darkened brow," the
corrugator is responsible. Almost all Action New Skin Fold
the actions of the corrugator are nega- Look in a mirror, frown, and you can 1ñe downward pressure and forward
tive in effect. In concert with other trace the various effects of the con- pressure of the brow drags the skin
muscles, lhe corrugator is what makes traction of the corrugator group on the below along with it. A new, sharply
us look sad, troubled, or angry. By brow. The overall sense of a frown defined, skin fold appears above the
itself, it s imply make s us look from the fronl view is that the two eye, pulled across the upper lid. 1ñe lid
perplexed. eyebrows are unsuccess(ully attempt- itself is pressed down further on the
ing to join up. The inner ends of the eye, partly closing it. Especially in the
Descriplion eyebrows have moved together and innermost comer of the eye socket,
The corrugator's basic action is to pul! downward; the skin in between is the eye appears more shadowed.
the eyebrows down and bring them bunched and wrinkled ("corrugated"). The minimum elernents necessary
c\oser together. Actually, two muscles, Usually, the entire eyebrow appears to recognizably depict a frowning brow
the corrugator and the prrxerus (or pyr- tipped downwards; this is the classK: are these: inward-slanting eyebrows,
amidafis) do this; since t!ley always effect car toonists seize on and ex- vertica l in-between creases, and
contract simultaneously, they can be aggerate when drawing an angry face. extra-Iow level of the brow. The other,
considered functionally as one muscle If you look at the picture of corruga- more subtle changes enhance the
(the corrugator group). tor from the side, you'U note that the effect

CORRUGATOR: THE FROWNING MUSClE

T he ollochmenls of Ihe corrugolor. The corrugolor is oclu- skin 01 (B) between Ihe eyebrows. The poired cOHugolors
olly Iwo separole muscles, Ihe procerus ond Ihe corrugolor. rise diogonally from Iheir anchoroge in Ihe inner corner of
They always conlracl togelher. The fon-shoped procerus Ihe orbi! (e ) !o !heir inserlion in !he skin obove ¡he middle
ollaches lo ¡he bone 01 Ihe base of Ihe nose (A), and lo Ihe of !he eyebrow (D).

72
 The corrugolor pulls Ihe
brows down ond logelher.
It's active in mosl moods of
d islress ond central lo the
express ion of feor, sodness,
ond onger. II's olso used un-
consciously in tolking or
concenlroting. The con se-
quences 01 Ihese uses is Ihe
eventual developmenl of
frown lines on Ihe foce. In
the oction of the corrugo tor,
the eyebrow lowers, espe-
ciolly the inner third. It
drops below the top of the
upper lid. The eyebrows
move closer together. A
coshew-shaped lump ap-
peors o! Ihe inner end of the
eyebrow, wilh o curved,
vertieol creose olong i!s in-
side edge (A), !he "frown
line." A small, crescen!-
shaped dimple oppeors (B)
obove !he middle of Ihe
eyebrow. This is where !he
muscle attaches lo Ihe skin
ond so becomes o low spol
when the muscle conlrocts.
A new, neorly horizon!ol
fold oppeors obove Ihe
eyelid (e ). As !he skin folds,
i! hides par! of !he upper
lid, par!iculorly ¡he inner
RElAXED EYES FOR COMPARISON holf. The inner end of Ihe
skin fold runs righ t into the
descended inner corner of
!he eyebrow. The hollow
crea!ed under it, 01 !he in-
ner corner, is in deep
shodow (D). The downword
pressure of the brow shoves
Ihe upper lid o bit lower,
hiding more Of the iris.
The side view shows
clearly !he pulling down-
word ond forword of the
brow. No!e olso !he leng!h-
ened and slraigh!ened skin
fold (E) above ¡he eye and
Ihe narrowing of !he eye
i/self.

73
MusclRs 01 the Eye
The frontalis muscle and corrugator TUE EYELlD LIFTER: socket 00 the ather. When it contracts,
muscle act directly 011 the brow and LEVATOR PALPEBRAE the upper lid is ¡¡fted; the more con-
indirectly 00 lhe eye and its surround- traetían, the mOfe hft- lhe more lift,
ings. Now we'l[ look al the two mus- The upper lid is the more movable of the more wide open lhe eye.
eles, levalor palpebrae and orbicularis our two eyelids because it has its own Normally; the levator is slightly con-
acutí, that aet directly on lhe eye and muscle: the levator palpebrae. lt at- tracled, holding the upper lid in its
upper cheek and, sometimes, indi- taches to the skin of the upper lid on awake position. When the levator be-
rectly 00 the brow. one end and to the roof of the eye gins lo relax, the upper lid, pulJed by

lEVATOR PAlPEBRAE: THE EYElIO llFTER •

Opening Ihe eye exlra wide wilh Ihe
levalor polpebroe ocls lo inlensify
many of the expressions. Bul even in
an olherwise relaxed foce, Ihe con-
Iraclion or relaxalion of Ihe levolor
can hove o drostic eHecl.

A. Exciled. The eyelids ore open as

wide as possible. Mas! eyes will show
o bil of white aboye the iris wilh the
levalor fully controcled. The lids arch
more shorply, ond the eye has o slor-
ing quality.

B. Alerl. These eyes ore open same-

whot wider than normol. The iris be-
gins lo be covered by the upper lid
(above).

C. Neutrol. Th is is the ordinory, owake

slate for this persono The iris is still cul
oH quite high; more thon half is
showing.

74
the force of gravity, begins to drop Intensity The crucial element in gauging the
down over the iris. If the levator re- The levator is a sort oí "ip'.ensity con- state of the eye is the shape oí the iris,
laxes completely, the upper lid will fall trol" for the face. In the case oí anger, and white showing around iL Because
against the lower lid, closing the eye. íear, or surprise, the more vivid the the contrast between the dark iris and
The contracting levator will reopen the expression, the more the eye will open. the bright eyeball is so strong, what-
eye; if it continues to contract, the lid And the opposite is true: the more the ever that state is shows up from a long
will rise past its normal open position eye closes, the more lackluster the way off. We are th€ only animal with
to expose more eye than usual. face. such a conspicuous eye display.

D. Sleepy. This iris is exaclly half hid-

den. lhe relaxatian af the levatar 01-
lows the lid ta foi l. lhe pupil is partly
blocked. lhis is o transitary slate¡ we
cannol slay conscious for long once
our lid has fallen Ihis low.

E. losing cansciausness. A momenlary

slate. Either the person hos jusi awak-
ened ar is just falling asleep. Wilh Ihis
much af Ihe pupil blacked, vision is
seriously impaired. The iris is Iwo-
Ihirds cavered.

F. Eye closed. When Ihe levalor is

• complelely relaxed, Ihe eyes clase.
lhe curved line of Ihe lower lid be-
comes Ihe line for bolh lids. lhe
joined loshes are more prominent, and
Ihough lashes are often left out of
drawings af the face (being so deli-
cole), in this cose their doubled thick-
ness makes Ihem o subslonlial enough
farm lo include.

75
T HE EYE-SQUEEZING MUSCLE: smaller the oval around the eye gets. Typically, the mild contraction of the
ORBlCULARIS OCULI The smaller it gets, the tighter the eye -palpebral muscles pulls the lids in just
There are times when we wish to pull is closed and the more the skin wrin- enough to give the eye a narrowed
the eyelids closed. When we squint, or kles. Eventually; the eye is elosed so look. The lower lid closes more than
squeeze our eyes shut, \Ve are using tight it becomes hard to tell the eye the upper, taking 00 a more rounded,
the orbicu laris oculi. When it con- line from the wrinkle lines. When the defined look. This narrowing lower lid
tracts, the eye, and often a much larger orbicularis is that strongly contracted, movement is important in two very dif-
area oí the tace, including the cheeks it also bulges up the cheeks, deepens ferent expressions: anger and
and the mouth is affected. This is very the nasolabial íolds, pulls on the cor- happiness. •
unlike the modest action of the levator. ners oí the mouth, and sometimes
The orbicularis oculi is a large oval- lowers the brow. The Orbital's Lower Naif
shaped musele, encireling the eye and The orbicularis oculi has distinct The lower orbital portion of the or-
spreading into the cheek beyond. lt functional areas. The center of the bicularis oculi is one oí the two mus-
takes up the area that would be cov- muscle, where muscle fibers run eles that create the expression of joy
ered by a good-sized eyepatch. tlrrough the eyelids themselves, is one (the other is the zygomatic major). Its
Clearly, when this musele contracts, independent region, the palbebral por- surface form is worth studying
it's going to take a lot of face with it. tion. Surrounding this is the remainder carefully.
Imagine a large cirele. Within it oí the muscle, the orbital portian, Many people do not have voluntary
there are more circles, each one which has two independent halves, up- control over this portion. Those that
smaller than the lasto The outer circle per and 10wer. The lower half, below do have smiles that look sincere, even
represents the boundaries of the or- the eyelids, is a key component of the if they are not.
bicularis oculi; the lines within it trace smile; the upper half is used ooly when Try squinting so that just one eye is
the paths of its muscle fibers. The fi- a1l partions of the muscle contract at partly closed. If you can do it, you'l1
bers travel in upward or downward once, as in the expression of pain. observe that the cheek, particularly
arcs trom one end of the eye to the the upper part, rises; a smile-shaped
other. All the fibers are fixed to the The EyeUd Tigh tener crease appears below the eye; crow's
side of the bony nasal bridge; their free The palpebral portion of the orbicularis feet appear at the outer eye comer;
ends are attached to the skin of the oculi runs through the thin skin oí the and the eye narrows. This narrowing is
cheeks and at the outer comer of the eyelids. It is attached to the bony inner usually absent in an insincere smile.
ey~
wall of the orbit. This portian is so tiny Amidst aH these changes, the area
that its full contraction leaves ooly the aboye the eye is left relatively undis-
Action slightest of flexion wrinkles (those that turbed; all the action is below.
When the orbicular is contracts, the fonn at right angles to muscle pull) in If you squeeze hard enough, you can
skin around the eye is pulled in toward it s wake. Its majar effect, when close the eye completely. This is what
the nasal bridge. The eye begins to ten sed, is to tighten and compress the happens in the laugh. But don't
close, and the familiar crow's feet ap- eyelids. When the eyelids are tight- squeeze so hard that your brow starts
pear at the outer eye comer. The more ened, the only movement they can lowering. lf you do, it means you've
the fibers of the muscle shorten, the make is toward each other; that is, also triggered the upper half of the
stronger the contract ion, and the they begin to clase. muscle.

CONTRACTION OF THE EYElIO PORTION ONlY

W hen only Ihe eyelid portion of orbiculoris ocuti conlracls, ond covers Ihe iris olmosl up lo lower edge of pupil. This is
¡he main effecl is lo narrow Ihe eye opening. The differ- how eyes look in firsl sloge of o smile. There's olso a lillle
ence in appe aronce compored lo simply closing Ihe eye exlro bulge below eyes (A); Ihis is better defined when
has lo do wilh Ihe lower lid . It slroighlens, rises up the eye, more of orbiculoris ocuti conlracls. •

NEUTRAL EYES FOR COMPARISON EYELlD PORTION CONTRACTED

76
 ORBICUlARIS OCUl1: THE SQUINTING MUSClE

. .. " ..

T he ollochmenls of orbiculoris oculi. The orbicularis oculi, tion has ils fixed ollochmenl on ¡he skull (D) ond ¡'s. free
¡he muscle of ¡he squint, has three ports, with separate otlachmenl inlo ¡he skin of Ihe cheek. It has a lower holf (E)
fundions. The inner, eyelid port, ¡he polpebral portion (Al, ond on upper half (F), which are semi-índependent. Also
runs crOS$wise through Ihe lids and alleches al ¡he eye cor- pic!ured is levator palpebroe, eyelid lifter, with ils fixed al-
ners, 010n9 with ¡he lids (B and el. The ouler, orbital por- lachmenl lo orbit (G ), ond ils ¡nserlion on eyelid.

When ¡he entire lower portion of orbiculoris oculi con- low Ihe eye, ore !he signoture wrinkles of Ihe Qrbiculoris
.
tracts, ¡he narrowing of ¡he eye is combined with ¡he bulg- ons.
ing of !he cheeks. This is o key oction in !he smile. The wrinkling slorls where upper lid line ends. Eoch line
The oreo obove !he eye is complelely re loxed (A). This (8 ) lips progressively more downword, foding out os Ihey
controction oHecls only Ihe eyelids ond Ihe oreo below ond pass lo Ihe si de plone of Ihe foce. The losl ond lowesl wrin-
beside Ihe eye. kle emerges from Ihe ouler end of ¡he lillle smile-shoped
The eyes norrow , Now Ihe lower lid is virluolly o fold.
slroighl line ond has begun lo cover porl of !he lower pu- The cheek swells, porticulorly Ihe upper holf. Above Ihe
pil; ¡he upper lid, nol oHecled, is slill obove Ihe pupil's cheek, Ihe lillle smile-shoped fold (e ) or folds oppeor.
upper edge. Above il, Ihe lower lid has o full look.
Wrinkles (!he "crow's feel") rodiote oul from Ihe ouler The cre ase from Ihe nose lo Ihe moulh (Ihe nosolobio!
eye corner like spokes on o wheel. They follow closely Ihe fold) is deepened (D). If Ihe pull is slrong enough, Ihe cor-
conlours of Ihe surfoce beneolh. These, ond Ihe crease be· ner of Ihe moulh moy rise.

77
'/'he Orbital's Upper Half from below, and the two lids meet in an explosion oí lines radiating out from
The upper half of the orbicularis oculi the line of the eyelashes. the inner eye comer. The feeling is of
is not as free to move as the lower half Wrinkles radiate out trom the inner compression and stress. The nose-to-
because many of its fibers are inter- comer of the eye like deeper mirror mouth crease is greatly deepened; the
mingled with the fibers of such other images of the crow's feet. One or two nose itself is pulled upward, distorting
muscles as the frontalis and the cor- particularly deep folds may join their the tip and creating horizon"tal creases
rugator. But when it does contract, the counterparts clear across the nose. along its length. And the pull on the
whole upper part ol the eye region is They're not pretty. (Neither are the comer oí the mouth is much greater.
reshaped. circumstances under which we use The crow's feet and lower eyelid wrin-
Keeping one eye open, look at your- this muscle. ) kles also get much deeper.
self sQueezing one eye tightly closed. The eyebrow is also pulled down, One way to think about the muscle
Watch the inside end of the eyebrow. especially at its inner end. You can look portions just described is that their I
As soon as it starts to be pulled down, at the muscle diagram and see why; actions appear in stages: the first
you know that you've started adding the top part is right underneath the stage, using the palpebral portion, just
the action of the upper half of the or- brow, so the brow is pulled toward the narrows the eye a little; the second
bicularis to the action of the eyelid and inner eye comer along with everything stage, using the orbitaJ's lower halí,
lower partions. In the upper eye area, else. The corrugator may also be trig- starts a true sQuint, a pleasant -looking
the skin aboye the upper lid is shoved gered, adding its pull to that of the one; the third stage, using the whole
downward, hiding most of the upper lid orbicularis. muscle, sQueezes the eye for all it's
itself. The lower lid is pressed upward The net effect of the contraction is of worth, leading to a pained expression.

CONTRACTION OF FUll ORBICUlARIS OCUlI

Th is is Ihe expression of po in. When Ihe enlire orbicularis ils odian lo Ihol of Ihe resl of Ihe musde. 1I creoles Ihe
oculi muscle conlrods, Ihe eye is buried in o seo of wrin- deep, roy·l ike wrinkles slrelching belween Ihe eyes ond
kles. Every feolure is pulled loword Ihe inner eye cornero Iriggers Ihe pulling down of Ihe eyebrows. We would only
An eye communicoling sheer slress ond dislress is the re- expecllo see Ihis foce in response lo sorne extreme cir-
sul!. Here Ihe upper half of Ihe muscle, rorely used, odds cumslonce: inlense poin or inlense effor!.

A. The brows ore pulled down, prob-

obly by o combinolion of Ihe corruga·
lor ond Ihe upper porlion of
orbiculoris oculi. Mosl oclion is at Ihe
inne r end. A dimple over Ihe middle of
Ihe eyebrows is prominenl; 0150 shol- I
low, diagonol wrinkles rise upword on
Ihe forehead.
B. Verlicol wrinkles (01 righl ongles to
muscle pull ) moy oppeor on Ihe sur-
foce of Ihe upper lid. lid line ilself be-
comes much slroighler; Ihe slronger
Ihe odion, Ihe slroighler Ihe line. Up-
per lid fold has disoppeored
complelely.
C. Deep, rodioling wrinkles emerge
from inner eye corner: upword,
ocross, and diogonolly downword
like spreoding fingers. Often, o hori-
zonlol crease exlends fully ocross
nose. These ore signalure wrinkles of
Ihis odian.
D. Crow's feel ond Ihe smile-shoped
eyelid fold gel much deeper, ond ex-
Iro folds oppeor.
E. Nosolobiol fold deepens. Wings of
nose ore pulled upword, giving Ihe
nose o poinled shope.

78
TIre Eye in Movement -
A ralher debalable version
of whal can be read from
!he eyes.
Eyes are the múst restless feature.
Our eyes are constantly moving about,
even when we're oot; watch someone
sitting 00 a park bench or standing There's a slrong associalion
waiting far a bus. Their eye s wi!! be in between spiriluality and Ihe
I JhOlJld I¡/fe
motian whether their attention is di- lo know 1.jOII. upward gaze. lt's nol only
rected outward or inward; thinking or because heoven is sup-
observing are hoth accompanied by posed lo be up fhere, bul
lively, unconscious movements Di the also becouse we rarely
eye. When we sleep, our eyes continue look upward under normal
their activity, moving visibly behind circumslances- it's ralher
/lJ q<Jlle a//- ¡j/ s<e qou uncomforlable for Ihe eyes.
dosed eyelids when we're dreaming. nqhl lo-ni'lñl. lf we do ¡ook up, we usu-
ally lip Ihe head upward al
TUE GAZE Ihe so me lime, so as lo
The direction of the gaze can be ao keep Ihe gaze leve!. l oak-
evocative element in a portrait. Down- ing down, however, is
cast eyes, upraised eyes, eyes looking somelhing we do con-
Ilov(! l/ou. slantly; il's much easier on
sideways, even Qut-of-focus eyes, are
all suggestive of states of mind. Gener- Ihe eye muscles.
This particular upward
ally, any movement at all will be more
gaze is Ihe producl of ¡he
expressive than simply depicting
high arch af the upper lid,
someone looking straight ahead. Pic- Ihe flal line of Ihe lawer lid,
tures of rooms full of people with fixed and ¡he appearance of
gazes may be suitable for covers of while below the iris.
paperback books about supernatural
possession, or for statements about
alienation, but they faJl short of being
naturalistic. That's not the way people
really look.
As with the opening and closing of
the eye, the direction of the gaze is
telegraphed for all to see by the shapes
of the eye whites and the way they
frame the iris. But often, what we per-
ceive is the result of very small shifts
between the various elements; we rely
on our (unconscious) expertise in de-
ciphering the tace to follow the gaze
and interpret its meaning.

The Upward Gaze

When paintings customarily had a
much stronger religious content than
they do today, the skyward gaze was
used as a convention to indicate an ex-
alted state oí mind, or cornmunion with
heaven. Even in our secular era, it's
difficult to portray someone with up-
tumed eyes without suggesting sorne
leve! of metaphorical meaning, unless
it's made clear that the person is simply
looking at something.
We notice instantly when the gaze
shifts from forward to upward, but it
isot irnmediately apparent what is no-
ticed. This is a good example oi how
 •
much we can perceive without know- tion and not one that is held for long. In don't have to be looking up very high
ing why. In fact, we seem to use sev- fact, like most of the positions of the before the hottom of the iris rises to
eral different visual cues in combina- gaze besides dead center, looking up- this level, then rises higher.
tion. Oddly enough, the most ward suggests an active interest. an When the gaze travels further up-
important eue is the shape of the lids engagement, on the part of the person, ward, the eyelids take 00 a domelike
and the lids' relationship to the iris. simply because it takes a special effort shape, like a capital D lyiog on its back.
The shape of the iris itself is also a key to do. The whites of the eye are framed by
factor. 0nly in the extreme upraised The first change we notice as the the sharp upright angles of the upper
position is the white under the eye a gaze rises is in the relationship of the lid, while the lower lid is almost
major element iris to the eye comer. On most eyes, straight. Perspective makes the iris as
The limit of looking up is reaehed as when the gaze is straight ahead a small a whole appear elliptical; the rugher
the pupil eneounters the upper lid portion of the iris always falls below the gaze, the shorter the apparent
edge-this is an uneornfortable posi- the level of the inner eye comer. We height of the ellipse.
•

THE ANGlE OF THE UPPER LID

NEUTRAL EYE EXTRA-WIDE EYE UPRAISED EYE

The ongle of the upper lid hos o greol effecl on Ihe way we
perceive the eye. It's o key element in lelling Ihe extro-wide
eye from the neutral eye- more importan! than Ihe white
obove Ihe iris. Even in o neutral eye with lots of iris show-
ing (Ieft), ¡he steepesl ongle the lid mokes os it rises lo the
top of ¡he orch will never exceed 45 degrees (Iine).
Once e ilher or bolh upper legs exceed 45 degrees (cen-
ter), we recognize Ihollhe eye is open wider Ihan usual.
This rule holds Irue for neorly every eye. The uproised eye
and Ihe widened eye hove certain sirnilarilies. In balh, ¡he
upper lid orches rnuch higher on the eye. Here, Ihe angle of •
Ihe ouler leg is neorly idenlicol. Whol mokes the overoll
shope of Ihe eye differenl is Ihe lower lidi when Ihe eye
looks upword, Ihe 10wer lid loses sorne of ils downward
bow, ond oppeors slightly slroighter, porliculorly in ils
outer portion (A).
THE CQRUER Qf THE fYE

One woy lo find oul if Ihe eye is looking slighlly up or

down is lo compore Ihe iris' posilion lo Ihe level of Ihe in-
ner eye corner (Iine). In o level goze, Ihe line indi-
coled will cross Ihe lower par! of the iris; looking down,
Ihe rniddle of the iris crosses Ihe line¡ looking up, Ihe iris'
lower parl rises post Ihe line.

80
TRACKING THE UPWARD GAZE

When we look up, the eye reshapes

¡Iself in large ond smoll ways lO 0<:-
commodole ¡he movement. Even ¡he
obvious lifting of ¡he iris hos a subtle
aspect: ¡he foreshorlening of !he iris
¡nlo en ellipse. The firsl slage of ¡he
, upward gaze (B) is ¡he masl difficult
lO capture. Greo! care musl be token
lo gel ¡he angle of ¡he upper lid right,
and lo raise ¡he iris high in relolion lo
!he inner eye cornero Note how in
drawings A-O, ¡he iris is cut by ¡he
A upper lid I¡ne in ¡he sorne place no
matter how ji moves.
A. Looking out. A person wilh a relo-
lively narrow eye opening. Note relo-
lionship belween pupil ond line Qcross
middle of corner; when eye is looking
oulward, line culs through lower por!
of iris.
B. Looking up. Even in this first slage
of upward goze, many changes have
occurred (1). The upper lid is almosl
fuUy relraeted. 80th inner and outer
angles steepened. The upward gaze
is more obvious in ¡he eye on ¡he left,
whe re Ihe inner leg is now al a grealer
• Ihan 45 degree angle. As gaze gels
higher, arch of upper lid continues lo
increase by small amounts (2 ). The
pupil has moved slightly above the
midline of ¡he corneroThe bollom of
the iris is now visible, and Ihe lower
lid is slightly straighler (3 ); ¡he higher
¡he gaze, ¡he straighler il gels.
C. Looking higher. As Ihe gaze rises
further, ¡he curve of the lids changes
more slowly. The upper lid is now
more steeply arched-most angles
are greater thon 45 degrees. The
lower lid is closer lo being straight
across. While begins to appear below
e Ihe iris, which oppears more elliplical,
wider Ihan high. The botlom of ¡he iris
has now risen above the middle·of·
carner line. •

D. Upper limil. Limil of gaze is

reoched when Ihe upper lid can open
no furlher. Above this point the pupil
would begin lo be covered. Nole Ihe
flalness of the lower lid; asymmelry of
the Iwo eyes-inner leg of eye on left
is slill less ¡han 45 degrees (4); nar·
rowing of iris ellipse; Ihickness of up·
per lid facing us more direetly (5 ).

D
81
The Downward Gaze variety of possible positions is much want it can be an exercise of madden-
When you depict someone looking greater. ing delicacy. Look carefully at the exact
downward, any number oí things may shapes oí the white triangles border-
be suggested- reading, reflection, Looking Sideways ing the iris on either side.
resignatíon. Compared to lookíng up, Having someone look sídeways can The iris also appears less circular
the downward gaze is more comfort- also enliven a portrait. Like looking the more it rotates away from us. Fore-
able and takes hule effort to maintain. upward, it suggests an active sort of shortening narrows its width, exactly
The chief problem for the artist is dis- seeing. The further to the side the as it does when the head turns to a
tinguished between the very similar gaze goes, the more momentary the three-quarter view.
appearance of the eyes looking down glance, for two reasons: the more ex-
and the eye shutting. treme positions are hard to hold, and Looking Straighl Ahead:
The differing appearance of the two the head tends to follow the gaze. I've HighUghts and Focus
actions revolves almost entirely around noticed that models have to make a Even when we're calm and looking
the position of the lower lid. When special effort to hold their heads one straight ahead, there are ouances to
looking down, the lower lid drops just way if their eyes are turned very far to the eyes. When we change our focus
enough to maintain a narrow gap be- another. from something near to something far,
tween the lids. allowing room for the Compared to looking up or down, there is a slight rotation of the eyes.
pupil to show. There is no muscle re- however, drawing the eye looking side- The irises move c10ser together and
sponsible for this movement; probably ways is easier. But don't be misled by farther apart depending on how far
it is the eye itself that pushes the lid. As the apparent simplicity- nothing away the point of focus is. The eyes
the lower lid drops, it begins to raise about the face is without its subtleties. poiot inward to focus on a nearby oh-
skin furrows below it, like a plow push- Here, the shape of the eye changes, as ject: as the object moves farther away,
ing up earth. Except for this instance, the gaze shifts, from an oval with two they turn to point outward, and the
there is no other time the lower lid narrow ends to an oval with one nar- irises separate.
descends. row and one blunt end, mostly owing to
A good way to see this lower lid a rearrangement of the upper eyelid as
action is to look at yourself in a mirror the iris moves. When the gaze is SUMMARY
and begin to tilt your head slowly straight ahead, the top of the upper The shifted gaze is one more way to
back- your gaze will be forced to lid's arch is in the center of the eye. But make faces expressive. Sometimes
drop. Notice the crease that appears the high point moves with the iris when moving the eyes alone will bring more
under the lower lid. This is the signa- the gaze shifts to the side; it stays life into a portrait. Much can be made
ture wrinkle for the action of looking aboye the iris no matter where it goes. over the effect of having the eyes look-
downward, caused by the lid folding Because the cornea sits like a per- ing one way versus another; it's often
under itself. The further down you manent contact lens over the iris, mak- suggested that Manet's nude Olympia
took, the deeper the wrinkle gets. ing a hny, transparent mound in the would have created far less of a sensa-
In drawing the lids, take care that middle of the eye, the lids often get tíon had she been looking any other
they respond to the sense of the ball reshaped as they cross over the bulge. way than directly out at the viewer.
underneath. The upper lid-starts from In looking to the side, the cornea adds The shape of the eyes as they move
the inner corner with a straight part, extra lift to the upper lid. is irregular enough that we need to
then begins a full curve around the The white space on either side oí the draw them repeatedly to learn the fine
eyeball. The lashes show clearly and iris helps us judge which way the eye is points of the changes in their form.
are often indicated. The lower lid will aimed. With straight-ahead eyes, the Often a model willlook in a particular
dip lowest just below the iris: if we look white space wilJ be approximately direction only occasionally; if we want
down and to one side, the low point will equal on both sides. ri the gaze is just to capture that gaze, we need to fill out
follow the iris atong. We have a wider slightly shifted to the side, drawing the what we can gain from observatíon
range looking down than up, so the eye to get the gaze exactly where you with what we already know.
•

82
 THE DOWNWARD GAlE VS. THE ClOSING EVE

T he Irickiesl por! of draw- B. l ooking down. The C. Furlher down. As the lowering ore more promi-
ing ¡he downward gaze is shape of ¡he lower lid is gaze drops further, our nenl, note closing eye
lo nol merely end up wilh o bowed downward more view of Ihe eye is more re- (right), where so me upper
closed-Iooking eye. When ¡han in a level eye (1). Note slricted by low angle and lid pos ilion has eye olmosl
¡he eyes simply clase, ¡he similarily between curve of by increasing shadow. Nole fully closed.
iris ond pupil ore covered upper lid in closing eye and ¡hal opening (d iagram, left)
D. Lower limil. In lowesl
in the process; in ¡he down- downward eye. II's only ¡he is jusi wide enough for pu-
posilion, Ihe,eye is seen os
word goze, ¡he eye leaves position of fhe iris and the pil. Crease deepens belaw
Iwo curved lines wilh a
open o spoce Jorge enough curve of Ihe lower lid that lawer lid (2 ), while upper
dark space in between¡ iris
for ¡he pupil lo see through . moke ¡he Iwo eyes so lid is more fully expased
will be vague or invisible
This is occomplished by ¡he differenl . (3 ). Loshes of upper lid in
wilhin shodow. Spoce be-
bowing downward of ¡he
Iween lines Ihickesl in cen-
lower lid. A lelltale crease, ler (where Ihe iris is) Ihins
¡he signoture fold for this
01 eilher end. Nole haw
aclian, appeors below ¡he
curve of lid lines slarls wilh
lid os il moves. As ¡he gaze
slraighl por! al inner corner
drops fu rlher, ¡he bow gels
(4 ), Ihen turns inlo o full
sho rpe r ond ¡he crease curve around eyeball. Un-
deepens. The dip and ¡he falded upper lid with shal-
creose ore ¡he keys lo low crease or Iwo is al Ihe
keeping ¡he eye open-
level where lid normally
looking.
ends (5 ). Difference al Ihis
A. Level goze. Corne r mid- slage: closed eye has one
line crosses iris obovt one- curved line (wilh lashes)
third up from botlom . l his versus Ihe open eye, which
is ¡he average for mas! has Iwo curved lines and a
eyes when gaze is leve!' dark space (seen through
A lashes) with crease below.

EYE lOWERING EYE CLOSING

•
e

83
Depicting lhe side long
glance presenls few lechni-
cal problems for Ihe artisl.
These illuslralions demon-
slrole, Ihough, Ihal more
chonges in Ihe eye Ihon
simply Ihe iris maving lo Ihe
side. The shope of Ihe eye
ilself oliers depending on
Ihe iris posilion. The rule is
Ihal Ihe high poinl of Ihe
orch of lhe upper lid is 01-
woys above lhe iris (il's
lifted by Ihe corneo ). The
lower lid, however, chonges
very lillle os Ihe iris shifts.
The nel effecl of Ihe mod-
ificolions is Ihal the eye al-
,
lers in shape from oval lo
olmand os Ihe iris lurns.
The iris ilself oppeors less
circular os il lurns. In Ihe
mosl exlreme pos ilion (A)
Ihe iris shope is blunl 01
one end ond much nor·
rower Ihon il is high.

84
LOOKING SIDEWAYS: SIDE VIEW

Seen from the side, ¡he iris widens from a norrow block ovol, when we are
looking straighl ahead (A), lo en ellipse, when we are looking somewhal lo ¡he
sicle (B). The amount of spoce between ¡he iris ond ¡he eye corner steodily de-
creases. When ¡he granee is directly lo the side (e), ¡he iris fills our view of the
eye. lis shape appeors more circular, and white space hos appeared on ils far
side. II's 0150 wiclened ¡he eye corner slighlly (D). The rim of the upper lid
bulges aboye ¡he iris (A and B) when ¡he lid Iravels over ¡he finy mound of ¡he
cornea.

•
•

The corneo is o tronsporenl dome sitting on top of ¡he iris.

It has a subtle effecl on ¡he drowing of the eye. In ¡he level
gaze, the lower lid crosses so low on ¡he dome (A), thal ils
curve reflecls only the boll underneoth. The upper I¡d, how-
ever, crosses a parl of the dome where it is higher off the
boll (B). It is this slight bulge that we see when the goze
shifts fram side lo side. The cornea olso creates the sharp
dip in the lawer lid when the gaze turns downward.

85
 THE EYES CONVERGE: NEAR VS. lAR GAZE

We con lell from ¡he eyes if someone is look ing 01 somelhing clase or fer oway.
When we look 01somelhing 01 very clase rcnge, ¡he eyes rolole so Iha! ¡he
irises con bolh oim direclly 01 ¡he subject (A). This turning inward brings the
irises closer together (see diagrom, lop). The farlher oway ¡he subjed, the more
separatíon between ¡he eyes (B)-up lo a poiol. Thol poinl is reoched when ¡he
eyes 90 oul of convergence, Ihe pasilion the eyes will noturolly foil inlo when
we ore looking off inlo spoce (e ).

••
•
•
•
. . .. .
•
•
•
•
• • • • • • • •
" •

• •
• • •
• •
• •
• ••
• •
.. , .
. .. , . . .
• •

• • • • • • •• • • • •

• •
.. ' • • • •

• •
•

• •
•

e
•
•
•
•
• • •
• • •
• •
• •
• • •
•

86
THE EYES CONVERGE: NEAR VS . FAR GAZE

There are only two differences be-

tween these two drawings: the apen-
ness of ¡he eyes ond the sepa rol ion of
the irises. The foce on ¡he left, with
more open eyes ond irises cenlered in
¡he eye, seems more oulward looking.
The face en ¡he right, with eyes slightly
more closed and irises slighlly more
separaled, seems much more de-
lached. We speak of someone wilh
this look os gazing inword, or, less
kindly, of being "spoced out."

This wall-eyed gentleman may no!

hove been os wall -eyed as he looks.
The disturbing effecl of Ihe eyes being
out of syrnmetry (Ieft iris closer lo ¡he
eye corner ¡han ¡he right) dominales
this portroit, bu! it's more likely ¡hal il
was ¡he ortist who hod eye problems.
The Portroit of Joshuo Trevis by the
some ortist, Jocob Eichholtz, hos eyes
with precisely the so me problem . A
portroit ortist might encounter one
person like this, but two?

87
THE LES
OFTHE MO H

A s a minute or two in fmot oí a

mirror will demonstrate, the
mouth is capable oí being stretched,
attached to a rigid frame. The slit
would have enough free play to take on
an enormous variety of shapes as the
smile; the slightest angling up of the
corners will do. Unfortunately, it can
also take very littte to suggest a sneer
squeezed, or curled ioto just about any trampoline stretched and sagged. or a pout!
shape. Obviously, it requires quite a As a result of its suspension, the
muscular network to allow us to do all mouth can be pulled and pushed as if it Neutral Posiüons
those funny things with the mouth. were part of a rubber mask. In fact, lt is gene rally more difficult lor the
There are twelve muscles in the net- actors sometimes use the lower part of artist to control the expression of the
work, but we can eliminate five right the face as a mask, holding through mouth than the eye. One problem is
away as having nothing to do with facial muscle tension a facial shape com- that certain relaxed mouths resemble
expression (several are used, for ex- pletely different from their 0WI1. those engaged in an expression.
ample. mainly for eating). For example, we may see people
Oí the seven remaining musc1es. who, on first glance, seem to be per-
Looking at the Open and Closed
ane is already familiar-zygomalic ma- Jlouth Separatelg manently sneering or pouting-
jar, the smiling muscle. There is a1so
There is another factor that affects our perhaps sorne of them are. In most
levator labii supernris, the sneering discussion of the mouth that was not an cases, however, a carefullook will re-
muscle; lriangularis and mentalis.
issue with the eye. Though the same veal certain very subtle surface forrns
which work as a team to bend the indicating that, in fact, no express ion is
muscle may be active when the mouth
mouth downward; risoriuslplatysma. involved. And if no expression is in-
is both open or closed. the actual ap-
which elongates the lips; depressor la- pearance of the mouth is quite differ- volved, we rnust avoid emphasizing the
bii inferioris, which pulls the lower Iip wrong wrinkles- t hose signature
ent, as in a smile with the lips parted
downward; and orbicularis oris. the and one with the lips together. For this wrinktes that suggest that such an ex-
muscle of the lips. which presses both .
reason the mouth will be discussed in preSSlon IS m progress. •
lips together. two separate sections. Lighting can also create problems.
Shadows on and below the lower lip are
INDIRECT ATTACHMENTS important in defining if the lip is tense
The mouth is freely suspended. lt's THE CLOSED MOtrrH AT REST or thrusting out.
only attachment to the sk ull is Drawing the mouth is always a delicate Finally, there is the perspective fac-
indirect-it's surrounded by muscles matter. It sornetimes seems as though tor. When the head is tilted up or down,
that attach to the skull at one end and the least Httle change-a Iiule shading the curve of the mouth will be attered
the mouth at the other. Imagine a slit in here, a break in the angle there-will accordingly. Be careful not to curve
the middle of a trampoline: like the transform our reading of the mouth the mouth in the direction you're used
mouth, it's not attached to anything from one mood to another. For exam- to seeing it in, rather than the one it's
sol id, but it's part of a stretchable fabric pie, it takes very little to suggest a actually taking.

ss
 THE lINE BETWEEN THE lIPS

T he tine between the tips (LBL) is the key lo depicting the closed mouth. Draw il
firsl and work outward from there: No! onty is il a good woy lo slorl o drowing,
bul il's otso Ihe mojor etemenl in defining the expression the closed moulh cor-
ries. Here are Ihe Ihree main varialions thot Ihe LBL lokes in the reloxed moulh.
The same underlying pottern-dip ond two peoks in Ihe middte, Iwo long curY-
ing legs on the sides-is common lo al! Ihree, whelher men's moulhs (cenler) or
women's moulhs (righl).
The mas! common Iype. It
has a well-developed cen-
tral clip and a distincl break
belween peaks ond legs.
Note ¡ha! ¡he end of LBL is
on sorne level as middle of
LBl¡ Ihis is !rue vnless ¡he
heod is tipped.
• ..

No! quite as stroight as il

looks. Real1y a flatlened
version of Cupid's bow: dip
ond tWQ peaks still
present-just barely. The
three-parl pattern of lips
goes back lo ¡he develop-
men! of ¡he embryo and is
present in every moulh .

• ...

Uf\',¡,PD r,p(H

The arch shape is really

another variolion of ¡he eu-
pid's bow, with lower auler
corners ond o high middle.
Usuolly, ¡he orch is only
moderate, like ¡he moulh 01
center; a high orch {right)
is unusual.

•
, ,

A varialíon of this Iype

accurs if lips in reloxed
moulh don', quite meel.
Whot wos ¡he LBL in ¡he
closed mouth becomes up-
per rim bordering teeth.

89
Key Elements in the Closed Moulh: 2. Straight Across. This should be of mouth is one that can most easily
The Une belween the Lips thought of as "more-or-less" straight suggest a negative expression if it's not
The way you draw the line between the across. The "more-or-less" is impor- welJ drawn.
lips (LBL) will deter mine 75 percent of tant. The LBL of a relaxed mouth is
When the mouth is relaxed, the LBL in
the expression you give to the closed never a perfectly straight lineo On
aH mouth types wil! have key elements
mouth. Though lips vary radically, the those people where it seems to be
in common. The direction of the line
three main forms of the LBL apply to straight, a careful look wil! show that
wil! change smoothly, not abruptly.
most mouths: it's really a tlattened form of the cupid's
The outer end of the LBL wiH always
bow, with the same dip-and-two-peaks
1. Cupid's Bow. The most common be either even with or a bit below the
pattern- sometimes barely evident.
pattern. A dip in the middle, two center, never aboye. And if the line of
peaks, and a long decline to the comer. 3. Upwa rdA rch. The cupid's bow pat- the LBL appears straight, as in 2
The outer portion of the line may curve tern but with the LBL much higher in aboye, the upper lip wil! be full, not
up slightly, or it may be straight across. the middle than at the ends. This type compressed.

THE lINE BETWEEN THE lIPS IN ACTION

There ore some general rules for who! mokes !he line belween Ihe lips (lBl)
oppeor neulrol. Ordinorily, o moulh reshoped by muscle controetion will show
one or more of Ihe chonges lisled. If you don'l wonl Ihe moulh you drow or painl
lo hove on express ion, ¡hese ore th ings lo ovoid. Jf you do wont on express ion in
Ihe closed mouth, il moy well include one of these elemenls. Beor in mind thot
Ihe express ion in the mouth con be quite subtle¡ if Ihe expression in Ihe eyes is
strong enough, we lend lo pereeive Ihe moulh os sympolhetic.

If Ihe moulh is neutral, il will nol

hove lBl wilh abrupl changes in
direction or exlending well post • •
end of lips. lhe ups ond down
of Ihe lBl in Ihe relaxed moulh
ore gradual. Only when pulled
by muscle conlroction will Ihe
lBl show a sudden break in di-
rection (A). lhe new direction
may be up, os here, or down.
Usuolly Ihe some odion will pull
-
r •-
Ihe LBl well beyond Ihe visible
end of !he lips. Normolly Ihe lBl
ends jusi beyond Ihe end of Ihe
lips. An lBL end higher thon ils
cenler is o definition of Ihe
smile. (a) A smile begins os
soon os e ilher or bolh of Ihe lBl
ends move obove !he lBl cenler. .- ,
•
(lhe green line makes this rela- "
lionship cleor.) A reloxed moulh
will never hove Ihe LBl end
higher than Ihe middle. LBL wilh
no kinks ond wilh o Ihinned up- ,
per lip occurs when Ihe moulh is
compressed or slrelched. Bul
some lBls hove hordly ony kink
lo begin wilh. lhe combinolion
, 2l ,
of Ihinned upper lip with
slraighl LBl mokes Ihis moulh
look tighl-l ipped (e). Anolher
version of Ihis is (D); here, nol
slretch, bul Ihe uplhrusl of Ihe
lower lip hos erodicaled Ihe
usuoltwo-peaks-and-a-dip po!-
lern and hidden much of !he
upper lip.

90
TUE CoRNER OF TIIE MOIJI'II
THE CORNER OF THE MOUTH
As anyone who has evtr picked up a
pencif knows, lhe expresswn 01 lhe lace T he corner of Ihe moulh receives a dense concenlralion of
is based 011 lhe comer 01 lhe eyes atld facia l musc1es. As o result, il's one of Ihe more sensitive
lhe corners ollhe tIIoul". oreas of Ihe foce in lerms of oor obilily lo precisety conlrol
-E. F. Gombricll, The Story of Art. ils mavemenl. In ony slrelching movemen! o f lhe moulh, il's
one of Ihe firsl lh ings lO show o chonge.
The above statement is really more
misleading than helpfu!. The corners
of the mouth do change in most facial
expressions, but so does the tine be+
tween the lips, the shape of the lips,
the cheeks, and the chino None of
these things change by themselves-
they're all connected. Talen together,
a set of changes occur lhal we recog+
• •
mze as an expreSSlon.

Creases around lhe Comer

The "comer of the mouth" is an inter+
esting location. The spot where lhe
line between the lips ends is a verilable
Times Squa re for fada l muscles-
more of them converge on lhal one
poinl than an}'\vhere else on lhe face.
As \\'e age, the crease al lhe mouth
comer tends to lengthen and deepen,
seoured inlo the face by lhe repetitive
movements of lhe mouth. Eventually,
it may join with another fold created by
mouth movemenls, lhe commissural
lold-a vertical wrinkle lhat brackels
the mouth and chin like parentheses..
lt's localed right al the point where lhe
ehin turns fram fronl plane lo side. It
takes over where the nose-to-mouth
fold leaves off; somelimes lhe 1wo folds
connect, and then one long curving fold
extends from nose lo chino '1ogether,
the mouth-corner crease and the com-
missural fold can make an upside down
L-shape continuing lhe mouth lineo
By themselves, none oí lhese folds
will make a mouth smile or frown, and
in faet ca n be confused with the
creases that are created by expression Here is o reloxed maulh (Iop), coolrasled wilh Ihe sOllJe
But as long as the lips and LBL and moulh in Ihe firsl sloge of o smile. A I¡IIle ongled crease
cheeks are in their relaxed form, lhe (A) appears a s Ihe lip end is pvlJed deeper inlo Ihe foce.
mouth as a whole willlook relaxed. In l he pull is slrooger on Ihe o pposile side ond Ihe crease is
your drawings, note where the LBL, deeper. lh is is Ihe foce o f o sevenleen-yeor-old; wilh lime,
which is so important in expression, Ihe crease becomes a permonenl ooe, wilh slighlly sofler
ends and where the creases araund tbe edges.
mouth begin. Usually there is a sharp
break in direction between moulh and
crease that helps clarify things. When-
ever possible, avoid working from pho-
tographs. These details are always
much clearer when you use a modelo

91
 THE FOLDS AROUND THE MOUTH

T he falds Ihal develop around ¡he moulh are some of the deepesl on Ihe face. Here's Ihe
mark af forly years on a woman's foce; the particulor pallern shawn here seems lo be
more common with wamen than meno Though Ihe wrinkle pallern is similar lo Ihal of Ihe
maulh in cerlain expressions, we see the moulh as neutral because Ihe LBL, the lip shape,
and the shape of the cheeks are 011 relaxed.

Al oge twenly (Iop), Ihe

moulh corner is marked by
o short, oblique crease. The
slight mound oulside the
crease (A ) is the "node"-a
thickening in Ihe foce where
o number of Ihe moulh-
moving muscles converge.
lis form helps lo define the
moulh cornero There ore
hinls of Ihe way Ihe foce
willlook in forty years in
the very soft lurnings
alongside Ihe moulh and on
the cheeks¡ Ihe crease
alongside the chin folls 01 a
naturol plone turning be-
tween fron! ond side.

Al age sixty (bollom), deep

lines around the moulh hove
oppeared. The corner of
the moulh crease hos deep-
ened ond lengthened, mok-
ing Ihe LBl oppear lo
continue mueh furlher Ihon
il does¡ il octually ends 01
(B). From !here whol we see
is a skin fald, nol a real
gap. The sharp lurning is
where a separale crease,
Ihe cammissural fold, be-
gins (e ). JI's oflen one of Ihe
deepesl wrinkles on ¡he
face. JI runs slraighl down
alongside !he chin, marking
¡he border belween fran!
plane and side. The nase-
!a-moulh fold has also
deepened (D); an many
faces this ¡oins with Ihe
commissural fold, making
ane long crease from nose
lo eh in. Other changes wilh
¡he years inelude a deeper
crease under the moulh and
a fuller line of Ihe ¡aw.

92
The CWsed Mouth: Five Muscles
UPWARD PULLER 1: might be out oí place in a portrait, but it After they leave their shared attach-
THE SNEERING MUSCLE does appear in art in various other ment, the three branches separate as
applications. they travel upward to their respective
lf t he corrugator makes us hwnan, the bony origins. One branch goes almost
levalor [abjj superioris, the sneering Three Branches straight up alongside the nose,. where
muscIe. is the muscle that makes us The muscle form oí the ¡evator Jabii it has a long attachment that goes as
obnoxious. lf there was a popularity superioris is like a river with three high as the nasal bridge The middle
contest for facial musctes, this oue branches. AIl three branches come to- branch attaches to the bone oí the up-
would lose, hands down; there's no ele- gether and attach to the same spot: the per jaw, just below eyesocket. The
gant or flattering or oice way lo use circular musc1e surrounding the lips, outer branch, usually referred to as
this muscle. We tend to use it when we right below the wing of the llOse. Sorne zygomatic minor, is flXed to the cheek-
think something stinks, literally. Or of the muscle fibers also attach much bone at its widest spot, where it turns
when wére furiou s. Or when we're cry- closer to the surCare, along the skin the comer to the side. We group these
ing Qur hearts ouL line oí the nasolabial fold (which their musc1es together because the effect oí
What the levator labii superioris action deepens), and into the nose their action is so similar: when any one
does in particular is to ¡¡ft the upper lip wing. If you sneer, you can see- and contracts, it sQuares off tile upper lip.
in a sneer. 1ñe "lip raiser" al50 curls up feel-the location next to the nose Often, one branch contracts while the
lile IlOse and wrinkles lhe eye area in where all three parts of the musc\e others relax.
lhe process. Its distinctive effect 00 attach and the sharp crease that ap- Even though lhe mouth may Iook the
lhe countenance, when acting alone, pears when they contracto same, the upper face, nose, and cheeks

LEVATOR LASII SUPERIORIS: THE SNEERING MUSCLE

The levolor lobji superioris pulls Ihe upper lip inlo o squored-off shope, Ihe
moulh of disgusl. The sneering musde pulls on Ihe moulh indirectly : None of ils
slronds olloches lo Ihe lips Ihemselves. Insleod, il olloches lO Ihe circular musde
of Ihe lips (A), Ihe nose wing, ond Ihe upper nosolobiol fold (B). The upword
pull on Ihe skin ond musde surrounding Ihe lips drogs Ihe lips upword os well.
There ore Ihree independenl seclions, which con 011 occomplish Ihe sorne losk:
The nasal bronch is fixed olongside Ihe upper nose (e); Ihe middle bronch is
fixed underneolh Ihe eye sockel (D). The losl sedioo, zygomotic minor, is
treoled by sorne onolomisls os o seporole musde. 1I olloches on Ihe corner of
the cheekbone (E).

