Facial animation is where characters truly come to life. In this tutorial, Animation Mentor alum and professional animator Myles Jackson dives deep into how subtle movements and emotional nuance make faces believable on screen. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to level up your character acting, Myles’s insights blend anatomy, emotion, and practical workflow. Watch the full video above.
About Myles Jackson
Myles Jackson’s animation experience includes work in feature film, short film, episodic series, and mobile games. Credits include the anime-influenced series RWBY, both Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen films, and several scenes in the DC Heroes United TV series. Myles is a 2020 Alum of the Animation Mentor Character Animation Program and is experienced in Autodesk Maya, Blender, and Unity.
Why Do Facial Expressions Matter?
Myles begins by explaining that facial expressions are fundamental to human communication—we instinctively read emotion in a split second, often before a character says a word or takes an action. Even babies can express and recognize core emotions! That’s why, as animators, it’s not just about moving the face—it’s about moving the right parts in the right way to create a truthful, emotionally resonant performance.
Understanding Core Emotions
Myles breaks down the seven core facial expressions:
- Happiness
- Sadness
- Anger
- Surprise
- Disgust
- Fear
- Contempt
He demonstrates how each emotion is much more than a “smiley face” or “frown.” For example, a true happy smile involves not just the mouth, but raised cheeks, squinting eyes, and relaxed brows. Sadness isn’t just a downturned mouth—it’s about relaxation and “softening” of muscles, an inward energy, drooping eyelids, and a distant gaze. Each emotion has characteristic muscle actions and combinations that make it feel genuine.
Nuance Beyond the Basics
Going deeper, Myles highlights:
- Anger: Not just lowered brows and a scowl—anger also involves lips and nose scrunching inward, and most importantly, wide alert eyes fixed on the source of frustration.
- Surprise: A total loss of facial control—jaw drops, lips and eyes open wide, brows lift, and the nose and cheeks relax.
- Disgust: Muscles scrunch toward the center, especially around the nose (like smelling something bad). Eyes tend to squint and the whole face pulls away.
- Fear: Similar to surprise with wide-open eyes, but with tensed lips and lowered nose as the facial muscles pull apart in distress.
- Contempt: A complex blend—one side of the face may smile or lift, with asymmetrical brows and squinted eyes for an intentional “better than you” feel.
The Anatomy Behind Expressions
Myles stresses that understanding the anatomy—the actual facial muscles driving those expressions—makes a huge difference in animation. Animating isn’t just about using the controls; it’s about visualizing which “muscles” are being activated. For happiness, multiple muscle groups lift the cheeks and the edges of the mouth, causing eye squint and nose wrinkle. With disgust or anger, muscles along the brow pull inward and downward, while the nose and cheeks contract.
Animating with Intention
The core lesson: animating facial expressions is about intention. Instead of just moving controls, think about what’s motivating the movement. Understand what emotion the character is feeling, and how that affects every part of their face. Even small mistakes or mismatched cues can make a performance feel “off,” as audiences are primed to spot insincerity in facial acting.
Practical Tips for Animators
- Study real faces: Watch people and yourself in the mirror to see how muscles move in different emotions.
- Start with core poses, but always look for the subtleties—cheek movement, eyelid position, brow tilt, and nose.
- Learn the anatomy of facial muscles to create smoother transitions and more organic expressions.
- Aim for motivated, intentional expressions—know the character’s emotion before you animate.
- Remember, facial animation is a skill honed over time. Keep observing, practicing, and iterating.
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