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lessom two ... EXPRESSIOI\fS

From the standpoint of putting “life” or “personality” into your cartoons the opposite piąte on expressions and action is most important. There are times when the dumbest situation or gag can be saved by the expressions on the characters depicted. Try not to get meaningless lines in your faces but make every one con-tribute to the "type." Don't be afraid of careful exaggeration to emphasize a point but avoid careless distortion. Study the expressions on people's faces and either sketch them or try to memorize them. Public assemblies are one of the best places to do this, or you can draw your own face in the mirror.

Also study the expressions on characters you see in the movies and make mental notes of them. Be surę to make your expressions fit the situation — as there is a subtle difference, at times, between facetiousness or weirdness and a really humorous effect. One of your best opportunities to get originality in your draw-ings is in the expressions on your characters.

As in all other lessons, draw and re-draw the expressions on this piąte until you can do them perfectly from memory. Notę particularly the difference between such expressions as fear, horror and surprise, anger and disgust, etc.

Make a particular study of the expressions on the faces of the animals in animated cartoons and then adapt them to your particular style. By this I don’t mean to “swipe” another artisfs treatment as this will only reflect on your work.