93
look a great deal different depending on
which branch is contracting. We'lI de- THE SHAPE OF THE SNEER
scribe the common element-the

/r-" _...--"'1\
mouth-first, then look at the differ-
ences between the branches.

E,ffect on (he Afouth

The line between a sneering and a re- B
laxed upper lip can be a fine one. Art-
ists occasionally find themselves
struggling to take the sneer out of a
mouth without quite knowing how it
got there. What should they know that
would help them?
F irst, don't bother redrawing the
lQwer lip. The sneer only affects the The sneer offeds only the upper lip. II's pushed up and back inlo Ihe foce; more
upper lip, leaving the lower just the inner lip is exposed, so Ihe whole lip looks Ihicker. A liltle crescenl-shaped
same. Second, watch the line of the crease afien oppeors above Ihe middle. Above the lips, I've drawn ¡he key lo
upper-lip margino The basic effect of Ihe difference. In Ihe sneer, Ihe M shope of Ihe relaxed lip is squared off: (Al
the sneer is the sarue as pushing your Ihe middle has been Ihickened ond (a) Ihe corners hove been squored off. Re-
upper lip flat against a piece of glass. coll Ihot Ihe reloxed lip olwoys topers from cenler lo ouler corners: here you
The lip is flattened, pushed back, and will nole Ihol is nol the cose-Ihe ¡ip oppeors equolly wide Ihroughoul.
widened. This changes the upper mar-
gin from "stretched M" to "square
arch." The lip becomes more even in
width and drops straight down to its
corners, rather than tapering. Don't
allow this shape to be approached if you
want to avoid a sneer.
As the upper lip curls upward, it lifts
slightly off the lower lip. The lift is
strongest in the outer ends of the lip,
and here the gap between the lips
widens.
People ofteo sneer withjust one side
of the lip. Then the changes are only
seen on that side, and the other side
remains relaxed.

Changes in the Upper Pace:

Afiddle vs. NasaJ Branch
You can't sneer without redoing a bit of
the upper face as welL Depending on
which branch of the muscle you use,
you may end up with a little bit of nose
and cheek, or the entire face trans-
formed, aH from the simple fact of lift-
ing the upper lip.
You can demonstrate 00 your own
face the difference between the two
branches. An ordinary sneer uses only
the middle branch, which takes less
effort. But if you really put your heart The sneer pushes Ihe upper lip bock inlo ¡he foce, os well os pulling il upward.
in it and concentrate on wrinkling up Nole Ihe chonge in Ihe shope of Ihe ouler porl of Ihe Jip; il no longer lopers, bul
the nose as well, you'lI end up using the is Ihick ond even-shoped; il drops olmosl slroighl down lo Ihe ouler moulh cor-
inner branch. You can feel the lift in the ner. The nose olso hos ils wing lifted by Ihe oclion. The muscle ollochmenl is 01
cheeks right across the face. Isn't it a (Al. Anyone who leoches o porlroil class will see studenls occidenlclly drcw
lovely expressioo? Ihe moulh on Ihe right. It doesn'lloke much o

94
LEVATOR LABII SUPERIO~IS: TWO BRANCHES
The difference in ¡he upper holves of
these foces (the lower holves ore al-
mos! identicol) is ¡he difference in ¡he
oclions of ¡he tWQ parts of ¡he levotor
labíi superioris. The inner, nasa l
branch of ¡he sneering musde (bot-
10m) gives ¡he face a crinkled-up look
when i' contracts, because ils controe-
tion triggers ¡he orbiculoris ccutí and
par! of ¡he corrugolor. The middle
branch of ¡he mlJscle, if ils pull is
strong (top), puffs ¡he cheeks and
wrinkles ¡he eye a bit. Both create ¡he
sharp, hooked crease around ¡he
nose, ond bolh pull up on ¡he nose
.
wlngs.

r,11 D D L f 8 R A IJ e H

A. Wilh sfrong pull, pushing up of

cheeks "backs up" 011 ¡he way lo eye,
creoling crease 010n9 edge of eye
sockel.
B. Middle bronch fixed lo bone here.
C. Inner cheek bunched up in curved,
verlical mound, Ihickesl olong naso-
labial fold, fades oul aboye and lo Ihe
oulside.
D. Signature wrinkle of Ihe sneer.
Hook-like fold, deepesl olong nose
wing, shallower below, wilh very
sharp edges. Lillle hollow spol wilh
ridge aboye afien forms here.
E. Wings of nose pulled up loword
eye, poinling Ihe nose downward.
Muscle allac.hes lo skin nexllo and on
nose wlng.

F. Mild conlraction of eye-circling

muscle, orbicularis oculi, Iriggered by
conlraclion of inner branch. Eye
squinls, and crow's feel, lower lid
folds, and inner, slar-shaped wrinkles
appear.
G. Eyebrows pulled dawn s1ightly by
partial conlro'clion of corrugolor.
Shallow vertical wrinkles appear be-
tween Ihe brows, and slar-shaped
wrinkles below.
H. Creases run olongside nose.
l. Cheeks rise up 011 across face, bul
pile up deepesl here.
J. Nose pull very similar lo aboye, bul
more straighl up, poinling nose more.
K. Moulh identical lo aboye.

95
 SHE LaVES ME, SHE LaVES ME NOT

R omonce seems lo be ¡he furlhes! Ihing from Ihe mind of

Ihe young woman in this poster for a movie cbau! odoles-
cen! lave. Though Ihe young men shows Ihe proper readi-
ness fO!' a tender kiss, her face seems lo be registering
disgusto Kissing is normally on oelion thol makes very few
demands on Ihe facial musc1es. We clase our eyes, apen
our moulhs, end moke contae!. lhe problem here is thol
Ihere ore no less Ihon ¡hree seporole cues Ihol her sneering
musdes ore active. lt's sofe lo assume Ihol sneering wos
no! Ihe effecl ¡otended.

She oppeors disgusted

becouse her upper lip
shope (A) is too square-
Ihe middle straight section
is too long ond drops too
shorply lo Ihe corner; the
upper lip (B ) appeors
drawn back inlo ¡he face
inslead of sticking out fur-
ther thon the lower lip, os is
normal; she has a "sneer
pockel" (e) by Ihe nose-o
signolure wrinkle of the oc-
lion of ¡he sneering musde;
il never appeors on o re-
loxed foce. The crease al
(D) is onother ocódenl- no
such crease could exisl. By
relying loo heavily on pho-
logrophs, illuslrolors moy
misinterprel Q( exaggerote
cerfoin detoils.

•
"Corrected" drowing of the moulh. To eliminale the sneer,
¡he crease is removed from alongside the nose, ond the up-
per lip is drown wilh o much shorler middle portion, olong
wilh less sleep Duler corners. (D) is olso vonquished, for
good meosure.

96
 The differeoce between the two ac- Here is something that the t ....,o ac- The Special Case 01 the
tions relates to the way the two mus- tions share in common: either will cre- Zggomatic Minar
eles are attached. The fibers of the ate the same signature wrinkle of the The third branch of the levator labü
middle branch, fixed below the eye sneer, which is a sharp deepening of group, zygomatic minor, is a special
socket and traveling down to the nose, lhe upper nasolabial fold. This wrinkle case. lts role in the face as a whole is
will affect only the cheek and nose. is so distinctive that if it is depieted as poorly understood. It's one oi the iew
When they contraet, they puff the being present, it can make the mouth museles involved in emotional expres-
cheek and lift lhe wings of the !lOSe. seem lo be sneering even if other elues sion over which we seem to have no
The inner fibers-the nasal branch- are missing or ambiguous. It, and the conscious control. For that reason I
attach much higher up the face. When shape of the upper lip, are the two key couldn't inelude a drawing oi it in ac-
they contracto they also activate a re- elernents that are always present in the tion, by itself. lts basic role in the face
flexive contraction of sorne of the mus- sneer. seems lo be to contribute lo the face of
eles around the eye. With the extra Artists struggling lo take the sneer sadness; as such, it's sort of the flipside
muscle action, the contfaction lifts [he out of a mouth (or, 1 suppose, those oí lhe zygomatic major. It squares the
nose wings higher, puffs more cheek, few who might be struggling to put one upper lip wilhout the sneering look,
and triggers the lowering of the eye- in), then, must beware of the hooked because the nose lift and cheek crease
brows and squinting of the eyes. fold around the nose. are mlssmg.

ZYGOMATIC MINOR: THIRD BRANCH OF SNEERING MUSClE

T he oc!ion of Ihe zygomolic minar is involunlory; il op-

pears only when we're sod, nol olherwise (Ihe olher Iwo
bronches of Ihe sne ering muscle ore under ou~ conscious
conlrol). When il conlroc!s, pulling from (B), il creoles ils
own signolure wrinkle, Ihe I¡IIle "flooling crease" in Ihe
middle of Ihe cheek (A). This crease marks Ihe inserlion of
Ihe muscle inlo Ihe skin. The zygomolic minar olso squores
off Ihe lip (which is also slrelched by Ihe risorius ond
pushed up by Ihe menlalis here) and buoches up Ihe cheek.
Bul i¡s overoll effecl is mOfe subtle, ond mojor elemenls of
¡he sneer-Ihe signoture deep fold olong Ihe nose, ¡he lift-
ing up of ¡he wings-ore missing.

97
UPWARD P ULLER 11: ZYGOMATIC MAJOR: IHE SMllING MUSCLE
THE SMILlNG M USCLE
The smile comes after tbe sneer be- For such a common expression, Ihe smi le is surprising[y difficu[llo drow. There
cause both are accomplished by musde ore Iwo main difficuhies: gelling a feeling fa r Ihe lurning and slretching of Ihe
pulls from aboye: but what a differeoce lips and pinning down Ihe reshoping ond creasing of Ihe cheeks. A good slorl-
a few inches make! If the pull of the ing place is Ihe muscle, where il attoches, ond how il pulls. lhink sculplurally
main branches of the sneering musde wilh Ihe smile; Ihe more volume, Ihe beller. lhink lension-Ihose lips ore
is seen as coming from the north, the sfrefched.
pull ol the smi le arrives from the
oorthwest Its muscular attachment is
about two inches further to the side of
the Cace. The tiny zygomatic minor is
an even doser companion; along the
cheekbone, perhaps half an inch sepa-
rates the tace oC pain and p[easure.
The smile is accomplished by the
contraction of just one musde, the zy-
gomatic major. In the final part of this
book, the appearances oC happiness
and pleasure are diseussed as they af-
feet the entire face (and involve other
musc!es): in this section we just focus
on what happens to the mouth and its
immediate surroondings when the zy-
gomatic major contraets. Obviously,
lile better you understand the nature
al the musc!e and its effeelS, the more
convincingly yoo can draw a smile.

TIre Jfuscle Described

1be zygomatic majar is thicker than
many of the other muscles of expres-
Slon. It would be logical lO assume that
it is thickest on those of us who smile
the most (as any muscle grows with
repeated use), but I have never heard
that particular argument proven. A
broad smile moves a [01 oC face around,
and the stout quality al the musde is
what is required even for just the occa-
sional grin, smirk, or giggle.
It is important to fl.x in your mind the
exact point of attachment oC the zy-
gomatic majar on the eheekbone. It is
actually att.ached on the side ol the
Cace. oot on the (ront. From its cheek-
bcllle root, the zygomatic major travels
diagonally downward to the ooler cor-
ner of the mouth- its movable end.
This diagonal path is the direction the
smile follows as it widens.
1be outer corner oC the mouth is a lhe zygomolic major ollaches on Ihe side of Ihe heod, nol Ihe fron l. II's fixed lo
popular location for musde attach- Ihe zygomolic orch, olmosl holfway bock lo Ihe ear (A). Vou can feellhe spol
ments. In the same spot, the down- wilh your finger when yau smile. lhe Ihick muscle body (one of Ihe slrongesl on
ward pu[[er (triangularis), the outward Ihe foce) alloches lo Ihe movlh allhe comer, righl where Ihe lillle end-of-Ihe-
puller (risorius), and the upward puller moulh crease is localed. II lies direclly inlo Ihe greol circular muscle of Ihe lips,
(zygomatic major), a[[ are inser ted, Ihe orbicularis oris (B).

98
just undemeath the shaJlow dent that '!'he Smile Described The outer portion of the smile be-
marks the end of the mouth. A lot of things happen when we smile. comes a frame for the inner portion. As
For the zygomatic major. its comer In a broad smile, there isn't a single the inner portion widens and flattens
attachment marks the last point at part oí the lower face that isn't shifted against the sku.u, the outer portion
which it is near the surface. As it rises around in some malmer. The lips, and piles up on itself and lifts further off the
upward diagonally toward the cheek- the suríaces immediately around them skull. It surrounds the inner portion on
bone, it tunnels steadily deeper be- are stretched tight around the curves all sides, in the shape of a diamond,
neath the surface of the cheek. Half- of the skull. The cheeks and the sides with the top at the nose and the bottom
way up the cheek-the area of the face of the chin are mounded high, pushed at the chino Everywhere the inner and
with the most subsurface fat-the zy- up out oí the way. Deep creases appear outer portions meet, there are either
gomatic major may be an inch or more where surfaces collide, and dents cut deep creases, or dramatic changes in
from the outer skin. This is an ex- through parts of the middle cheek. plane, or both.
tremely important point to grasp. The Basically, there's a central portion oí You can learn about these things
smile burrows ¡n/o the face as much, if the smile, including the lips and chin, best by feeling them, on your own face.
not more, than it goes up. The deep and there's an outer portion, including We're so used to looking at smiles that
push on cheek forces a lot of the overly- the cheeks. The center portion in a we really dont ootice them anymore.
ing skin and fat outward, more than in broad smile becomes as curved as any But using your fingers, you can get a
any other expression. feature ever gets, by virtue oí being much better sense of the surface
The upshot is that it's work to smile. pulled so firmly back toward the ears. changes as you go from the tight cen-
More than one person has told me that The pull presses the lips, the skin right ter part to the overhanging mound ol
after a particularly happy event-one aboye, and the chin below hard up the cheeks. Your finger can also sense
woman mentioned her wedding-the against sharp curves of teeth, upper the tension at the corner of the mouth,
zygomatic major ached for days! Not jaw, and skeletal chino The mouth goes where all the force of the pull is con-
surprising when you look at what it has from describing a lazy curve to de- centrated, and the surface is pulled in
to do to give us that wonderful grin. scribing a virtual hairpin turno very deep.

ZYGOMATIC MAJOR: THE SMllING MUSCLE

•
Seen from above, il's clear the smile is doing more Ihon jusi
lurning up al the corners. The zygomolic mojar muscle is
buried deep under the cheek (Ieft). When ¡I conlrocts, il
pulls Ihe lips inlo Ihe foce, direclly bock loword Ihe ears.
(A) is where moulh corner was. The smiling mouth corner is
pulled os far bock os Ihe base of Ihe nose, which widens
(8 ); Ihe upper lip is pulled lighl agoinsl the foce ond fol-
lows more closely Ihe curve of the skull benealh. The curve
af Ihe reloxed moulh is much sofler by comporison (e ). The
cheeks bulge¡ foce widens mast 01 (D).

99
 ZYGOMATIC MAJOR: MORE VIEWS OF ITS ACTION

It may toke more muscles lo frown ¡han lo smile, bu! smiling is more work.
When we smile, ¡he zygomatic mojor attempts lo sfide ¡he entire orbicularis aris
(Ihe musele ¡ha! ineludes and cireles ¡he lips) back loward ¡he ear, undernealh
Ihe cheeks. Where cheeks and orbiculoris oris mee!, a deep crease, ¡he signa-
lure wrinkle of Ihe smile, develops.

A. Cheeks widesl jusi aboye level of

base of nase. A

B. Ski n tightly slretched belween

cheek and chino line is cancave; al-
mos! no cencave lines appear in re-
laxed face.
C. Lips ore pulled upward loward
nase.
D. Chin oppeors longer ond brooder.
Smile slrelches skin over chin,
smoolhing il. lower lip has lifted
toword nase, exposing more chino

E. Attachmenl of muscle.
F. Cheek piled highest off face here.
G. Dimples ore lacoted on side of
face; usuolly, dimples ore deeper en
one si de than ¡he olher.
H. LBL almos! completely unkinked¡
compare with LBL of reloxed moulh .

When we smile, Ihe lips ore slrelched againsl Ihe leeth,

whose shope shows Ihrough, This shope is similar lo Ihe
block form {righl)-flallened in the fronl and lurned
sharply lo ¡he side. Jusi as a rubber bond slrelched against
Ihal form loses any kinks or sags il moy hove had, Ihe lips
become more uniform in the smile. Compare Ihe LBL in o
reloxed face lo the smile: Ihe kinks are slrelched out.

100
•

ZYGOMATI( MAJOR: MORE VIEWS Of ITS ACTION

NEUTRAL MOUTH f

The firsl sloge of o smile is ¡he mas! elusive, We notice

when ¡he zygomolic mojor so much os twitches; in ¡he
drawing of a weok conlroction (Iop left) it's conlrocting o
bit more ¡han ¡he mínimum. The corner of ¡he moulh is ¡he
firsl thing lo change, rising above ils neutrol poin! (A). The
corner does nol move by much befare ¡he cheeks swel! and
dimples oppear; il doesn', change by much befare ¡he
whole LBL begins lo slretch. The broad smile of o strong
(onfradían (below) is nol so subtle. Changes start 01 ¡he
bollom of ¡he cheeks (B); on sorne faces ¡he deepening of
¡he nasolobiol fold would nol be os deep in ¡he eorly sloge
of a smile. Even in o slight smile (e), shollow wrinkles
across ¡he lower lip ore smoolhed. The cord along Ihe side
of a smile slrelches down lo the chin like o rope caughl
under Ihe face. It often cotches Ihe lighl (D). The pull of Ihe
zygomolic is slronger on Ihis side (E). Nole how far post
Ihe resl of Ihe lips Ihe corner of Ihe moulh hos moved.

A. The line between Ihe lips hos o lout look like o V wilh o
very open ongle.
B. The nosolobia l fold intensifies ond is pulled lo Ihe side.
Jusi before il ends, il hooks downword, brackeling Ihe
mouth cornero
C. The cheek bolls up. Sleepest edges (wolch for sharp
shodow breoks) are here. The soft edge is nexl lo Ihe nose.
The highlighl is crisp on the upside of the cheek, showing
the slretching of skin (1).
•
D. Angled cords hang from boltom of cheek mound. Deep
inner edge moy connecl wilh nosolobiol fold; dimple líes
on the oulside edge.
E. Upper lip becomes a simple, curved plone. Filtrum
disoppeors.
,
F. Lips are thinned and smoolh-Ioaking. Shorp highlighl on
slretched lower lip. The moulh is now wider; the relaxed
A moulh is direclly below middle of eye; smiling moulh is di-
•
. reclly below ouler edge of iris.

---_.'_.-~
G. Chin seems lorger because of moving up of lips.
Under-the-lip crease disappeors.

101
DOWNWARD PULLER 1:
TRIANGUlARIS: THE OPPOSITE OF A SMIlE
TRIANGULARIS
The lriangularis, when contracted,
creates a mouth that is an inverted The Irionguloris rorely pulls Ihe moulh corner down by ilself. It normolly op-
pears in Ihe company of Ihe menlolis, os parl of Ihe poul or Ihe facial shrug . Be-
smile Everyone knows that ifyou take
cause il ollaches lo the moulh corner 01 Ihe some poinl as Ihe zygomalic majar,
the curve of the mouth in the "have a il's alsa Ihe musele we use lo keep Ihe c~rner down when we're Irying nat lo
nice day" face and tum it upside down, smile. The trianguloris fils araund Ihe chin like chinslrops. lis fixed end is sewn
you get a frown, and the triangularis is into Ihe lower edge af Ihe jaw on eilher side of Ihe eh in. lis free end is alloched
one of the museles responsible for cre- lo Ihe rnouth-cireling rnusele (orbiculoris oris) 01 Ihe sorne point (Al where Ihe
ating that change. Charles Darwin smiling rnuscle, zygomatic mojor (B), allaches.
called it the "musele oí grief," but that's
giving it too much credit; it's really the
triangularis plus the mentalis that cre-
ates the pout, and the mentalis aften
does it on its own.
The triangularis, unlike the mouth
museles described so far, seems to act
cmly on the elosed mouth. And when it
does contract, it's ahnost always in the
company of the mentalis.
The triangularis (also called the
mouth angle depressor) has its ftxed
end embedded in the bone of the chin,
somewhat to the side of the center.
From there, it rises diagonally to the
comer oí the mouth, where it attaches
in virtually the same place as the zy-
goruatic majar, just beyond the end of
the LEL. When it contracts, it draws
the mouth comer and the LBL sharply
downward, often extending the LBL
past the lips.
The triangularis was one of the mus-
eles 1had in mind when rmentioned the
fact that sorne people look like they're
scowling even when they're noto In
older faces, the creases that extend the
mouth comer can look a lot like the
way the mouth looks when triangularis
stretches it. The differences are very
subtle and tum 00 distinguishing be-
tween a crease (old persoo) and a gap
(stretched LBL). From Jife, ¡t's rela-
tively easy; from photos, it can take
work. Look also for the bulges that
show that the musele is pulling, not
•
present in the relaxed older face.

• •
•

The trionguloris is one of Ihe Iwo mus-

eles that mokes Ihe moulh frown-Ihe
olher is mentolis.

102
TRIANGULARI5: THE OPPOSITE OF A SMILE

NEUTRAL MOUTH

lBL has neorly doubled in length, ex-

lending well post Ihe ene! of ¡he red
por/ion, bullhe lips ore only slighlly
ehcnged, slrelching o bit al ¡he eod.
lBL hos pivoted down from (A ). Row
of curved bulges, like woves op-
prooching o shoreline, oppear below
moulh corner (B). These ore Ihe signa-
lure wrinkles of ¡he Irionguloris. The
lowermosl portion of ¡he nasolabiel
fold deepens. The skin oulside ¡he
fold is bulged out ond pulled down,
looking like o broad, rouMed hook
on ¡he ,im of ¡he foce (e ).

•
15 Ihis moulh active or reloxed?
Creoses ore very similar lo (B), bul
comer ends 01 (DI ond is nol pulled
down. Key is d ifference between
crease and gap (l BL).

103
DOWNWARD PULLER 11: any other muscle does is at all similar. greatly intensified, with a sharper
MENTALIS lncidentally, the facial shrug you've just shadow underneath and more sense oí
performed is one of the most frequent overhang. Along with the changes in
The mentalis is the other half of the ways we use the mentalis, a sort of the chin, this is a particular detail that
pout. It has a much larger role to play in lower-face version of shrugging the helps signal that the mentalis has ac-
the face than triangularis. It's another shoulders. ted. In fact, it can be more important,
one of those muscles, like corrugator as it is possible to inadvertently sug-
or orbicularis oris, that we use in our AcUon gest a pout when you use shadows
everyday expressive gestures. It's part Though I've placed the mentalis in the under the lip that are too sharply
oí a great number of expressions, par- "downward puller" category, it is a pe- defined.
ticularly those where there is some culiar sort of downward puller. It cre- The teamwork of mentalis and trian-
effort at restraint involved. This in- ates the downeurved mouth indirectly, gularis is what we see most often on
eludes partly restrained anger and by pushing the eenter of the lips up. the face. The action oí the two muscles
sadness and the stifled smile. The lips are pushed up because the is perfectly complementary. Mentalis
There's certainly no muscle on the skin over the chin, which is where the is the specialist in pushing the lips up in
face you can demonstrate to yourself mentalis inserts, is on its way toward the middle, and triangularis in pulling
easier: "shrug" the ehin, pushing up the base of the teeth, which is where the Iips down at their ends. 'fhe mus-
the center of your lips, and you've just the muscle attaches. When the men- eles' joint action combines these two
performed the basic action of mentalis. talis contracts, the ball of the chin tries motions to push the mouth further up
There's also no muscle on the face with to move up and under the base oí the in the middle and further down at the
a more distinetive signature wrinkle- lower lip. ends, while preserving the signature
look at what the shrug does to the lf the push is strong enough, then wrinkles of the individual museles-
chino A HUle raised island with puck- the lower lip thrusts further out than namely, the raised ball on the ehin and
ered skin is the unmistakable mark the upper in a pout. The feeling of the curved wrinkling underneath the
that the mentalis is active- nothing !ip being the top of a platform is thus mouth comer.

MENTALlS: THE POUTING MUSCLE

The menlalis lifts Ihe sk in over Ihe eh in. This direcl oclion is nol expressive, bul
Ihe indirecl acl ion, Ihe pushing logether of Ihe lips, ¡s. We employ Ihe menlalis lo
squash and pout our lips whenever we're sad and often when we're nervous or
ongry. It plays o role in Ihe stifled smile and Ihe facial shrug. Here ils movement
is isololed. In express ion, il olwoys acls in concerl wilh olher muscles. lhe sig-
noture wrinkle (Ihe puckered chin) is always presenl, no moller what Ihe expres-
sion. lhe menlolis on Ihe skull does nol olloch lo Ihe moulh. It originales (Al in
Ihe depression below Ihe leelh. From there Ihe fibers move down ond loword
Ihe surfoce, inserling Ihemselves inlo Ihe skin on Ihe boll of the chin (8). In Ihe
pout, Ihe pockmorks on Ihe surface are oclually Ihe ploces where Ihe fibers are
ottoching lo, ond pulling up, Ihe skin.

104
MENTAlIS: THE POUTING MUSOE

In Ihe basic aclion of ¡he mentolis, ¡he

ski n on Ihe chin, pulled loward ¡he
base of Ihe ¡eeth, is flattened. The lips
lift ond project out like Q shelf (A). The
strongesl I¡f, is in Ihe center, bul ¡he
entire lip is thinned (B). LBL is
straightened¡ o shorp, brighl edge ap·
pears on lower lip (e). Corners ap-
peor pulled down because ¡he center
is lifted. A sharp shadow appears un-
der lips-the hollow is more draslic
¡han on a relaxed moulh (O). Roised,
shield-shoped "island," ¡he signature
wrinkle, always appeors on Ihe (hin,
with pockmarked texture (E).

Triangularis and Menlalis conlrocting

togelher result in ¡he facial shrug- Ihe
facial equivalen! lo a shoulder shrug.
In its more subtle versions ¡l's colled
the pout. The flottened lips and
puekered-up eh in of menlalis are
added lo ¡he down eorners and hook-
like furrows of Iriangularis. Lower lip
dominales upper and slieks out fur-
ther and appeors lorger.

105
THE LIP CoMPRESSOR lar muscle oí the eye, orbicularis oculi, to the head are unlike those oí any
which creates a squint when contrac- otber muscle. It's not so much attached
No musc1e 00 the face gets more of a ted. In the case oí the mouth, the as suspended. You can find its attach-
workout tban the musc1e of the Iips, equivaleot al the squint is the tight- ment on your own íace if you pinch the
orbicularis oris. The other musc1es lipped look, where the lips tbemselves skin oí your cheek just beyond the
we've talked about pull 00 the mouth at are thinoed to oearly a single line. mouth comer, with one finger inside
its edges; orbicularis oris is what's in- The orbicularis oris runs, just under and ooe outside. The thickened spot
side the lips themselves. When we the skin, in a great oval around the you leel is a SOft oi muscular knot,
talk, it finetunes the Iip edges to for m mouth. Jt's prec isely underneath where a half dozen or so muscles con-
the sounds of speech. It's made up of where a juice glass rests when we verge on the outer end ol the or-
several specialized layers that can drink. The muscle stretches lrom the bicularis oris. By braiding together
sbape the mouthjust so. Jt's alsoone oí base of the oose, to the comers oí the with the mouth muscle, they provide a
the principal muscles we use when we mouth, to the little crease 00 the dún flexible anchorage for it to pull against.
eaL But our chief reason for including it under the lower lip. With it's own thick- The knot also helps define the appear-
here is the way it acts to compress the ness added to that of the skull beoeath, ance oí the comer. In the closed mouth
lips in expressions such as anger and it can at times be sensed through the we see the knot as a crescent-shaped
grief. skio, io form something like the bell of mound just beyond the end ol the line
Most of the actions of the orbicularis a trumpet, with its small end íorward, betweeo the lips. The mouod adds a
oris act to tighten the lips in sorne centered on the mouth. very subtle extra curve on the far out-
íashion. In this, it's similar to the circu- The attachments oí orbicularis oris line io three-quarter views.

ORBICUlARIS ORIS: THE lIP TIGHTENER

,

A tlochmenls of orbicularis oris. lhe orb iculoris oris is Ihe mosl complex muscle
•
00 Ihe foce. lis fibers circle Ihe moulh ond penelrole Ihe lips in overlappiog
layers. 1I has no fixed bony origin bul is held in place by Ihe muscles of Ihe
mouth corners (A ). With such a free arrangement, il con loke on enormous vari-
ely of shapes.

106
ORBICUlARIS ORIS: THE llP TIGHTENER

The lips themselves are

par! of a muscle ¡he or-
biculoris oris. Like ¡he mus-
ele tha! (ireles ¡he eye, ¡he
orbiculoris oris tightens in
on itself when il contrads,
narrowing ond compressing
¡he lips. Pursed lips appear
in suppressed cnger, sod-
ness, ond simple nerVQUS-
ness. Open, !out lips
oppear in loud speaking,
singing, and ongry shoul-
in9. The tighl-lipped laok
¡nvalves ¡he disappearonce
of much of ¡he red margino
When bolh lips lighten wilh
¡he moulh dosed, there is
olso a bulging-out oround
¡he ¡ips, as though we were
!rying lo hold in o moulhful
of oir.

A. Relaxed mouth.
B. Entire muscle tensed.
Lips (ud under themselves
ond tense. Tension
straightens l Bl slightly;
kinks rema in.
C. Verticol across+the-pull
wrinkles on upper lip.
Filtrum disappears.
D. Thicker parts of lip-
entire fower lip, middle of
uppe r-still show. With
thinner lips, nothing would
show.
E. Length of lips doesn't
change, only width .

107
Action were holding a mouthful oí air or water. lacking the mouth into a vise of muscu-
When we tense and press our lips in This same description holds true for lar pressure. I've dubbed this combina-
sadness or anger, the lips narrow, but the surface below the lips, sometimes tion the three-muscle press, and it's a
the mouth does not shorten. You can even more so. This is an important key part of the look of suppression in
see why ií you press your Iips together part of the look of pressed lips and the stifled smile, the stifled sob, and
and at the same time probe your cheek helps distinguish an active, tensed suppressed anger.
with a finger. On the side oí your face, mouth from one that merely happens
you'lI íeel muscles deep underneath to have thin lips. Other Funclions
the surface tightening as you press in Shading the mouth's surroundings There are times when the rnouth is
on your Iips. The comer oí the mouth is so that they look properly curved is the open and the orbicularis oris contracts.
being flXed in place by sorne oí the key to capturing the action oí the or- When that accurs, the effect of its con-
muscles attaching to it, and the result bicularis oris. Note also the relative traction is not to close the mouth, or to
is it stays put while the rest oí the brightness oí the lower lip compared to press the lips together, but rather to
mouth shrinks. the upper lip; as in many of our facial thin the lips by curling them inward
The lips narrow by curling in on expressions, when the lips are tight- and tightening them. This action
themselves, not so much disappearing ened, the upper edge of the lower lip straightens the inner margin or the
into the mouth as condensing, Iike a becomes more of a shelf, catching the lips, particularly the upper lip; it's an
towel being wrung out. The result is light from above. The light on the lips important part oí the look oí the mouth
two skinny, tightly curved edges, with changes very sharply from the shadow in angry shouting.
only a trace oí red lip still showing. lf on the upper lip to the bridge edge of The orbicularis oris also has a spe-
you perform the lip press and trace the the lower lip. cialized branch (many anatomists treat
surface from the base of your nose to Very oiten when the orbicularis oris it as a separate musc\e) that puJls the
the LBL with your finger, you'll feel it tightens to compress the mouth, it's mouth corners toward each other, as in
curve out and then in again: the reverse joined by the action of triangularis and saying the word flirt or lool. This O
of its relaxed curve. There's a feeling oí mentalis. The three muscles comple- shaped mouth is often a part oí the
fullness to the surface, as though one ment each other's actions perfectly, expression oí surprise.

ORBICUlARIS ORIS: THE lIP TIGHTENER

T he ar bicularis aris moy olso contrae! with the mauth Another odian af orbicularis aris is pursing the lips. This is
apeno Either lip moy tighten without the other, as in the ¡he wark af speciolized fibers colled incisivis that pull the
speoking mouth (Al, where only the upper lip is tensed. mou!h corners together, shortening the lips and pushing
them autward. The lips pushed out fram the foce create o
sharp shadow below (Al.

lOS
 MORE ABOUT ORBICUlARIS ORIS

Allochments of incisivis. The incisivis

originales on jowbones above and
below the lip (A) and atloches lo
moulh corners (B). Bosic oclion is sim-
ple: AII sections oel together, pulling
moulh corners loward eoch olher.

There is a muscular knol 01 ¡he moulh

corner thick enough lo see ond lo feel.
You con see il in three-quarter views,
where il always mokes a subtle extra
curve al the level of ¡he mouth (e). The
knol is ¡he group ollachmenl of zy~
gomatic mojor (D), triongularis (E),
risorius (F), and severol olher muscles
lo ¡he orbicularis aris, holding il in
place. On sorne foces, ¡he entire oval
form of orbicularis con be sen sed un-
derneath ¡he surface, li ke a seetían of
a cone (G). e
~--

G
•

In ¡he shouting moulh, bolh lips

are tight ond thin.

109
The Open Mouth
Most expressions are intensified wh\!n with very liu[e difficulty; a slight extra two sections, tends to bend in the cen-
the mouth is opened-the mouth is bend in the comer can turn a laugh into ter and curve gently upward toward
usually apened to add something to a a scream. the two corners, making a V-shape. It
response. The smile. when vocaliza- 'lñe point of reference for our de- also appears thicker: the lifting of the
tion is added. beoomes the laugh; the scription of the open mouth is the way upper lip expose its wKle upper sur-
frightened mouth apens to emit a it looks when it is merely opeo, with lace. 1be upper lip bends where its
scream; the sad rnouth utters a cry. none of the surrounding muscJes at tbree sections meet; the outer wings
Even the relaxed open mouth, depend- work. We'lI thus have a basis lar com- seem to hinge off the center, making a
ing on the look of the eye and brow, parison with open mouths that are not square-arch sha pe. The more the
may suggest the face of astonishment relaxed. mouth opens, the more sharply the
orpassiofL A 5troll through thedepart- The lips part slightly when we wings swing down.
ment of primitive art in a large mu- breathe. When people are engaged in
seum reveals that much of the work is physical activity, their lips part more Oval-shaped Open;ng
in agreement with this principIe-in often as their breathing rate rises. The The net result is an oval-shaped open-
masks, sculptures. and carvings from average person, walking, opens the ing, with just the tips ol the teeth
arou nd the world, few mou ths are mouth íairly often: the average jogger showing. This contrasts sharply with
closed. These are face s full oí energy keeps the mOllth opeo. The association the way the mouth is shaped in laugh-
and often strong emotion. of slighUy parted lips with sexual activ- ing, crying, or angry shouting, when
The ¡evator ¡abii superioris (the ity (wtúeh can increase breathing rates the inner marg in is much more
sneering rnuscle), the zygomatic major quite a lot) is one that has been ex- squared-off and angular, and whole
(the smi ling muscle), and the ris- ploited by advertisers íor years. rows oí teeth, either upper or lower,
orius/platysma (the lip stretcher). are are exposed. Large areas oí teeth
the key muscJes in the creation of The Jaw Drops showing always indicate an expression
.
open-rnouthed expressions. The de- The dropping oí the lower jaw pulls the In progress.
pressor tabú infen'oris, wtúeh pulls the lips apart. As the lower jaw drops, The dropping of the jaw also affects
Iower lip downward, also plays a minor space appears between the teeth. The the shape oí the whole lower half of lhe
role. comer where the two lips meet is face. It gets longer, of course, and the
pulled downward slighUy and inward. outline has a stretched and olten
To reach this new joining point, the hollowed-out look to it, as the skin
NEUTRAL POSITIONS upper and lower lip alter in shape. spans between its points of support on
Opportunities for inadvertently replac- The upper lip, pressed against the the cheekbone and the ehin. The ehin
ing one expression with another in the ftxed upper jaw, changes less than the has nol only moved downward, but
open mOllth are numerous, as with the lower. The moving lower lip has to backward as welJ-this is clear from a
cJosed mouth. An att ractive open strelch and bend more to reach the side view. From in front, the face ap-
mouth can grade into a sneering mouth mouth comer. The lip, composed of pears narrower.

HOW THE MOUTH (HANGES SHAPE AS IT OPENS

Corefully observing lhe woy Ihe moulh looks when reloxed ond o pen will help us see more deorly Ihe woy ils shope
changes when we're hoppy, ongry. or sod. The oval shape of Ihe apening is Ihe key. In masl expressions it squores off
dramolicolly; in none (excepl surprise) is il aval. Nole Ihol os moulh drops, lower [ip slretches more Ihon upper, os il fa[-
laws dropping leelh.

IlO
Think of the upper lip os divided in
thirds. The cenler third, with dip and
peaks, is held in place by teeth. The
ouler legs "hinge" off Ihe cenler ond
angle down lo moulh corners. The
lower lip oppears Ihicker becouse Ihe
wide upper surfoce (A), normally cov-
ered by the upper lip, is exposed. The
lop 000 fronl of the lip ore seen.

-
tNNER QUTlINE

There is a sharp break where the in-

ocr edges of lhe two lips meel (B).
The lower lip lends lo bend righl in the
middle, forming a V or wishbone
shape; Ihe legs curve up lo corners
and are less angular Ihan Ihe upper
lip. When Ihe open moulh is reloxed,
anly ¡ips of ¡he leelh show and only in
Ihe cenler of ¡he moulh.

This pose suggesls singing or yawn-

ing. Wilh Ihe jow opened os much os
possible, Ihe cone-like fOfm of Ihe
moulh setting is mosl apporenl
through slrelched skin (e ). Creases
brackel the mouth on eilher side. Nar-
rowing of the face is made even slron-
ger by Ihe slrelching of Ihe skin from
cheekbone la chin (D). Oflen Ihe oul-
line here con be concave, wilh a
hollowed-out look.

111
 lEVAlOR lAOl1 SUPERIORIS: lHE OPEN-MOUlHED SNEER

If ¡he putl of the sneering muscle, levalar labíi superioris, is

strong enough, ¡he upper lip is lifled up from the lower, ex-
pasing ¡he fran! ¡eeth. The only other expression ¡ha! fully
exposes ¡he fronlleelh is ¡he smile, ond ¡he Iwo can hardly
be canfused. What con be canfused with Ihe sneer, how-
ever, is !he arched upper lip. •

Arched upper lip vs. Ihe sneer. People with arched upper
l ips form en importon! minorily group, like left-honders.
The orch moy be foirly high (Alar lower, with only o tiny
gap between Ihe lips. The center par! is never more ¡han
one-Ihird ¡he length of ¡he upper lip, ond side ongles ore
nol steep. The lower lip line is flal. The sneer occurs when •
¡he ce nter is elongated and side ongles ore sleep (B). The -
lower lip is unoffecled.

•
This (e ) is a sneer creoled
by ¡he middle bronch of Ihe
sneering muscle. Expres-
sions ore oflen osymmelri-
cal; here pull is slronger on
the right. Landmarks:
deepened nasolobiol fold,
especiolly by nose (O); up-
per lip line wi th sleep ouler
legs; lillle curl obove lip
cenler (E). A sneer moy be
so osymmetricol lhol one-
holf of Ihe lip is lololly re-
loxed, as in (F).

112
TUE SNEER: open, we subject the lower face to 00 the lace. The lower lip, being lar-
LEVATOR LABn SUPERIORIS changes very similar to those seen ther from the direction of the pull,
The open-mouthed sneer is actually with a closed-mouth smile. The mus- stretches outward and upward. AII this
part of many expressions. Besides its cular action ¡nvolved, the contractioo of angularity cootrasts sharply with the
obvious role in the face of disgust, leva- the zygomatic major, is exactly the oval form of the relaxed mouth.
tor labii superioris helps sQuare off the same. Why do we smile sometimes The smiling upper lip itself becomes
upper lip in the expression of anger and with teeth showing and sometimes a simple shape: two parallel lines, ta-
sadness. In the angry mouth, for ex- without? Perhaps the closed-mouth pering at either end. lt's like a piece of
ample, the upper teeth are fully ex- smile is caused by a very slight coo- red tape stretching around the curve of
posed, there's a deep fold alongside the traction of the lip-tightener, orbicularis the teeth. It loses any wriokles or jo-
nose, and the upper lip has a SQuare- oris, aod its relaxation allows the smile oer plaoe turniogs it may have had io
arch shape- sure signs the sneering to opeo. the relaxed mouth.
muscle is active. Of course, the wider the smile, the
The upper teeth are exposed in the more likely the mouth is to open. And jf The Teelh
open-mouthed sneer. An extra pull laughter is iovolved, the jaw drops and The way the teeth show is importaot.
separates the lips, but otherwise acts space appears between the teeth. As A host of negative expressions- fear,
only on the upper lip, leaving the lower the jaw drops io laughter, the maio anger, sadness- expose the lower
lip relaxed. An entire row of teeth are change io the smile is an increasingly teeth. A smile where we see lots of
exposed, as opposed to just tips in the vertical directioo of the upward leg of upper and lower teeth may well be a bit
relaxed mouth. In fact, any expression the lower lip. Observe this 00 yourself 00 the forced side. Be careful to not

where the full row of upper teeth are and notice how stable the shapes are in overdo the lines between the teeth.
showing can only involve one of two all the other portioos of the lips. They're not nearly as dark as they look,
muscles: either the soeering muscle or aod are best merely hinted at, not
the smiliog muscle, zygomatic major. Drawing the lips drawn in fulL
Uoder most circumstances, the two The inner rim of the lips is the key to
differeot actioos are unmistakable. drawing the opeo-mouthed smile. lo The Smile in l is Surroundings
fact, the obvious way to begin to draw Both the laugh and the smile are
the smile is to start with the inoer stretched tightly around the barrellike
TUE SMILE: outlioe, and work outward. Keep in form of the middle face, and both are
ZYGOMATIC MAJOR mind as you draw that the edge of the framed by the nasolabial fold above and
One can never say too much about the smile is curviog sharply around the the rope-like "chinstrap" below. The
smile. The open-mouthed smile is per- teeth and being drawn back into the net result is that the smile looks as ii it
haps the first expression most people face. The sense of elasticity and were recessed into a thick, angled
attempt to draw. Rendering all those stretching, and of tumiog planes, gives frame.
curved surfaces and edges so that they a solid feeling to the smile. This sense of the smile turning
look right takes a fair amount of prac- From the front view, the inner edge within a frame can be expressed by
tice. Having a feeling for the perspec- of the smile is like the bow used in attent ion to shadows. In fact, the
tive of curves helps, too, when it archery, with the upper ljp the bow- shadow pattem of a smile is so recog-
comes to rendering the smile from var- string, the lower lip the bow. The up- nizable it can be expressed with just
ious angles. per lip tends to be as straight as it is simple black-and-white shapes, defin-
When we smile with our mouth because the muscular pull is at its level ing what faces up and what faces down.

113
· ZYGOMATIC MAJOR: THE OPEN-MOUTHED SMIl!

In drowing Ihe smile, the

challenge i5 visualizing Ihe
Ihird dimension whi le work-
in9 in only Iwo. The smile-
deepened nosolobial fold,
for example, swings oul-
word 01 45 degrees (A), bu!
al Ihe sorne lime ¡,'s moving
bockword (opposite pagel.
The reoson lhe lee!h, chin,
and upper lip begin lo
dorken (. ) is fhot !hol's
where !hey're turning fa Ihe
side, owoy from Ihe lighl.

In !his schemolic represenlotion of Ihe pi ones af Ihe smile,

Ihe fronl portion af Ihe smile is relotively flol; Ihe sides on-
gle shorply bockward. lhe "cords" (D) thol frome Ihe smile
con be seeo as coolinuin9 Ihe fron! plone of Ihe face, while
Ihe dimple (E) foUs around Ihe comer, on lhe side of Ihe
face. Noteh is 01 (F).

114
ZYGOMATIC MAJOR: THE OPEN-MOUTHED IMllE

In ¡he apen smile, the lips always poin! in Ihe general di ·

reelion of ¡he lower parl of ¡he ear. A nolch exlends be-
yond where ¡he leeth end (A)¡ il does nol follow ¡he curve
of ¡he leeth . The lips turn lo ¡he side di rectlY1below ¡he end
of ¡he base of ¡he nose (B). One deep, ongled crease
aboye ¡he moulh afien lurns inlo tWQ shollower creoses be-
low (e ). The smile has o nolch in ¡he corner, shert, norrow,
and bending awoy from ¡he res! of ¡he lip. It can either an-
gle up or 90 stroight across. It's ol ways in deep shadow
ond is afIen crossed al ¡he end by a deep, almos! vertical -
fold, like ¡he bar crossing o t (D). (E) marks ¡he turning on
¡he fer side, where le eth and lips a re sharply
foreshortened .

li S
 ZYGOMATI( MAJOR: THE OPEN·MOUTH IMIlE

W hen the zygomotic mojor conlrocls, ¡he ovol of ¡he reloxed moulh is slretched
inlo o more angular shope. The smile is ¡he resul l of ¡he pull of the muscle work-
ing ogoinst ¡he resislonce of ¡he leelh. The leelh keep ¡he smile flal in the mid-
die (Al; (B) lines mork where lips ore pulled free of leelh end turo lo poin! back
lowcrd ¡he eors, in Ihe direction of rhe pull. The upper lip is olwoys stroighler-
¡he pull is neorly 01 ils heighl. The lower lip hos forlher lo go, so il angles more.
Note difference in ¡he cuter legs (el.

The upper lip in the smile is The lower lip is much less
bosicollyo simple shope- uniformo The Ihick, rounded
flol and curved like a piece cenler section canlrosls
of tope, topering al eaeh wilh Ihe Ihin, ongled ouler
end. The center par! slill legs. The cenler porl looks
hos ¡Is Cupid's bow, thicker becouse Ihe lop sur-
slrelched wide bul nol en- foce is exposed. The cenler
'irely lost. The ouler legs con be Ihoughl of os Iwo
move off Ihe leelh ond egg forms, si de by side, 01-
chonge direction, curving loched lo Ihin hondles. The
orourtd lo Ihe side. Look for ouler legs break shorply
subtle break in oUlline, wilh Ihe cenler directly be-
chonge in tone. lowo simi lar break in Ihe
upper lip. The upper edge
is shorp ond oflen colches
brighl lighls, conlrosling
wilh Ihe deep shadow
obove il.

Three Iypes of upper lip line in Ihe smile: (D) ond (E) ore
neorly slroighl (D curves slighlly upword ond E slighlly
downword); (F) is strongly bowed upward-oll hove a
flal middle section; Ihe voriolion is in Ihe curve of Ihe ouler
legs. Remember Ihol perspective will change Ihe opparenl
direclion of Ihese curves.

116
 ZYGOMATIC MAJOR: THE OPEN-MOUTH SMIlE

lhe open-moulhed smile expressed

os a pottern of ¡igh! and dark, Ihe
ligh! seen as falling from aboye. lhe
deepest shadow$ are planes tho! un-
dercul¡ deep shodows olso noleh 01
lip comer ond under top edge of up-
per tipo (A ) shows Ihe undercul of
cheek, where Ihe nasolabiel fold is
deepest. (U) shows noleh ond rape-
like maund olongside: (e) i5 a carleon
versian of Ihe sorne Ihing.

This drowing isololes the frome Ihol

fromes Ihe lough. The sense is of Iwo
ropes, slorling where Ihe nosolobiol
fold ends ond "melting" inlo Ihe chino
The dimple morks Ihe outs-ide of Ihe
frome. The "rape" is more dislincl in
the lough. An extra line forms (e ) os
the chin folds ogainsl neck.

