The 64 movements a head can make
If you’ve read Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics you’ve probably seen his awesome guide on how to create emotions in your art by mixing and matching six base emotions.
It’s a brilliant guide and there’s even an app now that lets you fine tune the mixtures, dial the intensity up and down, and create a simple base template to draw off. But what if you want to take things a step further? Then you need FACS.
What is FACS?
Originally developed in the 1970s by Carl-Herman Hjortsjö, FACS is the Facial Action Coding System. It’s a breakdown of 64 unique movements that the muscles in your head are capable of making. Things like puckering lips, raising eyebrows, blinking. Similarly to McCloud’s guide, it offers up a template on how to mix in these movements to create the emotion that you are looking for. And, more than that, it allows you to create any shape or action you would want a face to do. Here’s how it works.
The main movements
1
Inner Brow Raiser
Frontalis, pars medialis
The inner part of the eyebrows raises and the forehead wrinkles
2
Outer Brow Raiser (unilateral)
Frontalis, pars lateralis
The outer part of one eyebrow raises and the forehead wrinkles
3
Outer Brow Raiser
Frontalis, pars lateralis
The outer part of the eyebrows raise sand the forehead wrinkles
4
Brow Lowerer
Depressor Glabellae, Depressor Supercilli, Currugator
The eyebrows drop and pinch inwards slightly towards the nose
5
Upper Lid Raiser
Levator palpebrae superioris
The upper eyelid raises and the eyes widen
6
Cheek Raiser
Orbicularis oculi, pars orbitalis
The cheeks raise and wrinkle the eyes slightly
7
Lid Tightener
Orbicularis oculi, pars palpebralis
The eyelids tighten
9
Nose Wrinkler
Levator labii superioris alaquae nasi
The muscles in the nose pinch around the area between the eyes and along the bridge
10
Upper Lip Raiser
Levator Labii Superioris, Caput infraorbitalis
The upper lip raisers and lines appear on the cheeks beside the nose
11
Nasolabial Deepener
Zygomatic Minor
Nostrils flare
12
Lip Corner Puller
Zygomatic Major
Mouth bends into a smile and lengthens
13
Cheek Puffer
Levator anguli oris (Caninus)
Cheeks expand, mouth bends into a smile
14
Dimpler
Buccinator
Cheeks dimple and tighten at the corners of the mouth, lines appear on jawline, mouth bends into a smile
15
Lip Corner Depressor
Depressor anguli oris (Triangularis)
Lips bend downwards into a frown
16
Lower Lip Depressor
Depressor labii inferioris
Lower lip thickens
17
Chin Raiser
Mentalis
Chin becomes more defined and ridges appear on it, lips tighten and become smaller
18
Lip Pucker
Incisivii labii superioris and Incisivii labii inferioris
Nose narrows, lips get tighter, ridges appear like a tighened purse string on the upper lip
20
Lip Stretcher
Risorius
Lips get longer and narrower
22
Lip Funneller
Orbicularis oris
Lips get shorter and thicken, cheek skin tightens
23
Lip Tightener
Orbicularis oris
Lips get thinner, cheeks get added definition
24
Lip Pressor
Orbicularis oris
Similar to 23, lips get thinner, cheeks get added definition
25
Lip Part
Depressor Labii, Relaxation of Mentalis (AU17), Orbicularis Oris
Lips open, teeth visible
26
Jaw Drop
Masetter; Temporal and Internal Pterygoid relaxed
Bottom jaw drops, face lengthens
27
Mouth Stretch
Pterygoids, Digastric
Face gets longer, shape changes, cheeks stretch, nose widen
28
Lip Suck
Orbicularis oris
Lips narrow and slightly pucker, lines appear around the jaw and cheeks, nose narrows
41
Lid Droop
Relaxation of Levator Palpebrae Superioris
Upper eyelid drops and eyes narrow
42
Slit
Orbicularis oculi
Eyes narrow, outer edges of eyes wrinkle
43
Eyes Closed
Orbicularis oculi
Upper lashes meet at the bottom of the eye
44
Squint
Orbicularis oculi, pars palpebralis
Eyes narrow, outer edges of eyes wrinkle, defined lines under the eyes, area around the temples gets more defined
46
Wink
Levator palpebrae superioris; Orbicularis oculi, pars palpebralis
A mix between eyes closed and squint for the closed eye
51
Head turn
Muscles in the neck activate
53
Head up
Muscles in the neck relax, feature lines on the face bend downwards
54
Head down
Neck isn’t visible, feature lines on the face bend upwards
56
Head tilt
Mucles in the neck activate, head turns slightly
57
Head forward
Muscles in the neck activate, head gets bigger
58
Head back
Head gets smaller, double chin
62
Look to side
Irises and pupils move to the side of the eye and become more elipsical than circular
63
Look up
Irises and pupils move to the top of the eye and become more elipsical than circular
64
Look down
Irises and pupils move to the bottom of the eye and become more elipsical than circular, upper eyelid closes over top part of the eye
Combining movements to create the base emotions
Happiness
6 eyes on 12 face
Sadness
1 eyebrows at 4 height with 15 mouth
Surprise
1 eyebrows at 3 height with 5 eyes and 26 mouth
Fear
1 eyebrows at 3 height with 5 and 7 eyes and 26 mouth and 20 cheeks
Anger
4 eyebrows with 5 and 7 eyes and 23 mouth
Disgust
9 nose with and 15 mouth
What next
Try creating a few of these by drawing the individual components, e.g. the eyes, eyelids, eyebrows, mouths and wrinkles, then mix and match them to create different moods and expressions.
Try creating the actions in a mirror too to get and figure out which movements you use when feeling an emotion. Do your cheeks raise when you smile? Do they dimple?
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