Smiley faces are the classic doodle for a reason. They're sweet, simple, and can be done in seconds. 

But, if you've been looking at your little dot-eyed friends and wondering why something just feels...off. This is for you!

If you're new here, hi! I’m Carlianne, the author-illustrator behind the Indie Book Award winner How to Draw Adorable: Joyful Lessons in Creating Cute Art and the best-selling children’s book Even Yetis Get Colds.

Today, I want to show you how anyone can draw cute happy faces—and no, you don’t need fancy tools or advanced drawing skills to make it work.

By using the rule of thirds and tweaking just a few proportions, you can instantly transform a simple smiley into something irresistibly cute.

Want to see this in action? Or just prefer following along with a live demo? Check out the full video here: Anyone Can Draw Cute Happy Faces.

So, without further ado... let’s jump right in!

The Classic Smiley Face

When most people sit down to draw a happy face, they begin the same way: draw a circle, place two eyes right in the center, and add a curved smile about halfway down the face.

Something like this:

It’s simple, recognizable, and effective—but sometimes it just feels unwhelming. 

That’s because centering everything evenly can make the design feel flat and static. A person’s eye is naturally drawn to contrast and variation.

Symmetry can be beautiful, but when every single element of a drawing is even, the image loses some of its charm. Instead of your audience focusing on the expression, their eyes don’t really know where to land.

Think about it: man-made objects like buildings and machines are often symmetrical because they’re engineered for balance and precision. But nature—trees, flowers, even human faces—is rarely perfectly symmetrical. That organic imbalance is what makes things feel alive and interesting.

So when we draw faces with features perfectly spaced out, we risk making them look more mechanical than cute. The trick is to shift those features just slightly to create contrast and character.

The Rule of Thirds (Baby-Nose Effect)

Instead of dividing the face in half, try dividing it into thirds.

This is a classic design principle used in art, photography, and film to make compositions more dynamic. When you apply it to character faces, you get to reap all the benifits.

As well, one of the biggest secrets to making a face cuter is suggesting a tiny nose. 

We don’t actually need to draw the nose in detail (our brains will fill it in.)

But by moving the mouth up a bit higher, you create space above it that makes the nose appear small, round, and baby-like.

Humans are hard-wired to find babies adorable, and what do babies have in common? Big eyes, round cheeks, and, of course, a tiny nose!

By adjusting your happy face just a little, you’re tapping into that natural response.

Here’s how it works:

• Step 1: Place the eyes a little lower than the centerline.

• Step 2: Move the mouth slightly higher than halfway down.

• Result: Cuteness achieved! 🎉

Quick warning, though: if you push the eyes and mouth too far down, and suddenly your character looks like they’ve got a long nose. That can be funny if you’re going for a gag, but if your goal is “adorable,” keep the mouth tucked closer to the middle third.

Experiment and Play

The best part about this trick is that there isn’t one single “correct” happy face. You can experiment with different placements of the eyes and mouth to create a variety of expressions. Some might look sweet and innocent, others a little goofy, and others downright silly—but that’s the fun of it!

The main idea is that small proportional shifts = big personality changes. Don’t be afraid to draw multiple variations side by side and compare how each one feels. Over time, you’ll start to discover which proportions fit your personal style best.

Find this helpful? I have a whole CHAPTER on how to create the cutest face in my award-winning book How to Draw Adorable: Joyful Lessons for Creating Cute Art.

Definitely check it out!

Have a great day, and keep creating~

Carlianne.