A laugh is a smile with spoce between Ihe !eeth. lhe ene Ihing oboul Ihe moulh
tho! is differenl is Ihe outer Jegs of Ihe lower lip-these angle upward mueh
more steeply (A), os does Ihe nasolabiol fold (B). lhe sharp turn in Ihe upper
lip is clear in ¡his laugh . Note tha! Ihe full raw of !eeth and tips of lower leeth
are exposed; o dislressed moulh will show a full row of lower leelh.

ll7
THE STRETCHED LoWER LIP: oi it as a sort oi an unrolled turtleneck, lip is stretched straight and taut, and
Rlso. rus (AND PLATYSMA) a broad, thin sheath rising up írom the the upper lip bends. '!be sideways pul!
You may see people on the street cor- col.larbones and upper chest and at- tends to shove the lower lip back into
rugating their corrugators, flexing taching a11 along the lower part of the the face, pressing it up against the
their frontalis, or even trying out a face. Actually, it's oruy thefront half of teeth and flattening its subtle curves
little one-sided sneering; but don't look the turtleneck. Platysma covers the into a single ribbon. The entire lower
for any demonstrations of the risorius; front hali oi the neck and shoulders, lip becomes uniform-a straight line
that is, unless you're living in a combat then stops abruptly before reaching above, a nearly parallel straight margin
zone. The risorius, the muscle oí the the back. The part we're interested in below.
stretched Iower liD> is oot only a muscle comes up from the side of the neck and The signature wrinkle of the ris-
of the distressed face, it's the only one runs underneath the risorius to attach orius/platysma is a bracketlike fold tbat
tbat appears onJy in extreme dislress, to the mouth cornero appears under the mouth, starting at
and oot otherwise. We don't see it in You can see how closely lower-lip either mouth comer. In shape it's like
the face oí someone who's merely sad, stretching and neck tensing are linked an extremely elongated, sQuare U, de-
for example, but if they get even sadder pressed into the face. It's deepest
and begin to cry, that's when the ris- where it begins at the mouth comer,
orius will appear. Just being afraid or creating a crease that angles down-
angry isn't enough, but we have to be ward. It appcars when the action is
scared out of our wits, or angry enough strong.
to be dangerous. lt's sort of the ambu- A strang action of the lip stretcher,
lance chaser oCthe facial musculature, as occurs in crying, will also bunch up
waiting for something cataclysmic to the tace to either side of the mouth.
occur befare il stirs into action. Two wide, ropelike mounds, similar to
At one time, risorius was thought to those tbat appear in laughing (but less
be a muscle oCpleasurable expressions. well defined), frame the mouth and
Even now there is no firm agreement seem to hook underneath the chin
among anatomists on the role of the
risorius; sorne say that other fiber s, The SqOOTe Mouth
parallel and slightly deeper, do most of In all the open mouth expressions, the
the job of stretching the Iower lip, and way the teeth show tells you a lot about
the risorius is a minar player at best. the nature of the face. 1be risorius
Others say that the risonus is the main exposes the lower row oí teeth, not the
agent, and the deeper muscle, the upper, and these are seen a11 the way
Romon mask of Iragedy. Since ancienl
plalysma, lhe neck tenser, is the side- acrass the mouth, not just in the cen-
limes Ihe squore moulh sho pe creoled
kick. Since this is a matter for the anat- ter. When all the Iower teeth are show-
by risorius / platysma has appeared in
omists to sort out, we'll compromise, orl as Ihe personificolion of horror. ing, it's abad signo The upper teeth,
and say that the risoriuslplatysma however, remain hidden even if the
does the jobo mouth is open wide. In the expression
by trying it on yourself. As soon as you of anger, where the risorius is active,
Attachments and Actions begin to stretch your lower lip side- the upper teeth are seen because the
The risorius is Quite simple in its con- ways, you can feel a corresponding upper lip has been lifted by the sneer-
struction. It attaches to the muscular tension in the neck; ir the action is ing muscle.
knot at the mouth comer, along with strong enough, you'U see thin vertical The net result of the actions of the
the triangularis and zygomatic majar. pillars rise up from the surface oi the risorius/platysma is to produce the
Each of these muscles acts on the cor- neck folded by the action of platysma. "sQuare mouth" shape tbat is a crucial
ner in a difierent way: triangularis component of the faces of crying, fear,
pulls it down and out, zygomatic majar FJJects on the Lip and and anger. Anatomists have specu-
up and back. The risorius pulls the Its Surroundings lated that the lip stretching action is
mouth comer toward its own origin, a When the lip stretcher contracts, the related to the preparation of the mouth
layer oí connective tiber overlaying the lower lip is the one most strongly ai- for screaming, and tbat our ancestors
back oi the jaw. fected. In the smile, the upper lip is long ago found the shape an efficient
The p1atysma, however, is as much a stretched straight and the lower lip one to produce a piercing, attention-
muscle oí the neck as of the face. Think bends; with the lip stretcher, the lower getting sound.

118
 RISORIUS/PLATYSMA: THE LOWER LlP STRETCHERS

The risorius/plolysmo is o muscle of extreme circum- stretches, the neck tenses. This conneclion hos prompled
slences. The oc! of stretching ¡he lower lip- creoting ¡he analomisls lo consider Ihe link belween Ihe risorius and the
Nsquare moulh N-is nol ene we do casually or converso- neck.tenser, platysma . Their respeclive roles ore still un-
tionally, like lowering ¡he brows. When the lower lip certain, bul one octian definilely colls forlh the other.

The r¡sorius (A) inserls inlo the muscular knol of ¡he corner
of the moulh 01 the sorne ¡acalion os zygomatic major ond
trionguloris. lt originales on o (onnective layer aver ¡he up-
right leg of ¡he jaw. When il conlracls, il pulls ¡he mouth
corner straight backward.

The plolysmo (B) is a Ihin shroud ¡ha! hangs clown from

¡he lower foce and covers ¡he fronl of ¡he neck. It moy ex·
lend clown post ¡he collorbones onto the ches!. The fibers
of ils si de portion (e) run parcllel ond beneolh Ihose of ¡he
risorius; il loo atloches to the mouth corner. 8esides pulling
Ihe mouth corner straight bock, il tenses ¡he ski n of the
neck, raising thin, verticol wrinkles.

119
 RISORIUS/PlATYSMA: THE lOWER lIP STRETCHIRS

A ctions af risorius/plalysmo. When

Ihe risorius / plolysma contrad, the
moulh corners are drown sidewoys.
The ocljan-hos muen more effecl on
the lower lip Ihon !he upper. The pull
is primarily 01 lower lip leve!. The
•
lower lip is slretehed inlo o loul, even
bond, with stroight-line upper ond
lower edges. The lip becomes slighlly
more recessed ond as a resuli is sur-
rounded with a 50ft fold, slretehed be-
Iween moulh corners-Ihe signolure
wrinkle. The entire fronl row af lower
leelh are bored. In ¡he masl visible
conlribulion of platysmo, roised
bonds oppeor on the fronl and sides
af th e neck (G ).

A. Rectangular ¡nsel below lower lip,

where skin is fla/tened 090in51 chino
B. 50ft, rope·like bulges oppeor here,
exlending down lO jaw.
c. Middle portion of upper lip moslly
unchanged; outer legs hinge outwo rd •
and slrelch slighlly down lo moolh
comer.
D. Wide moulh. Brockels oroond

,
mouth form when oclion is slrong,
deepesl 01 corners. Upper leelh
hidden. F

E. Inner oulline of reloxed moulh.

F. Inner oulline of lensed moulh. This ''q 9 "ji!'"
is Ihe "sqlj(]re moulh" shape; nole
corner ongle.

120
LoWER-LIP CURL: and each runs from the Iower lip down SUMMARY
DEPRESSOR LABIJ INFERIORIS to the chino The two strands contract In this chapter I've laid out the expres-
Finally, we arrive at a musde that has together and curl the entire lower lip sive vocabulary we have available to
no reputation, few enemies, and not straight down, exposing more red area us-the raw materials from which fa-
coincidentallya very minor role to play and showing the entire lower row oí cial expressions are made. At times,
in facial expression. The impressively teeth. just a si mpl e c hange from the
named depressor labii inferioTis (de- The lower lip forms a thick sQuare U neutral-an open mouth, a down-
pressor of the lower lip) is the muscle with a well-defined edge rurming along turned eye-can enliven the face
that curls the lower lip downward, and most oí its lower margino The ris- enough for sorne purposes. To under-
if that doesn't strike you as a very dra- orius/platysma, which also expose s stand how the face communicates
matic movement, you're correcto I've the lower teeth, stretches the lip and more complex physical and emotional
included it because it is a key muscle in widens the mouth, two things that do states-pain, fatigue. sorrow-we
the act of speaking and does appear, in oot happen with the lower lip curl. The will next explore how the various ele-
combination with other, more expres- way the teeth are uncovered is differ- ments combine. In sorne cases, mus-
sive muscles, in a few of the expres- ent as well: the depressor labü inferi- eles that have been described in soli-
sions I've illustrated. oris bares the teeth down to the gums, tary action will be seen teaming up
There are two strands of this mus- fur ther than with the risorius. with other muscles, creating facial
ele, one on the leít, one on the right. The chin may wrinkle slightly. changes that retain elernents of both.

DEPRESSOR LABII INfERIORIS: THE LOWER LIP CURL

T he depressor labii inferioris is designed lo pull Ihe botlom of the lower lip
slraighl downword. lis fixed, bony origin is on the edge of the ¡ow, on either •
side of the chino lis olher eod is stilched iolo Ihe botlom edge of the lower lip
OM the lip circliog muscle, orbicularis oris. Wheo il coolrocls, it pulls the lip
loword the jaw.

121
 DEPRESSOR LABII INFERIORIS: THE LOWER LIP (URL

The lower lip curl offecls only ¡he lower lip, ond neither ¡he
upper lip, nor the moulh surroundings ore changed (the
ehin moy wrinkle o bit). The lip is gently lurned inside-oul
and lokes a shape like half of a doughnut-Ihicker laok-
ing ond with a steep undercul beneolh. The lip curl is pri- •
morily en odion of speech.

122
DEPRESSOR LABII INFERIORI!: THE LOWER lIP (URL

From side view, ¡lis cleor how Ihe oc-

lian of ¡he depressor rabii inferioris
pulls ¡he lip out from ¡he foce, expos-
ing the lower leeth .

MOUTH RElAXED CONTRACTION OF RISORIUS

The lower lip in the reloxed open moulh looks thicker, bul
is nol curled out from foce. Only tips of ¡he lower leelh are
exposed. In risorius controction, a full rQW of lower leelh
ore exposed, bul ¡he lips are slrelched ond ¡he moulh
widens. Depressor Jobii inferioris, by contras! exposes
lower leelh down lo the rools, ereales deep overhong un-
der ¡he JipI ond doesn', slrelch or tighten ¡he lip.

123
Part Three

-
 ANI>
THE FACE

T he relationship of emotion and the

tace is fascinat ing and complexo
Three questions are worth examining
search has been done not only here,
but a11 over the world, and attempts
have been made to compare responses
Whg certain expressions are left out
There are other expressions that
might occur to us that do oot seern to
befare we look at the specific expres~ between one culture and another. faH into any oí the above categories.
sions: What are the maio facial expres~ These are mostly oí three sorts: (1)
sioos? How universal are they? How su ba$ic categories subjective and drcumstantial; (2) oue
much can we really tell from the face? Qne researcher, Paul Ekrnan, com- of the basic six, but by another name;
Psychologi sts and anthropologists piled a list of every study oí this kind he (3) a blend of two oí the basic six. Let's
have had much to say of interest to could locate. There is a convincing pat- look at these groups one at a time.
artists on all these subjects. tem to the result; most researchers
conclude that there are certain univer- 1. SubjectWe and Circumstantial
THE FUNDAMENTAL EXPRESSIONS sal expressions, and over aod over There is a lengthy list oí expressions
1 have shown a lot of pictures of the again, the sarne six categories of ex- that beloog in this category: faces that
face to people in the course of writing pressioo carne up: sadness, aoger, I'rn dead certain 1 see, but you see as
this book. 1 wanted to find out ii there joy, fear, disgust, and surprise. Photo- very different. Qnly ineluding those 1
were certain expressions, oí the many graphs that fell into one oí these cate- have seen described io various books,
l'd collected 00 file, which would be gories were seen in the same way by 1 could list reverence, greed, vanity,
seen in a similar way. And there were most people; photographs that showed flirtatiousness, suspicion, stubborn-
sorne faces that inspired nearly univer- other expressions were not generally ness, jealousy, stupidity, shyness, pity,
sal agreement; sorne were so clear, in agreed oo. As a result of such surveys, disappointment, expectation, hate, and
fact, that people 1 showed them to were most psychologists have concluded remorse. Take a picture- of the tace
oot only able to pinpoint the emotion, that these six categories, and only only-that you are convinced shows
but were able to make sorne sur- these six, should be considered as aoy oí the aboye feelings, show it to
prisingly good guesses at what was universal. twenty people for their impressions,
happening when the photos were 1 also inelude, in ao appendix, de- and chances are you wil! get at least
taken Even sorne faces 1 thought too scriptions of those expressions that fifteen different responses. There
subtle to be recognized were seen as are the product oí physical states. would be no pattem of agreement as
expressing the same thing by almost These inelude paio, sleepiness, pas- you would get with asad face or ao
everyone. sion, and physical exertion. Like the angry one.
Asking people their immediate im- emotional expressions, these are faces Remember that we are coofioiog
pression of a photograph of a face is, in everyooe shares, but in terms of in- ourselves to what we can leam from
íact, a basic method psychologists have stant recognition, they tend to be the face alone. lf you want to depict
also used in their investigations. Re- slightly more arnbiguous. shyness, for example, aod create a sto-

126
THE SIX BASIC FACiAl EXPRESS ION S

ANGER

JOY FEAR

127
rytelling picture with a young woman those expresslOns he observed in men are free to express it. It's an inter-
with a slight smile and downcast eyes England were the same as those esting and important topic, but one
being courted by an ardent young man, described elsewhere. This conelusion that is beyond the scope of this book.
you could certainly get the message has been supported by many recent But no matter what a particular society
across. But if you crop the picture so it studies oí the subject, sorne of people is used to seeing, the recognition of
just shows the girl's face, it becomes who had no previous contact with any the expressions we discuss will remain
imIX'lssible to interpret the downcast, outside society. unaffected. In a country where public
smiling look in just one particular way. displays of, say, anger are rare, people
Out of context, it might be seen as Why Do We All Smile tire Same Way? will still know an angry face when they
embarrassed or self-satisíied. Bona Being of a curious and inquiring bent, see one.
fide expressions do not need the con- Darwin then attempted to find out why
text to be readable; circumsfantial ex- people with no cultural links vent their
How Much Can We Telllrom the Face?
pressions do. emotions in identical ways. He eventu-
Emotions can often be readable from
ally coneluded that expressions are in-
the face; moods are sornething else
2. The Same, but by Another Name nate, rather than learned, behavior. If .
agam.
Many of the names for expressions we had to be wugh( to smile, everyone
Moods are states of mind that we
that might occur to us as universally would do it differently. Smiling, crying,
carry with us on a daily basis. Emo-
recognizable are simply other names and the other emotional expressions
tions are the intense, ofte n over-
for sadness, anger, joy, fear, disgust, thus fall into the category oí instinctive
whelming bursts of feeling that arise,
or surprise. Worry for example, is a behavior.
only occasionally for rnost of us, in re-
less intense version oí fear. Stenmess According to Darwin, the universal
sponse to sorne powerful stimulus.
is a mild version of anger (as is, per- facial expressions can be traced back
To what extent are these day-to-day
haps, stubbomess). Disdain is a re- either to our cornmon prehistoric an-
moods visible on the face? Let's 'take
strained version of disgusto Terror, as- cestors or to our infancy, when they
the example of fear. It is a fact of nature
tonishment, and apprehension are all performed SorIlt:: useful, instinctive
that if we are terrified enough, in re-
synonyrns for fear. function. Even though they have long
SIX'lnse to sorne cataclysrnic event, our
ago ceased to be of any use, adults
response will be etched on the face.
3. A Blend 01 Two 01 the Basic Six continue to perform these expressions
Fear sends a rnassive, sudden jolt
Certain fascinating faces may inelude through habit any time the feeJing orig-
through the nervous system, provok-
aspects of more than one emotion. A inally associated with the expression
ing a host of physical reactions: in-
sad smile may look sensitive, or bit- arises. Primitive man, for example,
creased rate oi heartbeat and breath-
tersweet; a surprised srnile may look snarled when he was angry, because
ing; a fresh dose of adrenaline; and the
dazzled, or happily amazed. Fear can exposing the sharp canine teeth was a
spasmodic contraction oí certain invol-
mix with surprise; anger can mingle way of threatening to bite somebody.
untary facial museles, creating the face
with disgust. We know that facial ex- Modero people still snarl when angry
of ter ror.
pressions are full of suggestiveness enough, without the slightest intention
But how about a Iong-term mood of
and nuance. It seems, however, that of biting anyone or the awareness that
anxiety? Well, that depends. As well-
behind this complexity, there is a sim- biting has anything to do with what's
socialized adults, we are used to cop-
ple pattern: six fundamental categories happening to the face
ing; going about our daily life and social
that, in their blendings and varying de-
activities in spite of a disruptive inner
grees of intensity, account for the corn-
When Do Babies Recognize Smiles? mood of anxiety, or, say, depression.
plexity we see.
According to Darwin, and imIX'lrtant to We have a social mask that can pretty
this book, our ability to perceive emo- well disguise any modest attack of
DARWIN AND THE QUESTION
tion from the face is also innate. We mood . An acquaintance may know
OF UNIVERSALITY don't have to be taught the connection we're anxious only by indirect clues:
Charles Darwin was the first to sug- between asad expression and a miser- we're not as animated as usual, or we
gest that facial expression is a univer- able state of mind. We know it without seem nervous or jurnpy. lt is unlikely to
sallanguage ever having to think about it. In fact, be made so obvious that someone
Darwin prepared a questionnaire on Darwin claims that such a connection might come up to us and say, ''Are
expression, which he sent out to mis- can be rnade by children in the first you having an anxiety problem or
sionaries, teachers, and colonialists in year of life. something?"
remote parts of the British Empire. Another crosscultural issue (not So the answer to the question, can
The questionnaire asked respon- mentioned by Darwin) is how people in we read someone's mood in his face,
dents to note the expressions of ab- different societies repress certain is- sort of. We can interpret a particu-
original peoples. From this survey, emotions and express others. There lar emotional expression as suggesting
along with many years of his own ob- are many societies where wornen rnust an overall mood: "He looks so glowing
servations, Darwin coneluded that repress their anger, for example, but and happy, he must be in love."

128
T hese two faces (below ond righl) 80lh elemenls of Ihe code musl be
bolh demonslrole Ihe expression of presenl for surprise lo be recognized .
surprise, bul Ihey ore poles oporl in Removing eilher will droslicolly
every olher respecl. The phologroph chonge whol we perceive. If, for ex-
(below), wilh ils mechonicol recording omple, Ihe cirdes oround Ihe eyes (1)
of deloil , exemplifies Ihe literal, un- ore removed (2 ), Ihe expression is losl.
selective opprooch. By conlrosl, Ihe The circles oround Ihe dols simulole
shell foce (righl) has only Ihose deloils Ihe surprised eyes' roised lids. In sur-
Ihol ore essenliol lo idenlify Ihe ex- prise, Ihe eyes hove more conlrol over
pression of surprise. These essenliol Ihe look Ihon Ihe moulh. When Ihe
deloils form Ihe "code" for Ihe expres- moulh is widened (3 ), Ihe expression
sion: on O-shoped moulh ond wid- chonges lillle; when Ihe eyes ore wid-
ened eyes. ened (4 ), Ihe oslonishmenl in Ihe foce
oppeors lo increase. The moulh is cru-
cial in expressing fear. Feor is seen if
o blunl wedge shape is subsliluled far
Ihe cirde (5 ).

I
• • • •
•
,
•--"
2 3
•
4
- s
How W E RECOGNIZE EXPRESSIONS dix each expression is drawn with the controlling the degree of emotion in a
The art of communicating an emotion fewest details necessary. particular face. When it comes to de-
does not depend on photographic pre- gree, the determining factor is usually
cision, on the accurate drawing of ev· How Much of the Face & Invowed? the eye. The eye by itself will not make
ery wr inkle. Underlying every expres- An expression will only be clear and an angr y or joyous look, but if the other
sion is a sort of code, a limited set of unambiguous when there is action in elements required are present, cbang-
elements that are the real basis of our bolh the eyeslbrow and the mouth at ing only the eye will generally have a
recognition. For the code to be read- once. Draw a face with angry eyes but much larger impact on the iace as a
able, we do not need to be looking at a with a neutral mouth, and it might be whole than changing any other feature.
detailed rendering of a realistic tace, interpreted several ways by several You can alter the eye to make a face
with every feature painted just so. You observers. One might see the face as look angrier and angrier, with very lit-
can make a potato look angry with a pen stern, another as intense, a third as tle change to anything else; however,
knife and sorne toothpicks if you know perplexed. Add an angry mouth, and though the happy eye is cr ucial to the
what you're doing! the message of the face will be univer- bappy face, if you alter it too much
The genius of cartoonists and primi- sally recognized. without changing anything else, it
tive artists has often been expressed Or look in a mirror and smile. Al!ow starts to look very peculiar and out of
in the invention oí extraordinary and as líule change in the area around your place.
unexpected graphic substitutes for eyes as you can-keep them open
features and their actions-the ele- wide. The face you see reflected Subtle va. Extreme
ments of the code. The variety of solu- doesn't look particularly happy; it Each of the six expressions are pre-
tions tbat have appeared is worthy of doesn't look particularly anything, ex- sented in pictures tbat start with the
its own book. cept perhaps silly. An authentic, warm most intense version and end with the
But no matter how abstracted or smile combines a smiling mouth with least. As we work with the depiction of
stylized an interpretation of an expres- smiling-specific wrinkles around the varying degrees of emotion, we dis-
sion may be, if it works well, it's par tly eyes. lf your eyes aren't smiling, you're cover that there are potential diffi-
because it's based on the real nature of not happy. culties with both the most-over-
the face. We can sense the anatomical The furrowing of the brow in per- wrought and the least-detectable
truths operating behind the scenes. In plexity or concentration is also a sort of versions of every facial expression.
the same manner, no amount oí skill in facial expression. In this case, how- At one end, the problem is with be-
rendering or finesse will make a tace ever, the intensity of the emotion in- lievability. Disgust and horror, for ex-
expressive if the insight into what volved is hardly of the primal variety. amp!e, at sorne of the extreme levels
makes an expression work is missing. Such everyday expressions almost al- depicted here, are well beyond most of
ways involve only part of the face, thus our pictorial needs, as \Vell as most of
carrying less emotional weight than our personal experience. But such ex-
Cracking the Code the six fundamental expressions. The pressions do exist; further, part oi my
The corle behind a particular facial ex- conscious use oí the face to help a con- reason for including them is that the
pression can be seen as the minimum versation along also falls into the cate- most -contorted faces help us recog-
requirements for us to identify it. Not gory of everyday expression and tends nize the same elements when they are
everything that happens to a lace in a to only involve the upper or lower part only subtly present in less-active faces.
particular expression is part of the of the face, not both. The iace oi ordinary disdain contains
corle. For example, though the nose the shadow of the face of outr ight
I

I
widens whenever we laugh, it is not TIre ISSlre of Intensitg physical repulsion.
part of the laugh codeo You can leave Is there acode íor how intense a partic- At the just-barely-there end of the
the nose out of a rendering oí the laugh ular expression appears? For example, scale, the problem is with recognition

¡
entirely, and the face will look just as does the lowering of the eyebrow con- -at what point is an expression too
amused. A time-honored method for trol the intensity of an angry face, and tenuous to be noticed? It depends on
deter mining what the code is lor a par- willlowering the eyebrows more make the spedfic expression, and .we will
ticular expression is trial and error, the person look angrier? Will opening see tbat sorne expressions seem capa-
seeing what you can leave out or styl- the mouth wider make a surprised per- ble of much more than others in this
ize and still maintain the effect. In this son look more surprised? regard. Sadness and smiling are both
chapter 1 point out the elements of the In almost ever y case, both balves of particular ly vivid with a minimum of
code for each expression; in the appen- the face do not have an equal role in outward signs.

130 1,
THE AMBIGUOUS ANO THE (lEAR

Only expressions in wh ich bolh key

areas- eye/brow and moulh-ore in-
volved will communicate a cleor emo-
tionql messoge. In ¡he firsl foce (Iop)
only ¡he moulh oppeors active, ond
the expression is ambiguous: she
might be yowning, taking a deep
breoth, singing, or pantomiming as-
lonishmenl. The second face (bollom),
with octivity in bolh key oreas, is seen
in jusi one woy: surprise.
No! only do the octive eyes com-
plete the expression, bul they change
the woy we look al ¡he moulh. Cover
¡he eyes ond ¡he moulhs seem ¡denli-
cal. Uncover ¡he eyes, and the lower
mouth seems more active, more open
¡han ¡he other. One por! of ¡he face
"Ieoks" ils ¡nfluence on ¡he other,
chonging whal we think we see: The
moulhs are identicol.

131
A lmost all oí our adult facial ex-
pressions have their root5 in our
very first expression: the scream we
noise might be given lower priority by a
parent in the hustle and bustle of daily
life.
cry, you see the mentalis clench and
unclench spasmodically, bowing and
unbowing the lip.
made when we first emerged ioto this The effectiveness of the square
world. mouth shape al! babies rely on can be The Other Half 01 the Cry
The facial expression oí sadness is, easily demonstrated. Make an "ah" Mouth squaring plus eye squeezing
oí caurse, the most directly related to sound with your mouth in its relaxed, equals the cry. One-half of the facial
our original cry; but certain elements oval position. The sound is pleasant. expression of crying is based on the
oí the baby's scream also appear in the Now, continuing the "ah," stretch your changes that occur as the tace forces
expression oi anger, disgust, and fear. lower lip off to the sides and bare your the mouth into a rectangular shape.
Even laughter and joy ¡ndude certain upper teeth. The "ah" becomes a The other half is created by the clench-
. .
muscle contractions that we first expe-
.
"wah," a much harsher sound. ing of all the musc\es arouod the eye,
nence In crymg. which occurs as a response to what
The various forms oi sadness~ Muscles Ihat Shape lhe Mouth happens with the mouth.
weeping, dry-eyed grief, mild dis- The square crying mouth is created by
tress- differ from each other mainly an upward pull and an outward pullo
in intensity. AH are closely based 00 the The outward pull, the work of risorius/ THE CLENCHED EYE
infant's cry but are progressive1y more platysma, is very intense, stressfully The "clenched eye" is created by the
restrained. The long habit-going tightening and straightening the lower contraction of the orbicularis oculi and
back to ¡nfaney-oí connecting any lip. The upward pull of the middle part of the corrugator. When these
level of distress with crying causes branch of the sneering muscle is much musc\es contract, they cause us to
certain muscles oí the face to contraet milder, but is still strong enough to squint hard, pressing in 00 the eye.
involuntarily as though one were going square-off the upper lip and create the We instinctively press in on the eye
to cry even when we are no1. This nose-to-mouth fold. The cheeks puff when it is subjected to certain sorts of
preparation crea tes a facial pattern up smartly, pulled up by both the stress, like that in crying. When we
that. even when just barely evident, sneering musc\e and the contfaction oí cry, air is forced from the lungs with
unmistakably portrays unhappiness. the musc\es around the eye. more force than usual. A chain-
The subtlety of the sad face makes it The mentalis almost always con- reaction leads from lung to eye, with
particularly interesting. AII expres- tracts when we cry as well. This pout- the end result that the capiJIaries of the
sions are clear enough in their most ing muscle, which nonnally pushes up eye become enlarged, creating stress.
extreme form, but certain sad faces the middle of the lips and balls up the 1'0 counteract tbis stress ~ squeeze
can be universally recognized even chin, has a slight1y different effect in the eyeball with the orbicularis oculi
when the traces of the sad brow, eye, the cry; the sobbing lower Iip is so tight and corrugator, relieving some of the
or mouth verge on the invisible. There it can't be moved very much, so the disconúort.
is always less agreement about fear, action of the mentalis just hows it up- The more intense the cry, the more
anger, surprise, and even disgusto ward in the middle. intense the contraction surrounding
Because of the upward push of the the eyeball. Similar explosions of air, as
mentalis, many mistaken1y described in sneezing and coughing, create ex-
THE SCREAMING MOUTH:

,
the unhappy lower lip as having a actly the same response. The action of
PROM "AH" ro ''WAHHHH''
downward pull; in fact, it is being sneezing is so linked to closing the eye
A crying baby is impossible to ignore. pushed upward in the center, then that if you force your eye to stay open
The cry protects it. A less grating pulled outward. lf you watch a baby you will prevent an oncoming sneeze.

132 ,
'THE FIRST EXPRESSION: THE BABY'S CRY

It 011 begins wilh ¡he boby's ery. The firsl express ion we make is a statement of
pure need, designed lo gel noliced . The squore-moulh shope produces a shrill
sound more penetroting ¡han ¡hol of o reloxed, open moulh. As ¡he lower half of
¡he foce opens up, ¡he top holf clases down; ¡he reflexive squinting of the eyes
in crying is olso instinctive in o l her expressions where quontities of oír ore ex-
pelled: loughing, sneezing, cough ing.

T rl E r I G H T E I~ ED EY E

You can'! cry with your eyes wide

open, nor con you sneeze. When we
do either, oír is squeezed from the
lungs wi th greot force, pulfing pres-
sure on tiny blood vessels in ¡he eye.
The conlraction of orbicularis oculi
lightens up the skin around Ihe eye;
Ihis seems to relieve some of the pres-
sure, The more energelic the cry, Ihe
more lightly the muscle compresses,
offecling Ihe resl of the foce os well.
The full orbicularis oculi controction
in loud crying pulls down Ihe brows,
roises the cheeks, and may even help
square off the mouth.

The moulh of crying is square-

shaped, Ihe result of Ihe upward pull
of Ihe sneering muscle, which squares
off the upper lip and elches noso-
labial folds in Ihe cheeks, ond Ihe 01.11-
ward pull of risorilJs/plolysmo, which
widens ¡he moulh and slrelches Ihe
lower lip. The squore moulh is often
fromed, as here, by one long crease
from nose to ch in, like o leor's poth .

The signalure wrinkles of full orbiculoris aculi

contraclion-smile-shaped fold (A), slar wrinkles belween
Ihe eye (B), ond lowered brow-dominale Ihe upper face.
A single crow's fool wrinkle (e ) is the precursor of more to
come. Dimple (D) and bulging (E) ore choracleristic of
conlracled corrugolor. Puffed cheeks and nosolabiol folds
(F) ore coused by sneering muscle; brackel folds al moulh
corner (G) by risorius/platysma.

133
 THE FIRST EXPRESSION: THE BABY ' S CRY •

The menlalis is o compon-

ían lo mas! of ¡he faces of
grief. When someone cries,
¡he menlolis frequently aels
with the moulh-stretcher,
risorius/plotysmo. The
chin-roising muscle olter-
notely contracts ond re-
laxes, bowing up ¡he center
of ¡he lower lip and wrin-
kling ¡he eh in when il con-
Iroels (Iop). On ei¡her side
of ¡he roised port, the
slrelched lower lip 90e5
bock lo being straighl. The Fifteen cenluries befare Columbus,
controction of ¡he menlalis this cryíng infanl was carved in stone
seems lo appear almos! by on Olmec arlison in Mexico. Such
every time we're sod, nalurolislic depictions of emolion ore
whelher we're cryíng or nol. rare in non-Western arl. There is o
cleor depiction of ¡he upper lip,
squored-off ond pressed bock ogoinst
the foce, of Ihe oblong moulh shope,
ond of Ihe conlroction of mentalis, in-
cluding the bolling up of ¡he chin (A).
Compare with face aboye.

134
THE FIRST EXPRESS ION: THE BABY'S CRY

The foce of o bowling baby is Ihe fo-

cal poin! for Rembrondt's Gonymede,
copturing ¡he momen! when ¡he child-
god is snolched off lo Olympus by
Zeus in ¡he form of on eagle. Curi-
cusly, the eXPf'ession is more vivid in
the sketch (below). The dork,
scrowled lines oround ¡he eyes-
quick nolotions of the wrinkling of or-
bicularis aeuli ond corrugator-and
¡he more apen meulh wilh franl lee!h
bared sugges! o mueh stronger aclion
Ihan Ihol visible in !he painling . No/h-
íng is more difficult Ihon retoining the
vitolity of o sketch in o finished piece.

135
TItE OPEN·MOlITHED CRY: ADULTS less picture. The tightly closed eyes rarely put so much energy into an ex-
are the most crucial element, without pression; no other state, with the ex-
Only rarely do adults revert to the which the element oí loud, demonstra- ception of physical pain, puts the face
fierce unhappy outcry that we associ· tive crying is not apparenL The mouth under such stress. Our face reflects
ate so strongly with infancy. For· itself may be open and stretched or the tension and compression created
tunately, daily life offers few miseries closed and stretched, depending on by these actions.
intense enough to trigger such a vehe· how upset the person ¡s, and how in- Besides demonstrating the disap-
ment response. For most of us, only hibited they are, but the eyes are al- pearance of the eye, a faithful depiction
the death of a loved one or the ending ways narrowed or closed. The tighter of crying renclers the curving al all the
of an important relationship inspire the the squint, the more ¡ntense the cry surfaces of the lower half of the lace.
most fundamental sorrow. appears. Nothing is flat or baggy; like the sur-
\Ve look the same as a baby when we lace of a balloon after it's infIated, the
cry with utter anguish. We energet- Strong AcUon lower face is everywhere rounded, ev-
ically vocalize our unhappiness with Crying is a lot of work, which must be erywhere taut. As in smiling or laugh-
our mouths widened and squared, our part 01 the reasan it serves so well as ing, the mouth ancl its surrounclings
eyes buried under the clenching mass an emotional re1ease. You cannot physi- are inset by being pulled tight against
of the upper face. cally stretch your mouth any wider the face; and the ioset portion is
Only if the pattern is complete does than it stretches when you cry, and the framed by sharply rounded cheeks and
the cry come across in a static, sound- eye squeeze is nearly as strong. We thick cords alongside the chino

136
Emolionol d islress triggers
intense contraction of ¡he
eye ond moulh muscles.
Deep wrinkle patterns
emerge, and a tightly
slrelched, hill-ond-volley
londscope arises.

1. Brows lowered , espe-

ciolly inner end; vertical
wrinkling; smooth
forehead.
2. Deep creoses out from
•
Inner eye corner, across
bridge. Crow's feel ot ouler
corner; slighl bag below.
3. Nose wings raised
slightly. Cheeks tighl ond
roonded .

4. Moulh wrops tighlly

around cylinder of leelh
ond jow. Rope-like cord to
bolh sides, bul no dimpling.
5. Slretched lip pushed up
in center by mentalis,
roughening eh in surface.
6. lower teeth in extreme
corner of mouth show
owing lo sideways pull on
moulh cornero

An economical cortoon interpretatíon,

suggesting the compressed eye
(crow's feet), the widened squore
mouth, ond the brocket fold beyond.

A. Action of risorius/plotysma.
B. Action of menlalis.
C. Action of levotor labii superioris.
D. Action of orbiculoris oculi.
E. Action of corrugolor.

137
TUE CRY AND TUE LAUGU mouths cJosed, perhaps unconsciously diminishes. The corrugator is still ac-
Ironically, laughing and crying are wanting to suppress the sound; others tive, and the brows are still pulled
sometimes similar in appearance. In- move back and torth between loud, downward; the trontalis attempts to
fants and young children can pass al- demonstrative crying and stifled sobs, pull the ioner brow upward by the ac-
most instantly from tears to laughter wherein the closed-mouth cry is just tion of its fibers in the center of the
with hardly a pause for breath. Even one stage in a continuing action. Any torehead The result is an unpredict-
adulls occasionally have responses picture ol an action such as crying is able tug-of-war, which neither side
where lhe two emotions are mixed. necessarily a frozen momenL ever wins. On sorne faces the pull of
Whatever the psychological cotulection The jaw controls how apen or cJosed the corrugator is stronger and the eye-
may be, the visual similarities between the mouth is. As it rises and falls, the brows remain fair ly horizontal; on
the two expressions are more nu- mouth opens and shuts. But the sec- others, the frontalis is stronger aOO the
merous than the differences. ondary agent in closing the crying eyebrows slant dramatically upward.
Two things that almost always dis- mouth is more dramatic. One of the But on every face, there's that little
tinguish laughing from crying are the most visible movements in crying is kink, that subtle twist in the eyebrow a
degree of eye compression (much the alternate contraction and relax- third of the way from ioner corner to
greater when we cry), and the way the ation of the mentalis, trembling the outer, and that's what pulls so strongly
lower lip is shaped-stretched in cry- lower lip. This works against the pull of at our heartstrings.
ing, angled upward in the laugh. Since the risorius/platysma, which is doing
the shape of the upper lip, the bracket- its utmost to pul! the mouth and lips
ing folds alongside the mouth, and the sideways, stretching the mouth as Other Forms
fullness of the cheeks can be very sim- wide as it will go and making the lip There are other forms besides the
tense. kink that appear. The frontalis wrin-
The upper lip is putled square in the kles the center of the forehead in a few
ilar in laughing and crying, there are
times when yoo simply catulot tell.
saIne way as in the open-mouth cry, by short, horizontal rows, and the cor-
the middle branch of lhe sneering mus- rugator creates its characteristic verti-
CKYING: MOllI'U CLOSED ele. As crying becomes less intense,
cal wrinkles and dimples. Together,
Mast adult expressions appear with at the outer branch, the zygomatic minor, the paired vertical wrinkles and hori-
least sorne degree ot restraint. In takes overo Its effect is milder than that zontal folds make an upside down
terms of the face, restraint shows itself of the other branches- Iess ol a sneer U-shape in the middle of the forehead.
in various ways. Orten tbere is a ten- results. The brow of grief appears DO all the
dency for one part oC the face to act al face s ol sadness besides out-and-out
cross-purpúses to what is occurring crying, and occasionally on the faces of
The Brow 01 Grüif
somewhere else. One parl of lhe tace An aspect ol sadne ss that seems people who aren't sad at all. On miser-
may try to ulIM an instinctive acrion in ready-made for ar tistic purpúses is the able winter days 1 often see the grief
another part of the tace, and all sorts of brow of grief, and arlists have inter- pattem on faces ol people struggJ ing
new forms appear in the tension be- preted it in many ways and in many against a bitter wind and driving snow.
tween the opposing pulls. This tug-of- forms. Perhaps part of its power is its Under those circumstances, it seems
war is completely involuntary, but it sheer conflictedness, for it represents more the sigo of distress than grief.
leads to sorne fascinating expressions. the opposition of anguish and restraint. Less frequently, the pattem will ap-
The first sigo of sorne restraint in The brow of grief is the form the pear briefly on the face as a conversa-
crying is the partly closed mouth. The eyebrows take when the frontalis at- tional gesture-you can see it on the
second sigo is the appearance of a new tempts to wrest control of their move- face of certain television newscasters.
pattern in the upper tace: the brow ot ment trom the corrugator, which is
grief, which is created by the contra- pulling them downward. Frontalis is no Tears
dictory acüons of the frontalis (up) and fool about this, and in the mast hysteri- Thars may be a part of any sad face.
lhe corrugator (down~ cal stages of crying, when the or- Tears are a glandular reflex. Happiness
bicuJaris oculi is contracted, and the as well as sadness may bring on tears.
The Parllg Closed /doulh inner brow is at its low extreme, il is While the term "crying" refers to an
Crying is a complicated. dynamic ac- nowhere to be found. audible outcry, and while tears usually
tion, and tbere really is no single Iook Frontalis makes its appearance only go along with this, we may be tearful
to crying. Sorne always cry with their as the contraetion of orbicularis oculi when we are just quwtly miserable.

1'" •
 CR'(I:IG r.10UTH VS .
R~L,\XED :,101JIH

The crying mouth is much

wider thon a relax ed mauth
beca use af the sidewoys
pull af risarius/platysmo .
II's rectangular in shape be-
cause af the upward pull an
upper lip ond sideways pull
on lower. II's rimmed by
stretched, thinned lips with
sharp highlights and
smaothed surfaces. lt's
more rounded in skin areo
obove lips (note shodows
RELAXED
on right) and framed by
roised cheeks ond vertical
folds from nose lo chino

80th Ihe crying and laugh-

CRYING ing mouths ore widened
wilh Ihinned, laul lips (the
upper l ip is nearly slroight).
Bolh ore set into the foce,
curved lightly agoinst the
skull, and framed by long,
vertical folds from nose to
chinoBut nasolobiol fold in
loughter is more angled
(A ), deeper in lower part
versus upper in cry. Upper
leeth rarely si'low in crying¡
full fronl row always shows
in lough . Upper lip in cr y-
ing doesn'l taper os much;
it's nearly the some width
righl up lo mouth cornero
The key lo shape difference
is where loughing mouth
goes up (B): crying mouth
continues sidewoys, moking
opening more squore. Note
0150 that mentolis (e ) never
LAUGHING appears during laughter.

139
In moving from repose lo grief, Ihe
face embodies Ihe increosing dislress.
Crying wilh Ihe mouth closed con in-
volve os mony os nine focial muscles
-more than any olher expression. Ad-
ding lo Ihe complexily is the octivi ly in
¡he brow, where ¡he eyebrows firsl
move upword (below), ¡"en down-
word (opposite, top), cought belween
Ihe pul! of opposing muscles. loog of-
ter Ihe cry hos foded, Ihis cooflicled
brow remoins.

,
•

,•

140
 •

(RYING: (lOSED-MOUTH

Sadness is ¡he only expression in

which ¡he zygomatic minar (A ) ap-
pears. lIke ¡he olher two branches of
¡he sneering muscle, il Ihickens ¡he up-
per lip (middle and below); unlike
them ji does nolning lo ¡he nose. lis
mas! choraclerislic sign is ¡he "floot-
ín9" wrinkle (B). In ¡he mas! ¡ntense
aclion ¡he cheeks begin lo swell, a
side eHec! of ¡he full conlroction of
¡he orbiculoris aculí around ¡he eye.

TH!: '.iOUTH ArJD (HI!)

Three ¡ntereeting forces slretch ond

compress ¡he maulh. The strongesl ac-
tion is !hal of ¡he risorius/plotysma
(A), moking ¡he lips !out as il widens
Ihe mouth. The hook-shoped cords
beside ¡he moulh corner ore ¡he sig-
nolure wrinkle of ¡he trionguloris (8 ),
bu! ils downward pull ¡sn'l as slrang
as Ihe pull outword. The oction of Ihe
menlolis (e ) balls up Ihe chin (crealing
Ihe sharp crease ¡DJ ) and pushes Ihe
lips logelher. Compres'sed lips do nol
bow upward (as happens in open·
moulhed cry), bul lower lip begins lo
lurn oulward inslead.

141
Few forms ore more sug-
gestive of a particular
emotion than the brow of
grief is of sadness. The
slretched mou!h and
clenched eye do no! by
themselves lend the foce an
unambiguous air of dis-
tress. The brow of grief
daes. The brow of grief is
on oction of restroint. In Ihe
most intense cry, the or-
biculoris oculi (A) is ful!y
controcted, on oction Ihol
Iriggers Ihe corrugolor (B),
the frowning muscle. When
distress is less intense (bat-
10m), Ihe pul! dawnward on
the brow is resis!ed by Ihe
middle fibers of fron!alis
(e ), creoting horizonlol
middle-brow wrinkles ond
pulling up on the inner end
of the eyebrow. The reloxed
eyebrow never assumes this
formo Vertical creases and
dimples show that the cor-
rugolor is still active.

142
VARIATIONS ON THE BROW OF GRIEF

143
 ti

T he adult foce (aboye) looks more

upsellhon the foce of lhe young girl
(appasile ) becouse Ine eyes are more
campressed. If you coyer Ihe eyes, Ihe
difference belween Inese Iwo faces is
less dromolic. If yau cayer eyerylning
bul the eyes, the difference remoins. In
profile, Inese are key londmarks:
A. lowered, conlrocled brows creol-
ing ridge aboye eyes; nole prajedion
on outline.
B. Moulh corner pulled bock inlo
foce.
E. Conlinuous ridge from nose to cnin
C. Menlalis flollening ond roughening
(odian of sneering muscle ond or-
chin, pushing out lower lip ond creot-
bicularis oculi).
ing shorp wrinkle under lip.
F. Intense wrinkling around eye.
D. Pull ing up of outer por! of upper lip
(oclion of sneering muscle ond or- G. Slronds of platysmo slanding out
biculoris oculi). on neck .

•
144
 (RYING: ClOSED-MDUTH

Lips appeor narrow as well as tight,

lurned inward and pressed together,
with lower lip lucked under upper~
aclion often par! of weeping. Fronlalis
is nol active in full-blown crying¡ fore-
head aboye brow is smoolh. Middle
bronch of sneering muscle is active;
crease is deep olongside nose.

) ,
,

A. Aclion of corrugotor.
B. Aclion of orbiculoris aculí.
C. Aclion of levalor labíi superioris.
D. Actjon of risorius/plalysmo.
E. Acljen of mentolis.

145
SADNESS: UTTERLY MISERABLE action of the mentalis. Every sad When we attempt to stifle a sob, the
The main element in our perception of mouth has an upper lip reshaped by result is a tremendously strained,
faces as utterly miserable is the look of either the middle or outer branch of tight-lipped look- a pressing inward
the mouth, stretched and distorted by the sneering muscle. Many sad faces to combat the pull upward and out-
the same actions, slightly less marked, also show signs of the partner of the ward. In life, a mouth suspended in
that we see in crying faces. This, along mentalis, triangularis. But ooly on the such a muscular tug-of-war would look
with the grieí-stricken brow and sad- face of someone crying or just about to very unstable, with trembling as par-
looking eyes, gives the face a look of cry will the risorius/platysma also be ticular muscles tightened or loosened.
sadness that may well be on the verge contracted. Risorius is the muscle oí
oí tears. the worst states of distress, and as our SIMPLY SAD
When 1 say "sad-looking" eyes, it's mood lightens, its actions tails off, then Crying, however painful, is usualIy
because when the eyes are open, as disappears. brief; however, sadness can go on and
they are not in weeping faces, the In less tormented faces o( sadness, on. In fact, the less intense the sad
shape oí the eye opening itself be- the risorius disappears, leaving just look, the more we take it to be a mo-
comes part of the sadness pattern. mentalis and triangularis to act on the ment in an ongoing mood.
lower lip, the sneering muscle to act on As 1 mentioned, sadness may be the
the upper. emotion of nuance; jt seems to take the
SadEyes
When the eyes are open in sadness, least facial activity to suggest. Though
their shape is altered both aboye and TOE TIGOT·LIPPED FACE the mouth alone calillot unambiguously
below. Above, the upper lid is partly OF RESTRAINT suggest sadness, the eyes and brow
covered by a new skin fold, dragged Embedded in our collective conscious- acting alone can, a fact much used by
across the lid by the movement of the ness is the memory of a scene írom artists.
brows. As with the kinked brows, the sorne movie in which a crusty-but-
fold moves in an angular direction. The kind-hearted British officer turns to TUE MESSAGE OF TOE BROWS
sadness code is based on this an- his young lieutenant who's on the verge The brows, in fact, are the key to the
gularity; a íeeling oí "upward toward of being terribly upset and says, "Keep sadness codeo All sad faces have eye-
the middle" is the general theme of the a stiff upper lip, old chap." This is an- brows with the tell-tale upward twist
upper face. Often the fold pusbes down other one of those stock phrases that in the inner end, and in many (aces, if
a bit on the eye, c10sing the eye slightly seem to hit on an anatomical truth. you cover the brows, the message of
making the eye look less alert, more The upper lip, as we have seen, can the rest of the face becomes ambig-
withdrawn. (This is an important dis- indeed betray our emotions, in a way uous.
tinction between sadness and fear, we may not wish to be betrayed. ls jt in So powerful is the effect of the
where the eye is wide.) fact possible, by an exercjse of muscu- brows that we see the other features
The lower lid covers more of the eye lar restraint, to prevent the inexorable differently when the brows are active.
than usual as well. The orbicularis oc- squaring of the upper lip that precedes What this means for the artist is that ii
uli is partly contracted, mostly in its crying, in other words, to keep a stiff we take great care with the rendering
lower portion, and this creates the bag upper lip? of the eyebrows and forehead, we can
under the eye and the lifted, straight- Ves and no. The act of fighting an suggest sadness with the slightest of
ened look oí the lid. innate facial movement is often equally clues in the rest of the face The least
if not more expressive than the unre- creasing under the mouth will be taken
SadMouths stricted movement itself. In fact, you as the signs oí a pout; the least alter-
Nearly every sad mouth, be it on the calillot "keep a stiff upper lip" if the ation in the line of the upper lid, or
tace oí someone broken down in tears emotion you are feeling is strong downward cast to the eye as a whole.
or on the face o( someone in a quiet enough- the instinctive facial move- will be seen as a look of utter mel-
state oí melancholy, bears signs oí the ments are too strong to suppress. ancholy.
•

146
,
SADNESS: ON THE VERGE OF TEARS

, Though almosl sevenly years of age

separote these Iwo individuals (be-
low), ¡heir expressions are strikingly
similar. 80th seem on ¡he verge Df
, leors. The primol expressions, ¡nelud-
ing sadness, do nol vory Ihroughoul
li fe.

When 011 lower !eeth show, ¡l's abad

signo II's olso o sign of Irouble when
¡he moulh is open ond ¡he inner aut-
line, bolh aboye and below, is so
• straight. With such a young face,
there's lillle creosing on ¡he brow, bul
¡he foinl bumps belween !he eye-
brows, and ¡he oblique direclion of
¡heir ¡ine, ¡ndicale clearly ¡he braw$ of
grief. Note ¡he lifting of ¡he lower lid
and slight pouch underneath, strong
pull of zygomotic minor, creoting mid-
way wrinkle (A) ond puffing ¡he
cheeks, and ¡he pull of risoriusJ
platysma (B), slrelching Ihe moulh.
,

A. Bunching of corrugator, creating

crescent-shaped mound around inner eyebrow.
B. Oblique skin fold across upper I¡d.
C. Moulh slrelched sideways, exposing lower leelh.

,
D. Flallened, rumpled chin owing lo menlolis.

