Why Facial Expressions Matter When Telling Your Stories - Snowball PSD + Process Video

Hey everyone,

Here's a brief introduction to my process behind 'Snowball,' my latest illustration. The intro is divided into concept development and technical execution. Enjoy.

Concept

The first step in this process was choosing one color as the inspiration for the whole composition; I chose yellow. I searched for animal references that shared this particular color and eventually found two I quite liked: golden monkeys. They were funny and cute, with distinctive facial expressions. However, one piece was missing, contrast. Perhaps through another reference with a more serious tone. That's when I found the tiger with snow on its face. When I put the three pictures together, the scene of a snowball fight accidentally fitted perfectly. I still spent a couple of minutes considering other ideas, but eventually, this simple yet funny concept was so appealing that I decided to give it a try. My list looked like this:

• Color: Yellow
• References: Monkeys and tiger
• Action: Removing snow from the street, snowball fight.
• Costum: Female and children's winter clothing

After this, I proceeded with the execution.

Execution

I chose yellow for shape building to set the mood. I also did a quick search on snow blowers, as, coming from a Caribbean country, I was not familiar with this type of equipment. I found many good references in terms of perspective for use as example.

What does a "good looking" reference for a prop look like? Simply put, a "three quarter view" or "three point perspective." This technique gives objects a sense of depth and dimension, making them appear more three dimensional. It's especially useful for concept art. I don’t often include big props in my illustrations, but I think I should try more often; it could help me improve my skills and show how I solve problems with props, perhaps even leading to a Pinterest board just for props. I'll work on something.

One challenge in this piece was the facial expression. At first, it wasn't clear enough what the situation was about, in my opinion. When creating illustrations where the situation has already happened or hasn’t happened yet, elements like facial expressions, gestures, or props help guide the viewer through the composition, solving the puzzle. These elements are key to understanding.

An understandable idea is something I can convey with the skills and time I have. Sometimes I get so ambitious that I start with an idea I like, but it turns out my execution isn't good enough to make the idea stand out, and I end up delivering my message poorly. So, like a puzzle, you need to ask which pieces are fundamental to understanding the situation. Facial expressions come first to my mind, followed by gesture and clothing to clarify profession or identity, and then props. If my expressions aren't on point, I tend to feel insecure.

In this particular case, the snow on the tiger inspired character's face set the composition, but her face was very covered by snow, which might be problematic for understanding her mood. In my mind, one of the kids, the one on the right, threw the snowball. But how can this be made clear? If you see the video process, you'll notice how I shifted the little girl character's expression from "badass relaxed" to "oh no". Why? I thought a proud-looking face wouldn't fit the magnitude of the situation. She did something "wrong," so it made more sense if she appeared scared or a bit shocked, acting like nothing happened. Was this facial expression enough? I think it made it clearer that she made a mistake, which was the point I was trying to make.

Expanding on the importance of facial expressions, it’s essential to understand their role in storytelling. In any narrative, especially visual ones like illustrations or films, the characters' facial expressions are a direct window into their thoughts and feelings. They serve as a non verbal communication tool that conveys emotions, reactions, and intentions. In this piece each character’s expression was thoughtfully chosen to contribute to the story.

I've extended a bit too much on this particular subject, but I think it's important to address, as "facial expression" is one of the many things you guys ask for advice on. I assume you like the way I solve this challenge, so I hope this brings some clarity.

As for the treatment of colors and values, it was very simple. I took the main yellow, made variations to orange and brown, and finally integrated contrast with white and blue as complementary colors. The yellow I wanted for this piece was a darker one in terms of values, so it made sense to create contrast with white values rather than black; otherwise, the composition would be too dark for this particular scene. Feel free to check the PSD to see how the adjustment layers blended all the tones towards a cold direction.

Conclusion

The valuable takeaways from this process are the prop approach and the strategy to make a scene understandable through expression. If you struggle with any of these subjects, please get in touch, and I'll share more about my approach. Enjoy the video and file! Thank you for your support.