Draw A Funny Face

What can I use if I don't have a black marker or bright coloring materials?

If you don't have a black marker for the 'trace the main outlines' step or bright coloring materials for 'color your funny face,' substitute a dark pencil or ballpoint pen for outlining and use colored pencils, crayons, or watercolor paints to color the face.

My pencil guidelines smudge or the marker bleeds—how can I fix that?

Draw the oval and vertical/horizontal guidelines very lightly with your pencil, test the black marker on a scrap sheet to check for bleeding, let ink dry fully, and then gently erase extra guidelines as instructed.

How can I adapt this activity for different ages?

For preschoolers, pre-draw the big oval and guideline and let them add one exaggerated feature with crayons, for elementary kids follow all steps including sketching and inking, and for older kids encourage detailed patterns, shading, or mixed-media accessories when coloring and adding hair.

What are simple ways to extend or personalize the finished funny face?

After coloring and adding hair and accessories, cut the face into a mask, glue on fabric or yarn for hair, create a series of faces to make a comic strip, or share the final character on DIY.org as suggested.