• 147
 SADHESS; OH THE VERGE OF TEARS

••
NEUTRAL FACE
The drowings on ¡hese Iwo pages creoting crow's feel, mised lower lids
seem like a sequence wilh the losl (compare sed iris shape with ¡ha! of
piclure missing-the cne where she relaxed eye above), ond fold under
bursls inlo !ears. Unlike ¡he neutrol ¡he eye. Above the eye, the-drag of
foce above, we lend lo see ¡he foce skin upward ond toward ¡he middle
with so much octivity (oppos ite) as ereates a new skin fold (1), (uNíng
leading up lo something. In ¡he final ocross Ihe upper lid. It hides por! of
sloge, the weeping foce, ¡he eyes will the lid and pushes downward on it,
lighlly shul. narrowing the eye from aboye.
The basie sad eye pattern is
oblique; brows, upper lid fold, slonl 01
THF Ens Ano BROVI SADNESS PATTERN
similar angles. Fronlalis (green) is under
enlire farehead, bul only centrol fibers
Sod eyes look oul al ¡he world (dorkesl lone) conlrael in sadness. Al
through partly shuttered ¡¡ds. The or- no olher time does its cenlral parl
bicularis oeuli is partiolly controcted, conlraet alone,

148
SADNESS: ON THE VERGE OF TEARS

THI MOUTH AUD (HE¡K~

The mou!h is lhe mas! Iransitionol elemenl.1f i' WQS fully •

stretched, os in crying, lhe lips would be Ihinner 000 more
uniform oIn simple sadness, !he moulh is nol slrelched 01
011. Menlolis ond trionguloris ore active, os is the sneering
muscle. Too "sneer" elemenf here i$ 5lron9; Ihe nose is
lifted up by Ihe wings, Ihe crease by Ihe nose is deep. Note
olso Ihe puffing of Ihe cheeks. Verticalline ¡ndieates oow
relotionship of eye lo moulh corner ehonges as moulh
widens.

A. Bolled up ehin, crease aboye due fa mentalis

B. Squared upper lip
C. Deep nasolabial fold
D. Wrinkles, down corner of trionguloris

149
N early every expression is ANGER
al limes appased by Ihe
muscle a f ¡he I¡ps, Ihe a r-
bicularis oris. lis aciian,
lighl compressiao af ¡he
li ps, is likely bolh on uncon-
sciaus effort of reslroinl ond
a sheer physicol aullel. In
suppressed sodness, Ihis
oclion doesn't prevenl Ihe
olher lower-foce muscles of
grief from conlrocling, bul il
porlly overcames Iheir
effecls-o suppressed ex-
pressian is afien jusi os ex-
pressive os Ihe unreslroined
look.

SMllE
In the ongry maulh (Iop),
the contraclion of menlolis
ond Irianguloris is the
slrongesl aclion, creoling
Ihe upside-down smile
shope. Orbiculoris oris is
only porlly conlracled; Ihe
lips ore 001 fully
compressed.

In Ihe suppressed smi le

(middle), Ihe orbicularis
oris is again only mod -
erately controcted, bul Ihis
is slrong enough lo prevent
the zygomalic maja r, Ihe
smiling muscle, from lifling
Ihe moulh corner. Menlolis
oids in compressing Ihe lips
(A)¡ triongularis oid s in SADNESS
holding Ihe moulh corner
down (8 ).

In Ihe suppressed sob (bol-

10m), Ihe maulh is simi lar lo
Ihal af anger with Iwo key
differences: il's slrelched
sidewoys by risoriusl
plolysma, ond Ihe compres-
sion of Ihe orbiculoris oris
is more inlense-Ihe lips
ore slro ighleoed ond
Ihinned.

ISO
,
SADNESS: TIGHT-LlPPED
A. Eyebrows with kink in
inner !hird.
These two men are expressing ¡heir sodness quite differ- B. Oblique across-the-lid fold.
enlly. The sadnes$ in rhe foee af ¡he mon 00 the leh is quite C. "Flooting" crease af
subtle. Jusi enough a f Ihe grief pottern is visible in his eye- zygomatic minoro
brows ond eyes lo suggest his distress¡ depending on how o. Compression af orbiculoris
I
you see his eyes, his moulh looks either sod or neutral- oris Ihins upper JipI buJges
Ihe cues ore ombiguous. The cues ore mueh cleorer on lhe oullower.
face af the olher mon, ond his raok is !hal af someone E. Actioo af mentalis.
whose grief is borely under conlrol. F. Moulh widened by
. -.. ri sori usl plotysmo .
G. Signoture wrinkle af
Irionguloris.

I
 IAONEII: TIGHT-lIFPEO

Every person performs leorned octions differentlYi every- Presidenliol compaigns are times when feelings run high .
one's inslinclive octions ore the sorne. Fignting bock leors These four people ore 510ff members wolching ¡heir condi-
wilt invoriably trigger ¡he muscles Ihol bulge 000 roughen dole give on emolionol speech withdrawing frcm Ihe cam-
Ihe ehin ond ¡he muscle Ihol slrelches !he lips. Above ore paígn. Theire nol hoppy aboul il. On eaeh successive foee
severol faces where Ihis odion is in progress, 000 ¡he sorne (dockwise from lower ri9hl) ¡he lip-pressing ccnfliel of
polfern is striking ly repeated. dislress ond restroinl is progressively more ¡ntense. The
moulh 01 (Al is being slrelched ond compressed; the pat-
tern below her moulh (roised island af menlalis, wilh
sausoge-like bulge abave) is precisely repeoled -at (B). Al
(e ) ond (D), crease and puffed cheek of zygomolic minor
are borely visible. Al (E), he's "biling his lip" wilh so much
pressure Ihal il has curled complelely under ilself. lillle
curled bulge of Irionguloris (F) is repeated al a similar
spot on eoch foce. (Bul does Ihe womon on the right look
sad becouse she's surrounded by sad people or becouse
of sorne cue we see in her foce?)

152
W hen crying fodes, Ihe Though her pool is quile
muscles of asad face grad o slrong, Ihis woman (Iop)
ually relax. First la ga is the looks so lerribly sad be-
moulh·slrelching risoriusl couse of her brow. Cover
plolysmo, Ihen Ihe eye- her brow, and the effecl is
squeezing orbiculoris oculi. nowhere neor os intense.
As Ihe loller goes slock, Ihe The downcosl eyes ond oc-
cheeks lose fheir fullness live moulh complemenl Ihe
ood Ihe lower lid ils lension. expressioo 00 the brow bul
Whol lingers is Ihe poul ond connol replace it; the brow
Ihe grieving brow. Evenlu - mokes t.tS see Ihem as sod.
olly, even Ihe poul relaxes,
leoving Ihe twisled eyebrow Inner eyebrow end bunched
os Ihe only sign of Ihe last up by corrugalor, benl up-
slage of grief. The sad ward by fron lalis; key folds
foces on Ihis poge hove 01 (A) ond (B). Deep no-
unhappy·looking brows solobial fold (e ) moslly due
ood sfrong poufs. . lo zygomalic minar. lip
pushed up in middle (D),
lBl pulled down in corner
by menlolis-Irionguloris
combinotioo. Chin profile
shows aclian of menlalis
(E). Curved folds of Irian-
guloris (F).

A fine foce of sodness, Ihough nol lhe

one Ihe model was weoring : Ihis is on
"occidentol" pout. AII fhe righl cues
ore pf.esenl: upturned eyebrows,
oblique upper eyel ids, lower lip wilh •
shorp, slroighl fold underneolh¡ 011,
according lo Ihe sludenl artisl, were
uninlentional. "Mislokes" can some-
limes leod lo interesling resulls.

-
I
I

M ueh is expressed in ¡he foce of this sed linle girl, bullít- In the pool, center section of upper lip
tle is octuolly visible. Sodness con be a powerful presence, ond lBL is unnalurally long, ond
even when ¡he signs ore so suhtle. Surprisingly, the eyes in drops off quickly 01 corners. Upper
isolotion (bonom) are nol sed bul oppeor sod benealh Ihe lip is on even widlh across. Shape's
kinked brow (Iap). l ittle creosing is visible on so yoong o due lo pul! of zygomotic minor (ar-
foce, bul 50ft dorkening 01 (A) ond (B) is spot where frown rows) on rim of orbicularis oris (cir-
lioes will probobly oppeor when she's older; dorkening 01 ele), changing upper lip indirectly.
(e ) ond (D) is beginning of worry lines. Lower lip is slighlly !hinned. "Plol-
form" underneoth sharply defined,
wilh deep, curved middle crease, 011
due lo menlolis.

154
 SADNESS: UPPER FHE ONLY
Of all ¡he expressions, sodness requires ¡he fewesl move-
ments lo suggest. The leos! Iwist of ¡he brow in en other-
wise relaxed foce will do, even withoul the occomponiment
of wrinkles in forehead or changes in eye. Bu! when on ex-
pression is so subtle, ¡he message il carríes is allered: we
5ense on on90in9 moad rather ¡han o momenl of crisis.
This 510ge of sodness-Ihe look of meloncholy, restíng en-
lirely in upper face-is masl afien portrayed by artisls.

The aelian (Ieft) is in ¡he top

half of ¡he face, though 01
firsl glance il seems olher-
wise. Isolated from ¡he
brow, ¡he moulh has no
particular expression
(right). Only in ¡he foce as a
whole do we natice ¡he
upper-lip shape ond ¡he Mouth alone appears neu-
crease in ¡he cheek, which tral; aelion of zygomatic
we inlerpret as part of the minor may be present
sod look. Wilh facial ex- but is so slight as lo be
pressian, it's impartan! lo debatable.
know what leads and what
follows.

Her braws (right) make Ihe resl of her face

look sad. Emphasizing delails~the platform
under the lips, dorkness under the eyes-
I suggest activity in otherwise neutral features.
Mouth alone (below) appears neutral; dark
platform beneath suggests pout. Faint, ho,c;;wc~
tal middle-brow folds (A). Dimple appears
where corrugator attaches to skin; kink in brow
begins al that point (B). Slight change in value
defines bulge ot inner brow end (C); no vertical
crease in this slight aclion.

I 155
SADNESS AND THE AHT
OF PORTRAITURE
'SADNESS: EXAMPLES FROM ART
Because the expression of sadness can
Extreme expressions are responses to extreme events. Passionate
be so slight, it crosses that imaginary
faces full of anguish or anger appear in narrative, oction pointings.
line that separates expressions of
Portroits, focusing os they usually do on individuols in a neutral set-
crises and extremity fmm those that ting, suggest a quieter expression. A touch of melanchofy hovers
seem more commonplace, more part of over oll the following faces. It is an expression fhat seems at home
a long-teon mood. Sadness would not in o portroit, suggesting the course of thought of someone left to
seem out of place in a formal portrait oneself, lo one's own sad musings.
the way fear or surprise might.
lt would certainly have a compel!ing
effect. Part of the fascination of a por-
trait is our interest in drawing conclu-
sions from the face about personality of
the sitter. This does not happen if an
extreme expression is portrayed, as
we often see intense expressions as
temporary events, in a sense masking
the person beneath. With slight sad-
ness, we feel the personality hes much
closer to the surface. (Even a perfectly
neutral, reJaxed face will inspire al!
sorts of conjecture about the person-
ality oí the subject The artist has lim-
ited input about the toon such conjec-
ture might take; with no expression
visible, a face becomes a blank slate tor
the observer to project on: compas-
sion, anger, intelligence, passivity-
whatever mood the observer might be
feeling at the time.)

When do we cross the borderline from

"sl ightly sad" to "neutral"? Th is por-
trail by Thomas Eakins is on the mar-
gin between the Iwo and is capoble of
being viewed either way, depending
on who is doing ,he viewing and in
what particular mood the viewer is.
Many of Eakins's portrails hove a sim-
ilar air of vague, undefined distress
about them-part of the reason we
• find them so fascinating (and part of
the reo son he was not a sought-after
portrait pointer). Here the puzzle re-
volves, os usual, a round the brow and
mouth-is the brow on the righ t up-
turned; is the mouth slightly pressed
upward from below?

156
 SADNESS: EXAMPLES FROM ART

Mory Cassat's parlrai! of o liltle gir!

depicts o very distincl poul. And ye!
¡he moulh has very liltle lo do with il.
The moulh is ambiguous-Ihe lip line
is wrong far a poul (il doesn', rise in
Ihe middle); ¡he under-the-lip delail is
more suggestive. What dinches ¡he
expression is Ihe eye on Ihe right ond
ils brow. looked 01 by ¡!self, ¡he eye
ond brow oppeor sod-Ihe brow is
upturned, ¡he upper lid oblique. The
olher eye and brow ore neutrol (the
brow is borderline); bul in this cose,
one active side is enough.

How deorly ¡he ¡mage of ¡he elderly

Rembrandt, weighed down (we sup-
pose) by his domestic ond financiol
difficulties, is embedded in our minds.
This is one of the sadder of the lote
self-portroits; I find something terribly
affecting .obout the tired, sagging
lines under his eyes. The mavements
and wrinkles of the brow of grief ore
pointed with a knowing eye.

A. ShalJow, diagonal crease

due fa corrugotar.
B. Dimple 01 corrugotor skin ¡nserlíon.
C. Horizontal middle-brow folds.
D. Frown lines.

•
157
 SADNESS: EXAMPLES fROM ART

Sodness lends ¡Iself well lo

understatement, 000 under-
stotement works well in
portraiture. This portro it by
Hilory Holmes hos no pool,
no signature wdnkles, ond
only cne feolure Ihol is nol
neutral-Ihe Iwo, slighlly
ben! eyebrows. The ortisl
soid he perceived on ex-
pression af "noble melan-
choly" after the si ller losl o
close friendo

In Carovoggio's interpreta-
tion, Ihe response af Chrisl
lo his belroyol is sodness.
Hi s possive occeptonce af
his arres! and downword
goze lead us lo see resig-
notion in his foce as well.
Deep shodows filling his
eye sockels moke more em-
photic Ihe angular d ireclioo
af the braw$ aboye; hori-
zontal fronlo lis creases op-
peor ocross his middle
brow (A). Too expression af
Judas, giving the kiss, is
harder lo read; his brow
and fareheod suggesl
fear-his eyes do nol.

158
 SADNESS: EXAMPlES FROM ART

This sculpture, part of a series of re-

markable self-portra its by Nancy
Fried, is an excellent example of the
open-mouthed ery.

SUMMARY outright, with mouth wide. More t ypi- about to burst into tears. When we've
Sadness is the múst lingering emotion cal Di the act oi weeping is a closed calmed enough ior it to lose its tension,
in more ways than ane. Emotionally, it mouth with tight lips pressed from be- the pout and squared upper lip rema in,
can take a long, long time to get over a low, pulled toward the sides, and lifted along with t he troubled brow. The
great loss, I,ike the death oi a loved one. from aboye. Crying is a spasmodic ac- strong pull Di the brow may reshape
No other emotion can stay with us so tíon, and the mouth takes the brunt of the upper eyelid, and the lower lid may
tenaciously. Sadness can also be persi- its force. be s!ightly raised; the narrowed Iids
stent as an expression, resting Iike a As the cry ceases, the first thing on give the eye a withdraWJl, inward look.
shadow 00 the iace. long after other, the tace to relax is the eye-circling Downcast eyes are also common.
more fleeting expressions have faded. muscle, the oribicularis oculi. When it Finally, al! outward signs disappear
T he eyebrows are involved in every slackens, the forehead musc1e, fron- from the face except the changes in the
level oi sadness. In sadness, they're talis, contracts, and the forehead be- eyebrow. The slight, sudden twist up-
bent upward, in crying puUed down- comes creased aod troubled looking, ward at its inner eod is different with
ward. But when sadness is at its most the result oi the frontalis and corruga- every face ; just on its own, it can make
extreme, the eyes are the key feature tor pulling at the iIm er end Di the eye- the entire tace look gloorny.
-how tightly they're sQueezed de - brow in the opposite directions. T he basis of the cryiog cade is a
termines the intensíty we sense in For a time, the lip-stretching musc1e str e t ched mouth a nd compressed
the cry. Though the eyes are always -risorius/platysma-refuses to re- eyes; the sadness code is based on the
sQueezed shut,. only rarely do we cry lax, giving the face the look oi someone pout and the uptumed eyebrow. •

159
THE
OF

A uger is a flash emotion, ane that

can arise and depart suddenly. lt
aften requires a physica! outlet, sorne
What Parts 01 Ihe Pace Can Sholl)
When a person is angry; someone who
knows tbat person well will certainly
ment; the painter, of course, can
choose to capture it. Timing is an area
where the painter has a c1ear advan-
actioo to serve as an energy release, be aware of it, no matter wbat shows tage over the photographer.
even if it is just letting loase verbally. on the face. The first sign of anger is
No other emotion is so dosely tied to often a cbange in tone of voice. Actions THE PACE OF RAGE:
strong physical actioo, and no other may be more abrupt, posture more OPEN-MOlITHED MGER
emotion, in its extreme forro, is so tense. Clear signs oí anger in the tace You can be shouting mad, and you can
potentially dangerous. may appear only when someone is be tight-lipped mad, The most fear-
Surprisingly, for 5uch a blatant, really angry. sorne angry faces are those with the
physical emotion, the look of anger in Subtle anger can be shown in a pic- mouth open in a snarl or sbaped around
the face depends 00 a tiny detail- the ture if the action and context is very a scream of fury.
wideness oí the eye. There is a direct, c1ear; tbat is, ií we expect to see anger, Rage-anger at its peak-seems
simple relationship between the lifting we will read anger into a face in which almost inseparable from the action of
oí the upper lid and the perception of we observe only part of the pattern- a expressing it, either verbaHy, physi-
anger: the rugher the lid is raised, the lowered brow, a raised eyelid. In a por- cally, or both. The impulse to do some-
angrier we look. When seen with the trait, however, just a lowered brow, thing, to lash out, is likely a tbrowback
lowered brow, the eye acquires a pene- just a firmly set mouth, or just widened to more primitive times, when anger
trating, ¡ntense look- the glare. No eyes may be interpreted in a variety of may have led to physical struggle more
other aspect of anger has anywhere ways, anger being low on the list of often tban now.
near as much control over the intensity possibilities. Even if several anger Because being enraged is such an
we see on the face, but the glaring eye cues are present, portraits oí subtle energetic state, the expression of it is
alone won't do it; it must be combined anger are often seen more as a de- never static. The features are in con-
with an angry mouth for anger to be scription of personality rather tban ex- stant motion, particularly when the an-
evident pression; we see someone who is ill- gered person is shouting. This creates
tempered, grim, or very serious. When a situation where the pictoríal artist
SUPPRESSING MGER the anger signs are visible in only part must choose the most telling moment
It is entirely possible to be angry with- oí the tace, interpretations range even out of a succession of moments, each
out it being evident in our face. In our further afield. An otherwise neutral one somewhat different in appearance.
society, there are very complicated face with lowered brows might be seen When speaking or shouting, the mouth
rules for when it is and is not appropri- as thoughtful, perplexed, or intense- takes on a variety of positions. The
ate to express anger. Factors like sex, all states oí mind well removed from various positions of the mouth bave
social c1ass, temperament, relationship the realm of emotion. certain things in conunon, -particularly
to the object of anger, and fear of retal- the tenseness of the lips and the expo-
iation, aH act to inhibit the free expres- lt's AU in the Timing sure oí the teeth.
sion of our angry feelings. There are In looking at photographs of people in The upper face also goes through
far fewer restrictions inhibiting the ex- c1early hot-tempered situations, it is many cbanges in the course of, say, an
pression of many other emotions, like striking how often there are few faces angry tirade. At times it may be tight-
surprise, laughter, or sorrow. with c1ear signs of anger. Considering ened in by the eye-c1enching musc1e
As a result, manypeople, even when tbat such signs, particularly the wid- and the lowered brow; at other times •
enraged, rarely if ever show "full-face~ ened, glaring eye, are often instan- the eye may be open wide and glaring.
anger. lf anger is partly suppressed, it taneous events, it makes sense. It is Artists most often choose the face oí
may be evident oruy in part of the face cbance whether or not the photogra- rage with wide, glaring eyes and a
or not at all. pher captures the most telling mo- square, shouting mouth.

160
ANGER: THE ALl-IMPORTANT EYES

The express ion of cnger re-

volves oround ¡he eyes. The
eyes widen in cnger, ond the
wider they apen, the angrier
we look. Whot complicoles
mollers slightly is the effecl of
the brow on ¡he widened eye.
Once the orlist learns lo ac-
eoun! far this, greol conlrol
over ¡he expression of cnger
folloW5.
1

1. Neutral. A mon's eyes, with

heavy eyebrows quite clase lo
¡he top of ¡he upper lid.
2. Brow down. Simple controc-
tion af (arrugotaf, pul ling ¡he
brow$ slighlly daser together
ond downward . Brows ore
lower ¡han top of upper lid.
2 This pushes down on upper
lid, norrowing eye.
3 . Eyes widened. The eyelid
lifter has conlrocted. lis lift is
51ron9 enough lo partly coun-
!eroe! the preS$ure of ¡he brow,
ond eye apens wider. The
combinotion of lowered brow
plus widened eye creoles Ihe
angry glore.

3
-

The glaring eyes of o womon.

II is nol necessary for while lo
show aboye the iris lo recog-
nize a glore-the iris, Ihough,
musl be less than Ihree-fourlhs
covered by Ihe upper lid. Up-
per eyelid line seems lo fun
inlo eyebrow.

161
 ANGER : THE EYES FROM A DISTANCE

We don', need a 101 of deloillo read Ihe expression in Ihe

gunmon's eyes. They seem lO glow oul of Ihe lelevision
fuzz, moking even more sinisler o sinisler scene. Inslinc-
tively, we ore reoding the negolive shapes of Ihe eye
whiles os the signol of menoce. The high contros! of ¡he
whiles lo Ihe dork cenler of Ihe eyes, ond lo Ihe dark eye-
lid margio, allows lhe expressive shopes lo communicale
even 01 o dislonce.

SHAPE OF EYE WHITE

NEUTRAL SHAPE

ANGRYSHAPE

SHAPE AlONE INDlCATES WIDENED EYE,

lOWERED BROW, STRAIGHT LQWER LID.

162
The Face 01 Raye
In the most characteristic Cace af rage, variations, there are eertain overall when it's stronger, the lower lip is
three actions combine: (l) the brow things about the mOllth's appearaoee straight across.
[owers; (2) the upper eyelid apeos that will always be true:
3. The lower teeth are exposed. Often,
wide, and the lower lid is tense; (3) the
1. The upper lip is Jifted in a sneer. the lower Iip depressor pulls the lip
mouth is apeo aod shouting, with ti
Dogs do it, cats do iL, is there any down, showing the lower teeth. This is
snarl in the upper lip aod taut edges
reason why people shouldn't do it? The another action linked to speech. lf the
throughout
snarl of a dog or cat is equivalent to a lip depressor isn't showing the lower
poliee officer patting his or her billy teeth, risorius/platysma will be.
TUE GLARE
club. By exposing their sharp teeth in
The faet that the brows lower in anger 4. The comer of the rnOllth stays low.
the comer of the upper jaw, they're
must be one of lhe most commonly In a smile, the comer of the mouth is
warning a potential opponent, "You see
known facts about {acial expression. pulled sideways, back inlo the face, and
these?n Our angry sneer accomplishes
According lo Darwin, the lowering of upward; in the angry moulh, no matter
mueh the same thing. Human canine
the brow is a SUTe sigo of an encQunler which version, the comer is puUed
teeth are passably sharp, and a strong
with sorne difficulty. Darwin specu- sideways, and somewhat back, but not
action of the levator labii superioris ex-
lates that the gesture goes back lo OUT at all up. The comer stays low, around
~es thern to any and all interested
primitive forebears, who used it lo re- the level of the lower row of teeth.
parties. Opeo angry moulhs are a/-
duce glare when they were having diffi· ways lifted in a strong sneer. 5. The overall shape is square, with
culty seeing, aod by extension this In crying there's a sneer elernent lots of teeth.
expression became a habit when en· too. but ¡t's not the same sort of sneer.
countering an ohstructiOl1 oí any 50ft. Keep in mind that none of these ac-
The cry involves the ouLer branch of
Lowering the brow alone will nol tians, by themselves, will clearly sug-
the three-branched levator labii supe-
make the tace look very angry. The gest anger. In combination with lhe
rioris, and that branch has a weaker
unadorned frown can mean a 10t of glaring eyes and brow, the ope n,
action, one that avoids the nose and
things: someone's confused (1 see this ten sed rnouth, with its sLrong sense oí
tends noL to expose the upper teeth.
on the faces of students when 1 haven't a snarl, presenls us with what we rec-
The angry snarl uses the rniddle
explained sornething very well), ognize as lhe face of rage.
branch and sorne fibers of the inner
thoughtful, or angry. To create the face branch, a much stronger pull that drags OPEN MOUTH, CLENCHED TEETH
of anger, the lowered brow must be the upper lip straight up and back into
accompanied by a widened eye. The Since anger is so closely reJated to
the tace and bares the upper teeth.
combination of the two elements cre- physical effort, there are times wben
Often the lift will be strongest directly
ates the glare, and the glare is the key the anger pattero in the upper tace is
above the canine teeth.
to how angry anger looks. combined with the denched-teeth pat-
The glare widens the eye in spite of 2. The lips are tightened, stretched, tero in the lower. lñere are onIy two
the upper lid being pushed down at the or both. The rnuscle of the lips, or- situations in which clenched teeth ap-
same time by the eorrugated brow. bicularis oris, tightens the edge of the pear in expressions: physical pain and
When we look at an angry face, we lips io loud speaking. Angry shouting is strenuous physical effort (the two are
uneonsciously allow for the extra effort no different, and lhe lip muscle adds its closely related). Gnashing the teeth to-
involved in raising the upper lid in an- action to the other actians present. You gether seems to release tensÍün
ger. lf iris is just barely or not quite can demonstrate on yourself what hap- Showing the teelh when lhe jaw is
covered by upper lid, y,.-e spot the gIare pens if you soeer, then tighten the shut takes a fair amount of muscular
An occasional feature of the angry Iips- the overall shape is maintained, effort (and it is also uncomfortable). lf
eye, a taut, straightened Iowered lid, but the red part of the lips shrinks, and you stand in front of a mirror and try it.
seems to intensify and barden the gaze the margins become much straighter. you'lI discover that you automatically
even further. When all three faclors When the aetion of the orbicularis oris enlist the sneering muscle to bare the
are at work-widened eye, lowered is strong, the lips will curl under thern- upper teeth- there's no other way to
brow, tightened lower lid-we gel the selves and become thinner. do it. And you'U find lhere are only two
most malevolent effect. The lower lip is often stretched hori- ways to show the lower teeth-using
zontally by the risoriuslplatysma. The lhe lower lip depressor to pull the
risoriuslplatysma and the orbicularis lower lip down or using ri soriusl
THE OPEN MourH OP ANGER oris do not seem to contract strongly at platysma to stretch it sideways-or
What happens with the mouth in anger the same time; if the action of one is sorne combination of lhe two. The
is a bit more eomplicated and a bit more intense, lhe contraction of the other clenched-teeth look combines with the
variable. Complicated possibilities for is weak. When the risorius/platysma is g1are when someone is enraged and
lip positions abouod. lo spite of these weaker, the lower lip dips downward; engaged in a physical struggle.

163
 ANGIR: THI FACI OF RAGI

In ¡he express ion of roge, fieree,910r-

ing eyes are olmosl olwoys accom-
ponied by o moulh shoped for
shouting: lips !ensed, leelh bored, jow
dropped. Even ¡he nose contributes lo
¡he ongry fook. Nol only is il dislorted
inlo a sneer by the sneering muscle,
bul ils noslrils hove flored.

A. Corrugalor.
B. Orbicularis oculi (eyelid portion).
C. Levalor polpebrae superioris.
D. Levolor lobii superioris.
E. Orbiculoris ori5 (Iip portion only).
F. Depressor lobii inferioris.

164
 ANG!R: TH! FAe! OF RAG!

Corrugolor controction pulls o hori-

zontal fold (A) ocross ¡he upper lid.
(A similar fold in sodness ongres up-
ward.) Though ¡he upper lid (B) line is
cut off by ¡he ocross-the-eyelid fold,
we mentolly complete ils ore, observ-
ing ¡ha! if extended, ji would pass well
obove ¡he iris. The straightness of ¡he
lower lid (e ) odds o horsh, sloring
quality lo ¡he eye. lis shope is due lo
the conlraclion of ¡he eyelid portion of
Ihe orbiculoris oculi.

There ore three bronches lo ¡he

sneering musde. In crying, mas! of ¡he
work of lifting ¡he upper lip is done by
¡he cheekbone bronch, which avoids
Ihe nose. In ¡he moulh of onger, the 11ft
shifts lo ¡he middle ond inner
branches. The nose is completely re-
shoped, lifted up into a sneer by the
wings, giying it o pointed look. Nos-
trils are flared (D). A deep crease with
pocket aboye appears alangside (E).
The cheeks puff; bags appear under
the eyes (F), and a lillle wrinkle op-
pears aboye the upper lip (G ).

SADNESS

I 165
 ANGER: THE FACE OF RAGE

W hen someone is ongry and shouting,

Ihe moulh seems lo compromise be-
tween ¡he proper shape far ¡he pro-
duclion of Iols of noise ond o desire lo
expose ¡he upper, biting leelh. "Bit-
ing" ¡nvolves ¡he sneering muscle
(top)-the upward pull of ¡he lip off
¡he upper leelh. This moy hove
evolved from o real threal lo use ¡he
teeth, os in ¡he l ip-cu rl ing snarl of en
ongry dog or cal. "Producing lols of
noise" requires shoping ¡he lips far
speech. lhe depressor labíi inferioris
ond ¡he orbicularis oris ore working
togelher here (botlom). lhe depressor ACTION OF SNEERING MUSClE
lobíi is pulling ¡he lower lip down in o
U shope, exposing ¡he lower leeth ond
gums. lhe orbiculoris oris is contrae-
tíng, giving Ihe lips a stroight, tight
edge, importonl io loud speecn. It
curls tne lips io on Ihemselves; their
leosion mokes both the sneer (top)
ond tne lower-lip pull (middle) less
obvious Inon olherwise.

ACTION OF LlP DEPRESSOR

Shoutiog mouth version 1: The ongry

moulh shows lols of leeth.

166
ANGER : THE FACE OF RAGE

You don', need two e yesta look angry. The

basic cnger code- wide eyes, lowered brow,
ond shouting movlh-is equolly os recogniz .
cble on the face af a one-eyed monster os on a
humon foce. Legendory ooimatar Rey Horry-
housen's cyclops resembles ¡he womon pie-
lured below; ils single eyebrow, for exomple,
looks like hers would jf Ihey were joined in Ihe
middte. The exoggeroled glore is colculoled;
cover the upper rim of the iris o nd nole how
mueh less furious 'he cyelops seems.

Using analomy as a decorative elernen!, this mosk

from the Japonese Noh thealer makes a desigo out
of ¡he signolure wrinkles of ¡he corrugotor. The V
shope in the cenler af the foreheod is o designer ver-
sicn of the frown lioes. The coshew-shoped bvlge 01
the inner end of ¡he eyebrow is interpreted as a
sweeping, curved form , repealed in ¡he mou$loche
and nose curves. The moulh is speoking in cnger,
with lip edges th inned . The widening af Ihe eyes un ·
der Ihe lowered brow i$ cleor.

Simply becouse on expressioo exists

does nol meon Ihol it's effective in o
picture. Though this is o picture of on
ongry persoo, she is coptured 01 o
sloge of shouting, wilh eyes squinling,
where our mosl importonl cue, Ihe
widened eyes, is missing.

167
 ANGER : THE FHE OF RAGE

T hough ¡he eyes IIOry little

in roge, lhe moulh lokes o
voriely of posilians. In ev- •
ery cose, ¡he upper lip is
lifted in o sneer, exposing
¡he up per lee!h. The lower
leelh show as well, ei lher
by ¡he dropping of ¡he
lower lip or by lhe sidewoys
slretching of !he lower lip.
The nel eHecl is alwoys ¡he
sorne : o squarish moulh,
bristling wi,h leelh ond with
o slrang sense of a snarl,
fremed by continuau$ nose-
lo-ehin folds.

•
I

•,

This moo is putting o 101 of energy inlo wholever he's soy-

ing. In ordinory speoking, ¡he lee!h ore never separoted
¡his mueh, nor is ¡he mou!h slrelched ¡nis wide. This $houl-
ing mou!h, unlike versian 1, is dominaled by ¡he lip
slretcher, risorius/platysma. (Cords stand out on ¡he neck,
as they do whenever moulh is slrelched by risorius/
plolysmo.) There is olso o slrong conlroction of Ihe inner
bronch of Ihe sneering muscle, lifting Ihe wings of Ihe nose,
crinkling Ihe eye, ond crealing o high, lifted cheek wilh a
smile-shaped fald aboye.

A. Action of corrugolor.
B. Action of levolor lobi i superioris
(middle ond inner bronches).
c. Action of risorius/plolysmo.
D. Action of levolor polpebroe.

168
 ANGER: THE FHE OF RAGE

,,

The slrelched-mouth shoul !

has o shape ¡ha! appar- \
enlly lends itself lo simplifi-
ealian-in ¡he hands of a
cortoonisl, il becomes o
I rectangle with leeth. Real
life i5 more complex; ¡he lit-
tle girl (below) shows on
ongry rnoulh ¡ha! compro-
{ mises between versions 1
OM 2.
Versian 1: lips tightened, thinned; lower Version 2: Lips stretched; lower lip
lip pulled downward. Slightly oval look stretched sidewoys, not downword.
lo moulh shape. Squored-off look to moulh shope.
I

, The square shape of

¡he shoul i5 nearly
rectangular in this
simpl ¡fied version,
with clear nasolobiol
fold. Upper lid
orches high and
disoppears behind
lowered brow. Verti-
cal, nol horizontal,
foreheod folds are
in onger pollern.

,J The foce of o furious four-yeor-old.

r•
{ Both risorius/plotysmo ond lip de-
pressor museles are active, but neither
is fully conlrocted. Mouth tokes com-
promise position-note dip down-
~ word in lower comer (A), shown

,,
i nicely in cortoon mouth 01 (B).
f •

f,
\ One form slonds for two:
lowered eyebrow i5 combined
with across-lhe-Iid fold. So me express ion-even simpler
Note olso (1) suggeslion of squore moulh. Outer curve of Ihe eye-
light lower lid . line, rising os high as il does (2 ), elev·
I erly suggesls ond exoggeroles effecl
of roised, portly hidden upper eyelid.
This is the roge pollern reduced lo
obsolule essenlials.
«W rong numberr T his never happened
with Ma Bell!"

\
169
 ANGER: THE FACE OF RAGE

Clenched leeth, ond li ps ported

enough lo reveal them, are ossoci-
oled only with extreme physical
stress, os in lifting weights or giv-
ing birlh. When push comes lo
shove in onger, this is anolher pos-
sibilily far the ongry moulh.
The lower holves of these Iwo
expressions (Ieft ond opposite) ore
quite similar. 90th moulhs hove ¡he
slrelched lower lip/squore upper
lip creoted by ¡he jo in! aclion of ¡he
sneering muscle ond lip slrelcher.
90th necks show raised slronds of
plalysmo. Bu! ¡he full expressions
are quite different. The mon with
his eyes closed and brow reloxed
(Ieft) looks simply stroined, nol on-
gry. With only haJf ¡he foce active,
¡he effec! is ombiguous; in foct, this
drawing is bosed on o photo of on
othlete, at the peak of his effort in
o track evento iHe'd look even more
poined if his eyes were squeezed
tightly shut.)

lhe second drowing (opposite) is

bosed on o photogroph of aman
in a fist fight. lhere's o strong sug-
gestion of anger (note snorl ond
fierce glare) accompanied by
physical effort. Clenching the teeth
is uncomfortoble; when we're re-
loxed, they're olwoys seporoted by
o slight gop.

•
•

170
 This snorl is on o wor helmel, used by
Ihe Tlingol Indions of Ihe Pocific
Norlhwesl. As suggesled by Ihe mosk,
Ihe snorl is often o lopsided expres-
sion, wilh Ihe lip curled much higher
on one side thon the other. G rid-l ike
Ireotmenl of clenched leeth is very
much like thol in the cortoon below.
Wrinkles ore used here for decorolive
effecl; lols of extra ones ore lo Ihe left
of Ihe moulh ond below Ihe left eye.
Nole deep sneer pockel beside Ihe
nose.

I l)"foj'T íHfHK ,"r NlA1T~:fS

--rH,qT YlIU'IlE E'C/fT yE¡if~ (M tf~r V{)KIN6 Tu
ycu/ ..... C;¡¡-R - LoTs IIF 'E4rLfi Gtir
(JeT M.~ll!~
M4RR,fp wr.".. 'iVEN G¡"ere
PIFF~f{EHc.ES/
010 I ~Á'"
y"v Wflté?
A corloon inlerprelotion of Ihe ongry
grimoce. The squore mauth ¡s quile lil-
;;::
erolly squore; ¡he clenched teelh ore
portroyed by o simple grid. The cor-
loonist has left us lo imagine ¡he eyes
gloring behind ¡he blonk glosses, un -
derneolh Ihe lowered brow. An inter-
esling device is used in Ihe womon's
eye; os her moad chonges from
pleosed lo concerned (ond her brow
goes from down lo up), her iris
" ,
widens.

171
 ANGER: THE FHE OF RAGE

W ith onger, you either capture il pre·

cisely Of nol 0 1 011. Bearing !hol in
mind, ¡l's inslructive lo compare Ihese
two copies of a losl Leonardo paint-
in9, one by Lo renzo Zocchia, the olher
by Peter Poul Reubens. Reubens
cleorly wos fer more familiar Ihon
Zacchio wilh ¡he key elemen! of
onger- lhe oroused, widened eye.

Reubens's copy captures Ihe

emol ion of roge by poying
ottention lo deta il; Zoe-
chio's lacklusler copy
glosses aver Ihe fine poinls.
locchio's soldier (A ), for
exomple, merely has his
moulh apen with his eye
vague. The sorne eye in
Reubens's (B), with ils in-
tense glare, energizes ¡he
enlire expression. The dif-
ference between ¡he horses'
eyes is even more striking.
Reubens has ochieved fu-
rious looks 01 (e ) ond (D)
by showing lols of eye
whi!e obove !he iris, while
ollne some lime sU9gesling
on eyebrow (which horses
octuolly lock), lowered ond
overlapping !he !op of Ihe
eye. Compare with Ihe
deod looks 0 1 (E) ond (F).
 ANGER: THE FACE OF RAGE

II's olso instructive lo com-

pare ¡he two artists' treol-
\ menl of the ongry maulh
ond cneeks. In Reubens's
drowing, ¡he moulh (G ) is
far more slrelched sideways
(by risorius/platysma) with
o far more evident sneer
Ihon Zacchia's rendering
(H). Note olso Reubens's
careful suggeslion of the
upper and lower teeth,
missing in Zacchio's, and
the glowering eye of ¡he
, sorne foce-jl hos a low-
ered brow bu! no fire al 011
in Zocchio's. It is no coinci-
dence ¡ho! the greoles!
pointers have olso been the
mas! skillful mosters of fa-
cial express ion .

•
•

173
 ANGER: THE FHE OF RAGE

Dramatic confroniations
and screoms of roge. Sad-
ness is o solilory, with-
drown emolian; being
furious is o slote of engoge-
men! ond conflict. We ex-
press rage with our entire
body-heod !hrusl forward
on the neck, arms ond
honds gesticulating. These
¡mages hove !hose !hings
000 more in common-Ihe
mou!h shopes, ¡he brows,
cne! in two of ¡he ¡mages,
¡he ridge-lined necks.

Mess;on;c would be o
good word lo describe the
face of ¡he ongry John
Brown in John Stuart
Curry's mural. Nol only ¡he
face ond orms bul ¡he
beard ond hair become
por! of the expression, tneir
ogitoted WQves repealed in
the flag ond sky. Curry WQS
well oware of ¡he power of
¡he whites of the eyes; in o
mural mean! lo be seen
from o dislance, he exagge-
roled their size and shape,
and lightened their tone,
moking their contrast with
the dark brows the most in-
tense spat, ond therefore
the focal point, of the entire
painting. Anotomicolly, we
might question two details:
the missing upper front
teeth (which always show in
the ongry shout) ond the
emphalic horizontal brow
ridges. The brow creases
may be meant to repeat yet
again ¡he wove motif.

174
•
ANGER: THE FHE OF RAGE

Medieval art is full of surprises. This

Romanesque carving, a calurnn capi-
tal from twelfth-century France, has o
threolening, furious devil. Mas' eu-
rious is ¡he woy ¡he artist has depicted
the -ridges of plolysmo in the neek (it
olwoys eontraets in o wide-mouthed
shout) os squore-sided, deeorotive
bonds (A). The expression of Christ,
whose stone faee ;s mueh the worse
for wear, is indeeipherable; his disei-
pie, however, looks o bit nervous.

The power of a vivid expression

can produce an ¡mage Ihol, in
ils inlensily, becomes part of
our colleclive experience. Of
course, this picture has more
Ihan expression 90in9 for il; ¡he
compasilion would do on old
master proud: ¡he line of ¡he
billy club leoding up lo ¡he con-
torted face and honds¡ ¡he woy
fhe very expressive honds
emerge out of ¡he dork back-
ground; ¡he foceless bulk of fhe
policemon in Ihe foreground-
everything works. Note ¡he
shorp colurnns of ¡he conlrocled
plolysma in ¡he demonslrolor's
neck.

Aetion of the inner braneh of sneer

muscle is slrong-note the squinling
eyes ond sharp folds under lids (B).
The moulh shows slrong oction of the
orbieularis oris (taut lips), lip de-
pressor, ond lip streleher, whose oe-
lion Iriggers eords in neek (e).

175
CLOSED-MOUTH ANGER effort to preven! something trom there is a noticeable contraction oi the
When we aren't yelling at somebody happening-to prevent the mouth corrugator, no extra amount oi con-
we're furlou S with, we're going to be trom opening into a shout. This is an traction will make any difference, as far
showing that anger nonetheless. AIJ unconscious elfor t, oí course. The as the expression goes. lf you're a par-
tbat energy has to go somewhere. mentalis, the triangularis, and the or- ent scolding a child, dont waste your
Rather tban baring our teeth in a snarl, bicularis oris work together to com- time furrowing your brow extra bard if
however, we're more likely to be press- press the mouth. 1ñe "three-musde you want to make an impression; it
ing our Iips together in a fashion almost press" tbat results narrows the lips. won't make your threats any more
as threatening: the tight-lipped look. wrinkles the chin, and creates a sense threaterung. Nor will you frighten your
Though less is happening verbally oí bulging all around the mouth, espe- child with an extreme version of the lip
when we're glowering at someone with cially below. c\ench; combining a stern lowered
our lips pursed, the sense of an impen- The sneer aspect of anger is here brow and a tight lip c\ench might just
ding explosion can be strong; in sorne very subtle; that is, it's not very get you laughed at.
ways, tbat may be worse. strong. The sneer muscle is only active The only thing capable oí tipping the
When tight lips combine with glar- enough to slightly deepen the crease scales and really putting the fear into a
ing eyes, we might describe the result- alongside the nose. loved one (and sending him or her run-
ing face as furious, irate, or just plain ning to clean up their room) is the little
angry. The frote Look: G/aring Eyes [evator palpabral-the musc\e that
By now it should be clear that the main puts the extra liit on the upper lid,
The lrote Look: Compressed Moulh variable in the eyes oi anger is not the widening the eye in combination with
In the ¡rate look, we again confront strength with which someone pulls the lowered broW; creating the baleful
muscular effort being expended in an down the eyebrows; in tact, so long as g[are.

ANGER : COMPRESSED lIPS

We can underslond why when molhers gel ongry wilh

children, there's a level of restro inl in Iheir expression of
onger. Reslroinl os expressed in Ihe foce usuolly meo ns Ihe
strong, li p-pressing conlraclion of orbiculorls o ris. Bullhe
compressed moulh moy olso relieve nervous energy in Ihe
sorne woy os clenched teeth or o squinting eye.

176
•
ANGER : COMPRESSED lIPS

This face combines a high siete of on-

ger with Ihe effec! of hard work; il is
bosed on a photo of a mon in o fight
kicking someone. Cl05in9 your mou!h
wilh extra force olways involves ¡he
lip-presser¡ olmos! olways ¡he men-
101i5, Ihe musc!e of Ihe ehin; ond often
¡he triangularis. The full aelian is
colled Ihe three-musde press.
Filling out ¡he pichJre: He's gol his
sneer musde, middle branch, working
(creoting !he deep creose beside his
nose and Ihe puffed-up cheek); his
eyes are wide ond fiery benealh ac-
tive corrugotors; ond finaJly, he is
thrusting out his lower jow, furfher
shelving out Ihe chin and lower lip.

A. Lips ore completely norrowed

down lo o single, stroighl line; lower
lip forward .
B. Bvlges appear bolh obove ond be-
low Ihe lip.
C. Hook-like mouoo creoled by Irion-
guloris; nole 0150 exlended moulh line
01 eilher end. This is Ihe moulh shope
Ihol's Ihe "hove o nice doy' smile
flipped overo
•
o. Roughened chin due lo menlolis .

•
•

1. Action of levalor polpebroe.

2. Action of levolor lobii superioris.
3. Aclion of Irionguloris.
4. Aclion of menlolis.
S. Action of o rbiculoris oris.
6. Action of corrugalor.

177
 ANGER: COMPRESSED lIPS

T hough the sneer is olmos! gone, ¡he

cnger remo¡ns. Bu! tight-lipped cnger
could be light-lipped onything wi,houl
!he widened eyes ane! the lowered
brow. By itself, the mouth of ¡he wom-
on (right) could be ¡hal of nervousness
or concenlrotion. Add lowered brows,
cne! she might look determined; ¡he
full express ion requires the glaring
eye.

lIya Repin poinled Sophio Alexeevna

glowering from ¡he shadows, expres-
sing her moad with lowered brow
(note frown lines) and 910rin9 eyes.
Her moulh is less compressed ¡han
¡hal in ¡he piclure aboye, bul ¡he ex-
pression in her eyes is so slrang we
ossume her moulh is light, taking the
hinls of bulging below and slight
pushing forward of her lower lip (A). An ¡role woman from the
newspoper comic strip
, , Mary Worlh . Besides the
tucked·in arms, the artist
has emphasizedller onger
: with her stiff posture and
out·thrust eh in. Wide eyes
and corrugoted brows are
cleor, but ¡he mouth is
neorly neutrol, with slight
squaring of upper lip, ond o
suggestion of the trian·
gularis bulge (B).

178
, lhere's aften o forword
!hrus! of lhe enlire body
(especiolly ¡he head) in
cnger. Note 01$0 9 10ri09
• eyes, 51ight soeer pouch
olongside nose, com-
pressed moulh (mentolis
, active), ond plotysmo cords
in neck.

, Anolher men in o figh'. Ber-

nini's David, snows Ihe
slroin af physicol effort in

, •
his moulh os well. The ex-
pression is idenlicol with
!hol of the moo above ex-
cepl in one respecl: his eyes
are no! quite so wide, om:!
when eyes ore less wide

•
apen, Ihe express ion lends
lo look more like effort ond
less like cnger.

¡
•

179
 ANGER: VERY ANGRY EYES, NOl SO ANGRY MOUlHS

Anger on ¡he wane? As shouting dies down ond ¡he moulh relaxes, il becomes
horder lo fel! from a picture if someone's ongry. Here, we reloin the flashing
eyes, bul lose the ffialching level of intensity in ¡he moulh. Because there is less
agreement between moulh ond eyes, ¡he foce looks more ombiguous, less modo
The womon below is seen by mony people os ongry, olthough il is afien ex-
pressed as cnger ond something. The message is mixed because the eyes carry
the weight: her mouth moy be ongry; then again, maybe nol. Also, there's no ac-
lion of ¡he sneering muscle, so no nosolobiol fold, no puffed cheeks.

In foces of roge, ¡he open mouth is pulled upward by ¡he The eyes lip the scoles. The brows ore very slrongly con-
sneering muscle ond down- or outward by risorius/ trocted, ond the upper lids ore partly covered by the hori-
plolysmo or Ihe lip depressor. Here Ihe moulh's open only zontal acrass-lhe-Iid fold. Given the slrong lowering
o bil; cleoresl change from o neulrol open moulh is nor- octivity of Ihe brow, the irises oppeor porticularly inlen-
rowed upper lip, owing lo controction of jusi holf of or- sified. And since Ihe mouth could be speoking in onger, we
biculoris oris. Her moulh doesn't look too ongry; cover the lend to interpret it as angry. This is onother exomple of one
eyes and she could jusi be having o conversotion. feature weighing our emolionol perceplion af another.

180
 ANGER: VERY. ANGRY EYES, NOT SO ANGRY MOUTHS

IIGet Ihol persao out af here!" This

drawing is based on a bockstoge
photo af o perlarmer demonding lo

, be rid of on unwelcome visitor. The

suggestion af sneer in Ihe upper lip is
51ro09 encugh, however, so Iha! sorne
hove read th is firsl os disgusl, second
as cnger, bul in disgust, ¡he eyes ore
neutrol. Here. we d eorly reod Ihe
presence af corrugotor conlroction
from lhe tro jectory af Ihe eyebrow;
Ihol, cambined with ¡he white showing
• aboye ¡he iris, leads liS lo see her eyes
os gloring and her face os ongry. Thus
,he sneer becomes a snarl; in foel, th is
is o picture af Ihe momen! befare o
screom, with !he lip caughl in ¡he fi rsl
slage of ils lifting oelion. Note crease
olongside nose ere oled by cantraclion
af sneering muscle.

