How to Draw Anime Male Facial Expressions Side View

This tutorial shows how to draw anime male facial expressions and different mouth states from the side view. It provides examples of how the facial features shift based on each expression along with tips on drawing them.

This tutorial gives some quick recommendations on the proportions for drawing an anime male face. For a more detailed step by step breakdown of drawing one you may want to see:

How to Draw Anime and Manga Male Head and Face

For the female character version of this tutorial see:

How to Draw Anime Facial Expressions – Side View

Drawing an Normal Expression Male Side View Face

For a normal facial expression simply position all of the facial features as shown below.

You can divide an anime style male face as shown in the example above. Draw the eye below the horizontal halfway point of the head. This point will also be the top of the ear. Place the bottom of the ear/nose halfway between the top of the eyes and the bottom of the chin.

Finally place the bottom lip between the bottom of the nose and the bottom of then draw the mouth slightly above that.

The above template will be used for each of the following example to show how much the facial features shift based on different expressions.

Drawing a Male Side View Face With a Lightly Open Mouth

For a lightly open mouth draw the jaw lower down with just a tiny bit of the top row of teeth showing.

For a tutorial on drawing teeth see:

How to Draw Anime & Manga Teeth Tutorial

In the above example you can see roughly how much lower down you should draw the jaw in comparison to the closed state of the mouth.

Also keep in mind that the jaw does not simply drop down like an elevator but also somewhat pivots downwards. This means that the angle you draw it on should also change slightly to take this into account.

Drawing a Male Side View Face With a Open Mouth

For a wider open mouth you can simply draw the jaw lower down than the previous example.

Again you can see based on the “default” proportions roughly how much farther down you will want to draw it. Again keep the pivoting in mind and draw it tilted even further downwards.

Drawing an Yelling Male Side View Face

For a yelling mouth draw the jaw exactly the same way as you would for the previous example but draw the lips pulled back revealing much more of the teeth.

Again yu can see that the position of the jaw is the same as the previous example.

Drawing a Frowning Male Side View Face

For a frowning face draw the eyes eyebrow lowered (especially its front end). Make the eye slightly squinted with the bottom eyelid in reverse of it’s normal curve.

Draw the mouth in an upside down curve as well with the bottom lips very slightly raised.

You can see how the facial feature shift when frowning in comparison to their normal state in the example above.

Drawing an Surprised Male Side View Face

For a surprised face draw the eyebrow raised (especially the front ends) and draw the eye open wider than normal.

Draw the jaw lower down (same as the open mouth example) but draw the mouth with a smoother curve not going quite as far into the head. The reason for this is that the mouth will make an “O” like shape in that expression where the sides of the lips are actually pulled in towards the nose.

In the above example you can see exactly how much the facial features shift in a surprised example expression compared to the regular one.

Drawing an Content Male Side View Face

For a content expression draw eyebrow raised with the eye completely closed. Draw the mouth just a tiny bit wider with a bit more of a curve like a light smile.

One thing to note about drawing the eye in this type of an expression is that it will be somewhat squinted. This means that you position it slightly higher up than if it was closed in a more relaxed state.

For more on drawing closed and squinted eyes see:

How to Draw Closed, Closing & Squinted Anime Eyes

You can see how the facial features shift in a content expression when compared to the normal one in the example above.

Drawing an Angry Male Side View Face

For an angry face draw the eyebrow significantly lower than normal (especially their inner ends). Draw the eye squinted with the bottom eyelid in reverse of it’s normal curve.

Draw the mouth similar to the open mouth example but without drawing the jaw lower down. Instead the lips should simply be pulled back revealing the teeth. You can also draw a slight hint of a sharp booth to emphasize the aggression.

You can see in the above example how the facial features tend to shift in an angry expression. Generally the more extreme the emotion the more movement of the facial features.

Drawing a Scared Male Side View Face

For a scared expression draw the eyebrow raised (especially the inner ends). Draw the eye wide open with much smaller iris.

For a more detailed explanation of drawing different eye expressions see:

How to Draw Anime Eyes and Eye Expressions

Draw the jaw lower down as in the “slightly open mouth” example with the mouth angled slightly more downwards.

You can see how the face shifts for a scared expression in the example above.

Drawing a Grinning Male Side View Face

For a grinning face draw the eyebrow lowered and the eye squinted. Draw the mouth with the teeth showing curving slightly upwards into a pointy tip with a tiny wrinkle attached at the very end. Just as with the angry expression earlier also draw a hint of a pointy tooth.

Drawing a Puzzled Male Side View Face

For a puzzled look draw the eyebrow slightly raised and the eye somewhat wider and looking upwards (iris raised).

Draw the mouth slightly open with it’s curve not going quite as far into the head as for the normal lightly open mouth example. The reason for this is that it will be making somewhat of an “o” shape where the side of the lips will be pulled in towards the nose.

You can see how much the facial features shift for this expression in the example above.

Drawing a Smiling Male Side View Face

For a light smile draw the face with the eyebrow lowered just a tiny bit towards its front and draw the eye with the bottom eyebrow in reverse of it’s normal curve.

Draw the mouth a tiny bit wider and with more of a curve.

You can see in the above example that there really is not that much of a change in the facial features for this particular expression.

Drawing a Relaxed Male Side View Face

For a relaxed face draw the eyebrow in it’s natural state with the eye closed. Draw the mouth slightly shorter and with almost no curve.

It’s important to note that for the closed/relaxed state of the eye you should draw it all the way down to where the bottom eyelid was when it was open.

In this particular example you can see that the main change in this expression is the eye.

Drawing an Embarrassed Male Side View Face

For an embarrassed look draw the eyebrow in reverse of it’s normal curve with it’s forward tip raised. Draw the eye open wider than normal and looking down.

Finally draw the mouth with a smile that shows the teeth but unlike the other examples so far don’t show a hint of a sharp tooth.

You can see how the facial features shift in an embarrassed expression as compared to a normal one in the example above.

Drawing a Sad/Tired Male Side View Face

For a tired and/or slightly sad expression draw the eyebrow with slightly less of a wave/curve than normal. Draw the eye with the top eyelid lowered and the mouth with a tiny bit of an upside down curve.

You can see the shift in the facial features of the sad/tired side view face in comparison to the normal expression above.

Drawing a Upset Male Side View Face

For an upset expression draw the eyebrow in a slight upside down (of normal state) curve with the front end slightly raised.

Draw the eye squinted with the bottom eyebrow in reverse of it’s normal curve and draw the mouth with a light upside down curve as well.

 

You can see the positioning of the facial features for the upset expression in the example above.

Conclusion

Drawing anime facial expressions may seem complicated at first but really there is not that much variety in the facial features. You can mix a few different sets of eyebrows, eyes and mouths to get a lot of the emotions commonly seen in anime and manga. You can experiment for yourself and see what you get.

For drawing male facial expressions from the front view see:

12 Anime Male Facial Expressions Chart & Drawing Tutorial

For drawing a character with a certain personality also see:

How to Draw Male Anime Characters Step by Step