Mouth It Out
Despite all the “window of the soul” talk, the eyes are not the primary indicators of expression. That distinction belongs to the mouth. The mouth determines the overall nature of the expression — pleased, displeased, or neutral. That expression can be refined by other facial features, but it cannot be overturned.
Some facial features are crucial to expressing emotion. They are referred to as primary emotional indicators. These include the mouth, eyes, and eyebrows. Other features have specific properties to refine expressions further. Since they're not necessary for the majority of emotions, they're referred to as secondary emotional indicators.
The mouth is the overall indicator of emotion.
Smile or Frown
A mouth upturned at either end radiates pleasure. Any expression that's built around a smile will have that element of pleasure included. The higher the ends rise, the happier the expression. Even a mouth that's upturned at one end, a half smile, will have a small amount of contentment.
Conversely, a down-turned mouth generates displeasure. Some may assume a frown displays sadness, but displeasure is actually more accurate. A sarcastic look, for example, is built on a frown, but it's not exactly a sad expression. Similarly, fright and anger are both based on a frowning mouth. A downturn at only one end of the mouth, a half frown, still generates displeasure — only not as much.
Slanted Mouth
As you might expect, a mouth that is slanted up or down across the face results in a mixed emotion. It's basically a frown and a smile at the same time — in perfect balance. Neither happy nor sad, this mouth position conveys a confused or quizzical state. This is not to be confused with the half smile or half frown, mentioned earlier.
Neutral Expressions
A mouth that neither turns up nor down at either side is said to be neutral. This kind of mouth will rely on surrounding facial features to show the small amount of emotion that can be produced on a neutral face. You will notice that a neutral mouth is so inconsequential in creating a cartoon expression that it is often left off the face entirely. In that regard, the mouth follows the “appear as needed” rule of secondary emotional indicators to be discussed later in this chapter.
Open Mouth
An open mouth amplifies the overall expression being formed by the mouth. Sad becomes loathing; happiness becomes joy. As the mouth opens wider, the amplification of the mood increases.
The shape of an open mouth can also help define the mood. A wide-open circular mouth is often used to convey surprise. Furthermore, a mouth can be open at one side to give a hushed tone to the dialogue. Used in conjunction with a half smile or half frown, this can be a very useful expression.
One method of exaggerating an open mouth is to draw the teeth as they curve around the inside of the jaw. If you can see a character's molars, she must really have her mouth open wide.