The eyes moke this worrior mask look

fi erce. The relaxed brow moy slonl
downward, bul never enough so Ihal il
crosses bel ow lap of Ihe eye. The eye-
brow slonl is combined wilh eyes wilh
plenly a f while o bove Ihe iris. Eyes
Ihis intense, combined wifh Ihe og-
gressive geslure, don'l need much os-
, sislonce from the mouth; it's slighlly
squored, as wilh womon obove.

181
ANGER AT rrs MINIMUM: bicularis oris, particularly in the upper around the world. "Bulldog" portraits
IS IT OR ISN'r IT? lip, with a very weak triangularis ac- have been around since the time oí the
People who are mad, but not furious, tion. The result of this muscle interac- Roman empire. Busts of prominent Ro-
often have expressioos that are harder tion is a thin, straight upper lip, a lower mans show men posed with contraet-
to read. Al! the faces up to this point lip raised and forward and slightly ing corrugators and compressed lips;
have included intensified, widened pulled down corners of the mouth. these men obviously wished to be seen
eyes. When the liule upper-lid muscle with such expressions. The Romans
loses its extra tension, and the upper Men To Be lkckoned With clearly thought there was something
lid its extra lift, faces with the other Unl ike fury, the stern or forbidding noble and impressive about the scowl;
characteristic signs of anger- Iow- look oi threshold anger can be por- with such images oi power empires are
ered brows and pressed lips but no trayed plausibly on the face of someone held together.
widened eye- are seen somewhat dif- sitting for a portrait; like slight sad- The ardent c1assicist Mantegna,
ferently. Without the glare, we might ness, it's an expression we can imagine whose Renaissance murals and paint-
still feel a face Iooks angry; but what's on the face oí someone lost in thought. ings celebrate everything Roman,
even more likely is tbat we sense in- There is a long history, in fact, of this chose to do his seli-portrait io a man-
stead a mood with apotential for anger. particular expression appearing in offi- ner that seems inspired by the Roman
cia! portraits oí men in authority. The portrait busts; the image oi grim aus-
The Shape 01 the Mouth English language is full ol descriptive terity seems also to agree with de-
The tace of threshold anger is ba5ed on words for the image their portraits scriptions oi his personaJity. More re-
the combination of lowered eyebrows seem to convey: adamant, strict, dour, cently, the spirit of those tough-
with compressed lips. lf either element harsh, severe, stern, autocratie. looking Romans has been used in the
is missing, the effect is 10s1. The low- There's no doubt that the propa- faces oí anthropomorphic anima!s, like
ered brows caused by the contraclion ganda value oí being a ruler with 5uch the proud lions on the iront steps oi the
oi corrugator are simple enough, but an image is considerable. Nowadays New York Public Library.
the compressed mouth, as usual, can we seem to prefer more genial public Rodin's Thinker, which appears on
take a variety of fonns. figures, but during times of war there the front steps oi more tban one mu-
The mouth's form depends 00 the is obviously more of a need to feel that seum, demonstrates what happens
relative strength of the contraction of someone tough is in command. During when the scowl oi anger/ster nness be-
the three muscles that can compress World War n, the Canadian photogra- comes a liule less pronounced: the iace
the lips: mentalis, orbicularis oris, and pher Yousef Karsh was so intent on looks thoughtful, not angry. Without
triangularis. In the facial shrug, for ex- eliciting a tough scowl from Winston the cue oí head on hand and meditative
ample, the mentalis and the trian- Churchil! tbat he took the enormous pose, the face looks perplexed. Even
gularis contraet strongly, while the or- risk of !eaning forward and yanking the perplexed look is linked to anger;
bicularis oris remains relaxed. In the Churchil!'s cigar trom his mouth as a the corrugator seems to act whenever
expression of threshold anger, a far provocation. Down carne the eye- we feel thwarted or irustrated, when-
more common combination is the brows, up carne the lower lip, and the ever we encounter some difficulty. An-
stroog contraction of the mentalis, and resulting "bulldog" portrait made ger is merely a more ¡ntense version oí
a moderate contraction oi the or- Karsh famous and was reproduced being perplexed.

182
 ANGER : lEAST INTENSE

Like mas! expressions, anger al ils

I leos! marked oppears more I¡ke o
moad Ihon a momentary possion. The
widened eye, Ihe conlrolling feature of
inlense anger, doesn'l lasl very long;
I changes expressive of mild slales of
anger, like a lowered brow and
Ihinned lips, are more lingering. To
mosl people, Ihe man in Ihe drawing
(Ieh) looks mad in a smoldering,
fruslrated way. The express ion of the
man below looks more like a
permanenl condilion: we read Ihe
anger cues in his face as signs of a
harsh, unyielding personality.

The irises are slighlly more Ihan half-

covered by Ihe upper lid. This is nor-
I mal when Ihe brows are lowered ond
Ihe upper lid is not relracled. Note
deep shadow (A), below shelf where
conlracled brow is most raised off
surface of face.

Tlle grim foce is tho! of Thaddeus

I
Slevens, Ihe Republicon Speaker of This is anolher example of Ihe Ihree-
the House who wos mas! responsible muscle press: mentalis in the eh in (B),
for the severe !reolmen! of ¡he South orbicularis oris curling the lips in on
I after lincoln's assossinalion. Perhops
he pul on his nosties! scowl for the
Ihemselves and creating Ihe bulge be-
low (e ), and Ihe weak acfion of Ihe Iri-
cornera . The controction of ¡he car- angularis (D), pulling th~ lBl corners
rugator in Ihe brows is slight 01'1 our down slighlly.
left, stronger on our ri9hl. The con-
traclion of the menlolis, cleody visible
in ¡he chio (A), hos pushed Ihe lower
lip upward and forward; ¡he trian-
gularis is pulling down fhe lBL caf-
ners (B); 011 this is bejng resisled by
¡he upper half of ¡he lip muscle
thinning ¡he upper lip (e)
ond keeping il slroight.

183
 ANGER: THE FACE OF STERNNESS

The self-portrait bus!

(above, right) of ¡he Renois-
sonce artisl Mantegno ncw
surmounts his 10mb in Man-
tuo. Montegna lakes the
Roman scowl ene step fur-
ther, adding a bit of o sneer
(roised nose wings, deep
nasolobiol fold; Aj. The
downward, hove-o-bad-
The severe countenonce of doy pull of trionguloris is
¡he Roman emperor Car- particulorly slrang_
ocalla (above, left) is on ex-
omple of the forbidding
scowl immortalized in arto
The Romens seem lo hove
used ¡he frown os the mask
of outhority, for il oppeors
over and over in ¡heir por-
•
Iraits of the ríeh ond power-
fui (right). Similar ¡mages of
prominent men who were
(er wished lo be seen os)
harsh ond ouslere appear
throughout Off history.

184
 ANGER: THE fACE OF STERNNESS

!
! Whot's good enough for en emperor should be good denly, complementing o similar narrowing in the middle of
1 enough for a Pope. Velázquez coptured a foce of power· Ihe upper lip. The pressure of Ihe lips is thus mostly in Ihe

I
fui, colculating oulhorily with his fomaus parlrai! of Pope middle¡ Ihe visual elues are ¡usl enough lo recognize Ihe
Innacen! X (Ieft). It has ¡he classic lowered brow and com- mouth os o participan! in Ihe face of sternness. In the Ber·
pressed lips. lhe oction of these two elemenls is rother nini portrail of the same Pope (right) the relaxed lips ond
\ subtle; we know Ihe brows are lowered beca use of Iheir neulral brow completely defuse the personality coptured
shape (too extreme lo be natural) ond becouse of Iheir by Velózquez¡ the result is a bland "official" portrait.
height (below Ihe upper eyelid threshold). l he moulh is Ironically, Bernini was a great master of the sculpted
even subtler: Ihe middle of Ihe lower lip disappears sud - express Ion.

A cortoon version of au ·
thority figures wearing the
stern/angry face. The artist,
James Slevenson, clearly
subscribes lo Ihe idea of
!he universali!y of expreso
sion, al leas! on bolh sides
of the PacifiCo Mote the pro·
jection of the lower lip foro
ward of the upper (the
opposite is usually true) on
figures A ond B; this occurs
when menlalis action is
sfrong .

-
I
"The Ambauador soys he does not care whal we have heard-he speaks
for both Secretary Weinberger and Secretary Shultz."
Ot~ by S""'*"""'." 1_ n.o No... y"".. M<;.yarino. loc.

185
11'5 only nolurol (Ihough in- close resemblance lO hu-
corred) lo ossume Ihol oni - mon foces of anger. The
mals smile ond scowl Ihe moin device he uses is Ihe
some woy we do. These o re suggeslion af controcling
exomples from Ihe long, corrugolors ond lowered
long hislory of Iransferring brows (A, B, ond e ). No
humon expressions lo Ihe motter Ihal lions don'l even
faces of beosls; in fad, hove sllCh o corrugator.
Ihere ore no expressions Snorl (D) is 0150 closely
(except, perhops, Ihe mon- bosed on o humon modelo
key's grin) Ihol look JUSi Ihe
some on Ihem os on uso Though far less fierce-
looking lo our eyes, Ihis is
II's o foir bel Ihol neilher how on ongry col really
Reubens nor ony of his looks. According lo Ihe
conlemporories hod ony , Charles R. Knighl, on
ideo whol wild lions reolly enroged tiger flonens ils
looked like. We're slill eors, opens its eyes
reody lo find his lions wider,ond snorls-il
ond Ihreolening ond moy does nol lower
see nothing slronge in the ils brows.

186
 SUMMARY
'HE SCOWLlNG BEAST
The main constant through all the
faces oí anger is the lowered eye-
If you were en artisl ossigned lo ere- brows; nearly all angry faces have low-
ate o coat-of-arms far o beer label ered eyebrows in common. The main
topped by o regol heod of o horse, variables are the wideness of the eyes
whot better model for noble bearing and the openness or tightness oi the
(or noble orrogance) thon the Roman
mouth. The openness of the eye, as
portroi! busls? The artist has sol ved
we've seen, is the crucial intensity con-
¡he lechnicol problem of clearly sug-
gesting ¡he frown by ¡nvenling heavy
trol, and no depiction of anger can be
eyebrows for his imoginory horse lo convincing without special attention to
contracto Real horses (os in the the detailing of the eye. In rage, the
Charles Knight drawing right) lock upper lid has to have a high enough are
eyebrows entirely. so that it clears, or nearly clears, the
top of the iris. The wider the eye, the
angrier the look; but given equally
wide eyes, people who are shouting
mad gener ally look angrier than people
who show anger with tight lips.
At the lowest levels of iull-face an-
ger, the eye is no more than ordinarily
opened, and the combination oi low-
ered brow and compressed lips tends
to be read more as a sort of strength oí
character than as out-and-out anger;
this ~ind oí expression oi stemnessl
anger has appeared most often in por-
traiture. Any expression with a less-
than-glaring eye may be interpreted as
determination or thoughtfulness.
)
The angr y mouth is the most tricky
elernent to pin down. In shouting an-
ger, the open mouth can take a variety
of forms depending on what's being
said. The lower lip varies the most; the
upper lip is always raised in a snarl.
The stretched lower lip position is the
I one that is the most clearly recogni-
zable and simplest to depict. In closed-
mouth anger, the mouth is compressed
rather than stretched, and e ither the
If o lion ond o horse can do il, why nol
on eagle? Few animols ore exempl mentalis or the orbicularis oris will be
frcm our humanizing impulse. This dominant. If the orbicularis oris is

,
fieree, frawning e091e is a relie of stronger, the lips curl inward on them-
New York's grand old Penn Stalion. seJves and disappear; ii the mentalis is
The lowered brow has a curved, slyl- stronger, the lower lip becomes extra-
ized line reminiscenf of midcentury prominent and is pushed upward and
streomlining . Like ¡he lowered brow iorward. T he resistance oi the or-
on o humon face, it throws the eye be- bicularis oris in the upper lip keeps the
low into shadow. lips from being pushed up into a pout.
The key elements in the anger code
are: lowered brows (which must drop
below the top edge oí the upper lids);
widened eyes (to appear glaring, the
iris must be no more than a quarter
covered by the upper lid); and an active
mouth, either open and showing !ots of
teeth or closed and tight.

187
THE
OFJOY

B abies may scream first. but they

smile second. ¡nfants generall y
begin to smile befare they are quite
nervous, or even quite mad. Some-
times, smiles mean nothing at al!.
Unique among facial expressions. the
TUE SQUEEZEo-UP EYE
Why is the crinkled-up eye so impor-
two months old, making the smile the smile is put on at appropriate occasions tant to the sincerity of a smile? Be-
second human facial expression to ap- as a social gesture (though we know cause it tells the truth, and the mouth
pear. By the time a baby is conscious of irom photos where we have tried to can lie. The narrowing and wrinkling
its surroundings and leams lo use its smile on command how silly it can of the eye is an involuntary action, in
arms and legs. it has already mastered make us look) or as a professional pose. the category oí sneezing or shivering,
the facial responses expressive oí the Finally, sorne smiles are so subtle as while the pulling of the mouth into a
two mast fund amental emotional to elude explanation; they mark the smile is a direct, IIOluntary action. We
states: pleasure and pain. limit beyond which our cool analysis can smile no matter how we are feel-
As we've seeo, the baby's expression cannot go. We look at portraits by Ver- ing, but we can no more crinkle our eye
oí paio and displeasure-the scream meer or Rembrandt, and though the on demand than cry on demando That
-is modified as a child matures into sensation we get is unmistakable, is, most 01 us cannot cry or laugh on
related bul rather different ways oí ex- there are tantalizingly few appa rent cue; those that can have usually had
pressing anger and sadness. 1be smile reasons for our responses, no easy way professional training.
that appears 00 lhe Cace of the two- to explain the difference between a For the rest oí uso the question then
month.-old infant, however, does nol Vermeer smile and that of a near- becomes. why does SQuinting have any
differ in any significant respect flOm imitator. We can illustrate certain connecÜon at all to smiling? Why can't
the smile oí an eighty-five-year-old. things with our diagrams and descrip- we smile a happy smile without a
Once we begio lo smile, we always tions, but mystedes, thank goodness. squint? Because we have a reflex that
•
smile in the same fashion and always as remam. makes us squint when we Iaugh, and
a response to the same general state oí merely being pleased stirs the same
mind. THE SMILE: How MANY MUSCLF.S? reflex into action. The reflex is based
Not only is the smile the expression Smiles are an efficient expression: no on the role the contraction oí or-
that we carry the most intact from in- matter whether we are talking about a bicularis ocul i, which creates the
fancy to old age, it is also the facial broad smile or a full-throated laugh, squint, plays in protecting the eye from
expression that is the most universally the same number of musc1es are al- inner stress.
appreciated and encouraged in all hu- ways involved: two. The crucial p~rt of this for artists is
man societies. Though all six facial ex- And which two musc1es, exactly, that we don't have to wait for the laugh
pressions can be said to transcend the make a smile a smile? A specialist and to see the squint The reflex loop is
barriers oí language and culture, it is a generalist. The specialist is the zy- triggered whenever we ieel pleased
the smile and the laugh that will help us gomatic major, which has the nar- enough that a Iaugh may foUow; in ac-
the most in virtually any cross-cultural rowestjob description of any muscle al tual practice this means just about any
encounter. expression; its only function in the tace time we're happy. But the sensation
The smile is also the expression of is to pull the mouth into a smile. The must be there or the reflex won't
nuance. There are more, and more generalist is the great circular muscle happen-we can't foo! our own body. 1
subtle, emotional shadings possible of the ere. orbicularis oculi; it plays can't sit here and create a happy squint
with a smile than with any other ex- many roles in many different expres- just by thinking about it. But if a good
pression. Smiles can cantain elements sions, such as crying, anger (tight friend or Ioved one walked into the
01 other expressions like sadness or lower lid), disgust, and pain. In the room, smiling and joking, the reflex
anger, creating faces of fascinat ing am- smile, the orbicularis oculi has an in- loop would dick on, and the orbicularis
biguity and complexity. dispensable role: if it isn't part oí the oculi would begin to tighten in my eye,
Like sadness, smiles can register as smile, the smile won't look happy. If we with all its characteristic fonns and
a powerful expres~ion even when just smile withjust our mouth and our eyes signature wrinkles. lt's fascinating to
barely visible on the face. Smiles can are neutral, something is missing, watch this happen on people's face s and
send a strong sexual message or tell us something crucial to the warmth and lo watch the tr ansformation that
that the smiling persan is drunk, or charm of the expression occurs.

188
The Key Elements in the Laugh and the 8mile
A laugh is a smile with the mouth rise to just below the bottom edge oí gomatic major bunch up the cheeks
dropped open and the eyes c1osed. Be- the pupil. when they contract individually, so
cause the expressions are so similar, Besides the shape of the eye itself, when they act together, the cheeks are
we can look at them together. The key there are two very important accom- subject to a double compression. The
elements in both are the clenched eye, panying forms: the crows feet growing thickening and rounding off oí the
the stretched mouth, and the bunched out from the outer comer oí the eye cheek is one oí the most characteristic
cheeks. and the deep, smile-shaped íold under- forms of the smile, and one that is
neath the eye. Both these forms al- sometimes neglected. It starls to ap-
THE EYE ways appear in the smile and the pear strongly even at early stages of
As soon as a smile starts to happen, laugh. the smile. By the time someone is
the eye starts to sQuint, and every smiling broadly, the baJling up of the
stage of the smile and 1augh is accom- TUE MOUTH cheeks is the largest, most weJl-
panied by a corresponding level of con- The mouth widens when we smile, and defined form in the entire face, besides
traction of the muscle that squeezes the upper teeth are prominent. The the features.
the eye. lf the squeeze isn't tight upper teeth are so white, and the This is one form you can learo a
enough far the degree of the smile, mouth behind them so dark, tbat the great deal aboutjust with your sense of
we instinctively reject the smile as carrying power of teeth framed by the touch. Smile broadly, and feel the
"phony." lf the squeeze is too tight mouth is considerable. It must be more mound in the cheek that results. Note
(very rare), the smile looks very pecu- tban a coincidence that an expression the point where ¡t's thickest, at about
liar as welL as important as the smile comes the leve! of the nose wings and íacing
In the full -blown laugb, the eye is equipped with an unmistakable pattero out at about 45 degrees to the front oí
sQueezed shut gently by the contrac- that can be recognized from a hundred the iace. You can feel ctearly where the
tioo oí the orbicularis oculi. In crying, íeet away. lf it's blown up to biJIboard surface drops off sharply from this
the entire musde is contracted, and size, those teeth can broadcast their mound (and where shadows are likely
the squeeze is not so gentle. The eye is message for a good quarter mile. to form as a resulO; the sharpest un-
surrounded by a "stress pattern" of There is no other expression (other dercut is directly below, above the cor-
deep wrinkles, both at the outer cor- than the less-sincere smile) tbat can be ner oi the mouth. Undemeath the eye,
ner and between the eyes. In laughing, confused with the smile. Show those there is also a weJl-defined edge, but
only the inner, eyetid portion and the upper teeth, and the whole world will the edges alongside the nose and to
lower hatf oí the muscte act, and the take note. the outside are much smoother and
result is that the eye is squeezed shut A broad, open smile stretches the more gradual, like ·ramps instead of
mostly from below. In drawing the lips and their region tight around the stairs.
laugh, care should be taken to keep the barrel -like form of the skull, and The cheek is the area oí the face
eye narrow; because if the eye looks though the laugh is a slightly tighter with the most subcutaneous fat, and
too open, the laugh looks less whole- action, there is only so much further the fat is movable- it's what bunches
hearted. things can go. The forms are set when up when we smile. !t's a little like re-
In the smile, the same portions of we smile; the changes in the laugh are shaping a sandbag-the mass is the
the eye muscle are contracted, though al! rather subtle ones. In the laugh, the same, but the arrangement of the sand
not quite as strongly. This is why the jaw drops, and the smile is stretched a in the bag is different.
eyes are open when we smile, not when bit wider, but the upper teeth still show These descriptions could apply to
we taugh. The contraction of the eyelid the same way and the mouth shape is either the smile or the laugh. Just look-
portion affects the lower lid the most, much the same. The extra tightening ing al the cheeks, it would be imposs-
and its position in the smiling eye is tbat occurs in the Jaugh also sharpens ible to distinguish between the two,
crucial to the look of the smile. When- the highlight on the lower lip; the but there are subtle differences: in the
ever we smile, the lower lid shortens, smoother the surface, the sharper the laugh, the extra compression of the
straightens, and slides upward on the lúghlight. eye muscte pulls up on the nose wings,
eye. The reason for its movement is the pointing the nose; in the laugh, the
same as the reason for the shape of the THE CHEEKS nasolabial fold is pulled outward more;
smiling upper lip; in both cases, ten- The cheeks are really at the center of and in the laugh, the cheek is a little
sion al the ends of a curve makes the the cbanges in the smile and the Jaugh. tighter, the highlight a little more
curve straighten. Look for the lid to Both the orbicularis oculi and the zy- sbarp.

189
 IOY: FROM THE SMIlE TO THE lAUGH

Tne expression of ¡ay is nol only pleoson! lo look al, ¡l's efficien!. AII ¡he
ehonges in ¡he foce below ore ¡he work af jusi two muscles, ¡he zygomotic mo-
jar, which pulls on ¡he mouth, ond ¡he orbiculoris oeul i, which norrows ¡he eye.
This teom aclion is ¡he essentiol mechonism in !he smile¡ unless bolh muscles
ore active, we don', look happy. Boln muscles controe! in even ¡he stightest
shy grin.

,
RELAXED SMILE

These faces show ¡he link belween ¡he When we simply smile, a weak con- In the laugh, the eye is closed more
degree of eye norrowing ond ¡he traclion of orbicularis oculi is olways from below. The upper lid moves
aclion of smiling. The lou9h produces triggered, preparing for a lou9h Ihol downword only slighlly; Ihe lower lid
¡he mas! squint¡ o 5ligh! smile pro- never comes; compore with reloxed tighlens and slides furlher up the eye.
duces less of o squint; ¡he reloxed eye (Ieft). The lower lid bulges, The lid's d ireclion moy even seem lo
foce none '01 011. shorlens, ond rises up on the eye, cov- reverse and arc upword slightly.
ering porl of Ihe iris; crow's feel wrin- Craw's feel deepen. The nosolobial
kles oppeor 01 Ihe ouler eye corner; fold swings further out Ihan in Ihe
cheek bunches up below eye, wilh smile, and the cheek lighlens more,
smile-shoped wrinkle befween cheek making o shorp highlighl (A).
ond lid.

190
•

• •

,
LAUGH

When we begin lo smile, Ihe cheek $wells ond Ihe skin on lhe jow drops in Ihe lou9h, stretching skin. Note stroighter
Ihe surfoce tightens. lhe thickesl bulge is Ihe "opple" form outline (G) with "hollowed-out" look. The chin moves
cenlered 01 Ihe level af Ihe nose wings (B). lhe bvlge hos clown and bock, pushing up "chinslrap" folds between chin
steep edges aboye (e) ond below (D), o gradual dropoff ond neck (H). lhe moulh is more slrelched in Ihe IOU9h. As
01 (E) and (F). This form is less full in ¡nsincere smi les (wilh- a resull, Ihe IOU9hin9 lips, particulorly Ihe upper one, Ofe
out squinl). more thinned ond stretched; upper lip has also slid further
up Ihe leelh. The lower lip is less changed- Ihe shorp
This reloxed moulh has en a rehed upper lip, so Ihe smiling highlighl indicales a lighler surface. Counlerfeil laughs
lip will ride higher than usual on Ihe !eeth. oflen lack Ihis level of lip·lhinning. Inner oulline sloys much
the sarne from the smile lo Ihe lough except for shorper an-
gle (1) where outer leg turns upward.

191
In spile of Ihe differences in
oge, sex, ond body type,
virfuolly every mo¡or form
in lhe face of Ihe elderly
gentleman is repeoled in
¡he foce of Ihe womon. No-
tice how leughter pulls the
moulh ene! ils region lighf
ogoinst the skull, shoving
Ihe cheeks oul of the woy.

A. Eye dosed with mi Id

force ; prominent buJge
below.
B. Steep edge of cheek.
C. Nose wings pulled up-
ward in lough, not in smi le.
D. Deep, ongled edge.
E. lips one! skin oround
mouth follow feeth.
F. Chin is smooth.
G. Chinslrop folds.

1. Action of orbiculoris oculi.

2. Aclion of zygomotic mo¡or.

192
 10Y: lAUGHING VS. CRYING

In the broodest sense the laugh and the cry ore similor-both ore convulsive,
vocal actions that drop the jow, strefch the moulh, and squeeze light Ihe eye ond
cheeks. Bul Ihe differences, particulorly the degree of tightening around Ihe
eyes ond the shope of Ihe mouth, ore usuolly dramotic enough lo make lhe dis-
tindon eleor. The look of the cheeks is qu ile similar, but the cry has horsher
lines arouod lhe eye ond o flaHer line to the lower lip.
The reflexive elosing of the eye in the lough is necessory lo make Ihe laugh
appeor genuine ond is genller Ihan the elosing of the eye in a crying face. The
laugh is gentler becouse only pa rt of Ihe eye musele is conlracted-the upper
portian is relaxed.

THECRY
•

A. Foreheod smooth, brows reloxed. A. Corrugotor conlrocted, frown lines one! lowered brow.
B. Eye gently squeezed shul, upper lid moves less. B. Slress polter.n of eye wrinkles, inside ond out.
C. Moulh shows upper leeth from tip lO base. C. Upper lid pulled down lightly.
D. Mouth corner sidewoys ond bock toword eor. D. Upper leelh show only tips or nol 01 011.
E. lower lip shows lips of teeth only, ond nane in cornero E. l ower lip slays low, even if moulh opens wide, showing
leeth in cornero

193
 ¡OY: lAUGHING VS. CRYING

\ I
I
.I
•

T his is o le$$ deor-cul cose. The mas! confusing feolure ¡s lhe maulh, because
Ihe upper leeth show ond the comer seems lo be pulled up. The eyes here are
Ihe key. Intense compression of full orbiculoris oculí creates o stress pottern
thol would never be this deep or widespreod in loughler. The eye is so lighl 11'101
the maulh corner is drogged upward, indirectly mimicking aclion of zygomotic
mojor, which is no! active.

The moulh by itself ¡sn', quite righl for o smile-Ihe upper lip should be higher,
showing full hei9hl of !eeth, ond leelh 01 (Al shouldn', show. Bul ¡I's clase.

194
 lOV: LAUGHING VS. CRVING

The problem wilh photog-

rophy is ¡ho! il con capture
en in-between momen!,
when on odion is nol fully
resolved ond then presen! il
os Ihe "!rulh," Thol's exoctly
¡he cose here. I was there-
she WQS IOU9hin9 . Bul you
wouldn', know il from !he
pic!ure-Ihis express ion is
exoctly on Ihe borderline
between ¡he look of ¡ay ond
.
pOln.

Por! of ¡he confusion is the

prominent frown lines (A ),
which ¡he camera hos ern-
phasized, moking Ihem
seem active (Ihey ore nol).
Moulh is captured midway
lo smile posi l ion, so upper
leelh (Bl are nol fu lly
shown-nexl momen! Ihey
would be. And corner {el is
perfectly ombiguous-
neilher angled upward
enough for lou9h, nor side-
ways enough for cry.

A similar queslion is posed, bul mueh

more cunningly, in this drawing by
Sidney Goodman. On the surface it's
a cheerful enough domestic scene, bu!
some!hing drows one's eyes to the
man's face, so hidden in the shodows.
Goodman has obscured iust tha! port
of the foce where we get our clues as
to the lough or the cry. We can tell
from whot we see Ihot it's one or the
olher: ¡he cheeks ore full and the
nosolabial fold is pulled back-but
ambiguity remains. A relaled study
seems to reveol whot the arlist had in
mind (Ieft). With more delail in the
shadows, ¡he expression is iden-
tified- a rather pained grimace, with
contracted brows and tighl mouth .

195
 IOY : THE lAUGH-FRONT AND IIDE

A. No muscle conlroction aboye lid lioe, so brow is re- E. Slroog contrac!ioo af orbiculoris cculi p ulls up on wings
loxed, smoolh. af nose; nose broadens as well.
8 . lower lid slides up on eye, meeting upper lid holfway- F. Cheek is highesl, rcundesl, os 01 poiol G .
higher Ihan when eye simply clases.
C. If oetion is stroog ellOugh, sorne wrinkles moy form from
•
loner eye cornero
D. Crow's fee! curve oround lo side, fode out; one al level
of lid is usuolly deepest.

196
 IOY: THE LAUGH-FRONT AND SIDE

~--
This S line of ¡he cheek 01-
ways appears in o side
view. A similar ¡ine oppeors
RELAXED vs. lAUGHING PROFllE from ¡he side in ¡he smi le.
Seetion 1 represents ¡he
edge of ¡he rounded cheek,
seetían 2 ¡he nosolabial
fold, ond seetían 3 ¡he edge
of ¡he cord ¡ha! frames the
H. Ouler port of lower lip musl rise al steep angle when chino Dimple 4 runs porol-
jow drops. 3
4 lel. line indicates closed
l. Chinstrop cords mork turn from fron! lo side-dimple is pasilion of ehin; dol is 10-
on ¡he side; chinstrop oclually wrops undernealh ehin in
colion of corner of mouth,
the laugh, nol in smile. hidden by cheek. Relaxed
J. Moulh widens in lough, even more !han in smile. corner of moulh ¡ndicaled
by line.

197
Throwing Ihe heod back in lougnter is o nalurol reflex; Ihe
exocl opposile of Ihe forword slump of sodness. lash line
in lough is exoclly midwoy down the eye; when Ihe eye
shuts normolly, the upper lid drops much lower, moking a
downword curve. A conlinuous crease runs from nose lo
chin jn Ihe lough os in Ihe cry, or in shoutjng onger, bul in
Ihe lough il gets shallower os jI opprooches Ihe nose.
Deepesl porl of crease is ol level of moulh cornero Shorp
inner edge I appears 01 (A), and il oflen has o
slrong lighl Ihe dark of Ihe moulo. Teelh fode inlo
shodow well reoch comer of moulh (B).

CLOSED
Downward curve.

LAUGH1NG
Slroight or upward curve.

-}-.
 Three very differenl loughs. Only ¡he
doubled-over mon is drown with en
uninhibited laugh. When we're con·
vulsed with loughter, we're liable lo
make ony number of spasmodic
movemenls. The deepest undercut un-
der ¡he bunched-up cheek (Al is o key
lo ¡he laugh and broad smile. The lash
line is correctly curved upword 01 (B),
an importon! detail compared wilh
¡he losh line al (e). The second monis
smile (righl, center) is more of a polite
tiller. He's nol doing os much, and his
lash line is curved down, suggesting
on eye thot's simply closed, nol con-
!racled closed . The losl gentlemon's
laugh (righl, bottom) is the leasl
wholehearled. His moulh is barely
widened, and his eyes are apen and
observing. When we're really laugh-
ín9, we're nol looking 01 onylhing.

Nol only did Ihe Veracruz culture in Mexico produce lorge

numbers of ceramic figures wilh Ihis wholehearled lough,
bulo greol mony of Ihem olso hove Iheir longues slicking
out. Mosl represenlalions of loughs and smiles in so-called
primilive orl are quile ottenlive, as Ihis one is, lo Ihe
slroighlness of Ihe lower lid. A greol deol is olso mode af
Ihe crucial Ihickness of Ihe cheeks ond Ihe sharp crease
I

199
Slales of high spirils, like lhose of Ihe people pictured here, are 0150 sloles of
high energy; when we're sod or depressed, our energy seems to ebb away, and
Ihe body ond Ihe foce sog. Being overjoyed is olmost, os Ihe word suggesls, loo
much for Ihe nervous system lo hondle. The overlooded nerves pour Ihe energy
into fronlic physicol odion: overjoyed people shoul, jump abovt, Ihrow things in
Ihe oir. The lough is slretched to ils moximum; in Ihe man's foce (opposile), his
eyebrows ore lilerolly doncing for joyo

More Ihon o lough, this is Ihe foce of

someone who's screoming with joyo
The smile dominoles Ihe shoul. These
ore some key deloils:
A. Her jow is dropped os for os il will
go: moulh oppeors longer Ihon wide,
olthough il is widened.
B. Cheek line olmosl ruler·slraighl;
slrelches from cheekbone lo jow.
C. Nose-Io-moulh crease is deepened
by lough and by opening of moulh, so
il's 01 ils deepesl.
D. Tightening of orbiculoris oculi em-
phasizes ball of eye ond crease be-
low; lid line curves slighlly upword.
E. Strong lighting defines edge of
boll-shoped bulge of smile.
F. Teeth move from I¡ghl lo shadow
exoclly Ihe same os surfoce above-
both hove some curve.

'-

200
The foce of a baseball player after his late-inning hit won
o chompionship game. The raised eyebrows are dancing;
the frontalis, which lifts the brows, is ardinarily reloxed
in expressions of joyo So strong is the contraction of the
frontalis here that it's pulled up the upper lid olong with it.
Otherwise, his eyes would hove been dosed,like those of
the waman oppasite. Upper teeth show, but only tips of
lower ones are exposed.

A. Action of frontalis.
B. Action of orbicularis oculi.
C. Action of zygomotic ma jor.

201
KEEPING TUE SMILE BALANeED a little like coming up with words to the smile should always reflect and be
80th the strong contraction of the zy- describe the qualities oí a color or a reflected by the degree oí wrinkling
gomatle major and the eye-crinkling taste With the smile we're limited to around the eyes.
action oí the orbicularis oculi are nec- saying such things as the narrowed eye At the threshold of a smile, the activ-
essary for the creation of the warm version is wanner, friendJier, or hap- ity in the upper face is so subtle as to
smile What's so challenging about de- pier looking. Even then we haven't practically defy analysis. Up to the
picting the smile is that the two actions quite said it, but we wouldn't mistake most fleeting smile, however, the rela-
are so closely linked. In the face oí one for the other. tionship between facial activity and
anger, by contrast, the glare of the eye smile "temperature" is fairly straight-
and the press of the lips are really íorward.
independent actions, and the intensity TUE FADING SJ\.IILE
of the one has little to do with the We tend to associate very lively and The last show 01 teeth
intensity oí the other. amused sta tes oí mind- for good The gentler the pull of the mouth-
In the smile, the happier we are, the reason- with active, social situations. stretching zygomatic majar, the less
stronger the joint action of the two Slight smiles involve less facial activity likely the lips are to part in the smile.
muscles; in other words, the broader than broad smiles or laughs, thereby When the teeth disappear varies from
the smile, the narrower the look oí the cornmunicating a quieter message of a individual to individual- sorne people
eyes, and the more full the cheeks. As friendly or contented state of mind. rarely show teeth in a smile, while
the smile íades, the tension in the eye This is the sort of smile that is typical others (particularly those with arched
muscle relaxes, and the iris is more- in formal portraits, either photo- upper lips) always do.
fully revealed. graphic or painted, where a broad When the pu1l oí the zygomatic ma-
lt's a very subtle balance. You can't smile might seem a bit too intense, not jor is gentler, the clenching of the or-
force the eyes to crinkle just the right to mention being impossible to hold bicularis oculi around the eyes is a
amount to go with lhe width of your over a period of time. Further, a broad milder action as well. Full cheeks, an-
smile- but if the feeling is there, it smile entails fairly major facial gled folds framing the mouth, and bag-
happens automatica!\y. Our perception changes; a sligbt smile is far less dras- ging and narrowing around the eye a1l
of the smile is also automatic, which is tic an event, and it makes it easier to occur, but the forms are not as full, the
why we instinctively respond the most keep a likeness. edges not as defined, the narrowing
warmly to the smile that looks "right." The principie that the smile must nol as extreme. Moderate and slight
A grinning mouth combined with involve the whole face is no less true as smiles tend to be asymmetrical. At
completely deadpan eyes still looks the smile fades from the broad grin to lower levels of activity; one side of the
like a smile. It's not until you compare it the flicker at the comer of the mouth. zygomatic major tends to contract a
with abona fide expression that you The challenge to the artist is to main- liule more than the other; even the
fully appreciate the loss. And it's hard tain a consistent degree oí activity Mona Lisa has a smile that is somewhat
to verbalize what the difference is; it's throughout the face. The tigbtness of lopsided.

202
The oction in the lower half of the foce is matched by Ihe (D). The lower lid sleodily si id es down Ihe fronl of Ihe eye;
action in the upper in alllhese warm, engoging smiles. This Ihe cheeks slowly lose Iheir roundness. The chollenge in
is becouse of Ihe reflex Ihallinks smiling and squinling. depicling Ihe smite is lo keep Ihe ports in hormony ond lo
Pick ony porl of the face ond nolice how il chonges os you Ihink of Ihe whole foce os smiling; Ihere reolly is no one
move from Ihe eloled genllemon (A) lo Ihe pleosed man parl Ihat is more importont than ony other.

203
y ou con'l be ony hop-
pier Ihan Ihis ond not be
laughing . The eloted grin
slretches the lips os for os
they'1I ga; the wrinkles pile
up ohead like shock woves.
His wrinkles ore unusually
deep-some foces are
more susceptible to wrin-
kl ing thon others.

A. Eyebrow ridge. 1. Crow's feet .

B. Edge of bony orbit. 2. Smile-shaped fold, cup-like form of lower lid.
C. Curve of the fullness of lower lid. 3. Ball-like form in full cheek centered here (faces d irectly
D. Curve of the fullness of cheek. out in three-quarter view).
E. $tretched plone between cheek ond eh in. 4. Dimple falls from boHom of ball of cheek.
F. Smooth chino S. Cord of cheek frames smile, links with nasolabial fold above.
6. Widened mouth in smile falls under outer corner of eye;
relaxed mouth woutd be under center of eye.
The broad, exuberant smile usuolly cannot be produced on demando Pulling
the mouth inlo a smile is eosy, but conlrocting the muscle circling the eye is nol.
Rounding of the cheeks, norrowing of Ihe eyes, ond the creosing surrounding
the mouth ore mosl intense when bolh muscles are active.

T¡"¡ 1:'0 :·1.'5(,11

Of ~H¡ \'.~Il¡

The actions of orbiculoris

oris ond zygomotic mojor
ore bolh separate and over-
lopping. Orbicularis oris
alooe tenses the lower lid
and norraws Ihe eye. Zy-
gomolic major alane
widens the moulh. Bul bolh
museles bulge the cheeks
(A), creote wrinkles oround
Ihe eye (B), ond deepen
Ihe nosolabiol folds (e).
Together Ihey creole stron-
ger forms than either would
creote olone.

Eye delail is no! impartant in the depiction of the exuberant

smile; the shope of Ihe eye is. The lower lid here is nearly
ruler-straight, narrowing !he eye from below (D); from
above, the upper lid is slighlly lowered. The shope Ihot re-
-
,~ sults, with its full lid ond wrinkle below, is Ihe eye of joyo
The narrowness of the smile here is unusual-his lip mus-
eles moy be tightened slightly, keeping the upper lip from
rising further up the teeth.

205
The lighlening of Ihe lower
lid is on espeeiolly impor-
lonl por! of Ihe express ion
of joyo like a line of Jolitude
orouod Ihe globe, the lower
lid wiU follow the boll of the
eye na motter how tight or
loase il is. When reloxed,
Ihe lid dips downword;
when tighlened, il rises to-
word lhe middle, or "equo-
tor" of Ihe eyebol!. Though
il never rises obove this
equotor, it oppeors lo curve
upword when the heod is
tipped boek. This is deo r in
the foee of Ihe smiling little
girl. The Japonese mask
has precisely the sorne eye
shape, ood even though it is
sornewhot exoggeroled, its
effectiveness is obvious.
The planes of the eheek ore
olso deor. I partieularly like
the stylized lillle dimples on
either side of Ihe mouth,
ood Ihe strelehed and flat-
tened nase.

"The smiling angel" (ri9hl)

is the popular nome for Ihis
thirteenth-eentury slone
figure frcm the Colhedrol of
Rheims in Fronee. His
neighbor (for right) olso
weors o slrong express ion,
quite ¡he opposite-the
brow of grief.

206
 This Punic mask, from Ihe lerrilory
--
..., ::\
,• ,
.' • ,
The only good thing obovl
•
¡hal is now Tunisia, has o charming Ih is smile (below) is lhe lit·
smile. The bockword curve af Ihe tle serifs en Ihe end of lhe
lower lid (A ) is on inlerpretolion af ,he curve. They ore on henesl
deloil (B) Iha! oppeors on lhe face af simplification of the dark
,he smiling li"le gir! (opposite, !ep) verticol slosh Ihot often
The cheeks and rnovlh af Ihe mosk ends lhe movlh when we
bear a resemblonce lo those af Ihe smile, which is ilself Ihe
smiling mon (below). The smiling up- meeting poinl belween lhe

- ,,
per lip con be up-curved os on Ihe \ cvrve of the movth ond Ihe
mosk end below, down-curved os on frame roí sed beyond.
Ihe little girl, or s'raígh! ocross.
If you squint ond look al Ihe man's
foce below, Ihe shodow pottern tha!
you see summorizes 011 the importan!
forms af Ihe smile: Ihe thinned eye
wilh raised lower lid, Ihe smile-
shoped fold under Ihe eye, Ihe cheek
with ils ongled lower crease ene!
roundness, Ihe dark gap af 'he
slrelched moulh.

The hove-a-ni ce-doy smile

moy gel o cerfoin symbolic
message ocross, bvl os o
descriplien of Ihe form of
Ihe smile, illeoves some·
Ihing lo be desired. The
broad smile is neilher
cvrved vp in on orc, nor oc·
companied by eyes like ver·
lical ovols. Sideways ovols
wovld be more like il, bvl
even Ihen, Ihe eyes wovld
be missing Ihe crvcial smi l·
ing element-Ihe lighl,
roised lower lid. The mon

, (righl) comes mvch doser

to Ihe Irvlh. The smile isn't
simplya cvrve en o foce
bu! o complex three·
dimensionol evenl fvll of 01-
ternating paHerns of tension
and compressien.

,
 •

NEUTRAL FACE

This friendly, deep-dimpled smile

shows clearly how rodieally Ihe foee
ehonges in o smile. Though every
smile is differenl, the basie elemenls
lisled here are port of every smile. Be-
low is an importonl eomparison: how
Ihe lensed-lower- Iid eye of smi ling
diffeNl from Ihe simply norrowed eye.

PARTlY-CLOSED EYE
Pupil blocked.

•
A. The eye norrows: lower lid r¡ses, upper lid drops slighlly.
B. l ower lid swells: smile-shoped fold oppeors underneolh .
C. Cheeks beeome full: eheek fol is bunehed logelher.
SMllING EYE D. Nose broodens: no! pulled upword, os in lough.
Pupil deor. E. Mou!h is framed by folds. Dimples appear beyond ond
ore a lwoys asymmelrieol.
F. Moulh widens inlo smile. Upper leelh show from lip lo base.

208
 This is o composite drowing-he
didn', octually pose this way. The eyes
from Ihe neutral foce (opposite, left)
hove been added lo Ihe smile (oppo-
site, right). Compare ¡he effeds: ¡he
1055 of wormlh is enormoos. This srni le
hos o glassy, odd quolity.

From Ihe side, mas! of ¡he odion is

010n9 Ihe S line of ¡he cheek. As in ¡he
lough, il blocks our view of ¡he moulh
corner; unlike ¡he laugh, Ihe S line
doesn', wrap oround ¡he eh in bu!
fodes out eorly. Smile-shaped wrinkle
under Ihe eye ends in crow's feet. His
dimple is unusuolly deep.

209
 The smile of Ihe womon on Ihis poge looks quile nalural ond sincere and 0150
quile moderale. Compared lo lhose on previous pages her face shows less mus-
ele pull, less bunching of Ihe cheek, ond less creosing. Bul Ihe chonges ore con-
sislenl. A second version of Ihe some smile (righl), shows whol happens when
changes ore nol consislenl, when eyes and lower foce don'l molch.

Nole Ihe softness of Ihe crease run-

ning from her nose lo her moulh os
opposed lo deeper creose in lough
below. Her slighlly lopsided smile is l he effecl is dislinclly unnolurol in Ih is
common wilh less Ihon full smiles. version of Ihe smile, where her eyes
lhere's no rule for when oction is loo are squinling . We hove Irouble ploc-
slighl lo part lips, bul Ihis is neor Ihe ing Ihis express ion; il doesn'l look like
mlmmum. onylhing. Eyes Ihol go perfectly wilh
one sloge of joy con seem complelely
oul of place wilh onolher. l he link be-
tween Ihe conlroclion of Ihe eyes-
orbiculoris oculi- ond Ihe aegree of
Ihe smile-zygomalic mojor-is Ihe
key. They should olwoys move in slep
wilh eoch olher.

l he eyes Ihal seem so nalurol in her

lough (righl) moke no sense 01 011 in
her smile. By conlrosl, Ihe glare of an-
ger can be equolly well mainlained in
o face Ihal is olherwise neulral-il's
nol linked by o reflex lo Ihe resl of Ihe
foce Ihe way Ihe smi le and Ihe eye
ore linked.

210
THE THRESHOLD SMILE: (presurnably without their having re- A NOTE ON THE VIEW
"MONA LISA TERRITORY" quested it), but the perennially favorite FROM BEHIND
expression has always been the thresh-
FinaJly, having started with uproarious old smile. 1 suspect that there aren't Further evidence of the importance of
laughter, we arrive at "Mona Lisa even more portraits of smiling people the cheeks and the eyes in the smite is
Territory" - the flicker of a smile The in existence because of the risk in- fumished by looking at a .smile from
real mystery lurks in the fact tbat so volved- it's easier to portray a dead- behind. Ever yone can recognize a
Iittle movement can be so enormously pan face tban to take a chance that a smile from behind (when the mouth is
evocative. Looking at pictures of faint smile will go wrong (or a likeness be hidden), and nohody knows they can.
smiles (Iike those of Da Vinci) one is lost). We do recognize this expression with-
almost forced to conclude tbat there is But it's worth it to try; so much can out thinking about it.
sorne secret way the soul can commu- be suggested by a face where the smile The bunched cheek in the smile is a
nicate through the face beyond the sim- is just a glimmer- everything from large fonn- actually, it is larger tban
ple physical changes. wistfulness, slyness, sexuality, to sim- anything on the face besides the nose
You cannot understand the threshold ple warmth and openness. lt is true, (in fact, this important part of the
smile unless you've studied the broad however, that you reveal something smile blocks the nose from view trom
smile. AII the forms that are major fa- about yourself at the same time, for it is this angle).
cial events in the broad smile are faintly your judgment when it works and when The bunched cheek changes the
visible in the threshold smile, like the it doesn't, your sensitivity that decides rear profile so drastically that the re-
first buds on the trees in the spring. when you've captured what you want sulüng shape is urunistakable- there's
But many are so subtle you might over- ahout that person. no other expression that the resulting
look them, Iike the slightly raised l've included sorne examples oí sorne shape could be mistaken foro
lower lid, the slightly balled-up cheeks. threshold smiles, and explained why 1 We also bave the eyes as a cue to the
When you know what you're looking consider .some more, and sorne less smile; in a broad smile. we can see the
for, you see it much more readily. successful, but everyone won't agree curling of the crow's feet around the
on such a thing. As always, we project edge of the orbit and onto the side of
Examplesfrom Art more onto the face when there's less the face. and depending on our angle
Patrons of portrait artists have occa- there to see, and different people will we may also be able to see the full
sionally been portrayed as angry or sad project different things. lower lid as well.

211
 ¡OY: THE SLIGHT SMILE-MONA LISA TERRITORY

The thresnold smile is probobly ¡he

mas! mysterious ond elusive of 011 fa-
cial expressions. like sodness, warm,
pleosurable feelings can make Ihem-
selves cleorly fel! Ihrough remorkably
small chonges in Ihe feolures. Bul
while jusi Ihe eyebrows can 'el! us
someone is sod, ¡ay requires caordi -
noled octivily throughout ¡he foce. Ul-
¡imotely, il is Ihe artis"s sensi'ive eye
fho! decides when Ihe linle cud in the
corner of ¡he mouln or the look in Ihe
eyes is right.

The moulh is ¡he mas! subtle

form-lips are slightly
slrelched ond narrowed,
cnd lBl has a sharp termi·
nal ongle (right) and deep-
ened den! al moulh cornero
AII other effecls of the
braad smile ore sli ll
present-just barely.

,~. -
! •

Focusing on volume, this medieval artist has

overemphasized those parts of the face thot
become rounded in the slight smile. The smile
is no less oppeoling for Ihe exoggeration.
Shadow spols al (A) ond (B) probobly suggesl
the smile as much as Ihe shope of Ihe mouth
(which here could be iusl a Irifle wider).

212
,
10Y: THE 5llGHT SMIlE-MONA LISA TERRITORY

Why do sorne portroyoJs of smiles

slrike a sympothetic chord ond others
1eove us cold? With ¡he slight smile,
'he dividing line between Ihe charm-
ing ond Ihe vacant"is impossible lo
precisely define.

