Extreme Stylization + Ambiguous Posing
= No Expression
 Figure 1 - Olympic plush characters |  Figure 2 - Eyes modified by the author |
Extreme stylization of the face does not necessarily mean a loss of expressive range. However, removing the features along with extreme stylization makes things a lot more challenging. I’ve done tests on faces with no mouth or nose, and it is clear that certain expressions can still be read through just the eyes, like anger and sadness, modified by the brow.
In Figure 1, the two plush animal characters, Wenlock and Mandville, with minimal facial features and no body language to express their emotions. have modified the crucial Upper Eye Interface (UEI) in a manner that has no clear meaning from the point of view of expression. The left eye is slightly clipped on the upper right and left corners; the right eye UEI dips in the middle.
In Figure 2, I have re-imagined the eyes of Wenlock and Mandville to express "Sad" (left) and "Angry" (right). In spite of the fact there is only one eye to work with, the dramatic eye occlusion leaves the viewer in no doubt as to the intended emotional message, unlike the original poses which are far too ambiguous to make a strong impression of any sort.
We’re ready to project an emotion onto anything that seems face-like, but not so ready that we can do it with such slight cues.
In Figure 2, I have re-imagined the eyes of Wenlock and Mandville to express "Sad" (left) and "Angry" (right). In spite of the fact there is only one eye to work with, the dramatic eye occlusion leaves the viewer in no doubt as to the intended emotional message, unlike the original poses which are far too ambiguous to make a strong impression of any sort.
We’re ready to project an emotion onto anything that seems face-like, but not so ready that we can do it with such slight cues.
Credits: (top left) Wenlock and Mandville, plush toy mascots for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, (top right) The eyes of Wenlock and Mandville modified by the blog author.
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