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GRADES 3–5 · Expressions · Cartoon Portraits

Show a Thinking Face: Make a Cartoon

Name ____________________ Date __________

WHAT YOU WILL MAKE

Create three cartoon design trials and two consistent drawings of your chosen design, focusing on show a thinking face. Use the subject steps as practice before making this final pair or set.

Shared feature reference for Expressions — Shared feature reference. It may not show this task’s exact pose, accessory, or style. Use the teacher’s matching reference too.

Draw it step by step

Gaze and head angle can suggest thought. Invent an original cartoon interpretation. Exaggerate a drawing choice rather than mocking a real person or a group.

Start from the observed shape. Choose one feature to enlarge, shorten, widen, or curve more strongly; sketch three tiny options.
Draw a simple neutral face.
Try a sideways gaze, a slight head tilt, or a small brow change.
Keep one version subtle and ask a partner what it suggests; more than one interpretation is possible.
Pick one option and redraw it clearly. Keep it consistent in a second pose or expression. Use bold, selective lines instead of realistic shading.

Watch out → Try this

Common drawing problem: Adding small details before the main shapes and placement are clear.

Repair: Return to the first subject step: Draw a simple neutral face. Compare the biggest shapes before refining.

Check your work: Which visible clue supports the viewer’s interpretation? What did you exaggerate? Which two design features stay consistent across both drawings?

Materials: pencil, eraser, paper, and a mirror or teacher-approved reference. Optional black drawing pen; no painting required.

Show a Thinking Face: Make a Cartoon · Practice page

Name ____________________ Make light trials first. Divide a box further if your task needs extra versions.

1 · Observe and plan

2 · First drawing

3 · Change one choice

4 · Independent application

My evidence: Which visible clue supports the viewer’s interpretation? What did you exaggerate? Which two design features stay consistent across both drawings?

I changed __________________ because I noticed __________________.

My next practice goal: __________________________________________________

Teach this handout · 30–45 minutes

Prepare: Provide a mirror or clear teacher-approved feature reference. Explain that students are practicing decisions, not copying every detail of the illustration.

Demonstrate: Demonstrate the subject sequence: Draw a simple neutral face. Try a sideways gaze, a slight head tilt, or a small brow change. Keep one version subtle and ask a partner what it suggests; more than one interpretation is possible. Then show how the final style step changes the drawing.

5 minutes noticing, 5 demonstrating, 15–25 drawing and revising, 5 sharing. Collect the practice page and a specific explanation of one change. Evaluate the target skill and revision—not attractiveness or speed.

Grade	Support and challenge
3	Use a large feature study and one observed change. Supply page divisions and model the first landmark. Two trials are enough before application.
4	Complete the listed sequence. Compare two versions and label the contour, proportion, or overlap that changed.
5	Use an unfamiliar reference or second viewpoint after mastering the first. Explain which choices should stay consistent when simplifying or exaggerating.

Offer adapted grips, larger spaces, extra time, or a spoken reflection. Use fictional characters for deliberate distortion; do not mock classmates or stereotype identities. Obtain consent before drawing a peer. Proportion guides are comparisons, not rules for all faces.