Monya parlrai! artisl has hoped lo

oblai n a smi le simply by twiddling
with ¡he corner of ¡he moulh. The fol ·
locy of Ihis approoch is illuslraled by
this chorming bul ralher lifeless por-
Iroi' of a young woman by John Von-
derlyn, on eorly nineteenth-cenlury
Americon painter. This 51i9hl smile is
001 occomponied by ony changes in
cheeks 000 foce. We never see spoce
below iris (A ) in a tr ue smile; ¡,'s cov-
ered by o tensed lower lid. These
missing features seem lo leove the
smile stronded and rob il af ony
warmth.

The naluralislic portrayal of facial ex·

pression was nol o priorily for
nineleenlh·cenlury neoclossicol orl·
isls. Jocques·Louis David viewed his
figures in o cool, remole foshion; his
norrolive poinlings usuolly !epresenl
feelings wi lh slylized, Iheolrical ges·
lures. Bul taken striclly on ils own
merils, this particulor smile falls shorl:
l here's a problem wilh Ihe lBl; by Ihe
lime il's ongled up Ihis mueh (A), ils
enlire lenglh should be lighlened ond
slroightened -the lips ond LBL al (B)
would be Ihinner, nol os kinked. Angle
of rise 01 (A) is olso too abrupt; como
pare wilh Leonardo (nexl pagel.
Gaze is also a handicap; her eyes
have drifted aparl, oul of
convergence.

213
 JOY: THE SLIGHT SMllE-MONA LISA TERRITORY

U nsuccessful smiles ore eosier lo

criticize Ihon successful smiles Of e lo
explain. This one by ¡he American
John loForge hos quolities ¡ho! are
porticularly e lusive. Whol is il !ho!
gives Ihis smile its gentle, sensitive
quolily? The uproised eyes ore o foc-
lar suggesling other-worldly concerns
(and freeing ¡he iris of ¡he high lower
lid); in facl, Ih is is a porlroit of o
priesl.

The world's masl fomous smile hos in-

spired wild odulolion, wild coo jecture,
end 01 leos' one oulrighl burglary. The
conjectures have focused on every-
thíng from Ihe identily of ¡he sitter
(never delermined conclusively) lo Ihe
osyrnmetr y of ner smile (said lo be !he
source of its myslery). Whal con', be
denied is Ihol il is a truly evocotive ex-
pression. In the world of facial expres-
sion, slight anything is generolly more
evoco!ive thon !he same expression in
the extreme, because il leoves more lo
aur imoginolion while sli ll provoking
au r interesl.
Par!rayed is the moment of Ihe slight-
es! noticeable movemenl. l Bl has jusi
crossed smi le threshold (end [BI hos
moved aboye center [A ]) and begun
lo IUMel upword inlo cheek. Smile is
stronger on righl (sl ight smiles ore
usually osymmetricol). Shading al (e )
and (D) hints al bolling of Ihe cneeks¡
wrinkling of lower lid ond maskin1 of
iris is cClflsisfenf wilh moulh octian.
Off-to-the-side gaze adds lo active,
elusive qualily of expression.

214
, .
IOY: THE SMIL! FROM BEHIND

y ou don', need lo see ¡he

smile lo know thol some-
one's smiling. The rounded
cheek is as importan! lo our
, recognition of Ihe expres-
sicn of ¡ayos Ihe slretched
mou!h, and in this view il is
Ihe smile. Il's all Ihe cue thol
we need. II's olso helpful
I thol there's no olher expres-
sicn thol looks like Ihis
from behind .

lhe entire form from (A) lo

(B) has been odded on lo
Ihe profile. lis mas! project-
íng poin! is al obaul Ihe
level of Ihe nose wings.
Bulge fades out gently as il
) opprooches Ihe ear. Note
olso Ihe crow's feet, which
in their curving describe Ihe
forms they cross- Ihe edge
of Ihe orbit (e) ond then Ihe
top of ¡he bunched cheek.
Note olso 5ligh! hollow be-
low full cheek (B) ond sep-
arate direction of eh in.

j
.1
,
•

215
Complex SmilRs
The smile is unique in how it can coo- impulse to break into a broad smile, Details 01 the Stijled Smile
vey a complex emotional state. Joy can and that resistance is clearly visible 00 All the reasons why the stifled smile
be nuanced with hints oí nearly every your face. But rather than lookiog odd, appear are hard to say, but it's easy
other emotion. 1 don't know oí a tace or ambiguous, the smothered smile enough to analyze its outward signs.
that plausibly combines disgust and carries with it an enormous charm. Look in a mirror, and smile a broad
pleasure, but there are faces in which The smile that's trying oot to be one is smile. The eye is narrowed, the
pleased feelings mingle visibly with el- in sorne ways more pleased-looking cheeks puffed, the mouth raised and
ements oí fear, anger, sadness, or sur- than an ordinary, uncomplicated smile. stretched, framed by cords and
prise. In these faces it is usually the Nearly every expression has a sup- creases. Now pull down on the smile.
smile that dominates; it'8 never anger pressed variation. The lip muscle is You'lI naturally put ioto action sorne
with a ]jttle smile, but it's a smile with a usually invo[ved in the struggle not to variation oi the three-musc1e press:
slightly dark nuance. Cartoonists, at ¡et an expression appear. But usually that is, you'lI use orbicularis oris, triao-
least, have explored these variations ¡t's not just the orbicularis oris; in this gularis, and mentalis to keep the
lar years; they're the eyehrow experts, case, the smile is such a powerful ac- mouth in place. Their joint actioo is
and since the smile is the only expres- tíon that other muscles in the vicinity strong enough to cancel the upward
sioo in which the eyebrows are inac- end up involved in the battle to halt the pull oi the zygomatic major, but it is not
tive, almost any suggestion oí activity up-and-back pull of the zygomatic ma- enough to cancel many other of the
in the brows is going to change the joro Often the antagonists are so well smiJing effects~the upper half oi the
nature of the smiJe. Pull them straight matched the lips are frozen in a middle stifled smile is identical in appearaoce
up, and we look happy/surprised; slant position and surrounded by a complex to the upper hali oi a broad smile.
them down and we look happy/mad; muscular landscape. The key to reodering this particular
give them a little kink and we look The suppressed smile goes by many variety oi smile seems to be based on
happy/sad; lift the eyebrows up while names. It is often described as smirk- getting two things right: the modeling
kinked, and we get a sheepish smile. ing, impish, contented, jovial, or self- oí the cheeks and lower .eyelid, making
satisfied. their rounded forms clear; and the
T HE STIFLED SMILE Although it's a universal, emotion- shape oi the lips and the planes irnme-
lf you're with a group oi close iriends ally expressive tace, the stifled smile diately around them, iodicating both
who begin cornplementing you, your seems to have appeared rarely, if ever, the stretching oi the lips and the sharp,
reaction might very well be a stifIed in works of art. Advertisers, however, curling planes around the mouth cor-
smile. You're terribly pleased, but at with their particular interest in human ner. This smile represents a particular
the same time ever so slightly ernbar- behavior and motivations, frequently challenge, because the usual c1ue oí
rassed. You resist, on sorne level, the iocus on i1. the upturned mouth is rnissing.

IOY: 5 COMPlEX SMllES

P ractically anything Ihal occurs with Ihe eyebrows will on, somelhing Ihal complicales Ihe meoning . The smile is
change Ihe message of Ihe smi le. Since Ihe smiling brows so adaplable Ihal neorly every cambinalian wilh Ihe brow
ore normolly relaxed (Ihe only expression where Ihis is Ihe from olher expressions works in suggesting a cerlain new
cose), octivily in Ihe brows suggesls somelhing extra going shade of meaning.

THE SMllE IN COMBINATION WITH VARIOUS BROW POSITIONS

-
•

J .----

SMllE + lOWERED BROW = SMllE + RAISED BROW = SMllE + FEARFUl BROW = SMllE + SAD BROW ""
$LV EAGER INGRATIATING HAPPY/SAD

216
 JOY: THE STIFlED SMIlE
One af !he mas! endeoring af all ex-
pressions, ¡he stifled smile is ¡he res ul!
of a foiled effor! lo keep a smile from
happening_ 1I comes wilh en elernenl
of self-consciousness; we're terribly
pleased bul Irying nol lo show il. Or
perhaps we ore; we're complex
enough !hal we moy be fuUy aware af
how chorming a smile il ¡s. It's o tricky
express ion lo render, because ' he
moulh ¡sn', in Ihe shope we ossociale
with o smile, and Ihaugh ¡I's enor-
mously popular with advertisers, il
almos! never appears in arto
I

BROAD SMILE FOR COMPARISON

1I lokes a truly heroic efforf of ¡he

three-musde press lo try lo stop a
IOU9h, and from ¡he looks af ¡he 501-
dier on ¡he left, ¡he smothering is
goin9 lo foil al ony mament. If you
caver his upper foce, his moulh is so
compressed il doesn'l look- Ihe leasl
bit happy. The look of Ihe moulh~
complelely Ihinned lips wilh bulging
forms above ond below- is Ihe resuli
of Ihe Ihree-muscle press wilh or-
bicularis aris dominanl, similar lo
look of moulh in slifled anger and
suppressed sobo 11'5 whal is above
Ihe mou!h !ha! mokes him look so
omused. The olher expressions ore
charming loo: Ihe broad grin on Ihe
far righl ond Ihe slifled smile in Ihe
cen!er.

217
 ¡OY: THE STlflED SMILE

1 is her upper face in en or-

dinory bread smile, and 2
is her upper face in o sfifled
smile. The stifled smile in-
volves exactly the sorne oc-
lion oround Ihe eyes ond in
¡he upper cheek as ¡he or-
dinary smile-Ihe zygoma- 1 2
tic mo jor ond orbicularis
oculí Ofe equally active in
bolh coses.

An obscure anatomicel
quirk shopes the cheeks in
¡he stifled smile. The liHle
edge al (Al is crealed when
jusi Ihe upper layer of ¡he
zygomotic is contracted;
¡he lower loyer is prevenled
from contracting by ¡he tri-
onguloris. Every stifled
smile has this 50ft, ongled
edge across ¡he cheeks.
Note olso how ¡he noso-
labial fold fades oul 01 (B);
í! too is dependen! on ¡he
lower loyer of ¡he
zygomatic major.

To stifle a smile, ¡he mouth corner must be kept from rising by using ¡he trian - •
guloris (V), which aUoches lo Ihe corner 01 Ihe same spot os the zygomotic
mojor (X) and pulls it in the opposite direction. The result of the tug-of-wor is o
tense stolemote wilh Ihese feotures:
1. The mouth storts out in o smile-from (A) lo (B) the lips ond LBL ore o
slretched, up-ongled V, os in o closed-maulh smile.
2. And Ihen changes directian-between (B) ond (e ), where insleod of rising
upword, LBL continues as horizonlolline.
3. Corners end up level wilh middle of moulh, insleod of higher; juSI os in neu-
Iral mouth. There is o slighl curl downward al (D).
4. Corner is pulled deep inla foce (E) ond toward Ihe ear os in Ihe ordinory smile.
5. Lips are norrowed ond lightened by twa alher actians os well; Ihe upword
press af menlolis and Ihe inward press af orbiculoris aris. Neilher is slrong here.

218
 JOYo THE STIFLED SMILE

This genial smile is anolher

compromise between con-
Irodiclory musde pulls. He's
smiling whot would be o
pretfy broad smile were il
nol far fhe locking aclion of
Ihe three-muscle press-
trionguloris, menlolis, and
orbiculoris oris. Their pull is
so closely molched lo 11'101
af Ihe zygomatic major !hol
Ihe lBl is left perfectly
slroighl. Bul the slrong oc-
!ion in ¡he upper foce is
complelely uninhibited.

A. Norrowed eyes, lighllower lid .

B. Smile-shoped fold.
C. Full cheeks.
D. Cheek cut off here in stifled smile.
E. Deep corner, pulled loward ear.
F. Curved folds of lrionguloris.
G. Strong oction of mentalis.

1. Action of orbicularis oculi-crinkles ¡he eye.

2. Aclion of zygomolic major-pulls corner up.
3. Action of OI"biculoris Ofis-narrows lips.
4. Aclion of Irionguloris-pulls down cornero
5. Aclion of mentolis-pushes up lower lip.

219
 10Y, THE STlFLED SMILE

Advertising models are for-

ever smi ling. The smolhered
smile, wilh ils suggestions
of conviviolity ond self-
effacing chorm, has lols of
commerciol potential, as
demonstroled by this ex-
cerpt from o vodka ad. Her
slifled smile is lovely-
more convincing Ihan ¡he
stondard· issue models'
smites af her companions.
Models are generally nol
trained as actors and have
o terrible time when re-
quired lo do onything be-
sides smile-like laughing,
far instance. Her lips ore
pressed very Ihin, stretched
wide, wi th LBL slightly on-
gled up. A is wrinkled ehin
af mentolis; break in outline
al B only oppears in stifled
smile-it's where cheek
suddenly sfops being
(ound .

The effecl of eaeh of !hese

smiles is quite different; Ihe
stifled smile of the woman
on Ihe left is Ihe one we are
the mosl drawn lo. l ike o
broad smile, the slifled
smile is difficu lt lo pose-if
there's nol feeling behind il,
il doesn'l work. Nole porol-
lel ores of triongulo ris on
Ihe left (A).

220
 THE ilAPPY/SAD SMILE
IOY: HAPPY/SAD
The relationship oí joy and distress is
enonnously complicated. It sometimes
seems as though very young children
can f10w between laughter and tears
without a pause for breath, and the
expressions themselves-even the
sounds oC laughing and crying-can be
quite similar. We all experience mo-
ments oCpleasure tinged with grief, or
sadness that is not entirely unpleasanL
Perhaps the tears we shed al the thea-
ter or in the movies fall ioto this cate-
gory, for we know that we aren't really
suffering and al times even enjoy hav-
ing OUT emotions stirred up.
There is a category of smile that
reflects this finely divided balance.
We've alllooked ioto the face of sorne-
one who was smiling al us in that par-
ticular sweet-and-sour way, perhaps
after making up from a quarrel or say-
ing goodbye. We see the mouth curled
up in a slight grin, and the eyes tinged
with sadness. Anatomically, it's easy to
see how the two expressions can coex-
¡st; the expression of sadness centers
on the brows-the smile rests primar-
ily on the lower lids, cheeks, and
mouth. It's the oombination of the two
that produces tlle happy/sad look. And
there's enormous difference in emo-
tional shadings possible, depending on
the strength of the smile and the level
of distress in lhe eyes and brows. lf we
can recall a lime when we've seen such
an expression, we probably also can
, recall how strong an effect it can have.

Laughing Through OUT Tears

In tragic, woe-is-me weeping and wail-
ing, there's intense compression of the
eyes and maximal stretching of the
mouth. When people laugh or smile
through their tears, the look of the cry IIGeotle, sensilive foce af o Pf"ince Q( cullured young noble-
is nowhere near as cataclysmic, and mao, aften one who died in bollle." So Ihe Noh mosk
depending on the moment we Iook, we obove is described . Here Ihere is nolhing porliculorly' sub-
might see either a tearful smiling per- tle 000u1 the suggeslion of sodness in Ihe upper foce- Ihe
son or a crying persan who looks as if eyebrows wilh lheir 51rong upword slonl ond kink ore quite
he or she might break out smiling at stroightforward. The smile i5 olso deor. Although every
any moment Noh Iheater in Jopon uses the some choroclers, every
mosk is unique. Other versians of this mosk, colled Chujo,
esloblish the sensilivity ond genlleness af Ihe chorocter
wilh the some hoppy/sod formu lo, bul wilh bolh Ihe smile
ond Ihe sorrow less pronounced.

221
 The emolions of pleosure
one! dislress hove o compli-
cated relolionship. There
are cerlain circumslonces
where we experience
bolh-inlensely-ot once,
as when some Iremendous
passage from one part of
our life lo onolher ¡s occur-
ring. Weddings, births,
airport reunions and sep-
aralions 011 con eliól feel-
ings of overwhelming ¡ay
and po in. The convoluted
foces that resull can resem-
ble both the 100k of crying
and of laughing (which are
nol so different Ihemselves),
depending on which mo-
menl you look. I've illus-
Iroled a face precisely on
the cusp between the two.
This womon is expressing
her feel ings on being re-
uniled with her son after
years of warlime separa-
tion. If 011 you see is some-
one crying, look agoin.
Slrongly morked signs of
bolh sodness and ¡oy are
presento Above, Ihere are
clear signs of grief, espe-
cially the kinked eyebrow
on Ihe left, and Ihe foinl
Iroces of Ihe corrugalor. Be-
low, her moulh shape is o
comp~omise: in Ihe crucial
lower corner (A), il's 75 per-
cenl ongled up in Ihe smile,
25 percent pulled sidewoys
in Ihe ery. Bul il's enough of
a smile Ihal, combined wilh
Ihe shorply angled nose-Io-
moulh fold and s(l1oolh
eh in, we read Ihe expres-
sion for whol il is: Ihe ¡ay of
a long-suffe ring heorl.

222
A sublle foce, Ihis is such o
slighl sm ile, oncl such o
sublle snow of sodness, Ihol
mony people disogree on
whol il represents. Tnol
sodness is presenl in ner
brow is cleor from a com-
porison wilh her reloxed
eyebrows (below) ; bolh ore
slighlly curved upword 01
Iheir inner encls. Her Inresn-
old smile is so won Inol
some see il as a snrug
rolher Ihon o smile. lhe
deor messoge here is Inol
she's simply smiling bul is
wistful, or regretful, like
someone seeing o lover off
for a long !rip.

223
The stighlesl hinls of mingted pteased
arte! poined feetings give Ihis por!roil
by Thomos Eokins on oir of sensilivily
ond compossion. Nolice Ihe very
slighl kink in Ihe eyebrow al (A); Ihe
strelch in Ihe lBl is foinl but unmistok-
able. Cheeks are re ndered lo suggesl
beginning of smite forms al (B) ond
(e ). Comer has moved bock inlo
chee k; in her relaxed moulh il wau td
be al poinl (D), withoul slrelching of
red par! a f the lips a boye and below.
Bul Eokins has chasen not lo stress Ihe
upwo rd por! of Ihe movemenl, leoving
il a smile Irembling on Ihe edge of
becoming.

Beyond whol we see, Bafhsheba is

holding a letter from King David,
osking her lo appear al his polace. in
Rembrandt's well-known painting,
she's porlrayed responding lo Ihe
king's proposition wilh o mixture of
pleosure and dislress. That ¡I's porlly
pleasure we see in Ihe comer of her
moulh, curved up al (A) in a threshold
smile (ouler end obove Ihe middle).
Crease al (B) is jusi beginning . In her
eyes, the downcosl goze and uptilled
eyebrows suggesl sadness, ollhough
anxiely (kinked ond roised brow) is
anolher possible inlerprefolion.

224
THE EAGER, INGRATIATING, Smiling is the ooly expressive action tors contracted and a threshold smile
DEBAUeHEn, SLY, AND Coy SMILES that nonnally leaves the eyebrows and playing maliciously about their lips.
lf you arrive home sorne evening, open iorehead completely smooth. When Depending on the context, good guys
your front door, and thirty-five people the smile combines with the eyebrow can wear this smile too-if it doesn't
jwnp out at you shouting "Surprise!" pattern associated with another ex- appear cunning, it can jus t seem
your eyebrows and upper eye1ids are pression, the net effect is a smile that shrewd. Of aH the smiles, this one
likely to shoot upward in response A takes on sorne of the meaning of the seems the most stylized, the least
week later, describing the event to action in the brows. The melancholy "natural. "
someone, you might say, ~Was I sur- smile is such a case, with sadness in
prised!" and you might ael out the the brows and a smiling tace below; the The Debauched Smile
same expression, creating the equiva- foHowing are five other possibilities. The smile seems almost infinitely vari-
lent muscle movements voluntarily. able. Dropping the upper eyelid more
The difference between these two The Eager Smile than usual makes the smile appear
similar appearances oí the expression In many expressions- anger, iear, half-intoxicated, or seductive; closing
is the difference between the conver- surprise-the eye opeos wide when the eye entirely gives yet another ef-
sational and the innate. The first is an the emotion is intense. Even a calm fect, one of embarrassed pleasure.
uncontrolled, instinctive response to face seems heightened by the lifting of The upper lid closes slightly when
an emotional state; the second is a sort the upper lid and the appearance of we smile, but stops short oi covering
oi expressive gesture, like nodding the white aboye the iris. Smiling too has a any oi the pupil. The debauched smile
head in agreement or pointing your phase where the upper lid flies upward is what happens when the liule levator
finger. (normally it drops somewhat), result- labii superioris (the lid lifter) is so re-
ing in a tace that seems happy in an laxed that the upper lid drops below
Natural Qr Theatrical? enthusiastic, effervescent sort oi way. the alert threshold, blocking part of
Sometimes a fine line separates the The eager smile works ií the smiling the pupil. The most common way for
natural from the theatrical. That's par- pattern is complete; that is, ii the lower this to occur is if we're drunk, or
ticularly true with these last five lid with its pouch and horizontal edge sleepy. Few oí us smile when we're
smiles. The eager smile seems au- appears as a complement to the upper sleepy, but drunks have been know to
thentic enough. A sheepish smile or a lid with its high arch. Sometimes the smile quite a bit, and our first inter-
closed-eye smile might be something eyebrows will be lifted straight up- pretation of the droopy-eyed smile is
we learned to do, perhaps by imitating ward, combining the look oí mild sur- that someone's intoxicated. A second-
someone, and therefore carries an en- prise with that of the smile. ary possibility with this same smile is
tirely different emotional weight than, that someone is smitten with sexual
say, the look oC anger or even oí laugh- The IngraUating Smile desire, and versions of this seductive
ter. They seem like the sort of thing E There's a way we liít our brows when smile appear in advertising and the
Scott Fitzgerald was reíerring to when we're worried or anxious-it's a combi- mov ies; it's the expression of the
he wrote that personality was ~a series nation of the brow-lifting oí the fron- fernrne fatale and the satyr.
oi successful gestures"; that is, man- talis and the little inner-brow twisting
nerisms someone might develop over of the corrugator. The ingratiating The Coy 8mile
time to provoke a certain response. smile is the result of this worried brow This last variation on the smile is re-
But our attitude in this book has appearing along with the smile. The lated to the stifled smile. Like the sti-
been less "what is the person really oyera)) effect is the equivalent oí say- fled smile, it's a failed aUempt to hide
ieeling?" than "what does it look like ing, "See how worried 1 am you won't the fact that we're smiling, with the
they are feeling?" When someone forgive me? But aren't I charming any- added desire in this case to avoid meet-
smiles with eyes half-dosed, for exam- way?" And it seems to work. ing the eyes of the persons who are
pie, most people seem to draw the making us smile. lf it's done naturally,
same condusions about state oi mind; The Sly Smile we would refer to it as an act of mod-
the same is true oí someone smiling The lowered brow gives an air oí con- esty or embarrassment; but done as a
with brows raised and kinked. lf these niving, or even villainy, to the smile. conscious gesture, it becomes coy, or
expressions mean the same thing to It's the trademark expression oí bad coquettish. It makes no difference if
most people, they are obviously part oí guys in the comics; they perpetually the eyes are closed or merely directed
the wordless language oí the tace. stroll through life with their corruga- downward- the effect is the same.

225
 IOY: S COMPlEX SMILES

The eye apens wide when we're ex-

cited ond clases when we smile. When
we're pleosed ond excited, bolh oc-
lions con combine. lhe lifting af lhe
upper lid is odded lO the olher nalurol
movements fhol occur when we smi le,
producing on eye fhal is widened
aboye, narrowed below, ond a face
with on enthusiostic look.

A presidenliol campaign produced

fhis lurned-oo look. From ¡he iris on
down, 'he look is of a braad smile,
wilh o full , conlrocted lower lid ond
swelling cheeks. Whot seis ¡he look
aport is the liftiog of the upper lid (A),
exposing white above lhe eye, making
her seem excited os well os ¡oyfu!.

Carloonisls specialize in sU9gesting

anatomicol forms wi thoul necessarily
fully describing them. Here, lightened
lower lid is shown os simple stroígh!
line (8). On her righl eye, Ihe sugges·
'ion's mosl economicol: lower portion
of iris is simply left out. Swelling of
cheeks is implied by 1ines (e ) and ID),
as is rest of nasolabial fold .

Mony cartoon choracfers have per-

manenl eager smiles. Animal charoc·
lers are often made lo seem cheerful
and frolicsome by the addilion of
white aboye the eye. Elsie Ihe cow is
an excellenl example of ,his sorl of
expression. Her raised upper lid aod
very arched eyebrows are joined wilh
a well-observed snorthond version of
Ihe smiling lower lid: it's clearly
slraighlened, with bulge underneath.

226
 -"
,

There ore times when we

smile in on ottempt to win
over someone who's going
to take a little convincing . Jf
we wont to grophicolly
demonstrate how worried
we ore that we won't be for-
given, we can smile in o
woy thot combines the fear
brow with ,he smi ling eyes
ond mouth. The resulting
slightly obashed look can
be disorming under the
right circumslances.

Tnere's quite o lot going on

in this particular ingrotiot-
ing smile: (1) Heod tipped
forword, giving the expres-
sion a slightly deferentiol
look. (2) Stifled smile, witn

/'
the little curl of trionguloris
(A), shorp cut-off of cheeks
/
(B), and mouth corners
pulled deep into the foce.
Smile would be wider oth-
erwise. (3) Fear configura-
tion in brow, a combinotion
of overall brow lift (note
horizontal wrinkles) ond ex-
tra kink ond curl upword ot
in ner brow ends.

so, YOU SEE, FOR VERY

DIFF ERENT REASONS
WE BO t H WANT THE
SAME THING!· .... ---:.
W E WANT TO Using the ingralioting smile in on
ON effort to defuse her componion's on-
ger, Ihis womon from Ihe comic Mory
)lOuR Worth demonstrotes the saR1e brow
HU5BAND! pollern os ,he mon obove, rendered in
typicol corloon shorlhond. One hori-
zontal brow fold (A) slonds in for
monYi eyebrows are dearly lifled ond
kinked. Her mouth shope is a compro-
mise between tolking ond smiling. The
) forword-thrusting, pouling onger of
the womon in the foreground is
equolly effective, os is the device of
hoving her goze lo the si de being
suggesled by her iris's hoving roUed
right out of our view.

227
T his version of Ihe smile is
o curious cose. We hove no
Irouble geHing Ihe messoge
of Ihe villoinous, CfOfty gfin
on Ihe cortoon chorocter
below-bosed on the com-
b inotion of the lowered
brow ond lhe smile-but do
such expressions oppeor in
reoll ife? Mony of us do use
our corrugotor when we ore
being thoughtful (or crafty),
so the source of the asso-
cialion is dear¡ bul how
often do people smile while
they ore being Ihoughtful?
Is this o geslure, or on ex·
pression? The foce 01 the
right is based 00 o pholo-
graph of an octor in o
comic movie. The sly grin is
the sort of geslure Ihol
works well in camedy,
where things lend lo be
ployed in O brood, slylized
foshion. Th is particular ex-
pression is o combinolioo of
Ihe slighlly lowered brow
000 Ihe Ihreshold smile.

A quinlessenlial comic-strip villoin, complele wilh

handlebor mustoche. The eyes lhemselves seem
angry, bul in Ihe cootexl of o smile they loke on o
completely differenl choracler-cunning, d ioholi·
col, plotling. The smile ilself is further iOOicolion
of Ihis fe llow's perfidily-it's the square versioo of
Ihe phony smile. EYES BY THEMSéLVES
LOOK MERELY ANGRY.
 lOY: S (OMPLEX SMILES

lhere seems lo be a fine

line ¡ho! seporoles ¡he vil-
loinous from ¡he merely
shrewd. These individuols
ore meon! lo be seen as
cunning and pleosed with
1&~ ' themselves. (The reference
is lo o particularly peplor

n
-
tay ¡ho! wos in shorl supply
one Christmos).

Whot distinguishes ¡he cun-

níng from ¡he dull? In this
cose, ¡he raok of ¡he brows
and upper lid. This sly smile
combines ¡he lowered brow
(A), with o roised upper lid
(cut off by lowered brow 01
¡B]) and slight grin. The
high upper lid gives the ex-
pression en extra intensily.
The dull smile (e) is a ver-

¡/Itf' sicn of ¡he debauched

grin-Iow upper lid, sorne-
times (os here) with o
raised brow. The drummer
"They're the Veterans 01 the Cabbog e Poteh Doll Wors!' with the low upper lid could
look drunk inslead of slow,
bul here conlexl suggesls
olherwise.

This is one pleosed Cossock. As poinled by Ihe Russian

lIya Repin, this is Ihe mosl vigorous of Ihe shrewd grins I've
reproduced. Besides Ihe slrongly lowered eyebrows, Ihe
foce includes full eyelid pouches, full cheeks, heovy no-
solobiol folds, ond every indicalion he'd hove a brood
smile if he didn'l hove his lips around Ihal pipe!

• 229
W hen Ihe upper lid droops, covering
o bit of Ihe pupil, il mokes us look
sleepy, inloxicoled, or even dull-
witted . Combine this effect with o
smile, ond the net resul l is on expres-
sion suggeslive of intoxicoted
°
pleosure-the look of solyr.

This gentlemon looks drunk. Both eyes

contribule to Ihe effect, even Ihough
only one lid is drooping. The other lid
(A), is in on ordinory, oler! pos ilion,
but only becouse it's being lifted by
his left fronlolis (B). Sleepy people
often employ Ihe brow-rolsing musde
in on ollempl lo keep their lids from
folling; here il merely odds to the in-
toxicoled effecl. Slight smiles ore usu-
olly osymmetricol.

°
The heod of drunken peosont from
Bocchus by Velózquez. The some
combinotion of elemenls ore presenl:
closed-mouth, asymmetricol smile¡ •
one lid drooping, the other lifted by
hoH of fronlolis . The eyes seem oddly
out of convergence.

230
 IOY: S COMPlEX SMIlES

•I
•
In Ihe right setting, we moy olsa see
t• ¡he drooping-lid smile os en indica-
; tion of heightened sexual desire, on-
I alher sort af intoxicotion. If Ihe mon in
~ ¡he cartaon was sitting al a bar, we
; would see him as contentedly tipsy;
• hefe we interprel his look as amorous.
¡, His (presumed) wife really doesn',

" ....
• look very angry-it's 011 in her geslure

1
OM Ihe context. You have lo look
carefully here lO 50rt out whot line
does whol-Ihe carfoonist hos used
cne continuous line far Ihe nose and
the eyeglass stem¡ Ihe low upper lid is
o separate stroke 01 (A).

"Don't 'Oh, baby' me!"

A come-hither look, bu! oh-so-palite

and refined, in ¡he conlexl of a society
portroil. Her upper lids droop jusi be-
low ¡he oler! lower limil; her smile is
jusi posl Ihe smile Ihreshold.

231
 The look of Ihe closed-eye smile is
Ihe look of someone who's jusi been
slroked. like Ihe slifled smile, il has a
chorming, slighlly oboshed quol ily lo
il; we're pleosed wilh Ihe allenlion ond
al Ihe sorne lime Irying nol lo show il.
When seen on o heod Ihal is lilted for-
word or lo one side, Ihere is on added
sense of sl ighl embarrossmenl or
shyness.

Presenled wilh o complimenl, we

somelimes reacl by closing our eyes
and smiling, as this woman is doing.
The closed-moulh smile is slighlly
more modest than Ihe broad, loolhy
smile; il moy be Ihal o slighl, invisible
oclion of Ihe Ihree-muscle press keeps
Ihe lips from seporoling in smiles like
Ihese. The effecl would be exoclly Ihe
same if her eyes were looking down-
word insleod of being closed.

,
I
.j:J, JI'
~ I
,
' ,.-
," . 11 I ,
I'
,
\,JI)
T
A very similar nole is slruck
-"ft-
if
,
by Ihe lipped head ond
closed eyes of Ihe genlle-
man in Ihis corloon. Nole
carefully Ihe economicol
slrokes on Ihe left si de of
his foce; in combinolion
wilh Ihe ink-wash shading,
Ihey successfully suggesl
his rounded cheeks ond
crow's feel. For good meo-
sure (ond nol reolly neces-
"Be/ore &oglln tllml! IItllng, yllu net!er used to sory) Ihe corloonisl has
twinkle ami Ja~ 'WeU .. .''' added raised eyebrows.

232
THE CoUNTERFEIT SMILE smiling muscle is active. the cheeks you're in the modeling or peliorming
Artists need lo discriminate between won't be as full, and the smile won't business. No matter what your busi-
true and false in portraying smiles. It is Iook right ness, if yOl! try to feign laughter, you
easy enough to get practice in campar· have to begin by smiling and dropping
Too Toothy your Iower jaw, creating space between
ing the real with the phony-we are Sornewhere along the line, certain indi-
daily bombarded with images of people the teeth.
viduals get into the habit ol displaying What all ersatz laughs lack is the
who wish to be perceived as happy- their lower teeth as well as their upper
politicians, models in ads, ceJebrities. reflexive crunching of the eye and the
when they smile. This can only be done skin around it. That reflex is very hard
We always draw conc1usions about with the added pull of the lip stretcher,
someone's smile, whether we're aware to trigger without stimulation of the
and it gives a strained, false quality to energy burst that precedes a laugh.
ol it or oot. We know a false smile when the smile. Besides showing the Iower
we see one, but it's aH instincl Here's The diflerence between just c10sing
teeth, the sideways pull also creates a the eyes and having them forcibly shut
sorne tell-tale signs of the counterfeit longer flat section in the middle ol the
smile: is dear in the direction ol eye1ids and
lower lip and a square comer. This sort the appearance ol the skin around the
Lack 01 eye/1TWuth agreeTTUmt ol smile is conunon among people who eye. A real laugh creates a major pouch
The wider the smile, the more crinkled are constantly in the spotlight-politi- below the eyes and lots ol wrinkling
the eyes. When someone flashes a 10t dans and celebrities-and who are out from the comer. The lid lines are
of teeth, and there ¡sn't a heavy pouch used to making an extra eflort for the changed drastically-the lower lid
under the eyes, deep crow's feet, and cameras. pushed up, the upper lid pulled down.
a straight, high-riding lower lid, the What Iooks particularly bad in a laugh is
smile lac.ks wannth and charm. THE CoUNTERFEIT LAUGH il the person laughing is looking at
Laughing when you're not amused is a something. When we laugh, it takes
Plal cheek8 much more difficult proposition than over, and we momentarily lose COll-
1be bunching of the cheeks is created smiling when you're not happy. Most ol sciousness ol our surroundings. If
by the jaiot action oí the eye muscle us have little reason to even try, but you're looking at something while you
and the smiling muscle. If only the situations do arise, particularly if laugh, you're not really laughing.

H ere Ihe p ull af Ihe lower lip slrelcher, risorius/plo!ysmo, hos been odded lo
Ihe pull af lhe smiling musde, 000 while il does moke Ihe smile loolhier, il
doesn'l moke lhe smile nicer. Campored lo Ihe sincere smile, Ihe loolhy smile
snows more of Ihe lower teelh, ond the lower lip is flotter, wi!h o squore-shoped
comer. The resulling smile loaks tense ond unnolurol. Wilh !he foces on poge
234 we'd olso expedlo see !heir eyes more compressed.

A
A. Zygomo!ic mojor only.
B. Zygomotic mojor plus odion of lip slrelcher.
C. Pull of risorius/plolysmo squores comer.
W hot do con men, sociolites, polili-
cions, solespeople, relolives 01 o fom-
ily reunion, ond people posing for
group photos 011 hove in common?
They ore 011 expecled lO smi le
whether they're hoppy or notoSmi les
are olone omongst express ions in be-
ing a requ irement in certoin siluolions,
and we 011hove experience 01 hoving
lo smile when we'd rolher nol. In so-
cial encounlers, we're usually too pre-
occupied lo nolice whose smile is
sincere ond whose is not, but when we
are presented with a picture of o
smile, ond the time to look closely 01
it, we hove strong o p inions on Ihe
subject.

The loo-Ioolhy smile (above ond leftl.

People who smile for lhe camera moy
develop the hobil of stretching Ihe
mouth os wide os possible in on effort
to enhonce their smile. It doesn't nec- •
essorily work. The ordinory smile uses
only one muscle to stretch the mouth,
zygomolic mo jor, ond thot occom-
plishes Ihe losk nicely.
D

SlRe, SlLL!
1'1..1.. QreC.K
MY 5CHEPlILE ...

An excellenf cartoan send-up of ¡he too-toothy smile is

provided by this excerpt from ¡he strip Boomer's Songo II's
Ihe sort of express ion we ossociale with O particulor 50rt
of exlroverled insincerily, personified here by ¡he young ex-
ecutive on ¡he moke. Mas! inslruclive is Ihe panel enlorged
01 left-the sincere smile (hers) is seen in ¡he sorne view as
¡he phony smile (his). Note ¡he corners (A) ond (B); his is
squcre, hers is angu lar. We see his full row of lower leeth,
nol hers. Note olso eoger smile (e ) ond ingralioting smi le
(D). Being oble lo hondle the nuanees of the smile is a real
breod-ond-butter skill for o cortoonisl.

e
AII of us ore required lo smile 01 one
lime or onolher; only some of us are
ever required la lough. Farced laugh-
ler is a specialily af adverlising
madels, and we're daily surrounded
wilh exomples of insincere laughs in
cigorette ads and Ihe like. Aclars may
0150 be seen laughing wilhoul much
conviclion. Whal separales Ihe genu-
ine laugh from Ihe posed variely is
simple-Ihe degree of conlractian of
¡he muscle surraunding ¡he eyes, or·
bicularis oculi. No conlraclion or a
weak conlroction means na laugh .
Neilher of ¡hese women is loughing.
They ore bolh smiling wilh Iheir ¡ows
dropped, somelhing only people Iry-
ing lo pose laughler will do.

Prob/em with the eyes. There is o sub-

tle, bul unmislokable difference be-
tween Ihe eyes pressed shul by Ihe
conlracled orbiculoris oculi ond Ihe
eyes merely shul by Ihe lowering of
Ihe upper lid. Her lash line curves
downward; in a !rue laugh il is curved
slroighl or upward. Eyes 0150 lack
pouching of lower lid (sign of eye
muscle conlroction) ond crow's feel .
Real loughler puls on inlense squeeze
on Ihe eyes.

Prob/ems with the eyes. She's looking

01 us. True laughler is a momenlory
explosion, leaving us blind lo Ihe
world oround usoShe lacks pouching
under ¡he eye, crow's feel, ond raised
lower lid . Prob/em with the cheeks.
When only Ihe zygomalic majar con-
Irocts, holf of Ihe force ¡ha! bunches
Ihe cheeks is missing-Ihe conlroclion
of Ihe orbicularis oculi.

236
,
[f you susped Ihol beneolh
Ihe surfoce of Ihose hoppy
1950s fomi[ies somefhing
else [urked, ' hjs od illuslro-
lion moy offe r sorne con -
firmolion. Besides ¡he odd,
sposmodic geslures (ond no
one is looking 01 onyone
else), every jow is dropped
in o hollow lough. The mon
on Ihe left demonslroles Ihe
impossible combinolion of
eoger smile- ro ised eye-
brows, white obove iris-
ond lough; Ihe effecl is si lly,
nol cheerful. loughler ¡sn'l
possible wilh o wide eye,
ond Ihe jow doesn'l drop
Ihol for in ordinary smiling.
The wornon's lough has no
eye conlroclion 01 011, no
cheek bunching. Even jf she
were smiling ond nol lough.
ing, Ihe eyes ond cheeks
would look rodicolly differ-
enl if she was sincere. (And
why isn'l she wolch ing whol
she's doing?) The boy's
cheek bulge is for lOO low
on his foce. It should be
cenlered olongside the
nose (see p.197).

, SUMMARY
The expression ofjoy is by far the most
When we laugh. the same muscles,
and the same movement, are activated.
teeth. Observation and practice get
the other parts oi the smile to look
complex oí any we've examined. The In depicting laughter or smiling. an right.
smile can be assodated with an enOf- awareness oí the rounding out of the There's 110 limit to the emotional nu-
mous variety of moods, ranging from upper tace and tightening up of the ances a smile may express. Artists
total euphoria to melancholy. Smiles lower is essential in making the smile have particularly íocused on the slight
even appear on the lace when we're oot look "right. " A broad smile, partic- smile and the melancholy smile; car-
feeling any emotion at all as a sort ol ularly, is a major facial event; fewex- toonists routinely combine the smile
all-purpose social mask. pressions move so much face around and active eyebrows to achieve a much
The pure smile is straightforward, and create such a pronounced "hill- broader mnge oí possibilities.

,
the work oí muy two muscles-the and-valley landscape." A clear under- Ultimately, looking- at smiJes sug-
zygomatic major and the orbicularis standing of the role of the lower lid in gests how limited our understanding
oculi. As long as we're really happy, a adding warmth and sincerity to a smile oí the whole phenomena oi smiling
precise coordination exists between is also crucial. In general, ií you don't really is; no one iully understands how
their 3ctioo. A strong burst al feeling have bags under your eyes, you're not we physically create the smile, let
will stimulale strong contractions oí happy! alone how we perceive such an enor-
both; a slight tingle oí pleasure will SkiII at drawing things like stripes mous mnge oi meanings irom i1. Like
create a full-lace movement with hints on beachballs and rings around barreis people, smiling may be ultimately too
oí all the same changes. We instinc- is directly reJated to ski!! at drawing complicated and subt1e to ever analyze
, tively smile in this particular way. and the lip portian of a smi[e; oue must feeJ íully or comprehend The artist pro-
we instinctively recognize when sorne- clearly the line oí the lips traveJing ceeds by trial and error and by cele-
one else is smiling with sincere feeling. around the smooth cylinder oí the brating, not avoiding, the mystery.
,
237
THE
OFFE

F ear is both the most remole and

t he mast familiar of emotions.
Abject ter ror is the sort oC emobon
TIte basic pattern of fea r has three
main eleme nts: raised brow, wide
eyes, and opened, stretched mouth.
shapes oí surprise gives way to a much
straighter eyebrow line, with a slight
bending upward in the inner third. lf
the psyche reserves for truly life- you relax your forehead, then pull your
threatening situations. It is the re- eyebrows into the distress pattern,
sponse of people facing tiring squads. TUE BROW OF FEAR you'll notice how much lower the eye-
ship sinkings, and house tires (extrern- In both fear and surprise the entire brows are on the face and how the
¡tíes that are fortunately beyond the brow is lifted and the eye is widened. horizontal wrinkling only appears in
experience oC the vast majority oC us), Sudden alertness is the CQnIDlOn ele- the middle of the forehead, unlike fear;
and it is an expression not many oC us ment; in both expressions, the brow liit the kink in the inner eod, however,
will have ever seen. of the frontalis is used as a means of may appear quite similar.
A much more familiar variety oCfear opening the eye all that much quicker. The fear pattem differs greatly from
lies in the background oC daily con- The added element of distress dis- person to persan, and the difference
sciousness, like static on a radio, tinguishes fear from surprise. Sur- between the look of fear and sadness
haunting and delimiting our lives. We prise is neither pleasant nor unpleas- diminishes as the intensity level drops.
are afraid, but in a subdued, controll- ant; fear is almost always disagree-
able way, oCmany things: change. re- able. When we are distressed by being
jection, failure, 1055 oCpeople close afraid, the broadly raised brow of fron- THE WIDENED EYES
to us, disease, old age. Not to men- talis is modified by the downward and When we're afraKi, we experience a
tion mundane things Iike dentists or inward pull of tbe corrugator. heightened awareness of our sur-
snakes. The result is that the eyebrows and roundings. Qur entire nervous system
1lle relationship between this pot- forehead in fear are a cross between focuses on what might be threatening
pourri oC {eare<! things and our actions the brow of grief and the brow of sur- in our immediate vicinity. The height-
and expressions is as complex as hu- prise. The eyebrows are neither as ened awareness is particularly visible
man nature What interests us here. of oblique as they are in sadness nor as in the appearance of the eyes, which
course, is how much of this low-Ievel high as they are in surprise The eye- widen, sometimes to the greatest pos-
fear or anxiety "leaks" in a recogni- brows are lifted and kinked a bit. Look sible extreme.
zable way onto the face. As in most of at these differences on your own face. The wider the eyes in a frightened
tlle other expressions, there is a fam ily Lift the eyebrows up as high as you face, the more afraid we Iook. In this
resemblaoce bet...."een the lowest levels can, then maintain the upward pull way fear is similar to anger and sur-
of expression, the worry and anxiety while trying to pull tbem downward pr ise, the other two expressions
we just referred to, and the cata- and together. You'll see the eyebrows where the wideness of the eye is like a
strophic faces of terror and horror. We lowering on the face a bit, vertical fokis valve, whose opening and closing con-
learn the pattern by studying the múst appearing between tbem as they ap- troIs the expression of the entire lace
extreme faces, then looking for traces proach, and the shape oí the eyebrows Under cer tain circumstances, just
in faces that are much more relaxed. thems elves changing-the arched seeing greatly widened eyes can lead

238
us to see a face as terrified. In a less straight across, displaying the lower creasing intensity. Other emotions,
•
cataelysmic state of fright, such as teeth, and the upper lip is relaxed, ar- such as sadness, have fewer distin-
worry and anxiety, the eye is not so ching down to mouth comers. guishing labels between one level oí
wide that white appears aboye the iris, feeling and anotber.
but merely neutral. The eye in fear But elear as tbe tenns may be, fear
TERROR: THE AwFm MOMENT
must never be partly elosed; that bap- is one of the expressions, like anger or
pens only in the expressions of joy, Thrror is the expression of someone surprise, tbat becomes increasingly
sorrow; and disgusto facing a sudden, overwhelming catas- ambiguous as its traces on the face
Although frightened faces always trophe. Most oí us only catch glimpses grow fainter. As the elues become
bave alert eyes, certain other details of what it might be Iike; it's hard to slight, the same face might be inter-
are more inconsistent. In sorne faces, imagine any other emotion that would preted by one person as worry and
the lower lid will tense, as it does in be so shocking to the entire nervous anotber as sadness; the expression oí
anger, sadness, and joy, and make a system. Like most extreme emotions, sadness is most likely to be confused
straight line high across the bottom of terror is unpredictable in its effects: at witb tbat of fear when there is no ap-
the iris. Often, a shallow version of the its most extreme, people faint and can predable widening of the eyes.
oblique upper lid fold tbat always ap- even die from terror; hair may stand on The worry pattem is basically fear
pears in sadness will be presento Both end; sweat covers the body; and we without the widened eyes- the upper
these details seem to heighten the look may be either thrown into an uncon- lid is not especially high, but crosses
of fear and may be added to a depiction trolled panic or rooted to the spot, un- the iris in the normal alert position.
as elarifying elements. able to move. The forehead is visibly creased by
The eyes are widened to their great- wavy folds tbat cross the brow, but the
est extreme, and the mouth is dropped eyebrows may not be lifted very high.
THE STRETCHED MOUTH open and stretched sideways. The The eyebrows themselves have a
In fear, the mouth drops open and is brows are· usually raised in the fear straightened look with a slight bit ol
stretched a bit to the side. Darwin sug- pattem, although terrified faces some- upward bending at their inner end.
gests two reason for this: when we're times appear with relaxed brows. There may be a shaHow diagonal fold
afraid we instantly begin breathing Horror is much less altering of the across the upper lid.
harder- preparing to flee - and the face tban crying or laughing. In the The mouth may drop open in worry
mouth opens wide to accornmodate; faces of people who are very fright- with sorne oí the sideways stretching
when we're scared we also tend to ened, the cheeks are perfectly f1at, the of terror sti11 visible; we can also see
shudder, and the skin tension that ac- upper lip and its surroundings relaxed. worry in faces where the mouth is neu-
companies a shudder activates the ris- A sballow version of the nose-to-chin tral, when the pattem in the upper lace
orius platysma, stretching the mouth. fold appears, but it is nowhere near as is elear enough. (The expression of
The look of the frightened mouth is strongly marked as in anger, sadness, worry also often ¡neludes the bringing
far easier to describe and depict tban or joyo All of this makes fear a some- of the band to the head. This gesture
the mouth oí anger, sadness, or joy- what more subtle expression that re- often accompanies the expression of
there's much less stretching involved, lies primarily on the look oí the eyes worry in illustrations- see page 251
and the action oí only the risoriusl (and eyebrows when I.he eyes are less below.)
platysma is present. There is nothing extreme) to make itself elear. A1ternatively, worried people may
approaching the íull contraction of the press down nervously on their lips.
risorius/platysma, even in extreme ter- There probably isn't one oí us who
ror. In less intense fear, the lip WORRY AND AN'XIETY doesn't do sorne fidgety thing with our
streteher may contraet very slightly or There are very spedfic nouns in En- mouth when we're particularly anx-
not at aH. glish for difierent degrees oí fear- ious, but it only works as a pictorial
The most typical pattern for the related feelings. In order, terror, fear, representation of anxiety if the com-
open mouth of fear is the shape of a anxiety, worry, and concem express pressed mouth is cornbined with the
capital D on its hack. The lower lip is the idea of related emotions and de- worried eyes and brow. .

239
 fiAR: THE FHE OF TERROR

The chonges ¡hal loke place in ¡he foce seem minar by comparison to Ihe ef-
fects of terror on ¡he body, bul they are slriking, nonetheless- Ihe eyes apen
wide, ¡he brows are ben! and pulled upward, and the moulh drops apen, show-
íng ¡he lower leelh. Fear shares with surprise Ihe look of sudden olerfness ond
with sorrow ¡he look of distress.

