The face is a complicated structure to recreate in 3D and more so if you want it to distort realistically, At first glance the facial distortion seems very complex with distortion happening all over its surface in the form of skin sliding over bone, muscles directly affecting the surface or skin creasing & stretching due to muscle activity near by.

A tried and tested method for dealing with most of this seemingly complex movement of the face is the facial edge loop system, originally derived by studying the musculature of the face. 3 muscle sphincters around the eyes and mouth who’s only purpose is to close the opening it surrounds and the radiating muscle groups designed only to open the hole within the sphincter. (more…)