Hot Tips For Animating Blinks
An exploration on the many functions of blinking and where blinks occur based on a series of compiled research. Useful for artists looking to up their game in character liveliness.
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All About Upper Lid Raiser – AU5
In FACS, upper lid raiser, or AU5, is the action that raises and retracts the upper eyelid; this movement causes the eyes to appear wider and reveal more sclera (the white part of eye). The appearance changes we see in upper lid raiser are the result of an increase in contraction of levator palpebrae superioris, an extraocular muscle that works to keep the upper eyelid elevated.
Nasolabial Furrow Deepener vs. Upper Lip Raiser
Because of its name, upper lip raiser is considered the go-to action for lifting the top lip and tends to get overused in art and tech, acting as a replacement for nasolabial furrow deepener or a shortcut for showing teeth during smiling. Despite its name, upper lip raiser is not the only lip-raising action! In fact, applying upper lip raiser to contexts better suited for nasolabial furrow deepener can be detrimental to the essence of a target expression.
Colors of Sadness
Signals of emotion are not limited to facial expressions. Changes in blood flow and skin color can also signal how we may be feeling. Here I explore the color changes from my authentic sadness reaction.
Leveraging Facial Muscle Variation
Anatomical variation is a surprisingly ignored consideration for face tracking/facial mocap in tech and entertainment. Simplified anatomy diagrams are often accepted as universally applicable to all faces and few further questions are asked.
The reality is: FACIAL MUSCLES ARE HIGHLY VARIABLE.
Zygomaticus Major Variations & the Dimple
Variations on a smile. Anatomy of dimples & the bifid zygomaticus major.