Funny Faces: Drawing Lips, Noses, and Faces

Materials Needed

• Sketchpad or drawing paper
• Pencils and erasers
• Acrylic markers
• Simple face-drawing tutorials, printed or on a screen
• Paper towel or scrap paper for testing markers
• Table covering or newspaper
• Water and a smock, if needed

Lesson Overview

Age: 5 years old

Time: 30–45 minutes

Big idea: Faces are made from simple shapes and lines. Every face can look different and special.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the child will be able to:

• Draw a simple face using circles, ovals, and curved lines.
• Draw a nose using lines and simple shapes.
• Draw lips using curved lines.
• Use a pencil to make a light sketch and acrylic markers to add color and detail.
• Choose colors and expressions to create a funny or friendly face.

Success Criteria

I can:

• Make a face shape.
• Add a nose and lips.
• Use lines and shapes to show an expression.
• Choose my own colors and ideas.
• Keep trying, even if my picture looks different from the tutorial.

Safety and Preparation

• An adult should supervise the use of acrylic markers.
• Use markers in a well-ventilated space and keep them away from mouths and eyes.
• Test each marker on scrap paper before drawing.
• Remind the child to replace marker caps when finished.
• Cover the table because acrylic markers may stain.

Introduction: Look, Wonder, and Get Ready

Hook: Ask, “If your face could make a silly sound, would it say ‘Wow!’, ‘Yum!’, or ‘Surprise!’? How would your mouth and nose look?”

Look at a few simple face tutorials together. Notice:

• “A face can start with a circle or oval.”
• “A nose can be made with tiny lines.”
• “Lips can be made with curvy lines.”
• “Artists can make faces happy, sad, sleepy, or silly.”

Tell the learner: “Today we will draw a face. We will practice noses and lips. Then we will make our own funny face.”

Body of the Lesson

Part 1: Warm-Up Drawing — Lines and Shapes

Time: 5 minutes

On a scrap page, invite the child to practice:

• Small circles
• Big ovals
• Curved lines
• Wavy lines
• Short dashes

Say:

• “Let’s make a line that looks like a smile.”
• “Now make a line that looks like a frown.”
• “Can you make a tiny circle? Can you make a giant oval?”

Quick check: Ask, “Which lines could help us draw a nose? Which lines could help us draw lips?”

Part 2: I Do — The Adult Demonstrates

Time: 7 minutes

Use a pencil and draw slowly while the child watches. Keep the drawing simple.

1. Draw a large oval for the face.
2. Draw a light vertical line down the middle of the face. Explain that it helps us place features.
3. Draw a light horizontal line across the middle. Explain that it helps us see where features can go.
4. Draw two eyes, if desired, using simple circles or ovals.
5. Draw a nose with a short line down and two small curved lines at the bottom.
6. Draw lips with one curved line on top and one curved line underneath.
7. Add hair, ears, eyebrows, freckles, or glasses.

Use child-friendly talking points:

• “I am drawing lightly so I can change my lines.”
• “A nose does not need many lines. A few little lines can show a nose.”
• “Lips can look like two soft hills.”
• “There is no one right way to draw a face.”

Think-aloud: “I want this face to look surprised, so I will make the mouth round and the eyebrows high.”

Part 3: We Do — Draw Together

Time: 10 minutes

Draw a second face together. Let the child choose the expression:

• Happy
• Sleepy
• Surprised
• Silly
• Excited

Guide the child one step at a time:

1. “What shape will your face be: a circle or an oval?”
2. “Where will your nose go?”
3. “Will your lips make a smile, a frown, or a silly shape?”
4. “What can we add to show the feeling?”

Pause after each step and let the child draw. Offer choices instead of correcting:

• “Would you like a tiny nose or a big nose?”
• “Should the lips be wide or small?”
• “Would this face like blue hair or purple hair?”

Think-pair-share option: If another learner is available, each child can tell the other what feeling their face shows. For homeschool use, the child can explain the face to a stuffed animal or family member.

Part 4: You Do — Create a Funny Face

Time: 10–15 minutes

Invite the child to create an original face. The child may use the tutorial or invent a new design.

Choose a face idea:

• A monster face
• A clown face
• A happy family face
• An animal face
• A superhero face
• A face with a very funny nose

Drawing steps:

1. Draw the face shape with a pencil.
2. Add the nose and lips.
3. Add eyes, eyebrows, ears, hair, and other details.
4. Trace important lines with an acrylic marker.
5. Add colors and patterns.
6. Give the face a name and a feeling.

Remind the child:

• “Your drawing does not have to look like mine.”
• “Artists make choices.”
• “You can change your idea as you draw.”
• “Different-looking faces are wonderful.”

Creative Challenge Choices

Let the child choose one challenge:

• Draw a face with three different kinds of lips.
• Draw a face with a tiny nose and giant glasses.
• Draw a face that looks happy without showing teeth.
• Draw a face using only three colors.
• Draw a face for an imaginary character and give it a name.

Formative Assessment During the Lesson

Use gentle questions and observations:

• “What shape did you use for the face?”
• “Show me the lines that make the nose.”
• “How do your lips show the feeling?”
• “What could you add to make the face look surprised?”
• “What part was easy? What part was tricky?”

Look for whether the child:

• Uses simple shapes and lines.
• Attempts to draw a nose and lips.
• Makes independent artistic choices.
• Explains an idea or feeling shown in the drawing.

Summative Assessment: “Meet My Face”

At the end, ask the child to show the drawing and complete these sentences:

• “My face is called ______.”
• “My face feels ______.”
• “I used these lines for the nose: ______.”
• “I like ______ about my drawing.”

Simple success check:

• Face shape: The child included a circle, oval, or another face shape.
• Nose: The child used lines or shapes to show a nose.
• Lips: The child used curved lines to show lips or a mouth.
• Expression: The drawing shows a feeling or character idea.
• Creativity: The child made at least one personal choice about color, details, or design.

Differentiation and Support

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use a face template with a large oval already drawn.
• Draw one feature at a time and let the child copy it.
• Use dotted lines to trace a nose or lips.
• Offer two choices, such as “round nose or tiny nose?”
• Focus on one feature, such as lips, instead of drawing a whole face.

For a Child Ready for More Challenge

• Draw a face looking to the side.
• Show two different feelings using only the eyebrows and lips.
• Draw a character with a nose, lips, and unique details.
• Try adding light and dark pencil marks for shadows.
• Create a three-face comic showing happy, surprised, and sleepy expressions.

Conclusion: Gallery Walk and Recap

Time: 5 minutes

Place the drawing where the child can see it. Have a small gallery walk, even if the child is working alone.

Ask:

• “What did we draw today?”
• “What shapes can help us draw faces?”
• “How can lips show a feeling?”
• “How can a few lines show a nose?”
• “What was your favorite part?”

Final recap: “Today we used shapes and lines to draw faces. We practiced noses and lips. We used pencils to sketch and acrylic markers to add bright details. Every artist can make a face in their own special way.”

Optional Follow-Up Activities

• Make a family portrait with different expressions.
• Cut out paper lips and noses and create a silly collage.
• Look in a mirror and draw the face you see.
• Make an emotion book with one face on each page.
• Draw a face on a paper plate and add yarn hair.