A. Action of frontolis.
B. Action of corrugator.
C. Action of levotor po lpebroe.
D. Action of risorius/platysma .

240
 FEAR: THE FHE OF TERROR

The moulh drops apen when we're

frightened, becouse we breolhe mueh
harder. Surprise is nearly 'he sorne,
bu! with one crucial difference-Ihe
aclion of risorius/plotysma. The lip
slretcher Qels when we're ofroid and
nol when we're merely surprised. The
result: o completely reloxed upper lip
ond o horizontally-slretched lower lip.

In feor only 'he risorius/plolysmo is

operoling on 'he mouth. The con'rec-
tion is less ¡ntense Ihon in sorrow.
FEAR

In sorrow Ihe risorius/plolysmo octs

with 'he menlalis and ¡he zygomalic
minoro The upper lip is squore, bu! nol
sneenng.

In cnger ,he risorius/plolysma acts

with ¡he sneering musde.
ANGER

241
The eyes in feor control the inlensily.
They open as wide os possible. The
wider lhey open, Ihe mOfe frighlened
Ihe look. Even in faces Ihal are merely
anxious, Ihe eyes ore noliceably more
olertlooking Ihan in Ihe olherwise
similar expression of sorrow. Some-
times lhe lower lid moy rise in lension,
or lhe eyes Ihemselves may bulge.

The eyebrows in a frighlened face ore

a crass belween surprise ond distress.
In surprise (Iop), Ihe full fronlalis con -
Iracls and Ihe eyebrows are pulled
slraighl upward. In sorrow (botlom),
SURPR1Sé
the middle frontali s conlrocls 000 Ihe
corrugalor am; Ihe eyebrows ore
pulled closer logelher, ond Iheir inner
ends bend upward. When we're afraid
(middle), Ihe corrugalor and Ihe full
fronlalis conlracl: Ihe eyebrows rise
half as high as in svrprise (Ihe cor-
rugalor is pulling lhem downword),
Ihe inner end bends half as much os in
sorrow.

In feor, horizontal wrinkles (A) oflen

oppeor ocross full foreheod¡ they op-
peor only in Ihe center in sorrow. The
eyebrow (B] is more slroighllhon
arched. The inner eyebrow end is usu-
olly (bul nol alwoys) kinked. (e ) Brows
ore olso closer logelher; bumps ap-
peor belween them.

FEAR

SADNESS

242
fEAR: THE FHE OF TERROR

One way lo depict terror is lo hide part of the foce ond

show jusi the widened eyes. This is a technique regulorly
used in ods fer horror movies. We lend lo see ¡he eye from
the top poster as frightened, even though il could jusi os
eosily be ¡he eye af surprise-we can', see enough of the
eyebrow lo lell ¡f it's lifted and ben! or jusi ¡¡fted. The foce
below (middle) is even less likely a condidate lo look
lerrified-the eyebrows are neilher Jifted nor bent. The
widened eyes ond dramolic lighling lead us lo read ¡he
foce os ¡ha! of terror.

Par! of ¡he reoson ¡he movie posters

work is ¡ha! occosionolly il is only the
eyes ¡ha! register our faciol response
lo feer. Th is drawing (Ieft) is bosed on
o photo of o rurol Indian boy ohaul lo
receive o typhoid shot. Though most
of his face is relaxed, we hove no
trouble determining what his state of
mind must hove been at thot momento
There is the strong possibility thot the
eyeboll is pushing outword in re-
sponse to the boy's ponic, showing
more white ond bulging out the lower
lid.

243
 fEAR: THE fACE OF TERROR

Tne express ion on this foce is ene of

Ihe mas! lileral depictions of terror in
¡he history of painting . Ivon the Terri·
ble is portrayed oher hoving mortally
wounded his son in on outbursl of
roge. The fury has passed¡ il hos been
reploced by object horror. Though
Ivon's moulh is hidden, his eyes Ofe
explicit.

Repin hos mode two mojor ehcnges in

the expression between the study
(ri9hl) ond ¡he painling _ 1. The eyes
ore wider and more bulging. In fear,
wider eyes intensify the express ion.
The severily of the lower lid pouch
suggests ¡ho! eyeballs ore olso push-
ing forword in their sockets; this is
rore, bul possible under such extreme
emotion. 2. The brow of fear is muen
mOfe explicit. Relying on his knowl-
edge of Ihe expression (and likely
posing it himself), Repin has added
creases of fronlal is (horizontal) ond
corrugator (vertical) lo Ihe smoolher
brow of his modelo Such chonges are
oflen necessory lo gel on expression
lo "reod."

24 4
 FIAR : THE FACE OF TERROR

No oduol mosks of trogedy from the

aneíenl sloge hove survived; lheir mo-
teríals, like wood ond canvas, were
too perishoble. Bul copies like !his Ro-
mon corving, ¡ntended far d isplay, nol
use, ore thoughl lo be quile occurafe.
This mosk would hove beeo wQ(n by
a trogie hefo, like Oedipus. Though
quite stylized, and likely a "copy of o
copy of o copy," the message of un-
odulteraled horror is stork ond com-
pelling. The O-on-its-bock mouth (A)
is identicol wi ,h ,hat in the Kollwitz
lithograph; the eyes show plenty of
white above the circular iris (B). Most
stylized ore the eyebrows ond fhe ver-
tical corrugator fold s. The maskmaker
has exoggerated the ordinarily slighl
up-'ilt of the brows (e) ond joined ,he
corrugo'or ridge (D) to jI fa.- decora-
'¡ve effect. Oecorative, bu' without
losing ,he emo'ional impacto

Somewholless liferollnan
¡he painting opposite is Ihe
portrayol af the womon in
Deolh Clutches a Womon
by Ki:ilhe Kollwilz. Bul even
without Ihe inlense deloil of
the Repin, ond partly
shoded as il ¡s, the womon's
face is no less evocolive of
lerror. Some deloils: (A)
lifted brow o nd widened
eye; (B) relaxed upper tipI
tensed and slrelched lower;
(e ) brackeling creose of
risarivsl platysma.

245
 FIAR: VIRY FRIGHTlNID

H ow frighlened someone
looks depends on how
frightened !he eyes look. In
¡he mas! extreme terror,
there's olwoys white show-
íng aboye the iris. With the
brows roised, the mooth
opened ond stretched, ond
the eyes nol quite os wide,
fhe face stilllooks very
feorlul, bul wifhoullhe
some edge af intensity.
The moulh is probably
¡he leasl importanl elemen!
in fear. This womon's moulh
is dropped apen, bul ¡he
sidewa ys stretching af ¡he
risorius/plolysmo is very
slight-just enough lo ex-
pose Ihe lower lee!h. The
messoge af her upper face,
however, is very eleor. Her
eyebrows ond foreheod are
morked by bolh the full up-
word pull of Ihe fronlolis
000 the downward re-
sislance of ¡he corrugator-
note the voriolion in the
shope of her two eyebrows,
one stroight, ooe kinked.
Her eyes ore opened
slighlly wider Ihon normal.

A. Horizontal creases of fronlolis.

B. Verticol creoses of corrugotor.
C. Suggestion of oblique, ocross-lhe-Iid fold .
D. Upper lip reloxed, lower lip o bit strelched .

This Noh mosk, Yose-otoko, is so id lo

indicole Ihe slole of an old mon in
dealh. Like Ihe wamon obave, he
looks lerribly afro id. The moulh
°
shope, like D on ils side, is very
charocleristic of Ihe maulh of fear,
°
with b il more sidewoys slrelch Ihan
the womon. Nole slylizalion of top rim
of eye-sockels and bol1om rim of
cheekbones meonllo suggest hollow-
ing oul of Ihe foce Ihollakes place
with aging.

246
lhe look of fear seems Ihe same
whelher one is frighlened al some-
Ihing Ihrealening or reocling lo an
owful sighl. lhe man (righl) is one of
Ihe specfolors of Ihe explosion of Ihe
space shuttle Challenger. His expres-
sion of horror is indistinguishoble from
that of someone feoring direcl horm .
Compare this lo Ihe gargoyle wilh a
look of horror (below). lhis slone
corving is from Ihe facode of Ihe great
medieval colhedrol of Rheims. Wos
Ihe gorgoyle supposed lo be watching
horrible things or onticipating immi-
nent horm to itself?

lhe degree lo which Ihe brows lift in

fear varies greally from person lo per-
son. On Ihe mon (obove) Ihe brow lift
is very slight. We see him as horrified,
not grieved, becouse of the shope of
his mouth ond the wideness of his
eyes. lhe creases we see running
down bolh faces (Al appeor in mony
expressions, whenever Ihe-mouth is
bolh opened and stretched. In feor the
folds are shallow, ¡he cheeks relo-
tively Hat. Note also oblique upper lid
fold on the gargoyle (B), a form Ihal
olways appears in dislress, somelimes
in fear.

247
 FEAR: VERY FRIGHTENED

Feor can be seen on the foce even if ¡he eyes ore only 0(-
dinad ly wide, and ¡he eyebrows are only o bi¡lifted. Whot
distinguishes !hese more subtle faces of feor from sodness
is ¡he facl !hol ¡he eyebrows are lifted across Iheir full
length ond ¡he eyes ore olert laoking-no! shuttered as in
distress.

This womon hod ¡usl re-

turned hame from o shop-
ping Irip lo find her hause
surrounded by police-she
was photographed 01 Ihe
momen! of being !old !hal
her estranged husband had
A • jusi shol several members
of her fomily. Her horror is
tangible-a characleristic
gesture, hand held up lo
•
head, reinforces the mes·
soge of the feotures. Her
moulh is a compromise be-
tween speak ing and ¡he
lower lip stretching af
risorius/platysma; note

,
tight upper lip. Her eyes
<.
hove drifted out of conver-
gence (the eye on the right
is much fvrther to Ihe side
than the one on the left), an
indicotion of tolol distrae·
tion ond confusion. In ¡he
foce of shock ¡he eyes are
also askew and may remoin
so for some time.

A. Aclion of frontolis, roising brow.

B. Aclion of corrugotor, bringing brows together.
C. Aclion of orbicularis oris, tightening upper li p.
D. Aclion of risorius/plotysmo, slretching lower lip.

248
•

Shock, worry, and horror ore 011

equolly plausible interprelolions of
this expression. The men is in focl in
very frighlening (ircumslances : he's
watching Iroops firing into a crowd.
His eyes are widely apen; his moulh is
ten sed. Note (Al ¡he horizontal
creases of fronlalis Qcross the fu!!
foreheod, (O) slight vertical creasing
ond bunching of corrugator (with eye-
brow Iwist), and (e) moulh ¡ha! has o
just-dropped-open look, with slight
sidewoys stretching of risorius/
platysmo.

249
 This expression seems closer lo daily I¡fe. It could be Ihe face of someone lalk-
ing on Ihe phone who's just heard some dislurbing news. The moulh is on Ihe
borderline between sl ightly stretched and neutral; the eyes are neutral, with a
suggestion of the oblique lid fold A. The eyebrows and forehead are the clear-
est cues¡ eyebrows raised overall ond kinked ot Bond e, foreheod creosed
with full horizontol folds D ond vertical corrugotor folds E.

250
 Nervous people lend lo fidget, ond
mouth-pressing is on importan! form
of nervous fidgeting. Wotch people
woi ling in line lo buy lickets for o Iroin
or o bus oboul lo deporl-the voriely
of lip-chewing or lip-pressing oclions
lo be seen ore countless. When com-
pressed lips are seen wilh a worried
brow, a s!rong picture of onxiely
emerges.

This quinlessenliof porlroyol of wed-

ding doy ¡iHers is oc!ivoled by o vivid
expression, bu' ¡I's reolly our reody
idenlificotion wilh Ihe plighl of Ihe
groom Ihal makes it work . The utterly
deodpon foce of his bride is Ihe per-

t
fec! foil for his discomfort. The
•
•
• .t,
••
groom's lips recoll fhe lip shope in
J...,;.~
-
faces of repressed onger or sodness.
(Nole orbicularis oris bulge 01 A, !ri-
•
angularis bulge al B.) Bu' here, he's
nol trying lo prevenl any'hing from
happening; he's jusi using Ihe moulh
as on oullel for lension. The picture is
compleled by the lifted, wrinkled
brow, ond the disoppearonce of Ihe
red portion of Ihe lips.

,
•
••• •
An oncienl counlerport lo Ihe onxious
foce of Ihe womon (opposite), Ihis
worried-Iooking monkey decoroles
Ihe lop of o ceromic jar from prehis-
loric Peru. Four simple elemenls com-
bine lo creole Ihe effect: (A) Ihe slqnl
of Ihe foce cutoul clearly suggesls up-
roised, slonled eyebrows; (B) Ihe
circle-and-dols appeor like widened
eyes; (e) Ihe moulh is opened ond
slrelched sidewoys; (D) Ihe hond is
roised proleclively lo Ihe foce.

, •
•, • ..
•
251
• ~ •
•
J
•
 Wnen subtle feor oppeors
¡usl in the eyes, we perceive
Ihol someone is worried,
concerned, or onxiovs.
Worry can be successfully
portroyed if Ihe eyes are
cleorly olert ond Ihe brows
ore cleorly lifted ond benl.
The odion in the eyes is es-
peciolly importan! becouse
Ihe oclion in Ihe moulh is
missing; the eyes lock Ihe
wide, storing look of terror.

In silenl movies, facial expression was especially imporlonl In Donotello's vision (oppo-
os o woy lo communicole Ine cnoroders' slole of mind. sile, bottom), SI. George is
This 19205 film heroine is obviovsly feeling o bil tnreot- hordlyo mocho warrior, bul
ened. Her feor is shown in her eyes; they're opened extro rolher o sensi'ive youlh. As
wide, ond Ine lower lid is slra igntened. Tne brow olone he slonds boll upright,
wooldn't corry the messoge-it's so low !nol il could be Ihe poised lo defend ,he foilh,
brow of feor or sodness. Bul sod eyes wauld never be Ihol his foce wears on expres-
wide. Sodness is on inword-Iooking expression¡ feor is o sion of monly concern. Note
greotly heigntened looking-outword. Ine bunching of skin oround
eyebrow 01 inner end, chor-
ocleristic of corrugalor oc-
lion (A). Upper eyelid is
slighlly obove normal olert
threshold-if eyes were
partly closed, he might
look sod. Fronlolis is 0150
oclive (B).

252
 SUMMARY
Whether we can a face terrified, afraid,
or just worried seems to depend
mostly on the wideness of the eyes. If
the eyes are wide enough, the mes-
sage oí horror comes across, even
without much activity elsewhere in the
face. In faces that are less afraid, the
eyes are only a liUle bit wider than
normal and must combine with a
raised, slanted, or kinked eyebrow to
I be read as frightened. To show worry,
the active brow must be combined with
at least one other cJue-slightly wid·
ened eyes, open mouth, or mouth
pressed tightly cJosed.
The one generalizatioo that will hold
true for all the fear-related expressions
is that if the upper lid is at al! droopy, as
it is in sadness, one will not concJude
that any fear or worry is present, no
matter what the rest of the face is
doing. But even with the eye some-
In this poster, three nervous nurses wonder if they hove what il lakes lo gel their what widened, fear becomes am-
licenses-bu! ¡he nurse in ¡he middle seems lo be wondering ¡he mosto Her eye- biguous as the amount of activity de-
brows Ofe Ihe mas! up-slanted, her eye is ¡he mes! wide opened. Oblique up- creases.
per lid fold is a helpful detail. Though her moulh looks worried too, ¡l's only by In fact, the expression oí fear on the
ossocialion with ¡he upper foce-her moulh, and those of ¡he olher two nurses, face is really Iike the tip of a great
is neutral. The eyebrow shapes of Ihe others border belween neutrol ond iceberg of worry. There is far more
ofraid-nol enough upward Iwisl 01 inner end, no signature wrinkles. anxiety in the world than ever appears
on the face-most of us keep it buried
deep inside, invisible perhaps even to
ourselves. lt takes truly extreme cir-
cumstances before we look as afraid as
we sometimes íeeL This is not count-
ing the innumerable Iittle nervous
mannerisms that each of us enacts in
our daily life as a sort of ongoing re-
lease for our fears and anxieties, only
sorne of which involve the face, and
most of which are unpaintable!

253
THE
OF DISGUST

W e are repelled by many things in

life, anímate and inanimate As
moch difference as there may be be-
pattem, with two modifications: the
mouth is usually not opened or not
opened very wide, and the Iower lip is
can only be inspired by something ter-
ribly offensive to our sense of taste or
our sense of smell. And it's not neces-
tween our distaste ior an ex-Iover and relaxed sarily something putrid; rather, it de-
our feelings about, say, rotting food or peOOs on what you're used to: Charles
animal excrement, our facia l response Actions Darwin reports a native oC Tierra del
may be the same. Raising the middle oí What lies behind these facia l appear- Fuego being utterly disgusted by the
the upper lip and nose wings ever so ances is primarily the action oí tlle texture oí some canned meat that he
slightly, the basis oí the expression oí levator labii superioris. lts middle was eating. lf something makes us sick
disdain, is merely a refined and polite branch and inner branch are iovolved io once, like drinking too much wine, the
version oi what someone does befare the expression oi disgust. lo extreme mere smell oí wine may inspire disgust
he retches. Disgust is disgust whether physical disgust the ioner braoch is long aíterward.
the repulsion is ¡ntense and physical or dominan!, but as we are less revolted What's curious about disgust is tbat
decorous and inteJlectual. It is a cer- by something, the milder action oí the it's nol an emotional state in its ex-
tain frame oi mind, and we instinc- middle branch takes overo treme stages-it's a physical instinct,
tively react lo it in a particular way. By itselí, tlle inner branch pulls the like pain or sleepiness, although its oc-
whatever the cause. upper lip sharply back into the face, currence is modified by cultural condi-
squares its cornees, and pulls the nose tioning. lt's only in its milder íorms-
i'HYSICAL OIsGUST: up by its wings; in combinatioo with disdain, soorn, and contempt- lbat it
PREPARING FOR THE WORST the corrugator and the orbicularis oculi seems to belong in the category oC an
Al the mot of the expression ol disgust (whose contraction it triggers), it pulls emotional response.
is an extreme physical act: vomiting. In down the eyebrows, squiots the eyes,
the same manner as the tace visibly aod puffs up the cheeks. Mild Disgust
prepares itself tor a sneeze or a Jaugh The nose has very little to do with When our sensibilities are a bit less
that may never come, whenever we get our perception oC most expressions, offeOOed, lhe action of disgust shifts
a sensation that may lead lo regurgita- but with extreme disgust we note an from tlle inner branch of the Jevator
tion, a particular facial mechanism is exception. '!be resbaping oC the nose labü superioris to lhe middle branch.
triggered. The disdainful sneer oí tbat takes place, along with the deep resulting io a less-contorted-looking
someone who disapproves oC me is "sneer pocketn tbat appears ahoye and face. The middle branch of the sneer-
really a facial hint that 1 make them to lhe sides oC the nose wings, is a ing muscle is more discreet in its ¡m-
want to vomito They're not aware of unique part oC this particular action- pact. We end up with a squared-off
that anyrnore than I'm aware oC want- no other expression creates the same upper lip and twisted-up nose, bor-
ing lO bite them if 1 raise my lip in an Conns. We can easily recognize írom dered by a deepened nasolabial Cold,
angry snarl in response, but that's tlle these fonns alone the disgust in the and little else.
deep-seated association. Cace oC a gentleman whose upper lip is There's an interesting borderline
TIle act of expelling something dis- entirely hidden by a moustache. between disgusted faces that seem to
agreeable requires tbat the mouth be be responding to something stomach
opened wide, the lips retracted, aOO The Olfending lnspirationfor Disgust turning and disgusted faces that could
tlle eyes tightly shut. Extreme disgust Without going into too much detail, we be merely expressing extreme dis-
is expressed with nearly the same must mention that out-aOO-out disgust approval.

254
 DISGUST: PHYSICAl REPULSION

Disgust is a curious express ion. No

oc! is so purely physicol ond visceral
as lo retch in response lo something
we find stomach turning. Though a far
cry from such untidiness, ¡he sneer of
disdain ond turned-up nose of con-
templ ore merely socially acceptable
versions of Ihe sorne oclian. Al ils
heort, every expression of disguSf is
on ottempt lo eject something dis-
tosteful, on adian thol centers around
the nase ond moulh, 000 olmos! 01-
ways brings on a frown.

This unflinching, a l1egorical portrayal

af the retch, by Nancy Fried, is in a
category 011 its own-perhops 'he
only time this particular express ion
has been depic'ed in o sculp'ure. This
con'or'ed expression lies al ,he roo' of
even the mas' discree' sneer. The oc,
of ejec'ing some'hing unwan'ed
brings into play the powerful levator
labii superioris, the sneering muscle. It
pulls back the upper lip, raises up the
cheeks, and triggers the squinting of
,he eyes and ,he lowering of the eye-
brows. Less in'ense faces involve o
differen' secfion of fhe some muscle.
This remorkable sculpfure is porf of o
series of self-portraifs in which the
ortist sought to explore ond exorcise o
variety of troubling emotians. The ex-
pression on the smaller foce is some-
whof ambiguous¡ it's somewhere
befween sternness/anger and the
poul.

A. Brow lowered- indirecl. •

B. Eyes squinted- indire ct.
C. Curved fo ld unde r eye-direct.
D. tnner slar-wrinkles- direcl.
E. Creases olongside nose, deepesl here- direcl.
F. Upper lip squared, pulled inlo face- direct.
With no need of o nose a t
011, this face contoins ,he
four elements defining the
retch: frown¡ closed eyes;
roised upper lipi prominent
tongue.

255
 DISGUST: PHYSICAl REPULSION

Thi$ womon is reocting lo

somefhing Ihal s!rongly of-
fends her sense of laste,
louen, or smell. We may
sneer wnen we find ¡he ideo
of something distasteful,
bul our gul mus! be in-
volved lo inspire a foce like
!his. Mas! of ¡he facial oc-
liOflS of ¡he retch (previous
poge) ore present, bul ¡he
moulh remoins shul (partly
a ided by ¡he contradion of
mentolis) ; Ihe foce is pre-
pafing for final sloge !hal
nevar comes.

The upward pul l of ¡he

sneering musde brings !he
upper lip claser lo ¡he nose
000 fills out ¡he lip corners
01 A. Note pulling upward
of ¡he wings of lhe nose encl
deepening of creases
olongside lhe nose (o lreody
present)-especiolly deep
"sneer pockel" al B.
•

RElAXED MOUTH FOR CQMPARISON

256
 DISGUST: PHYSICAl REPULSION

1. Action of corrugator-
lowers brow.
2. Actjon of orbicularis oculi-
squinls eye.
3 . Action of ¡oner bronch,
levolor lob;í superioris-
raises cheeks, no,se wings,
upper lipI deepens nasolabiel fold,
Iriggers 1 and 2.
4. Aclion of menlolis-
pusnes up lower lip,
wrinkles chino

Extreme disgusl moy be perceived wilhoollhe upper lip being visible, os Ihese
posed expressions from Dorwin's Expression of the Emotions in Mon ond Ani·
ma/s indicote. The deep creases oround the nose wings and the pointing of the
nose, combined with ¡he squint ond frown, ore sufficienl evidence. Geslure rein-
forces lhe idea of holding something repellen! 01 bayo

257
 OISGUST : MILO OISGUST

Offended senses or of-

fended sensibi lities? The
faee of disgust grades inlo
Ihe foee of disdoin os the
aclion shifts from Ihe inner
bronch of Ihe sneering rnus-
ele, which dislorfs mueh of
¡he face, lo Ihe micldle
bronch, whicn offecls
moinly !he nose ond moulh .

A sneer this slrang is masl

likelyo response lo some-
thing physically repulsive,
bu! ¡I's right on ¡he edge of
being o sneer of disdain.
Wilh ¡he middle branch of
¡he sneering muscle active,
¡he squinting and frown dis-
oppear, focusing Ihe oclion
on Ihe pointed nose, ,he
lifled ond creosed cheeks,
ond Ihe squored-off upper
lip. The aclion oround ¡he
nose is o key par! of ¡he
pollern; in disdain, o simi-
lar squore lip is joined with
o less pulled-up nose.

Nole encnge in snope in

nose, deepening of sneer
pocket olongside nose
wing, ond widening of cor-
ner of upper lip. Action of
mentolis (Al pusnes up
lower lip- otherwise lifting
of the upper lip would bare
Ihe upper row of leelh .

RElAXED MOUTH FOR COMPARISON

258
 'DISGUST: MilO DISGUST

:.-
--
....
--
- ..
- •
•

Sorne terrible irony is sug-

gested by this unhoppy
self-portroil of Nicolas
Poussin. lhe world of his
pointings is one of chill,
clossicol perfection-
scenes of on ideal ond
imoginory ontiquity. Nolh-
ing so lortured looking and
down lo eorth as ¡his ex-
pression is even hinled 01 in
•
his work. In mony woys
idenlicol lo Ihe express ion
opposite (down lo Ihe ball-
ing of menlalis in Ihe ehin),
¡his face nonelheless sug-
, gests mental discomforl as
• opposed lo physicol. l he
"sneer" in Ihe nose is less
..,
\ pronounced¡ Ihe aclivily in
Ihe brows ond foreheod is
• "
ambiguous- perhops a
,
,
frown, perhops even o sug-
gestion af sadness .
..

-,'J=.
" ;,--
•
•
• "
JÍ?,
\.
~. n-'
.
'". ,
,

"'.~.

.. - -
t
~.,'-
•• ,
~
., ,
.,-
",- ... ......,'_...
re
t
~

/ .., -
I"-'¡';;r • , '

- "".
,
~, .""!'!

259

J
DISDAIN, SCORN, CoNTEMPT
DISGUSY: DISDAIN
The real territory of disapproval is tbat
oí faces with no appreciable action
With a wave of her monicured hond, the well-dressed woman below seems to
around the nose, but with a distinct dismiss our existence. The slight sneer is on expression more of disopproval
squaring of the upper lip. thon disgusto This is the expression of the snob.
The look of disdain (or scorn or con-
tempt) is a facial expression tbat com-
bines an instinctive element- the
squaring of the upper lip- with more
voluntary, reinforcing facial gestures.

•
In this case the reinforcements come in
two forms: the lowering oí the upper
lid and the turning away or lifting up of
the head. There has been speculation
tbat when we perform these actions.
we're making the nonverbal statement
tbat the person we disdain is beneath
notice, not worth acknowledgement
As with any marginal expression the
subtlest flicker oí the sneer on the up-
per lip- which we might pass over
otherwise- can be made unam-
biguous if combined with one or two of
these reinforcing elements, as a
slightly sad brow is made less ambig-
uous by dmvncast eyes and a slumped
pasture.

SUMMARY
Disgust, disdain, contempt, sneering,
all are names for the same general cat-
egory of facial expressioIL Central to
them all is the action of the sneering
muscJe, the levator labii superiorus.
Only in the most extreme version is
the inner branch of the muscle in-
volved. Otherwise, the more moderate
middle branch is active. As the inten-
sity of the expression diminishes, it
goes trom being a full-face expression,
with changes visible from upper cheek
to chin, to an expression that is mainly The upper lip of the subject of this
visible in the flat shape oí the upper lip. photo, Hollywood gossip columnist
Heddo Hopper, is slightly but unmis-
tokobly squored off and pulled bock
into her foce by the sneer muscle (with
no corresponding chonge uround the
nose); her bwer lip is pushed up by
the mentolis fo meet it.

-- ..
, The pose, the expression, and the ef-
fect ore very rnuch the equivolents of
the picture aboye. A useful rule is that
if the thicker middle portion of the up-
per lip is more Ihon Ihree-quorlers of
its length, o sneer is perceived, even
wilhout the pointing of the nose and
creasing of the cheeks.

260
RElAXED

SNEERING
The acerbic social com·
menlary of George Grosz
The sketch (obove) indi·
is here focused on on inler·
cotes whol Ihe profile of Ihe
aclion belween a well·
upper lip normally looks
heeled Berliner and Ihe
like. Though Ihe usual
crippled soldier from whom
squaring off is missing
he's buying molches. The
:right), Ihe lip is clearly flat·
Iheme of social isolalion
lened and drawn back·
and cruelty is reinforced by
ward, enough for us to reod
Ihe slrongly marked expres·
Ihe sneer. The crease
sion of disdain. The genlle·
olongside Ihe nose helps.
mon neilher looks al nor
seems lo acknowledge Ihe
soldier; his face is domi·
noled by his narrowed eye
and vaguely sneering upper
Ii p.

l I,
Ii
Another snob. Conlext
means a greol deol in inler·
preling express ion. Here Ihe
righl setting (urbon sophis.
ticales) and the right char·
octers (elderly gentry)
make il easy for Ibe car·
loonisl lo gel us lo see the
look af ¡he grey·hoired
lady on Ihe couch as com·
ically disdainful. Her
squore lip appears a bil
more arched Ihan we'd ex·
pecl (slrong menlolis oc·
lion, perhaps), cnd her nose
seems no differenl from
cnyone else's; no matter-
her narrowed·eye houghti·
"Thjs js the Sandra Ho/lingsworth. The 'the' ir under/ined." ness is unmislokable.

261
THE
OFS

T here is less to say about surprise

tban any other facial expression
of emotion. This reflects the paucity of
to produce voluntarily, and at least part
of the surprise pattern- wide eyes,
raised brow- is universally employed
VARIATIONS
The most important variable in sur-
prise is the wideness of the eyes. As in
material (surprise is very rarely photo- as a conversational gesture, meamng anger and fear, the eyes are crucial to
graphed and even more rarely depicted "Oh really?" or "Wow!" our evaluation oí the intensity of the
in art), the simplicity of the expression expression: the wider the eyes, the
itself. and the modest importance of more surprised someone looks. No one
surprise in the larger se heme of AcTIONS can look surprised unless his eyes are
things, as compared to, say, anger or Surprise is reflected in the face by two widened.
JOy. events: the eyes widen and the mouth When we're surprised by sorne abso-
Perhaps all these reasons derive drops open. The opening of the eyes is lutely sensational piece of news, like
from one faet: surprise is the most aided by a lifting, straight up, of the the fact that we've just won a Jottery or
instantaneous Di all emotions. lts dura- eyebrows, the work of the frontalis. a beauty contest, surprise and plea-
tioo 00 the tace is measurable in frac- This action helps us quickly raise the sure may be visible at once. When plea-
tions of a second, and its appearance upper lid. The mouth, however, merely sure dominates the look of surprise,
and disappearance as an expression is falls open, with none oí its surrounding the result is the "eager smile," with
probably too quick to observe from life. muscles contracted, or the lips are surprise mainly visible in the widened
lt is amost by definition ao expression pursed toget her in a manner similar to eyes. When surprise is paramount, the
tbat is impossible for an actor to ere- whistling, with the mouth opening a signs oí joy will be subtle: a mouth that
ate; while a good actor can work him- smatl O. is not completely relaxed, showing a bit
self iota a state oí sadness or fear, no According to Darwin, the two fac- of angularity and widening at the cor-
one can sneak up on himself by sur- tors that always accompany surprise ners, and a cheek that is beginning to
prise. And if it's not unexpected, it's oot are a desire to see quickly what it is show roundness.
.
surpnse. that we have been surprised by and a It's also possible to recognize sur-
Surprise, however; is probably the preparation for possible swift activity, prise in just the eyes and eyebrows, if
easiest expression to pantomime. AII which requires a deep inhalation the lifting of the brows and the widen-
the facial movements involved are easy through an opened mouth. ing of the eyes are extreme enough.

26:e!
S urprise is by far Ihe masl fleeting of
011 facial expressions. Though we 011
recognize surprise easily, most of us
have never actually seen it ather than
in pictures. To be surprised means lo
be slartled . As our sophisticotion in·
creoses, our abilily lo be surprised
decreases. Children are easier lo sur·
prise than adulis.

The French photographer Robert

Doisneau look a series of photo-
grophs from a hidden camera of pas-
sersby reocting lo Ihis painling. There
are two voriations of Ihe surprised
mouth-either dropped open ond re-
laxed (ovol shoped) or O shaped with
pursed lips, as here.

A. Action of fronlalis : roises eye-

brows, creating horizontal fore-
heod wrinkles.
B. Action of levotor palpebrae: roises
upper eyelid, exposing white
obove iris.
C. Action of orbiculoris orís: incisivus
portion pulls corners of mouth to-
gelher, creating O shape ond pro·
truding lips.

"

1 An "oh" from prehistoric

,
America . This piece speoks
volumes about ¡he power of
artistic economy, the skill of
o lost, indigenous culture,
ond ¡he universality of the
face of surprise. like many
such faces, this one was o
motif, repeated innumer-
oble times-for what pur-
pose, no one knows. Most
•
\ striking is the way ¡he
mound around ¡he circular
mouth precisely duplicotes
• the look of ¡he prolruded
lips of the womon aboye,
• adding considerobly to the
evocotive power.

263
SURPRISE
r.\OUYH DROI'PfD OP[rJ

Dorwin offers an interesling explanotion far why Ihe moulh drops open in sur-
prise, os in Ihe face of Ihe beouty cantes! winner below. When we're suddenly
fixaled on something, he writes, "¡he olher organs of ¡he body [i.e., muscles] ore
forgotten and neglected," and Ihe iow drops of its Qwn weight. This olso allows
the deep inlake of breo!h thol folloW5 o sud den shock-a preparotion far
"jumping away from Ihe donger, which we hobituolly ossociate with onything
unexpected." That she's nol frightened we judge from her relaxed rnoulh ond un-
kinked eyebrows. Her smoolh foreheod shows no wrinkling of frontalis, Ihough
her eyebrows oppear lo be lifted¡ this is nol uncommon.
The slack-jawed blacksmilh in Ihe
middle is slaring al the sudden ap-
pearance af a god - Apollo has just
materialized in his farge. Surprise,
like anger and fear, is dominated by
the eyes. The wider the eyes, the mare
surprised the look . Velózquez has
chosen to moke his blocksmilh only
oppeor moderalely surprised-Ihe ef-
fect af the open, reloxed mouth,
mised eyebrows, and eye only a bit
wider Ihan normal. If we were to see
wh ile obove his iris, he would raok
much more omozed.

265
 SURPRISE: IN JUST THE EfES AND BROW

A ttentive readers of Ihe

New York Times of Januory
18, 1989, notleed something
distinctly odd oboot on olh-
erwise rovline photo of Ihe
Presidenl-elecl ond Vice-
President-elect ond Iheir
,
wives, token during o pre- ,
inaugurol ceremony. lhe
col05501 slalue of Abraham
Lineoln, far mas! of ¡his In corred lighting, eye-
century o Ihoughtful ond re- brows casI shadow al 1,
mole presence in ils memo- giving impression of low-
rial, oppeared far ollthe ered, lhoughtful brows. In-
wodd lo hove awakened corred lighl from below
with o 5lorf, belroying lhe cosls shodows 01 2 , which
vlmosl oslonishment atlhe rhe "slortled" stotue is on 1920s spollights were in- appear like raised, orched
90in95-OO 01 ils fee!. Whot occidental effec! of ligh! slolled lo light Ihe slotue eyebrows¡ edge 1 disap-
accounled far this strikingly cnd shodow. lhe sculptor from obove, as french peors. Eyelids repeal
lifelike Ironsformalion? of Ihe lincoln Memoriol, wished, bul for Ihe Bush- pollern-real edge 3 is
Wos Ihe Times !rying lo Daniel Chester french, wos Quayle inauguration, il was washed out¡ shadow ot 4
make o coverf political so concerned about Ihe po- decided lo lemporarily mokes upper lid appeor
stolement? Were slolues lenlial of lighl lo alter l in- lighl Ihe slolue from below, enormously high obove irisi
leorning lo walk? coln's expression Ihol he leoding lo jusi Ihe chonge roised eyebrow plus wid-
sent Ihe commissioo re- in expression french hod ened eye equol surprise.
sponsible for the memorial warned ogoinst. Lil cor-
o photo showing: (Al how il redly, l incoln weors whol
should be lit, ond (Bl how it french described os the ex-
should under no circum- pression of "confidence in
stances be lit. In Ihe eorly his obilily lo carry Ihe thing
through."

266
SURPRISE: (OMBINED WITH IOY

When we're surprised by

somelhing pleosonl, sur-
prise moy be linged wilh
¡ay. Wére owore of lhe ¡ay
primarily because of Iwo
elemenls, normally obsenl
in Ihe foce of surprise: o
slighlly lensed, widened
moulh and o slighl bulging
in lhe cheeks.

This woman has jusi won o

conlesl-in Ihis case o golf
laurnomenl. Her moulh
shape is midway belween
Ihe relaxed oval of pure
surprise ond Ihe bow shape
of Ihe laugh. Her lower
cheeks hove begun lo fill
oul under Ihe influence of
Ihe zygomolic ma jor, bul
her upper foce is 011 sur-
prise (os you con see by
covering her moulh ond
cheeks). This foce is dosely
reloled lo lhe Ueoger
smi le"¡ there, pleosure wos
dominonl, here il's surprise.

Here Ihe pleasure compa-

nenl is more sublle. This
poinling by lIyo Repin con-
cerns Ihe unonnounced
homecoming of o mon re-
lurning from Siberian exile.
Thoogh Ihe aelion around
Ihe moulh of lhe surprised
girl (e) is slighl, Ihe wid-
ening ond lurning upward
01 Ihe corner, combined
wilh beginning of bulging
and creosing in lhe cheeks,
is sufficienl for us lo see her
os pleosed ond surprised.
The risen, older wamon
shows no expression 01011;
even from Ihe reor, we
would see her smile by o
bulge 01 A; we'd see her
eyebraws lifted 01 B.

267
 •

T hose significant ¡ittle twitches

that we call facial expressions are
both simple and complex, easy to un-
be. Carved with skill and discrimina-
tian, three holes in a shell can be as
evocative as a completely literal ren-
Whether we are aware of it or not,
there is nothing that interests us more
or is capable oí moving us more deeply,
derstand and impossible to ever fully dering in stone or paint. than the (ace. For an artist, anything
grasp, just like people themselves. 1ñe safest route (or an artist is to that potent carries enormous possi-
We're all experts at identifying them avoid express ions entirely. Most bilities. Mona Lisa's smile or Munch's
and rank amateurs al understanding painted faces, in fact, have liule to supe rcharged scream of pain a re
t hem or de picting them. show in the way of emotion; the odd imbedded in our collective sensibilities
That is, most oí us are. Certain arto smile, the occasional laugh. It's no eas- tor a reason. For no matter how fash-
ists have shown an enormous ability, in ier to handJe expressions well than it is ions in art change, there's unlikely to
all ages and alllocales, in observing the to act well-the same sort of judge- be much change in our deepest emo-
ra nge of e motions a nd translating ment and taste is demanded, as weJl as tianal yearnings or our deepest emo-
them into works of great beauty and an intuitive seuse oC how people re- tianal feaes. We wilJ always be respon-
emotional power. Since virtually any- SfX>nd to each other. And painted ex- sive to what happens in those twenty-
thing with t he two-holelone-hoIe pat- pressions that are exaggerated or va- five square inches between the chin
tem can be seen as a tace, af lists have cant looking make us at least as and forehead, and artists will always be
had great latitude in choosing how real- uncorrúortable as does a badly deliv- trying to find new ways to provoke that
istic. or how stylized, they wished ered monologue on stage. But tlle po- response, while in the process discov-
their representations of expression to tential rewards seem worth the risk. ering more about their own humanity.
 Two self-portroits by ¡he Austrian arlisl Egon Schiele. In
¡he drowing (Ieft), ¡he ortisl portrays himself wi!h the quin-
lessential self-portroit express ion: intensityl ottention.
, . -. Frowning is o naturol occompaniment lo ¡he hard, cancen-
!roled work of drawing; jusi os natural is a slight widening
of ¡he eyes, os seen here, 11,01 morks extra-olerlness. A
large number of ortisls' self-portroils belray some degree
/ , af Ihe lhoughtful frown.

•
,
,

I I

I, 1
"
,
-
, -
The expressian af Schiele's moulh here, however, is unique;
il's pursed up in whol oppears like o whislle. This is an-
, olher calegary a f non-emolianol expression, Ihe sort of
nervous maveme nl af Ihe moulh Ihol many people moke
when Ihey're hard 01 work. His model wears quile anolher
kind of face: her narrowed eyes and slighl grin suggesl Ihe
seductive smile (p. 231).

In ¡he pointjng (rj9hl), Schiele hos chasen lo portray hi s

face with ¡he geslure of Ihe raised brow. The simple roised
brow moy indicole o moad of heightened alten/ion; ¡hol
seems lo be ils meoning here. The distan!, 5elf-absorbed
look of his wife is ¡he combined result of her downword
902e ond her eyes being 51ighlly out of convergence.

269
Expressions in Brief

/ I

, I

fYlBROWS mBROWS mBROWS

Enlire brow lowered, especially ¡nner Entire brow lowered, especially inner Inner third (closest to middle of tace)
comer, which is angled sharply down- comer, which is angled sharply down- bent upward or at least kinked. Sldn
ward. Roll oí skin piles up aboye brow. ward. RoII of skin piles up aboye brow. below piles in kidney-shaped knob.
fYI m m
Reduced to nearly a single ¡ine by Reduced to nearly a single line by Slightly narrowed by downward pres-
compression of or bicularis oculi. The compression of orbicularis oculi. 1be sure of oblique above-the-lid fold and
stronger the action, the straighter stronger the action, the straighter upward moyement of Iower lid. Bag
and thinner the line oCthe joined lids. and thinner the line of the joined lids. under eye.
MOUTH MOUTH MOUlH
Open moderately wide and s tretched Stretched as wide as possible and Squeezed tight by the three-muscle
sideways as far as possible. Overall closed with moderate force. Sharp press. Lip margins disappear, LBL
shape is rectangular. Upper lip fold under lower lip; it may tum out- straight, puffiness around lips.
squared off al corners; lower lip ward. Tautness, trembling of lips.
SI6NATURI WRINKLIS
straight, often bowed up in tlle mid-
SI6NAT1IRI WRINKLIS 1. Horizontal across-tbe-brow folds
die. 80th lips smooth and taul
1. Crow's feet and lower lid fold (middle ol torehead ooly)
SI6NATURI WRINKlIS 2. Star-wrinkles from ¡nner eye 2. Verticallines between eyebrows,
1. Crow's (eet and lower lid fold 3. Verticallines between brows, dimples aboye
2. Star-wrinkles from ¡nner eye dimples aboye 3. Smile-shaped fold uooer lower lid
3. Verticallines between eyebrows, 4. Nasolabial fold, deepest in mid- 4. Oblique above-the-lid fold
dimples aboye cheek 5. "Floating" crease al zyg. minor
4. Joined crease from nose lo chin 5. Mentalis bulge 6. Hook-shaped told alongside mouth
5. Mentalis bulge 6. Hook-shaped folds by mouth 7. Barbell bulge under mouth
6. Cord-like folds alongside chin 8. Mentalis bulge
SIMILAR 10
SIMILAR 10 STIFLED LAUGH: No wrinkles 2 or SIMILAR 10
LAUGHING: No wrinkles 2 or 3; 3; less sneer in top lip or side stre1ch SUPPRESSED ANGER, Mouth is
mouth stretched up, back, oot out in botb lips. Eyes slighUy open. oot stretched; eyes opened wkIer,
Upper teeth soow fmm t ip lo base. PAIN: Eye clenching more extreme, with eyebrows down, oot up.
PAIN: Eyes may be open, or less cheeks 001 as rounded. No moutb EXERTION: Mouth not stretched;
tightly shut; mouth in shout position. stretching or wrinkles 5 and 6. eyebrows down, not up. Eye may be
clenched tightly shul.

270
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mBROWS mBROWS mBROWS

lnner third (closest to middle of face) Inner third (closest to midd1e oí face) Inner third (closest lo middle of face)
bent upward or at least kinked. Skin bent upward, or at least kinked. Skin bent upward, or al leasl kinked. Skin
underneath piles up in kidney-shaped underneath pUes up in kidney-shaped underneath piles up in kidney-shaped
knob. knob. knob.
m m m
Slightly narrowed by downward pres- Slightly narrowed by downward pres- Slightly narrowed by downward pres-
sure of oblique above-the-lid fold and sure of oblique above-the-lid fold. sure oí oblique above-the-lid fold and
upward movement of lower lid. Bag Lower lid may move up, accompanied upward movement of lower lid. Bag
under eye. by bag under eye. under eye.
MOUT1t MOUIH MOUT1t
Moderately stretched, with strong Pouting. Upper lip squared off- Relaxed.
sneer in upper lip. Sharp fold under center section extra long. Sharp fold
SIGNATURI WRINKLIS
lower lip. under lower lip.
1. Horizontal across-the-brow folds
SIGNATURI WRINKLIS SIGNATURI WRINKLIS (middle oí forehead only)
¡. Horizontal across-the-brow folds 1. Horizontal across-the-brow folds 2. Trace of verticalline between eye-
(middle of forehead only) (middle of forehead only) brows, dimples above
2. Verticallines between eyebrows, 2. Verticallines between eyebrows, 3. Oblique above-the-lid fold
dimples above dimples above 4. Smile-shaped fold may appear un-
3. Smile-shaped fold under lower IKI. 3. Smile-shaped fold under lower lKl. der lower lid
4. Oblique above-the-lid fold 4. ObliQue above-the-lid fold
SIMILAR 10 •
5. "Floating" crease of zygomatic 5. "Floating" crease of zygomatic
. . WORRY: Eyes are wider, eyebrows
rumor rumor may be higher. At times may appear
6. Hook-shaped fold alongside mouth 6. Mentalis bulge
very similar.
7. Barbell bulge under mouth NEUTRAL: Eyebrows are relaxed,
SIMILAR 10
8. Mentalis bulge forehead is smooth.
WORRY: Eyes are wider, eyebrows
SIMILAR 10 are usually higher. No pout or wrin-
No expression is similar. kle 4.

271
 -_.~

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CO::,PRE\\[lI LIPI
IYIBROWS
IYI~ IYIBROWS Inner comer pul1ed downward and to-
lnner comer pulled downward and to- lnner comer pulled downward and lo- ward the center of face. Lower edge
ward the center of Cace. Lower edge ward the center oí tace. Lower edge oí eyebrow fa lls at or just below level
oC eyebrow falls below level oí upper oí eyebrow faUs at or just below level of upper lid.
lid. oí upper lid.
IYI
IYE IYI Opened wide, though pressure of de-
Opened extra-wide. though pressure Opened extra-wide, though pressure scended brow prevents white from
oí descended brow prevents white of descended brow prevents wrute showing aboYe the iris. Outer eye1id
from showing aboYe the iris. Upper from showing aboye the iris. Outer angle greater than 45 degrees.
eyelid rises al angle greater thao 45 eyelid ang1e greater than 45 degrees.
degrees. Lower lid tighL MOUTH
MOUTH Upper lip may be slight1y squared off
MOUT1t Tightly compres sed. Lips narrowed or slightly compressed.
Opened and stretched sideways. with to thin lines and surrounded by
SIGNATURE WRINKLIS
overall rectangular shape. Upper lip bulging skin, especially below.
1. Vertical lines between the eye-
squared-off in a sneer, lower lip mar-
SIGNATURE WRINKlIS brows, dimples aboye
gin straighL 8 0th upper and lower
1. Verticallines between the eye- 2. Horizontal above-the-lid fold
teeth show.
brows, dimples aboye
SIMILAR 10
SIGNATURE WRINKLIS 2. Horizontal above-the-lid fold
INTENSITY/ATTENTION or PER-
1. Yerticallines between the eye- 3. Smile-shaped fold below lower lid
PLEXED: 80th are half-face expres-
brows. dimples aboye (may not show)
sions with mouth relaxed. 80th
2. Horizontal above-the-lid fold 4. Hook-shaped fold alongside mouth
involve less widening of the eye.
3. Smile-shaped fald below lower lid
(may oot show)
5.
6.
Barbell bulge under mouth
Mentalis bulge
-
4. Joined crease from nose to chin
SIMILAR 10
5. Bracket folds at mouth corners
SUPPRESSED SADNESS: Mouth is
SIMILAR 10 stretched; eyes narrowed, with eye-
No other expression is similar. brows up, not down.
EXERTION: Eyes are narrowed, not
widened.

272
 ,/

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m8ROWS m8ROWS Relaxed.

