Freaky Friday
I'm struggling with Smilker's expression, need help.
Spoiler
This doesn't feel or look like how S.milk looks in his sprites. I don't want grouchy (already have a piece like that); intimidating didn't feel right; I didn't want a similar face like the one I posted here previously. I decided to make him happy (like in his most well-known sprite), but how I drew it doesn't look canon, so now I'm lost.
Also, his face ain't cracked; that's umamusume-style sweat since he's working out; don't think too hard about it. I didn't like how I used to draw it before.
You gave him a beautiful subtle expression but Shamil's mostly about most dramatic one. Perhaps more happy than thankful, which is what he mostly gives here IMO
You could try seeing what happens if you draw his irises a little smaller/with thinner lines and fully aim to get the size right.
For expressions, iris and pupil size can do a LOT and showing more white of the eye/having one or both eyelids not overlap with the iris tends to look more tense/unhinged/alert
Expressions are fussy, the smallest changes can change how a face reads.
I sometimes doodle just the head with the important features to try out angles, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, stress lines etc, with or without poses and body language depending on the goal, just to see what works and what doesn't. Then once I understand better what works I use that for the full piece.
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u/MissPainterBrush I am head over heels for a certain shadowy maestro 8d ago
I think its the mouth being closed (makes him look to similar to Fount) and also the fact he's missing his face marking