Yes i agree with everything @ThisKateCreates @NessIllustration have said.
One thing I learned from talking to someone that knows a lot about art history and art concepts and illustration and storytelling etc. is that art is used as a form of communication and because of this, if you are choosing to deliberately make subtle expressions rather than exaggerating ones, it’s a good idea to ask yourself “why am i choosing to do this and will it communicate what I’m trying to communicate effectively? Or will someone have to struggle to figure out what I’m trying to communicate?” Especially when it comes to images that tell a story, is it telling the story effectively or not? If You are using subtle expeessions to convey a feeling, maybe ask people who dont know what you’re intended emotion is “hey what do you think this character is feeling by looking at their expression?” And if it’s difficult to guess, or they guess something else, maybe thats not an effective way to communicate that emotion. If you dont want to change the expression, what other visual elements can you use instead that will add to the story? The great thing about picture books and comics though is they are accompanied by text which makes it easier. So you can use fun text elements. But if you have art that can speak for itself it’s even better.
