The Face

Adam Sale

Compilation Paper

In order for you to successfully animate a face, there must be a close relationship between all of the crucial parts. Just as the expressions in the body must match those of the face, so too must the lips and eyebrows, and cheeks behave cohesively. The further apart that features are spread, the harder it is to read, and the more difficult it is to make one part react with the other.

This, of course, mostly applies to our experience with humans. The lines of the mouth are in close relation to the eye. The lips can push the cheeks up against the eyelid bottom when a character is smiling, thus relating all of the key parts of a face. Some points to keep in mind when animating the face

1) The volume must always be retained. If your face loses its proportions, then you have ceased working within your characters limitations.

2) When a smile is relaxed, all of the forms will separate, and give dimensions to themselves, as they change in relation to each other.

3) Settle or follow through after an expression change is generally encouraged, otherwise the flesh will lack weight.

4) All of the principles of animation apply to the face.