What are some reference materials for improving facial animation skills?

2 Videos and Movies

Another way to learn facial animation is to watch videos and movies that feature high-quality facial animation. You can observe how the animators use the facial features, such as the eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and nose, to convey the personality, mood, and intention of the characters. You can also analyze how the animators sync the mouth movements with the dialogue and the sound effects. Some examples of videos and movies that you can watch for reference are Pixar's Inside Out, DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon, and Disney's Zootopia.

3 Photos and Mirrors

A third way to learn facial animation is to use photos and mirrors as reference materials. You can collect photos of different facial expressions and emotions from various sources, such as magazines, websites, or your own camera. You can use these photos as a guide to create your own facial poses and keyframes. You can also use a mirror to study your own face and how it changes when you make different expressions and sounds. You can mimic the dialogue and the emotions of your characters and record yourself for reference.

5 Feedback and Critique

A fifth way to learn facial animation is to get feedback and critique from other animators and experts. You can join online communities, forums, and groups that focus on facial animation, such as 11 Second Club, Animation Mentor, and CG Society. You can share your work, ask questions, and receive constructive criticism and tips from other animators. You can also participate in challenges, contests, and workshops that can help you improve your facial animation skills.

6 Practice and Experiment

A sixth way to learn facial animation is to practice and experiment with your own facial animation. You can create your own characters, scenarios, and stories and animate them with different facial expressions and emotions. You can also try different styles, genres, and techniques of facial animation and see what works best for you. You can also compare your work with other animators and learn from their strengths and weaknesses. The more you practice and experiment, the more you will develop your facial animation skills.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?