ImagineFX_Issue_148_June_2017

Your questions answered...
Use light to emphasise the wrinkles created from
the muscle contractions around the eye. The
eyeballs themselves will be simple, so go nuts
with the detail surrounding them.
Question
Can you share tips on painting a character that’s squinting?
Charles Quiles, Canada
Answer
Tony replies
My first thought when
I read the question was,
“Well, just draw the eyes
tiny!” But then I reflected
on just how many facial expressions
involve having the eyes almost closed.
Sleepy child, wise monk, suspicious
Frenchman… the list could go on. So
I’ve decided to focus on what makes
squinting different, and just how
much of the face is used. Which, as it
turns out, is all in the muscles.
The eyes are surrounded by the
Orbicularis oculi, a set of muscles
responsible for closing the lid. It’s like
two sinewy Pepperonis on your face
Even before any of the
wrinkles are added, you
should be able to tell
from the angle of the
eyelids and brows that
Quick-Draw McDraw
here is squinting.
with eyeballs in the middle. It stretches
almost to the nostrils, and explains
why so much of your face is used when
you squint. The top of the cheeks
raise, the eyebrows drop and the skin
folds up as the muscles contract.
When painting, your focus should
be on all the muscle contractions
going on around the face and how the
skin tends to wrinkle as a result.
Artist’s secret
Be a director
Spend time while shooting reference
figuring out which kinds of lighting
emphasise the wrinkles around the
eyes. I love having an excuse to paint
all the lines in someone’s face, and
squinting is one of those situations
where you want to push it.
Step-by-step: Squeeze the face to capture a squint
The best way to figure out how these
1
muscles work is to use a mirror and a
camera. Try out different way of squinting,
and compare how your face looks relaxed
and tense. How do your features move?
How much of the face is involved? There
are a surprising amount of ways to squint.
Use your best shot as reference.
2
There are a few key sections of the
face to pay attention to. The visible parts
of the eyes are going to be dark, since
the shadows and eyelashes will keep the
whites of the eye fairly hidden. Basically,
don’t put too much detail in the eye.
The wrinkles around the eyes should
3
be at their most pronounced. Most
people are quick to remember the crow’s
feet, but don’t forget that the Orbicularis
oculi is surrounding the whole thing, being
most visible around the eyeball (as much
as it can be seen under the skin).
June 2017
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