How to Draw a Scared Face: Easy 10-Step Guide

Capture big emotions on paper! This tutorial is perfect for young artists ages 5+ looking to master expressive cartoon faces. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and a piece of paper to bring this startled character to life.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A colorful, expressive cartoon character with a scared facial expression.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Eyes

Two wide, oval eyes with pupils and triangular eyebrows indicating a scared expression.

Draw two slightly uneven ovals for the eyes. Add small circles inside for pupils, then place a triangle above each eye to represent wide, startled eyebrows. Teacher's Tip: Keep the ovals slightly tilted to give the character a more dynamic, worried look.

Step 2: Adding the Nose and Mouth

A simple curved nose and a wide, open mouth shaped like an orange slice.

Sketch a small curved line for the nose. Below it, draw a large, open mouth shaped like an upside-down orange slice. Teacher's Tip: Make the mouth nice and big to emphasize the feeling of shock.

Step 3: Defining Teeth and Chin

Mouth with wavy teeth details and dashed lines indicating the chin.

Use wavy lines inside the mouth to suggest teeth. Underneath the mouth, add four small dashed lines to show the chin area. Teacher's Tip: Don't worry about making the teeth perfect; slightly irregular shapes look more natural in cartoons.

Step 4: Drawing the Ears and Neck

Ears added to the sides of the head with lines connecting to the neck.

Draw two loops on the sides of the face for ears, then use curved lines to connect the head to the neck. Teacher's Tip: Keep your lines smooth to ensure the head looks rounded.

Step 5: Adding Ear Detail and Hairline

Detailed ears and the beginning of a messy, spiky hairline.

Sketch broad V-shapes inside the ears. On the right side, draw a straight line and add pointy, grass-like shapes for the hair. Teacher's Tip: Vary the length of the 'grass' shapes to make the hair look messy and frantic.

Step 6: Balancing the Hair

Hairline extended to the left side of the face.

Repeat the process on the left side of the head, adding a curved line to frame the face. Teacher's Tip: Symmetry helps, but don't stress if the sides don't match perfectly—it adds character!

Step 7: Refining the Outline

Refined facial outline with added texture dashes near the ears.

Add a curved line on the right and small dashes near the ears to create texture. Teacher's Tip: These small dashes act as shading, giving your drawing more depth.

Step 8: Styling the Hair

Stylized, wavy hair shapes added to the top of the head.

Draw three broad, swooping lines like ocean waves for the hair. Add a curve upward and three pointed, flame-like shapes. Teacher's Tip: Think of the hair as moving in the wind to show the character's panic.

Step 9: Finalizing the Hair

Completed spiky, messy hairstyle outline.

Continue adding uneven, pointed lines to complete the hair. Teacher's Tip: Keep the lines jagged and inconsistent to maintain that 'scared' energy.

Step 10: Coloring Your Masterpiece

Final colored cartoon scared face with brown hair and expressive features.

Go over your lines with a black pen. Color the hair brown using different shades for depth, use dark-reddish brown for the mouth, and fill in the face with your favorite skin tone. Teacher's Tip: Use light pressure with your colored pencils to blend colors smoothly.