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MOUTH | Lower Hot Spots - Feb 2017

2/1/2017

1 Comment

 
 Lower Face "HOT SPOTS"
Maximize Emotional Impact 
KEY CONCEPT: The shape of the mouth region is a key signifier of emotion. 
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Figure 1. 
The human face is the most mobile in the animal kingdom, infiltrated with a more complex network of muscles and nerves than any other creature, by far.  The repertory of movements that we can create is endless including, for some, wiggling the ears.  However, only a very small subset of these movements is significant in the facial expressions of emotion, and even here all of the facial changes that accompany, say, smiling or frowning are not equally important for recognition.  Most of our attention is focused on two tiny regions of the face we are pre-programmed to notice – the “Hot Spots” of the eye and mouth. 
In my last blog post (Jan 2017),  I talked about the “hot spot” around the eyes and brow, which does not include the outer or upper forehead, even though changes sometimes occur in those areas.  In this blog I’m looking at the other “hot spot” around the mouth region, where the  changes occur that are significant for registering a particular expression in progress.

​The mouth is a bit more complicated than the eye, in that it can be expressive either opened or closed, with certain details being more heavily weighted than others.  (see Figures 2 & 3)​ In the case of the Open Mouth, important in the expressions of surprise, anger, disgust, joy, sadness, and fear, the most significant element is the shape of the mouth opening itself.  Although the lips are highly stretched and modified in many of these expressions (see Figure 1), and the teeth are exposed in different manners, the Open Mouth shape alone can effectively communicate the expression in progress.  This is why, for example, Mickey Mouse can smile so brightly without the accompaniment of teeth (although this is anatomically impossible.)
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Figure 2. 
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Figure 3.
In Figure 2 the Open Mouth "hot spot" is expresssed through the shope of the mouth opening which carries the most expressive weight. In Figure 3, the Closed Mouth "hot spot" is expressed through the outside corners of the mouth which, similarly, carries the most expressive weight.
Many of these Open Mouth expressions also involve the dropping of the jaw, which lengthens and stretches the face, as you can see with the progressively-wider Open Mouths shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. When the lower jaw drops with the Open Mouth, it reshapes the lower face, making it longer and much more tapered.  
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Figure 4.
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Figure 5.
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Figure 6.
However, the jaw and chin are not part of the "hot spot" for the Open Mouth. In Figures 7 and 8 below, I eliminated the elongated face shape entirely, with no loss of clarity in the Open Mouth. 
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Figure 7.
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Figure 8.
Note that Figure 5 appears identical in effect to Fig. 7,, and Figure 8 to Figure 6, in spite of the jaw drop being eliminated in the lower two images.  The upper images for Open Mouths are anatomically correct and the lower ones are impossible, but we focus on the "hot spot" (shape of mouth opening) to read the facial expression,  and we  ignore the discrepancy.
Surprise is an Open Mouth expression where the jaw opens wide, stretching and opening the mouth into an oval shape.  As you can see in Figures 9 and 10 below, both faces appear equally surprised, in spite of  one having the proper elongated shape of the face, the other not.  
The mouth shape is the key element in the expression, and what’s critical here for surprise to be clear (and not be confused with fear), is that the mouth has to open in a totally relaxed fashion.  When that occurs, the resulting shape of the mouth opening is taller than it is wide, with no sharp or abrupt angles.  We are very sensitive to both the proportion and the “softness” of the shape, and even a small discrepancy can throw off the expression.  
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Figure 9. 
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Figure 10.
With the Closed Mouth, the outside corners of the mouth are the hottest part of the "hot spot."  Though, of course, the entire lip shape stretches and modifies in expressions like smiling and sadness, this detail is less critical than the direction and length of the line between the lips as it extends to its sideways limit.  In Figure 11, the very ambiguous mouth shape  is not at all related to any eye-squinting and cheek-creasing on the rest of the face, and the resulting face is impossible to clearly read.  Note that simply adding an extended, upwardly arced crease, with a dimple at its end (Figure 12), results in a very clear smile.  In a real human smile, the lips would be stretched with this much smiling, but it’s not required for recognition.  
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Figure 11. 
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Figure 12.
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Figure 13
Even so, most people would prefer Figure 12, if given a choice, which includes the lip stretch - it appears slightly happier.  The "hot spot" is weighted to the mouth corner, but the lip shape is also a factor, with less weight.  Donald Duck uses this principle, where the only part of his mouth that can change its shape is the extreme outer end of the crease between the upper and lower beak, which works very well for happy, sad, and angry.  
​
Artists can use the principle of the" hot spot" to help determine what to leave in and leave out in more radical character designs.  A robot mouth can be surrounded by a rigid box, for example, where the mouth can open, close and stretch without needing any modification to the box itself. But non-human character design can come with certain limits. In the case of Donald, the rigidity of the beak means that there is no effective way to distinguish open-mouthed surprise (where the mouth opens in a simple oval, as in Figure 13) from fear (where the mouth is  stretched sideways, as in Figure 14) since the shape of the mouth opening itself cannot be altered.  
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Figure 14.
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Figure 15.
The mouth shape in surprise is taller than wide (Fig. 14), while in fear it is wider than tall (Fig. 15). Note that the face also widens as the mouth stretches sideways, but that’s not necessary for the clarity of the expression - the mouth alone will do it.

Credits: Fiugre 1: Animated character, Olaf the Snowman, from "Frozen," produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and released by Walt Disney Pictures, 2013; Figures 2&3: Animated character, Maiu, from "Moana," produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and released by Walt Disney Pictures, 2016;  Figures 4 to 13 from "The Artists Complete Guide to Facial Expression," by Gary Faigin, published by Penguin Random House, 1990; Figures 14 & 15 "rigged" by the  University of Washington's Facial Expression Research Group.
1 Comment
kodi.software link
12/25/2024 01:43:13 am

I wanted to express my gratitude for your insightful and engaging article. Your writing is clear and easy to follow, and I appreciated the way you presented your ideas in a thoughtful and organized manner. Your analysis was both thought-provoking and well-researched, and I enjoyed the real-life examples you used to illustrate your points. Your article has provided me with a fresh perspective on the subject matter and has inspired me to think more deeply about this topic.

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