Blog Posts - FAIGIN BLOGS

FEAR | Anxiety - June 2019

6/1/2019

Don't get Panicked
about ANXIETY

THE KEY CONCEPT : To depict a particular facial expression, it’s all about the specific pattern of the eyes, the mouth and the brows; everything else is window dressing.

Figure 1: An illustration of "Anxiety" for an article on a genetic mental disorder in the NY

Sylized Facess

5/1/2019

"Only have EYES
for You!"

THE KEY CONCEPT : When designing characters with only their eyes visible, their most successful range of expressions is limited to Anger and Sadness.

Figures 1, 2 & 3. What do these 3 stylized characters have in common? They are limited to their eyes alone to express their emotional state. The robot’s expression is highly ambiguous; Spiderman’s obliquely-shaped eye opening appears aggressive; Eve’s expression of Joy, missing her mouth, is handicapped without the addition of body language and sound.

Facial Expressions: FEAR

4/1/2019

Damsels in DISTRESS

THE KEY CONCEPT: When depicting the facial expression of Distress, 90% of the information is contained in 15% of the face - the rest of the face and the body goes along for the ride.

Figures 1 & 2: Actresses Lori Loughlin (left) Felicity Huffman (right), as depicted by the courtroom artist, Mona Shafer Edwards. Note the very different facial expressions of the two defendants; only one looks distressed.

March 01st, 2019

3/1/2019

Don't be SAD, get MAD!

THE KEY CONCEPT: The deeper the arc of the frown and the more angled the clip of the eye white, the more menancing the facial expression.

Figure 1: (left) NYC protesters display upside-down Amazon logo "smiles" with added dot "eyes" to express their disapproval of the company's plan to expand their operations to Queens; Figure 2 (right) the author has modified the protesters' signs to create angrier, more threatening, Amazon frowns and eyes.

Facial ExpressionsL ANGER + SURPRISE

2/1/2019

EMOJIS 1 : Anger & Surprise

KEY CONCEPT: Why certain emojis succeed and others fail as expressive faces we all can recognize.

Figure 1: A quick clip of emojis on the web show a variety of artistic interpretations of two of the cardinal facial expressions - Anger & Surprise.

Uncanny Valley

12/1/2018

That Mysterious
UNCANNY Valley

KEY CONCEPT: Artists who create stylized faces play be an entirely different rulebook than those who tae on the challenge of the realistic CG face.

Figure 1. The charming and beautiful young Carrie Fisher/Princess Leia, alive and in the flesh.

CGI Characters

11/1/2018

"Avengers: Infinity War":
THANOS Artist Interview

KEY CONCEPT: The Age of Pixelated Humans is Here and Now.

Figure 1. Thanos, a CGI superhero character, stars in the "Avengers : Infinity War" film.

Facial Expressions: Emoting Robots

10/1/2018

Robot FACES of the Future

THE KEY CONCEPT: Today's most expressive robot faces are fully digital and animated, like video games or CG movie characters.

Figure 1. "Machine-Man," the Budapest Robot, 1937; Figure 2. "Robby the Robot," from "Forbidden Planet," 1956; Figure 3. "Buddy," the Emotional Robot, 2018

Facial Expressions: ANGER

9/1/2018

RAGING BULLoon

THE KEY CONCEPT: For extreme rage, activate four key areas - eyebrows, eyes, nose & mouth

Figure 1. It's the Trump Baby balloon, conceived by artist Matt Bonner and launched on July 13 in London.

This past July, a six-meter baby blimp, sporting President Trump's signature blond hair and holding a cellphone in its tiny hands, was launched into the skies of central London as part of a protest against the President's visit to the U.K.

Facial Expressions: JOY

8/1/2018

Being HAPPY can be Complicated

THE KEY CONCEPT : The bittersweet smile combines a distressed brow with a smiling mouth.

Figures 1 & 2. Florian Thauvin, Player #20, inspired this blog. Take a careful look at Figure 2, the spectacular image of the emotion-drenched French Squad celebrating their victory in the 2018 World Cup. While nearly everyone laughs or shouts with joy, their happy faces displaying their upper teeth but not their lower (the textbook pattern with laughing), Thauvin stands out from the crowd. As you can see in Figure 1, his upper face is clenched in the pattern most associated with crying. For reasons that are not well understood, extreme joy can trigger reflexes associated with grief, as is obviously happening here. In such overwhelming moments, like winning a world championship, people experience a superabundance of emotional energy, and it finds outlets through a variety of channels – including physical action, like jumping for joy, and crying.