(And Why You Should Start Drawing It Too)
There’s a moment in this piece where the character stops being the subject… and becomes the guide.
They’re not looking at you.
They’re looking past you.
And that changes everything.
A Face Turned Toward the Unknown
This surreal side-profile portrait is built around a single idea: attention has direction.
The oversized eye—glossy, reflective, almost sparkling—anchors the entire composition. It doesn’t just sit there. It reaches. The highlights inside it suggest motion, curiosity, and something just out of reach. Whatever this character is seeing, it matters.
The warped black-and-white checkered background reinforces that feeling. It bends space, pulls perspective, and subtly destabilizes the scene. This isn’t a normal environment. It’s a mental one.
And then there’s the grin.
Wide. Textured. Slightly too large.
Not sinister—but not entirely comfortable either.
That tension is the point.
The Trick You Might Miss (But Shouldn’t)
Look closely at what’s happening structurally:
- The eye is oversized → it dominates perception
- The mouth is stretched → it amplifies expression
- The hair doubles as form → curls become structure, not decoration
- The background distorts reality → reinforcing the emotional state
This isn’t random surrealism. It’s controlled exaggeration.
If you’re drawing characters and they feel flat, it’s usually because everything is being treated equally.
This piece does the opposite.
It chooses a hierarchy:
- What matters most? (the eye)
- What supports it? (the grin, the gesture of the profile)
- What amplifies the feeling? (color + distortion)
That’s how you move from “a drawing” to “an experience.”
What This Means for Your Own Art
You don’t need to draw something this surreal to use the idea.
Try this instead:
- Take a simple face
- Pick one feature to exaggerate
- Push it further than feels comfortable
- Let everything else support it
That’s where your style starts trying to emerge.
Not from perfection—but from decisions.
Why This Piece Connects
At its core, this drawing is about wonder.
That feeling of seeing something you can’t fully explain yet… but you know it matters.
Kids feel that all the time.
Artists forget it—and spend years trying to get it back.
This character hasn’t forgotten.
Want to Explore This Style Yourself?
If this kind of drawing speaks to you (or your kids), you don’t need to figure it out alone.
Inside my drawing sessions, we take ideas like this—
big shapes, playful distortion, expressive faces—
and turn them into something you can actually build step-by-step.
Because the goal isn’t to copy this drawing.
It’s to discover what your version looks like.
Draw With Dustin
If your child enjoys creative drawing and wants to build confidence in a supportive, encouraging environment, you can learn more about my live classes on Outschool.
Visit my teacher profile to explore all available classes and see what families are saying:
https://outschool.com/teachers/Dustin-Carlton?signup=true&usid=qA1G7fA1
You can also join my ongoing class, Draw Every Day: A Calm Daily Drawing Club to Build Confidence, where students practice drawing regularly while developing skills, focus, and creative independence:
https://outschool.com/classes/draw-every-day-a-calm-daily-drawing-club-to-build-confidence-prNDyUXM
These classes are designed to help young artists feel successful, take creative risks, and grow through consistent, joyful practice.
Final Thought
The most interesting part of this piece isn’t what’s drawn.
It’s what isn’t.
That invisible “something” the character is staring at?
That’s where your imagination steps in.
And that’s the whole game.
