Face the FACS

Facial Expressions in Art, Science, & Technology

free resources

expression references & cheat sheets

Facial expression reference guides.

FACS Cheat Sheet with GIFs (popular)

FACS still images

Viseme Cheat Sheet with still images

ARKit to FACS translation sheet

deep dives & informational posts

Basic facial expression tips, research, instructional guides, and commentary.

FULL free posts

action units (FACS AUs)

animation tips for smiles
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action units (FACS AUs)

“it’s all in the eyes” and other lies: a critique on contemporary emotion research
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action units (FACS AUs)

facial actions in context
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AR/VR

faces you don’t want to see during UX research – especially for VR
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design

faking aging in characters
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action units (FACS AUs)

killer smiles: a fine line between creepy and beautiful
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Trang1 Trang2

premium post previews

animation

lip tightener vs. lip presser – PREVIEW
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action units (FACS AUs)

Bypassing VR Headset Occlusion in Face Tracking – PREVIEW
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animation

hot tips for animating blinks – PREVIEW
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blend shapes

advanced blend shape tips for blinks – PREVIEW
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action units (FACS AUs)

eyebrow shapes and character design – PREVIEW
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AU5

all about upper lid raiser – PREVIEW
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Ioana Alexandra PirvuBlendshape Artist at Rockstar

I can't imagine working without Melinda Ozel's FACS research. I've been working as a Facial Blendshape Artist across film and gaming and have watched the quality of my work improve exponentially since I've had access to this wealth of knowledge that Melinda has so thoughtfully put together. Her documentation is clear, appealing, and comprehensive. If Paul Ekman is the father of FACS, Melinda has become the cool aunt. She swoops in out of nowhere and teaches us all about FACS using any tools at her disposal; including rap! I highly recommend her as a primary resource for any budding (or experienced) blendshape artist, facial sculptor, facial animator or just about anyone who is interested in faces!

Thank you Melinda, couldn't have done it without you.

Giovanni NakpilArt Director
Having worked in the industry for more than 20 years, I've always searched for the best resource on anything related to the complexities of the human face. Face the FACS in my opinion is bar-none, the best resource out there for any artist and company dealing with facial animation. The way in which Melinda delivers knowledge is detailed, but fun and compelling enough to make you want to keep learning. For a topic that could have easily been boring, she inspired me to keep learning. And learned I have. I've learned so much from Melinda and it's great to see her share all her knowledge to everyone through this treasure of a site.

Frank GravattCreature and Facial Modeler
If your doing AU's (action units), this is the site your going to need to bookmark. Melinda has gone above and beyond to create what I feel is the ultimate resource guide for AU's. Each AU explained , annotated and demonstrated with extreme clarity. You'll experience plenty of "aha!!" moments using Melinda's work as your guide! Again, amazing work Melinda!

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