Inner comer pulled downward and to- Relaxed.
IYI
ward the centee of face. Lower edge
IY! Closed or very slight1y opened; lids
of eyehrow falls at oc just below level
$queezed shut by compression oí or- meet in a gently bowed line; full
oC upper lid.
bicularis oculi, but without strained lower lid.
IY! look oí crying. The stronger the ac-
MOUTH
Opened normally but appears nac- tion, the straighter and thinner the
Widened and opened. High comers;
rower because oí downward pressure line of the jained eyelids.
straight upper lip, Iower lip straight
on upper lid.
MOUTH in middle, sharply angled outer legs.
MOUTH Opened and widened. High cornees; Upper teeth show, tips of lower onIy.
Compressed in a SOft of pout. LBL straight upper Iip. lower lip straight
SIGNATUlI WRINKIIl
arched like upside-down smile, with in middle with almost vertical outer
1. Crow's feet and smile-shaped fold
narrowed upper lip and pushed up legs. Most of upper teeth revealed;
under eye
lower. Sharp crease undee lower lip. tips of lower teeth may also show.
2. Joined crease from nose to chin
SIGNATURI WRINKlI5 SIGNATURI WRINKlIS 3. Chinstraps
1. Verticallines between the eye- 1. Crow's feet and lower lid fold
SIMilAR 10
brows, dimples aboye 2. Star-wrinkles fmm itUler eye
CRYING: In crying: corrugator con-
2. Mentalis bulge comer
tracts, lowers eyebrow; full or-
3. Hook-shaped folds ak>ngside 3. Joined crease from nose to chin
bicularis oculi oontracts, clenching
moulh 4. Chinstraps
eye shut with stress pattem of wrin-
SIMilAR 10 SIMilAR 10 kles; only tips of upper teeth
•
usually
INTENSITY/ATTENTlON or PER- YAWNING: In yawn, cheeks are not show; lower lip stays low, exposing
PLEXED: 80th are half-face expres- full, mouth is taller than wide, and teeth in mouth comer.
sions with mouth relaxed. May be upper teeth don't show. Eyebrows are FALSE LAUGHTER: In false laugh-
quite similar. usually active, either pulled up or ter, eyes are more widely opened,
pulled down. and cheeks less full, without
wrinkles 1.
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IYEBIIOWS IYIBIIOWS IYIBIIOWS

Relaxed. Relaxed. Relaxed.
IYE IYE IYI
Crescent-shaped. Upper lid lowered Crescent-shaped. Upper lid lowered Crescent-shaped. Upper lid lowered
slightly; lower lid straight and high sJightly; lower lid straight afid high slightly; lower lid straight aod high,
with fullness undemeath. with fullness underneath. with fullness undemeath.
MOUTH MOUTH MOUTH
Widened with comer pulled back Widened with comer pulled back Widened, tensed, and narrowed.
toward ear. Upper lip straight, show- toward ear. LBL taut with overall V Middle oí lips smile, but outer legs
¡ng upper teeth, lower lip straight in shape. Lips smooth and thinned; both curve back toward ear and do not
middle, angled outer legs. lips move upward and press tighter rise; they may even bend slightly
against skull. dOWl1ward. LBL straighteoed and
SIGNATURI WRINKLIS
lengthened.
1. Crow's feet and smile-shaped fold SIGNATURI WRINKLIS
under eye 1. Crow's feet aod smile-shaped fold SIGNATURI WRINKLIS
2. Joined crease from nose to chin under eye 1. Crow's feet and smile-shaped fold
3. Dimples 2. Deepened oasolabial fold under eye
3. Dimples 2. Nasolabial fold, deepest oear
SIMILAR ro
mouth and ending abruptly
FALSE SMILE: In false smile, de- SIMILAR ro
3. Dimples
gree of smile is oot matched by de- FALSE SMILE: In íalse smile. de-
4. Hook-shaped folds alongside
gree of contraction around eye-eye gree of smile is oot matched by
mouth
is wider, lower lid oot as tight, degree of cootraction around eye.
5. Mentalis bulge
cheeks oot as fulL so eye is wider, lower lid not as •

tight, cheeks oot as full. SIMILAR ro

EXERTION: Eyes are either
squeezed shut or squinting without
fullness oí lower lid; cheeks are flat,
oot fuI!; mouth is more thinned and
oot widened, with no wrinkle 2.

274
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EYlBROWS EYEBROWS EYEBROWS

Inner third (closest to middle ol tace) May he raised straight up. Similar to fear. Overalllift with extra
bent upward or at least kinked. curl and kink at inner end.
EYE
EYI Crescent-shaped with upper lid lifted EYE
Slightly narrowed. Upper lid lowered extra high, perhaps showing white Crescent-shaped. Upper lid lowered
slightly; lower lid straightened and aboye iris. Lower lid straight and slightly; lower lid straight and high
higher with fullness underneath. high with fullness undemeath. with fullnes s undemeath.
MOUIH MOUIH MOUTH
Widened with comer pulled back Widened with comer pulled hack Widened with comer pulled back
toward ear. LBL taut with overall V toward ear. Upper lip straight, show- toward ear. LBL taut with overall V
shape. Lips smooth and thinned; both ing upper teeth, lower lip straight in shape. Lips smooth and thinned; both
lips move upward and press tighter middle, angled outer legs. lips move upwar d and press tighter
against skulL against skull.
SIGNATURE WRINKLEl
SIGNATURE WRINKLES 1. Crow's feet and smile-shaped fold SIGNATURE WRINKLES
1. Slight signs ol crow's feet and under eye 1. Horizontal wrinkles in middle of
smile-shaped fald under eye 2. Deepened nasolabial fold forehead
2. Deepened nasolabial tald 3. Dimples 2. Vertical folds between the
SIMILAR ro
3. Dimples eyebrows
4. Horizontal brow falds in middle oí 3. Crow's feet and smile-shaped fold
FALSE SMILE: In forced smile, up-
forehead under eye
per lid and eyehrows are sometimes
5. Oblique above-the-lid fald 4. Deepened nasolabial fold
lifted, but are not matched by full-
SIMILAR ro
5. Dimples .
ness in cheeks and lower lid.
SAD: Mouth in sadness does oot SIMILAR ro
curve upward; nasolabial fold is No other expression is similar.
deeper claser to nase, and mentalis
bulge appears on chino However, mel-
ancholy smile may be interpreted as
being more sad than happy because
oí powerful effect oi sad eyes.

275
 - ",-... / ............._--~
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mBROWS
¡nner comer pulled downward and EYEBROWS mBllOws
toward the center oí face. Lower Vary. May be Iifted overall in effort to Relaxed.
edge of eyehrow falls below level oí forestall drowsiness, or lift may be
!VE
upper ¡id asymmetrical. as here.
Eyes may be gently dosed or k:Ioking
m m downward.
Narrowed fmm aboye by downward Upper lid droops over iris. covering
MOUTH
pressure oi hrow and from below part oí pupiL Lower lid may be tight-
Widened with comer puUed back
by slight contraction of musd e oí ened and higher with fullness under-
toward ear. LBL taut with overaUV
lower lid. neath. May drift out of convergence.
shape. Lips smooth and thirmed; both
MOUTH MOUTH lips move upward and press tighter
Widened with comer pulled back Widened with comer pulled back against skuU.
toward ear. LBL taut with overall V toward ear. LBL taut with overall V
SIGUTURE WRINKLES
shape. Lips smooth and thinned; both shape. Lips srnooth and thinned; both
1. Crow's feet and smile-shaped fold
lips mave upward and press tighter lips move upward and press tighter
under eye
against skull. against skuU.
2. Deepened nasolabial fold
SIGUTURE WRINKLES SIGUTURE WRINKLES 3. Dimples
1. Verticallines between the eye- 1. Horizontal wrinkles across part of
SIMIUR 10
brows, dimples aboye forehead
No other expression is similar.
2. Smile-shaped fald under eye 2. Crow's feet and smile-shaped fold
3. Deepened nasolabial fald under eye
4. Dimples 3. Deepened nasolabial fold
4. Dimples •
SIMILAR 10
No other expresslon is similar. SIMIUR 10
No other expression is similar.
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EYlBROWS EYlBROWS IYIBROWS

Usually relaxed, though may also be Relaxed. Relaxed.
ralsed as in eager smile.
IYI IYI
IYE Narrowed by lowering oí upper lid Closed and relaxed, with simple
Slightly narrowed, but not narrowed and raising oí lower, but iris is still curved lash line and few wrinkles.
enough to match wideness oí smile. clearly visible, looking outward.
MOUTH
MOUTH MOUTH Widened and opened. High corners;
Widened with comer pulled straight Widened and opened. High corners; straight upper lip, lower lip straight
back, not upward toward ear. Upper straight upper lip, lower lip straight in middle, sharply angled outer legs.
lip straight, showing upper teeth. in middle, sharply angled outer legs. Upper teeth show, tips oí lower only.
Lower lip has extra-long straight Upper teeth show, tips of lower only.
SIGNATURI WRINKLIS
middle section, showing lower teeth
SIGNATURI WRINKLIS L Dnly slight crow's feet and shallow
and lower mouth comer. Mouth
1. Dnly slight crow's feet and shallow smile-shaped fold under eye may
shape is squarer than in relaxed
smile
smile-shaped fold under eye may be entirely ahsent.
be entirely absent 2. Joined crease from nose to chin
SIGNATURI WRINKLIS 2. ]oined crease from nose to chin 3. ChinstrapsJdimples
1. Crow's feet and slight smile- 3. Chinstraps/dimples
SIMILAR 10
shaped fatd under eye
SIMILAR 10 LAUGHTER: When we laugh with
2. Deepened nasolabial fotd
3. Dimples
LAUGHTER: When laughter is sin- our eye closed, contraction around
cere, eye is almost entirely hidden eye makes joint lid line much
SIMILAR ro between tightened lids and bordered straighter. Cheeks and low.er lids are
OPEN-MOUTHED SMILE: In natu- below by fulllower lid. Balled-up . much more full, with deep network of
ral smile, eyes are narrowed, with cheek is crossed by deep crow's feet crow's feet wrinkles.
cheek and tower lid more full. 5hape wrinkles.
oí mouth in natural smile is more an-
gular in lower half, not as square-
lower teeth don't show:
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m8ROW\ mBROWS
Ufted straight up and pulled claser mBROWS Lifted straight up and pulled closer
together, with innermost third of Lifted straight up and pulled closer together, with innermost third of
eyebrow bent upward or at least together, with innermost third of eyebrow bent upward or al least
kinked. Eyebrow appears more eyebrow bent upward or at least kinked. Eyebrow appears more
straight than arched. kinked. Eyebmw appears more straight than arched.
m straight tban arched.
IVE
Opened as wide as possible, often m Alert, but not opened much wider
with taut, raised lower lid. Opened very wide. than usual.
MOUTH MOUTH MOUTH
Opened and widened. Most of the Opened and widened. Most oC the May be slightly dropped apen or
widening is at the level of the lower widening is at the level of the lower slightly dropped apen and stretched
lip, which is stretched straight and lip, which is straightened somewhat. sideways.
tight. Upper lip is relaxed. Upper Upper lip is relaxed. Upper teeth hid-
SIGNATURE WRINKlE!
teeth hidden or show only tips; lower den or show only tips; lower teeth
1. Horizontal brow folds
teeth exposed from comer to comer. exposed from comer to comer.
2. Verticallines between eyebrows,
SIGNATURI WRINKLI! SIGNATURI WRINKLI! dimples above
1. Horizontal brow folds 1. Horizontal brow folds 3. Oblique across-the-eyelid fold
2. Verticallines between eyebrows, 2. VertK:al lines between eyebrows,
SIMILAR 10
dimples above dimples aboYe
SADNESS: In sadness the eyes are
3. Oblique across-the-eyelid fold 3. Oblique across·the·eyelid fold
4. Shallow, straight nasolabial fold always narrowed, not widened. The
4. Shallow, straight nasolabial fold
eyebrows kink, but do not lif!. Mouth
5. Bracket folds alongside lower lip 5. Bracket folds alongside lower lip
is often in pout, with "floating" wrin-
SIMILAR 10 SIMILAR 10 kle of zygomatic minor appearing be-
SURPRISE: Surprised mouth is com- SURPRISE: Surprised mouth is com- tween nose and mouth. However,
pletely relaxed-oval in shape rather pletely relaxed- oval in shape rather there are times when the expressions
than rectangular. Surprised eyebrows tllan rectangular. Surprised eyebrows seem indistinguishable, particularly if
lifted straight up without kinking or lifted straight up without kinking or eyes aren't especially widened.
wrinkles 2. wrinkles 2.

278
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EYEBIOWS EYEBROWS
Lifted straight up and pulled closer !VEBl!OWS Re1axed.
together, with innermost third of Entire eyebrow lowered, especiaJly
!VE
eyebrow bent upward or at [east ¡nner comer, which is angled sharply
Relaxed. May be slightly nar rowed.
kinked. Eyehrow appears more downward.
straight tban arched. MOUTH
!VE
Upper lip faised and f1attened in a
EYE Partly shut in a squint. Further com-
sneer- lip is squarerl-off in shape.
Alert, hut oot widened. pressed by downward pressure 00
Slight sneer aften asymmetrical, with
upper lid of frowning brow.
MOUTH one half Di upper lip active. other half
Squeezed tight by the three-muscle MOUTH relaxed. Lower Iip neutral.
press. Lip margins disappear, LBL Upper lip faised and flattened in an
SIGNATURE WRINKU
straight, puffiness around Iips. ¡ntense sneer. Lip is squared-off in
1. Nasolabial fold (deepest alongside
shape and may show upper teeth.
SIGNATURE WRINKIES nose)
Horizontal crease appears aboye ¡ip.
1. Horizontal brow folds
Lower lip pushed upward slightly. SIMILAR 10
2. Verticallines between eyehrows,
No other expression is similar.
dimp!es ahove SIGNATURE WRINKIES
3. Oblique across-the-eyelid fold 1. Verticallines between brows
4. Hook-shaped fald alongside mouth 2. Crow's ieet, lower lid crease
5. Barbell bulge under mouth 3. Star-wrinkles from ¡nner eye
6. Mentalis bulge comer
4. Nasotabial fold (deepest alongside
SIMILAR 10
nose, where it curves in a hook)
SUPPRESSED SADNESS, In sad- -
5. Mentalis bulge
ness, mouth is stretched sideways as
well as compres sed. Eyes are nar- SIMILAR 10
rowed, oot widened, and eyehrows No other expression is similar.
aren't lifted upward. Nasolabial fold
appear s deepened in suppressed sad-
nes$, and cheeks may $well.

279
 DISGUST

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mBROWS mBROWS
Relaxed. Often raised straight up as high as
possible; may a1so be reJaxed
m
Relaxed. Often partly cJosed or look- m
ing down. Opene<.! as wlde as possible, with
Iower lid relaxed.
MOUTH
Upper lip raised and flattened in a MOUTH
sneer- lip is squared-off in shape. Dropped open, but without any mus-
Slight sneer aften asymmetrical, with de tension. Oval in shape.
ane hall of upper lip active, other half
SIGNATURE WRINKLE
relaxed. Lower lip neutral.
L Hor izontal across-the-hrow folds
SIGNATUIU WRINKLI
SIMILAR 10
1. Nasolabial fold (deepest alongside
FEAR: Mouth in (ear is opened, but
nose)
not relaxed. Contraction oí risofiusl
SIMILAR 10 platysma stretches mouth sideways,
No other expression is similar. giving it squarish shape. Equally im-
por tant, contraction of corrugator
modifies eyebrow liit in (ear, kinking
eyebrows and creating between-the-
eyebrow wrinkles.
DROWSINESS: Eyes are narrowed,
not widened. •
SINGING: Eyes are not wKlened,
eyebrows are not lifted.
BROW LIFT: Eyes aren't widened to
the extreme they are in surprise, and
mouth isn't dropped open
ExpressÜJns 01 Physical States

\. --
T his book is primarily concemed with the expression oí
ernotion on the Cace. Obviously, there is an enonnous
range 01 {acial expressions that are oot directly related to mplDWS EYEBtOWS
emotion For artists. perhaps the most important oí these Entire brow Iowered, espe- Entire brow Iowered, espe-
are the expressions oí physical states Iike pain, extreme ciaUy inner comer, which is ciaUy inner comer, which is
angled sharply downward. RoU angled sharply downward. Ron
efiort. and sleepiness. Several oC these are illustrated and of skin piles up aboYe eye- of skin piles up aboye eye-
discussed below. Also included are a few o( the most com- brow. (Actkm of corrugator.) brow. (Action of corrugator.)
roon conversational expressions, which we all use as a sort
EYE En
of mime oct Lo accompany OUT speech. There are three Reduced to single line by com- Reduced to single line by como
things all these expressions share with Lhe expressions of pression of orbicularis ocuIi. pression of orbicularis oculi.
emotion: (1) the eyes exercise decisive control Qver the Stronger a::tion makes The stronger the a::tion, the
overall effect; (2) fu ll-Cace expressions are less ambiguous straighter Hne. straighter the line.
than expressions that involve only tite mouth or only the MOUTH MOOTH
eyes; (3) they are universal, and many are universaJly Opened in denched-leeth gri- Opened in a ShouL Upper lip
recognized. mace, with lips stretched up stretched high aboye teeth;
and sideways to the Jimit. (Ae- Iower lip pulled down below
hon of risoriuslplatysma and teeth and tightened. Entire
levator labü superioris.) moulh widened (Aetion of
SI6MATtME WIINllES risoriuslplatysma and boator
labü superioris.)
1. Crow's feet, Iower lid foki
2. Star-wrinkles from inner SIGNATURE WRINILES
oye l. Crow's feel, lower lid fold
3. Verticallines between 2. Slar-wrinkles froro ¡nner
brow,
4. joined crease from nose to 3.
",
Vertical lines between
chin brow,
4. Joined nose lo chin crease
''''''''''''
Extreme pajn needs p/'Iysical
outleL Face sort of spasms;
COMMENn
Sudden, unexpected pain may
eye muscles reflexively clench be expressed in a shouL Olh-
in full contraction, creating erwise the entire face is
deep creases out from both in- clenched. The greater the eye
oer aod outer comers, like compression, the grealer lhe
stress pattem. Mouth is usu- appearance of pain.
ally stretched open, teeth
ground together. Platysma SIMILAR ro
CRYING: Moulh shape nol as
cords arise in neck. apen. more sKle stretch.
SIMILAR ro LAUGHING: No wrinkles 2 or
CRYING: UsuaUy less ex- 3; less sneer in upper liv. less
treme, teelh nol clenched. sideways strelch in Iower lip.
LAUGHlNG: No wrinkles 2 or EXERTION: Eyes may be
3; mouth stretched up and apen, clenching less extreme.
back, not out.
EXERTION: Eyes may be
open, or less tightly shut.

28'
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EYEBROWS EYEBIIOWS EYEBROWS EYEBROWS

lnner comer puUed downward Entire brow Iowered, espe- Raised straight up in effon to ReJaxed.
aOO toward middle. With Jess cially inner comer, which is keep lids lifted. (Actioo of
En
¡ntense exertion. brow may be angled sharply downward. frontalis..)
Ctosed past normal alert posi-
relaxed or even raised. (Action (Action of corrugator,)
EYI tion. so that iris is at least 50
o( corrugator. )
En CIosed past normal alert posi- percenl covered by upper lid.
En Clenched, but IlOt to the maxi- tion: iris at leasl 50 percent PupiJ partly blocked.
Clenched, but not 10 lhe maxi- mum; lash line still curved, covered b)' upper lid with part
MOOlH
mum; lash line curved. nol upper lid line still visible (dis- oí pupil blocked.
Relaxed.
straight. In less intense oc- appears with more intense
MOOTH
tions eye is open, 001 squint- contr.iction). (Action of or- SIGNATURI WRINKLES
ReJaxed.
ing. (Action of orbicularis bicuJaris oculi.) 1. Bags under the eye
oculL) SIGNATtIIE WRlHKlE5 2. Furrow of orbit may be
MOOlH l. Horizontal across-the-brow clearer
MOOlH Squeezed tight by the three-
fo"¡'
Mouth takes bnsnt of action. muscle press. Lip margins dis- (OMM(HT5
2. Bag under the eye
Theth are tightly clenched, lips appear, lBl straight, puffi- Drowsiness is marked by a
3. Furrow of inner orbil
are stretched lo maximum. ness around lips. Ooint action period of wavering conscious-
Upper lip ¡ifled. (Action oí of orbicularis oris, trian- COMMEHT5 ness, when the eyelids droop
risoriuslplatysma and Ievalor gulads. and mentalis..) With drowsiness, the Ievator and vision becomes blurred
Iabü superioris.) palpebrae reJaxes. and upper The eyes may briefly clase
SIGNATURE WRIHKLES and open again in quick suc-
eyelid drops. We often atlempt
SIGNlTURE WRlNKLES 1. Vertical lines bet ween to keep the eye apen by rais- cession as sleepiness comes
1. Verticallines between brow. ing our forehead, which indi- and goes. Any position of lhe
brows 2, Crow's feet, lower lid
rectl)' drags the eye1id upper lid lower than halfway
2. Lower lid crease crease. upward. Usuall)', the lift is not down the iris will make the
3. Deep nasolabial fold joins 3. Hook-shaped fold alongside e)'e appear drows)'; position
enough to poli upper eyelid to
wrinkle mouth. fully awake position, but ooly illustrated here represents
4. Bracket fokls beside mouth 4, BarbeU bulge under mouth.
to keep it part-way raised someone just barely awake.
5. Mentalis bulge, shicld-
(OAUI'IENTS with popil still blocked. Ex-
shaped with rough skin on SIMILAR ro
1bere is a large area of over- pression gives the impression
chino No other expression is similar.
Iap bet\\oeen lbe expressions of being momentary stale be-
of pain and physical effort, be- COMMEHT5 fare individual succumbs to
cause effort can cause dis- lip pressing and grimacing sleep. Deep faligue also
tres$. The mouth is slretched are equall)' cornmon re- causes general relaxing of
in a grimace quite similar lo
that of paja Bul lhe eyes al-
sponses lO physical effort.
The three-muscle press
muscle tension, leading to sag-
ging of skin, deepening oí
-
most never clenc.h as tightly squeezes the lips down to a bags and folds.
aOO often will remain open, narrow line and creates bulg- SIMILAR lO
somewhat narrowed. ing around mouth. SURPRlSE: Eyes apen much
SIMILAR lO SIMILAR ro wi<ler, mouth drops open.
PAIN: Can be identical; in ex- PAIN: Can be identical; in ex- FEAR: Eyes apen extra-wide,
treme pain eye squeeze is treme pain eye squeeze is brows with kink. mouth apen.
greater.
ANGER: Much stronger LAUGH, AN-
sneer in upper lip; glaring GER, ANO CRY: All invulve
e)'e; shouL three-muscle press, but all
LAUGHING: Teeth parled, have open eyes-squinting,
mouth uplback, cheeks full. g1aring, or sad

282
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mBROWS mBROWS mBROWS IYEBROWS

Pulled together and lifted up· Entire brow lowered, espe- Relaxed. Relaxed.
ward. particularly at the inner cially inner comer, which is
end, which may bend upward
En IYE
angled sharply downward.
Relaxed. Relaxed.
in a kink. (Action of corruga- (Action of corrugator. )
tor and middle fibers of MOOlH MOOlH
En Opened, with lower lip slightly Opened, with comers pulled
frontalis.)
Partly shut in a squint, as well
tumed OUL (Action of de- inward, lips tumed outward.
En as by downward pressure oí
pressor labü inferioris. ) (Aetion of incisivis branch of
Partly shut in a $Quint; upper the inner brow. (Action of or-
orbicularis oris and depressor
lid exposed by lifting of brow. bicularis oculi. ) SI6NATURE WRlNKLES Jabií inferioris.)
(Action of orbicularis oculi.)
MOO1H None.
SI6NATlIIE WRINKLES
MOO1H Jaw dropped as far as possible, COMMENTS
None.
Jaw dropped as far as possible, with mou th-opening maintain· Only two of the many possible
with mouth opening maintain- ing an oval, relaxed shape. mouth positions are iUus-
ing an oval, relaxed shape. Tips of upper and lower teeth trate<!. In general, singing in· vowel sounds, sung and
Tips of upper and Iower teeth may show. (Action oí levator voIves only the Iov,.·er half of involve the action of
may show. (Action of levator labü superioris.) the face. TIte lips may be branch of the lip muscle
Iabü superioris.) tightened along their inner that purses the lips, the inci-
SI6NATURE WRINILES
edges, turned outward, or sivis. Singing 2 illustrates the
51GMATlIIE WRlNKLES 1. Verticallines between
s inging oí the sound ~eeeee,"
stretched wider, or all three at
1. Horizontal middle-of·the- brows once. Typically, only the tips with the lip comers pulled in-
brow fokls 2. Crow's feet, lov.~r lid ward tQward each other, and
of tlle leeth are exposed
2. Dimple above eyebrow <re"" Singing 1 iIlustrates the sing- the lips slightly turned out. In
3. Vertical folds between the 3. Star-wrinkles from inner
ing oí the sound "ah." Jouder sínging, squínting and
brows eye comer frowning may appear in uppe r
4. Crow's feet, lower lid 4. Joined crease fmm nose to SIMILAR 10
ore,,,, Cace.
ehin SURPRISE: Eyes in surprise
5. Joined crease from nose to are extra-wide, often wíth SIMILAR lO
chin raised brow. No other expression in this
"""S as often lowered as book is similar.
COfAMENTS raised in yawn. Upper face is
General clenching of facial in motion, but direction of mo-
muscles. Contraction of circu- lion seems quite variable.
lar eye mu~1e helps lift upper Squint is important; it's re-
lip, as does mild contraction of lated to the squint of actions
sneering group. Also the where ai r is quickly expelled •
mouth opens as wide as possi· fmm mouth.
ble, stretching the entire
SIMILAR TO
lower race. l bere are many
SINGING: Can be identicaL
variations.
Singing usually looks less dis·
SIMILAR 10 tressed as corrugatorlsquint
SINGING: Combination of combination this intense rarely
squinting eyes and raised occurs in singing.
brow would never appear in SHOUTING: lllis is quite
smgmg. similar to shouting, but s hout-
SHOUTING: Combination of ing eyes are usually much
squinting eyes and raised wider, without wrinkles 2 or
brow would never appear in 3. Shouting mouth usually
shouting. more square, less apen.

283
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EYEBIOWS
Pulled slightly downward and EYEBROW5 EYEBROWS
inward, mostly at ilUler end.
(Action oí corrugator.)
"'''''''''
Relaxed. llUler comer pulled downward
and toward the center of face.
Inner comer pulled dowm.vard
and toward the center of face.
ElE

'"
Lower edge of eyebrow falls Lower edge of eyebrow falls al
Closed and relaxed.
Narrowed slightly by squint- below level of upper lid. (Ac- or just below level of upper
ooth írom aoove and below. MOtITII tion oí corrugator.) lid (Action of corrugalor.)
(Action of orbicularis oculi.) Slightly open and relaxed.
ElE ElE
MOOlH SIGNlTURE WRINKLES Opened extra-wide, though In normal alert pasition, but
Opened, with raising of the None. pressure of descended brow slightly narrowed by down-
upper lip and sideways widen- prevents white from showing ward pressure of brow.
COMMENTS
aboye the iris. Outer eyelid
ing of the Iower: (Action of The combinatíon oí slightly MOOlH
risoriuslplatysma and Ievator angle greater lhan 45 de-
opened mouth and closed, re- Relaxed.
Iabü superioris.) grees. (Action of levator
Iaxed eyes is subject to many
palpebrae. ) SIGNATURE WRINKlES
possible interpretations. One
SI6NlTURE WRINKlES L Verticallines between the
1. Verticallines between the possibility is the íace of sleep, MOtIfH
eyebrows
brows another a kind of stupor. One Relaxed.
2. Dimple aboye middle oí
2. Crow's íeet, lower lid of the more common ways we
SI6NATURE WRINKm eyebrow
read this face is as the face oí
crease L Verticallines between the
3. Joined crease from nose to sexual passion. COMMENTS
brows
chin Though it may be confused
SIMILARro 2. Dimple aboye middle of
witb stemnesslanger, lhe
COMMENTS SINGING: We expect most eyebrow
simple act oí lowering the
Shouting is usually accom- singing to be done with open 3. Horizontal above-the lid
brows has several other more
panied by squinting, and fre- eyes. íold
common interpretations. We
quently by a squaring off oí COMMfNTS lend lo see a slightly frowning
the Iower lip and raising of the When nol seen as sternnessl face as puzzled, tboughúul, or
upper. The louder the shout, anger, with which it is easily frustrated; in social situations
the wider the mouth, and the confused, the combination of we recognize the brief írown
more squinting lhe eye. Lips lowered brows and widened as a mere conversational ges-
may also be tightened, both eyes gives the face the ap- ture, like a band movemenl
aoove and below, by edge fi- pearance oí intense concentra-
bers of orbicularis oris. Loud SIMILAR ro
tion and interest. This is the
singing and shouting can be STERNNESS/ANGER: We
expression frequently wom by
identical in appearance. tend not to see a f~e as angry
artists in thelr self-portraits.
unless the eyes are opened
SIMILAR ro SIMILAR ro extra-wide under the lowered
SINGING: ldentical to loud STERNNESS/ANGER: When brows. The relaxed moutb
smgmg m appearance. sterllllesslanger involves also makes anger less likely as
YAWNING: Eyes are usually tightening or pauting of the a perception.
much narrower in the yawn, lips, tbere is no passibility for
often with raising of the brow. coníusion. But slemnessl
Mouth in yawn is much wider anger may involve just the
and not as tensed. eyes; in such a case the ex-
pression can be identical to
intensity/attention.

284
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EYEBROWS EYEBROWS
Raised straight upward with May be slightly raised and EYEBIIOW5
rows of chevron-shaped, hori- puHed together, particularly in Raised straight up, as in sur-
zontal folds aboye. (Action of the center, with an upward prise. (Action of frontalis.)
frontalis.) kink at the inner end. (Aetion
of middle fibers of frontalis EYE
EYE May be apene<! slightly wider
and corrugator.)
Relaxed. Action of brow lift by raising oí brow; upper lid
may raise upper lid slightly EYE may be more exposed.
and expose surface oí upper Extra-wide and out of eonver-
lid genee (irises asymmetrical) MQUYH
with a staring quality. (Aetion Strong pout, with comers
MOUlH pulled down. Lower lip pushed
of levator palpebrae.)
Relaxed. upward with steep shelf un-
MOUlH demeath; upper lip thinned
SIGHATURE WRINKLE
Relaxed. and stretehed. Ooint action oí
1. Horizontal, across-the-
forehead folds SIGNATURE WRINKlES triangularis and mentalis.)
(OMMlNTS 1. Verticallines between the 51GNATURE WRINKLES
eyebrows
The brow ¡ift is ane of the 1. Horizontal, across-the-
2. Middle-of-the-forehead hor- brow folds
most conunon of all conversa-
tional expressions. \Ve use it izontal folds 2. Deep undercut beneath
to signal that something sur- COMMlNTS Iower lip
prises uso to emphasize a Shock is closely related to 3. Hook-shaped folds
point, to show that we're ínter- fear, which it may íoltow. As a alongside mouth eorners
ested, or with no particular state of extreme distress, and 4. Mentalis bulge, shield-
reference hut simply out of detaclunent from noonal eon- shaped with ro~gh skin, on
conversational habit. It can be sciousness, shock may be ehin
the nonverbal equivalent of marked by distress movement (OMMINTS
~you don't say!" or ~l doubt in the eyebrows, as well as The facial shrug is the facial
thal" It can also be the non- widened, askew eyes, whieh, equivalent oí shrugging the
verbal equivalent of "hello!"; irorucally, see nothing at aH. shoulders- a gesture oí resig-
people around the globe raise
SIMILARro natiolL lt appears Iike an ex-
their eyebrows as a way of aggerated sad poot, with the
FEAR: Fear generally in-
greeting an acquaintance. lower lip pushed outward, the
vol ves a stronger lifting and
SIMILAR ro kinking of the eyebrows, as LBL radicalty bent downward,
SURPRISE: In surprise the well as an opening andlor and the skin on the ehin •

mouth is always dropped stretehing of the mouth. In roughened. 1)te brow raise is
open, and the eyes are always fear the eyes do not move out optional; the movement in the
extra-wide. oí eonvergence; we are too in- mouth is the key. In conversa-
tent on our surroundings lo al- tíon a guttural exclamation
Iow ourselves to be detached. often accompanies the facial
shrug.
SIMILARTO
SADNESS: Pout in sadness is
more subtle and always is ac-
companied by distress move-
ments in the eyebrows and
eye'

285
INDEX

Alberti, Leoo Battista, 9 Darwin, Charles. 54, 56, 128, 254, 258, 262, information sources on, 13
Anger 264 intensit y of, 130
as basic expression, 126 David, 9, 10 key elements of, 128, 129
cx:rnpressed lips, 176-79, 272 Da Vinci, Leonardo, 9, 12, 54 methods of st udying, 11-14, 16-17
cxamples in art, 172- 75 Debauched smile, 225, 230, 231. 276 mood and, 128
glaring-eyed, 161. 162, 163. 164, 165, 172, Degas. Eduard, 25 muscles and, 54
17' Depressor Iabii inferioris mllSCle, 88, lIO, 121, in oon-Westcm art, 11
Iowered brows, 161, 163. 167 166 in pholo;oumalism, 11
mad, 272 Dimples. 206, 208 of physicaJ states. 281-85
narrowmg e)'elid, 76 Disdaill, 128, 260-61, 280 reading, 8, 129
open-moulhed. ll3, liS. 160. 163. 164 Disgust. Z79 as reflex, 8-9, 128
scowL 102. 186--87 as basic expression. 126 universaJity or, 128
shouting, 108, 160, 166, 167, 168-69, 174, disdain, 128, 260-61, 280 Stta~s~fiCt~
m mild, 254, 258-59 Facial muscles, 46
slemness, 128, 184-85. 273 physical repulsion, 254, 255-57, 279 action oC, 57
sl,Ippressed. 108, 160 Dalatello, 252 expressioo and, 54
teeth cleochL-d, 163, 170-71 Doc~m&oo~~,54,56 eye, 74-76, 78- 80, 82
theshokl. 181, 182 eyebrow, 70, 72, 78
waning, 180. 183 Eager smile, 225, 226, 275 key, 62
Anxiety, 128. 241 Eakins, Thomas, 156, 224 mouth close~i, 93-94, 97-99, 102, 104, 106,
Apprehension, 128 Eye(s) 108
Astooislunent. 128 cleoched, 132, 136 mouth opened. 110, 113, 118, 121
Attenlion. 284 closed, 76, 192, 193, 194, 232, 276 smile, 57, 98-99, 188
dire<:tion of gare, 79- 82 slud ies oc 16, 54
Baby's cry, 132- 35 focus ot, 64, 82 wrinkJes and, 58, 70, 72, 76, 78, 118
Beginner's error, avoiding, 20 gIaring, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 172, 176 Su a~ sptdfic nafU
Bemini, 9, 179 intensity oí emotion, 130 F~,
Brow iris and PIlpil 0(, 37, 41. 87 apprehension. 128
of rea ro 238. 242 lifted eyelid, 74-75, 225 aslonishment, 128
of grief. 138, 142- 43 Iocation of, 23-24 as basic eJ(pression. 126
of w()rry, 250 mllscles or, 74-76, 78- 80, 82 brow or, 238, 242
Su also Eyebrow narrowed, 76, 78, 188-89, 190, W5, 206, fright, 246- 49, 278
208 open-mouth, 118
Caravaggio, 158 position of lids, 64-65, 50, 82 reading, 128
Cassat, Mary, 157 problerns of drawing, 37 stretched mouth, 239
Cheeks, buoched, 189, 191, 2B. 218. 233. 236 sockel, 24 terror, 128, 239, 240-45, 278
Chin. raise<! ball on, 104, 134 widened in fear, 238-39, 242, 243 widened eyes, 138-39, 242, 243
Commissural foId. 59. 91 widened in sadncss. 146 WOI'TY, 128, 241, 250-53, Z79
Cornea. 82, 85 widened in surprise. 262 Fried Naney, 159, 255
Corruptor muscle gmup EyebaII, 38-39 Fright, 246-249, 278
actions or, 72-73, 78 Eyebrow Frontalis muscle. 60, 70, 71, 138
attachments of, 72 examples from art, 68-69 Frown. 58, 60, 72, 78, 269
crying, 132 rear, 238, 247 •
wrinkles created by, 72, 138 frowning, 72, 78 Gaze. direction of, 79-82
Courbet. Gustave, 17 Iocation of, 24 Glabella, 70
Coy smilc, 225 lowered, 161, 163, 167, 225, 284 Glaring eycs. 161. 162, 163, 164, 165, 172, 176
Crow's feet, 59, 76, 77, 211 muscles of, 70, 72, 78 Goodrnan, Sidney, 195
Crying, H8 positioo or, 65-67 Grief, brow of, 138, 142- 43
baby's, 132- 35 raised, 58, 60, 70, 71, 225, 238, 247, 2S5 Grosz, George, 261
OOsed-moulh, 138, 140-41, 144-45, 270 sadness, 146
vs. Jaugtüng. 138, 139, 193-95 wrinkles and, 59, 71 Happiness, Su,loy
laughing through tears, 221 H..d
open-mouthed. 135-38, 270 Facial exptessions proportioos or, 23-24
slilled sob, lOS in art history, 9, II skul~ 22-24, 26-31, 46
tears. 138 code behind, 130 starting with, 20, 21
verge oC tears, 147-49, 271 oonlext and, 15-16 HoImes, HiJa ry, 158
Cupid's Bow, 90 fundamental, 126-28
Curry,,IoIm Stuart. 174 habitual, 62 Ingratiati ng smile, 225, 227, 275

286
Iris, 37, 41. 64, 80, 82, 87 Nosolabial told, 46, 58, 59, 113 Shouting, 108, 160, 166, 167, 174, 272, 284
Nose Sbrug, facial, 104, 285
Jaw, dropped, UD, 113 constructing tip, 42, 44-45 Shyness, 126, 128
Joy Iocallon of, 24 / Singing, 283
as basic cxpression, 126 planes of, 43 Skull, 22- 24, 26-31. 46
narrov.'ed eyes, 76 problems in drawing, 42 Slcepiness, 126, 282, 283
overjoyed, 200-201 sneering, 165, 254, 256 Sleeping, 284
sadncss combincd with, 221- 24 Nostrils, 42 Sly smile, 225, 228, 229, 276
surprise combincd with, 267 Smile, 203- 9
Su aIso Laughing; Smile Orbicularis oculi balanced, 202
actions of, 76, 78 from behind, 2li, 215
Laughing, 113, 117, 192, 273 attachments of, 77 bunched cheek. 189, 191, 2li, 218, 233
counterfeit. 233, 236, 237, 277 smile, 188, 189, 190, 194, 202, 205, 236 closed-eye, 232, 276
vs. crying, 138, 139, 193- 95 wrinkles created by, 76, 77, 78 closed-mouth, 98- 99. 274
lash line in, 198 Orbicularis oris, 88 counterfeit, 233, 234, 235, 277
in profile, 197 anger. 166 coy, 225
stifled, 217 attachments of, 106 debauchcd, 224, 230, 231, 276
uproarious, 273 crying, 132 described, 99
Levator labíi superloris muscle, 88, 110 surprise, 108 eager, 225, 226, 275
attachmcnls of, 93-94 tighl-lipped look, lOO, 108, ISO happylsad,221 - 24
disgust, 254 Overjoyed, 202- 201 ingratiating, 225, 227, 275
sadness, 97 inverted, 102
sneering, 93, 94, 97, U3 Pain. 76, 78, 126, 281 melancholy, 275
Levator palpebrac, 74- 75 Passion, 126, 284 muscles in, 57, 98-99, 188
Line betv..een the lips, 90. 102 Perard, Víctor, 14 narrowed eyes, 76, 188- 89, 190, 205, 2Q6,
Lips, Su Mouth Perplexed, 284 2ú8
Personality, wrink!es and, 60 open-mouthed, 113, 189, 191, 233, 274
Mad, 272 Perspective, SO-51 planes of, 114- 16
Manet, Edouard, 82 Photojoumalism, 11 sincere, 76
Mantegna, 182, 184 Physica! exertion, 126, 282 sly, 225, 228, 229, 276
Melancholy, 275 Pbysical repulsion, 254, 255- 57, 279 threshold, 202, 210, 211, 212-14
Mentalis muscles, 88 Poussin, Nicolas, 259 wrinkle lines, 58, 60, 204
crying, 132, 134, 138 Pool, 102, 104, 153, 154 Snar~ 168, 171, 181
pouting, 104 Procerus muscle, 72 Sneer, 93, 94, 97. 112, 113, 165, 168, 254, 256,
tight lips, 108 Proportlon, 23- 24 258, 261
Miserable, 271 Pucker, 106 Sob, stifled, 108
Mona Lisa smile, 212- 14 Pupil, 37, 41 Squint, 76
MOIX!, and facial expression, 128 Sterness, 28, 184-85, 273
Mouth Rage, Su Anger Surprisc, 280

""'"
corner of, 91. 92
crying, 138, 140- 41, 144-45, 270
Rembrandt van Rijn. 12, 135, 157, 224
Repin, llya, 9, 178, 244, 267
Retching, 255
as basic expression, 126
cJosed·mouth, 108
joy combined with, 267
line between the lips, 90, 102 Reuhens, Peter Paul, 172- 73 lighting effect in. 266
muscles of, 93- 94, 97- 99, 102, 104, 106, Risorius/platysma muscles, 88, 110 open-mouth, 262, 263, 264, 265
108 actions of. 120 reading, 129
neutral position, 88 attaclunents of, 118, li9 widened eyes, 262
pout, 102, 104 distress, lI8, 132, 134, 138, 146
pucker, 106 wrinkles created by, 118 li::cth, 113, 118, 121, 163, 168, 170- 71, 233,
sad, 97, 146 Rockwell, Norman, 22 234, 235
scowl, 102 Rule of thirds, 24 Terror, 239, 240- 45, 278
smilc, 98- 99, 274 Triangularis muscle, 88, 102, 104, 108
sneer, 93, 94, 97 Sadness, 97, 271
surprise, 108 as basic expression, 126 Worry, 128, 241, 250- 53, 279
tight-lipped, lOO, lOO, 146, ISO- 52. 176- examples from art, 156- 59 Wrinkles
79, 251. 272 extreme distress, 118 brow of grief, 138
constructing !ips, 46, 48- 49 eyebrows in. 138, 142- 43, 146 comer of mouth, 91, 92, li8
flexihility of, 88 grief, 138, 142- 43 crying, 133
""'~, joy combined with, 221- 24 drawing, 60- 61
anger, li3, li8, 160, 16.1, 164 miserahle, 271 facial musclcs and, 58, 70, 72, 76, 77, 78,
baby's cry. 132- 35 pout. 153, 154 118
crying. 135- 38, 270 simply sad, 146, 153 personality and, 60
distress, 118 suppressed, 270 signature, 58- 60
fear, 239, 241. 246, 247, 248 tighl-lipped, 146, ISO- 52 smile, 58. 60, 2{14 •
jaw dropping, liD, 113 of upper face, 155
muscJes of, no, 113, n8, 121 utterly miserable, 146 Yawning, 283
parted lips, 110 Su (lIso Crying
shouting, 108, 160, 166. 167, 168-69 Sargent, John Singer, 62 Zygomatic major muscle, 57. 72. 76. 88. 110
smile, m, 189, 191, 274 Schiele, Egon. 269 attachments of, 98- 99
surprise, 262, 263, 264, 265 Scowl 102, 186- 87 laughing, 205
perspective and., SO- 51 Sclf-portrait, facial expression in. 269 smiling, 98, 99. 113, 188, 189, lOO, 202
wrinkles and, 59 Shock, 285 Zygomatic miflOr muscle, 93, 97, 98, 138

287
 con MlJSeum 01 Noturo l Hi slory. Pholegroph by bune Medio Services. 237-Coolerolor od; 1950s.
Credits Ar"'ur Singer. 171- Dovid Celsi, e~cerpl Irom
Oovid Che/sea in lo",,; 1987. COI.Jrtesy 01 the orti,1.
CooIerotor Corporolioo. 243 , top- hcerpt 01 od
lor Oeod o/ Winl.,... 243-Exc.... pl 01 od /01' The
Poge 10-Jcx:ques Looi. David, The ~t¡' 01 Soc- 172 -Peter Poul Rubens, Drowing olm IJle Centrol Hilcher. 244_lIyo Repin, Study lor l....:.n lI>e Terrible.
rotes; 1787; The Metropoliton Museurn 01 ArI, Group 01 1eonordo's 8ott1e o/ Angh;or;; c. 1600. Trelyokoy Golle<y, Moseow. 24S, bottom-Koe!he
WoIle fund, 1931. Cothe<ine Lorillord WoIfe Col· louvre Museum, Poris.. 173- 1orenlo Zocchio, En- KoIlwilz, 0e0Ih Seizel o Womon; 1934. Coorlesy
Ie<:lion. ll - Rembr~1 van Rijn, Se" PonroilS; groving ofter IJle Cenlrol Group of 1eonordo's Bot· Goler;" SI. Elienne, New York. 246- Noh mosk,
1630. 12- Rembroodl -on Ri¡n, The Nooghly (hild; rle o/ Angft;ori; 1558. Alberlino MlJSeum, Vienno. Yose·oloko: no dote. 251, top-Peter Menzel.
c. 1635. StoOlliche Museum, Berlín. l J -Oenis Di- 174-.Iohn Stuort Curry, The Trogic Prelude; ~Guodotoioro Bride ond Groom~; 1979. Coortesy
M
derol, ~Drowing: E~pressiOl1 01 lhe Emotioos ¡ 1938·40. SloIe Copito!, Topeko, Konsos. Copy- 01 Peler Meniel. 251 -Pre·CoIumbion, heod 01
1762·67; En<::yc/opedio_14-Viclor l'e<ord, "Foeiol right Photo 1. 175 , lop-Arlist unknown, Temp to lion bridge ood spoul venel: c. 200 B.e. TIle Metro ·
E~pressions~; 1918; Anotomy 000 D,owing, Pit- 01 Chri.l: 121h cenlury. SI. Lozore, Autun, Fron<:e. politoo Museum 01 Arl, gill 01 Not hon Cummings,
mon Publishing Ca. 17, top- Gostove Courbet, Por- 17S_ NDirly Foscisl N; 1967. UPlIBettmonn News - 1962. 253, lop-E xeerpt 01 od. Coortesy 01 He~n
Iroit o/ Jo; 1866. The Metropoliton Mvseum 01 A,t, pholos. 178, lell-llyo Repin, Sophio Alexeevno. Feuer Nursing Review In<:. 253, left- Dooolello, de·
bequesl 01 Mrs. H. O. Hovemeyer, 1929. The H. O. Tretyo kov Gol lery, Moscow. 178, 227- Williom loil 01 Sto George. 253-Ooootel lo, SI. GeOO'ge.
Hovemeyer CaBed""" 17- Gus/ove (av.be/, Por- Zieg~r, Mory Worth: 1986. Reprinted wi lh speciol 25S, top-Noncy Fried. tile's 8i"er Pi": 1988. Cour.
trai/ol Jo; 1866. lile Nelson -AtkinsMoseumol A,t, permission 01 NAS, lne. 179-Gion Lorenzo Ber- lesy 01 lhe or!isl. 255- Seollle Poison Cenl.... emer·
Konsos Cill', Missouri (Ne lson Fuod). 24 -John nini, Oovid: 1623-24. Gollerio BorgJlese, Reme. geney symbol . Seott ~ Yellow Poges.. 257-Chorle.
He$$eliU$, MIS_ Richard 8rown; c. 1760. Notionol l BI - Artist ur>known, Kiloku: no dote. PhoIogroph Oorwin, H Repu lsioo~: 1872; Expt"ession o/ !he Emo ·
Museum of American Arl, Smi thsoni"" tnsritulion, courtesy 01 Sueoobu Tegi . 183-Brody-Hondy Stu- ,ions in Moo ond Animo/s, D. Appletoo ood Co.
purchosed in memocy 01 Rolph eross JOOnson. dio, "Th.oddelJS Ste""n$"; c. 1860-68. Coortesy 01 259- Nico!os Poussin, Se!/ Portroi,; 1594-1665.
25 , top-Edgor Oegos, Self Poo r'uit; c. 1863. Ng. Librory 01 Congress, W(uhingten. 184, left-Arlisl Sr,lish Museum, London. 26O, lop- Alfred Eisen·
¡ional GoUery 01 Canodo, OIlOWCl. 2S-Anony· unknown, Portroil 8lJSI 01 Corocollo. Coortesy 01 stodl, ~Heddo Hopper, 1949, Log""o Beoch."
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Nolionole. Poris. 40-leonordo 00 Vinei, Study for 184- Monlegno, Sel/·Portroil &s l: 1480-90. Son 260-Chorles Oorwin, HOisguslH; 1872: h plO!ssion
the Heod 01 lJle Angel in tne Virgin 01 1f1e Roch: t. Andrea, Mooluo . Photegroph by Gio ..... tti Sludio o/ lhe Emolioos in Mon ond Animals, D. Appleloo
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N
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Elizobeth ". 56, top-G. B. DIJCJlenne, lro/ltisp iece: Diego de Ve lozqvez, Portroit 01 Pope !nnocent x: k nown, corved snelllrom Brokeville MouOO, eosl·
1862: M econisme de lo physionomie numoine, 1650. Golle rio Dorio Pomphil¡, Rome. 18S-Gion ern Tenneuee: t. 1000-1600. Peobod y Museum
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69- Henri de Toul.,....e-L""lrec, Troope 01 Mlle. COI.Jrtesy of Guinness Import Compony (In be holf 266, bollom-De Witt Word, phologroph olLineoln
Eglontine: 1896. Collection, The MlJSeum ol,v,oo- 01 Guinness P\.C. 187, bottom-Arlisl unknown, Eo- Memoriol lighling problem; 1922. Cheslerwood
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eleller. 79, lop-Artisl unknown, Tf1e Longuoge 01 dote. 195, top- Photogropn courtesy 01 Koy Hoze- Mossochusetts, o Property 01 IJle Nalioool TrlJSl
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