The Facial Expressions and The Types of Facial Rigs

 For the past three years, I have been fascinated by facial rigging.  I absolutely love rigging character's body and continue to learn about rigging props.  I'm taking a facial rigging class that I'm super excited to take at CGMA with Jose Antonio Martin Martin.  In the first week I learned some really interesting points about facial expressions that I never thought about and I wanted to share some of my findings. 

The very first point that I learned about was the fact the facial expressions are the same everywhere.  It doesn't matter your nationality, culture, race, gender, or age as a joyful smile shows happiness to anyone anywhere.    

Smiling Faces From Google

While people have many different expressions, there are the big 6 main expressions which are sadness, anger, joy, fear, disgust, and surprise.  The many other expressions fall into different variants, may be called differently, or is a combination of two main expressions.  

This point really surprised me but it was Darwin who suggested that facial expressions are a universal language because they mean the same everywhere.  Facial expressions are also innate rather than a learned behavior.  This is very different than hand gestures because in different places, hand gestures don't mean the same thing.  Facial expressions can also be broken down into Action Units in the FACS (Face Action Coding System).

I also learned about different types of facial rigs.  The first distinction between the facial rigs is if they are shape based or deformer/joint based, or a combination of all.  

Some facial rigs are stylized and they are created with shapes.  These rigs use FACS plus extra shapes and lots of tweakers and deformers.  Rigs that are stylized are cartoon rigs.  An example would be Ratatouille by Pixar.

Ratatouille by Pixar, Image found on Google

Facial rigs can also be realistic.  These rigs have a lot of shapes and a complete set of FACS.  They also have many combinations and extra shapes and they often have extra rigging set ups but not as many deformers as cartoon rigs.  A good example of this is Thanatos from Avengers Infinity War.

Thanatos from Avengers Infinity War, Image found on Google

The last type of facial rigs are gaming rigs and they tend to be joint based with a few blend-shape correctives.  Because gaming engines have restrictions, facial rigs are created this way.  The engines are becoming more powerful with fewer restrictions so these types of rigs are constantly evolving.  My very first facial rig I did while at FIEA was a joint based rig I created for Hades.

Last of Us Facial Rig Example, Image found on Google

Facs Code Exercise

 This was part of an assignment I did in my facial rigging class to learn more about the Facs Code.  Using images from class and the Imotions Website, I wrote down what I thought each of the expressions used in the Facs Code.  

Expressions with Facs Code Breakdown

Facial Rigging Exercise - Examining Human and Cat Faces

 This was an assignment I did in my first week of facial rigging class.  We went in the internet and found expressions that showed the 6 main expressions: joy, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust.  Out of my own curiosity I also examined facial expressions on cats.  Animal facial expressions are different from human expressions since their muscles are different or there are certain muscles they don't have.  Often times in film and video games the faces on animals are given features that look like the same features on our faces so we can connect better with the character.  

Human Facial Expressions for Each of The 6 Main Expressions

Cat Facial Expressions for Each of The 6 Main Expressions

Human Disgust Example

• Eyebrows are compressed
• Eyes are squinted but shut
• Nose is sneered and pointed shape
• Lips and chin both push up
• Tongue is sticking out a little bit
• Mouth has a square like shape

Joy Human Example

• I think this joy example has a little bit of surprise in it too
• Eyes are wider but the bottom eye lid is being pushed upwards
• Eyebrows are raised which is causing the wrinkles on the forehead
• Wide mouth with teeth showing
• Big puffy cheeks with nose widened
• Shape of the mouth is like a soft edged triangle
• Ears are raised a little bit

Human Sadness Example

• Lowered Eye brows with clenched closed eyes
• Cheeks are folded and puffy
• Nose is widened slightly
• Mouth is lightly pressed and widened
• Face looks like it squishes

Human Fear Example

• Has a little bit of surprise
• Eyebrows lift
• More white in the eyes
• Top and bottom eyelids open more
• Mouth is open with square shape

Human Anger Expression

• Eyebrows are lowered and brought to the center
• Nose is sneered and lifted
• Folded cheeks
• Square Mouth
• Teeth is shown
• Upper lip is pulled upwards

Human Surprise Example

• Eyebrows are wrinkled causing wrinkles on the forehead
• Eyebrows are pointed in the middle of the eyebrow
• Eyes are more widened showing more white
• Mouth is opened showing a circular o shape.
• Cheeks look like they got sucked inwards

Cat Example of Disgust

• Eyes are squinted shut
• Nose is sneered
• Muscles by the whiskers are lifted
• Jaw is opened showing some teeth

Cat Example of Sadness

• Eyes are dark and have an almost sinking into his head look
• Crippled left ear
• upper eyelid is lowered
• Mouth is droppy
• Whiskers are pointed downwards

Cat Surprise Example

• Eyes are opened really wide
• Pupils are dilated
• Ears are to the side and a bit flattened
• Jaw is dropped a little bit
• Tiny bit of tongue sticking out
• Whiskers are pointed downwards following the jaw

Cat Example Fear

• Eyes are wide
• Pupils are dilated
• Ears are forward
• Whiskers look lifted

Cat Example Angry

• Top lids are lowered
• Pupils are dilated
• Ears are back and flat against the skull
• Nose is sneering
• Whisker muscles are pushing upwards
• Whiskers are spread out around the sides of the cats face
• Mouth is opened wide
• Teeth is shown
• Tongue is able to lay flat and roll at it's edges

Cat Happy Example

• Ears are high and forward
• Eyes are wide
• Pupils are dilated
• Mouth is opened showing small amount of teeth and relaxed tongue
• Muscles by the whiskers are lifted
• Mouth shape is like a soft edged triangle