Faigin’s book dives deep into the anatomy of expression, explaining how the muscles of the face interact to create different emotions. Instead of just giving reference images, he actually breaks down the mechanics behind each expression, showing artists why faces move the way they do.
🧠 Covers six basic expressions – Happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and surprise—all rooted in psychology and facial muscle anatomy.
💪🏽 Teaches muscle movement – How different expressions affect the eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, and overall face structure.
🎭 Explains emotional intensity – How to convey subtle vs. exaggerated expressions to match different moods.
👩🏽🔬 Scientifically backed – Faigin references psychology and neurology studies to explain how the brain processes facial expressions.
💡 Takeaway: Instead of copying expressions from photos, this book teaches artists how to construct emotions from scratch—which is a game-changer for portrait work. Th Artist’s Complete Guide to Facial Expression is a must for any portrait artist!
When I painted my grandad, one of the things I wanted to capture was his cheeky grin after he climbed his way up the castle. Understanding the subtle curves of the mouth, the slight asymmetry, and how tension affects the surrounding muscles was key in making his expression feel genuine. Faigin’s book was an amazing resource for this piece because broke down exactly what happens in the face during each type of smile—how the cheeks lift, how the eyes crinkle, and how the corners of the mouth stretch differently depending on emotion.
Whether you draw realistic portraits, stylised characters, or expressive figure work, understanding facial expressions is crucial for storytelling. Faigin’s book helps artists move beyond generic expressions and create faces that actually feel alive.
👩🏽🎨 Better character design – Perfect for artists who create comics, animation, or figurative paintings and want to capture believable emotions.
🎨 More expressive portraits – Even in realism, small details like tension in the eyebrows or subtle asymmetry in the lips can make a huge difference.
👀 Training your observational skills – After reading, you’ll start noticing how real people’s faces move and shift in everyday life.
✍🏽 Easier sketching from imagination – Because you understand the mechanics, you don’t need to rely as much on reference images.
💡 Takeaway: This book teaches how to construct facial expressions naturally, so your work feels more dynamic and emotionally rich.
If you’ve read books like morpho: anatomy for artists (which I reviewed previously), you might be wondering how Faigin’s book compares.
🤍 Morpho – Focuses more on structural anatomy, breaking down planes, proportions, and form in a simplified way.
🤍 Faigin’s guide – Focuses on how the muscles actually move and how emotions translate into visible facial changes.
💡 Takeaway: If you want to understand expressions in depth, Faigin’s book is the better choice. If you’re working on general head structure and proportions, Morpho might be a better fit. Together, they make an excellent combinationfor portrait artists.
Absolutely—if you’re serious about improving facial expressions in your art. Here’s a quick breakdown of who will get the most out of it.
☺️ Great for…
✔ Portrait artists who want more expressive faces in their work.
✔ Character designers, illustrators, and comic artists.
✔ Anyone struggling with stiff or lifeless expressions.
✔ Artists who sketch or paint from imagination and need to understand muscle movement.
😬 Not for…
✖ Total beginners who aren’t familiar with basic facial proportions yet.
✖ Artists looking for a quick-reference book (this one is detailed and in-depth).
✖ Those who prefer step-by-step drawing tutorials—this is more about understanding expression theory.
💡 Final verdict: If you want to go beyond static portraits and create faces that feel alive, this book is an incredible investment.
Even professional artists refer to books and drawing aids in order to achieve correct proportions & feature details in their work. So it’s great to stock up your artist library! And just for you to know, all the books mentioned in my articles are available on amazon, & make for extremely useful references to have in your studio. I paid for them all myself, with my own money, have read them cover to cover & I would certainly buy them again!
If you’re interested in learning more about facial structure and proportions, I also recommend Morpho: Anatomy for Artists – Faces, Heads, and Neck. While Faigin’s book focuses on expressions and muscle movement, Morpho breaks down the underlying forms, planes, and simplified construction of the head. Together, these books make a fantastic duo for portrait artists who want to master both structure and emotion in their work.
this little skull is the perfect reference for drawing faces. Small & easy to set aside on your desk right next to your drawing space. I highly recommended this for any artist wanting to better understand human specifically, skull structure & practice drawing faces. Having some anatomical knowledge can seriously improve your portrait drawing skills, so it’s definitely worth familiarising yourself with these boney landmarks.
This skull model can fit on your hand, but you can get a life size skull model if you prefer
as with a lot of things, drawing is best learned by doing – so grab a pencil, pen, whatever it is you prefer, & start doodling.
Starting your own artist journal can be a super helpful way to learn how to draw portraits, especially if you’re a beginner artist.
& having a cute little book to refer to is just a bonus!
Capturing expressions isn’t just about following reference images—it’s about understanding the underlying movement of the face. Here are some extra tips for studying expressions.
🤍 Observe real faces – Watch how people’s expressions shift in conversation, movies, or even your own reflection.
🤍 Study psychology – Learning about how emotions work can help you depict them more authentically.
🤍 Exaggerate first, then refine – Start with bold, clear expressions and then dial it back for more realism.
🤍 Practice sketching expressions from memory – Test yourself by drawing expressions without looking at references, then compare.
If you’re looking to improve your portraits and character expressions, this book is an amazing addition to your reference library.
📓Buy it for yourself here.
To make the most of it, try:
✍🏽 Sketching each expression from the book – Break down the muscle movements in your own style.
👀 Using a mirror for reference – Mimic each expression and feel which muscles are activated.
👩🏽🎨 Applying it to real artwork – Next time you paint or draw a portrait, focus on the subtleties of expression.
If you enjoy these book reviews, let me know! I’d love to review more art books, anatomy guides, and creative resources in future posts. 😊
If you’re in the mood to keep reading, check out all my other articles for more artsy goodness 😌✨🌻
☼ Ekman, P. (2003). Emotions revealed: Understanding faces and feelings. Henry Holt & Co.
☼ Faigin, G. (2008). The artist’s complete guide to facial expression. Watson-Guptill.
☼ Lauricella, M. (2019). Morpho: Anatomy for artists – Drawing the human head. Rocky Nook.
☼ Solomon, R. C. (2008). True to our feelings: What our emotions are really telling us. Oxford University Press.
☼ What is “The Artist’s Complete Guide to Facial Expression” about?
☼ How can I learn to draw facial expression in portraits?
☼ How can I learn to paint facial expression in portrait?
☼ How do you depict facial expression?
☼ what are some good books for portrait artists?
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hi, i’m sarah, an australian artist head-over-heels for watercolour & creative practice- it truely is good for your soul.
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i am completely self-taught in all the mediums i use & i am here to share everything i know with you!
i write about all things creativity, watercolour, gouache, hand-made ceramics, collecting art, & my own artistic process. I have degrees in human psychology & veterinary medicine- so you might find some sporadic related facts in my writing.
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