any tips for sarcastic faces?
Toobis
Posts: 990
[any tips for sarcastic faces] In G3 or Victoria 8 figures? there doesn't seem to be any face expression packs for sarcastic smirks or frowns even. Is there anyone who can perhaps give pointers on the best ways to do these? are they hard or easy? thanks.
Post edited by Richard Haseltine on
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Alot of the expressions in this pack (G3F) give off a sarcastic vibe, IMO. Creators numbered them instead of naming them and the icons are not clear enough to make much sense out of, so you'll have to experiment: https://www.daz3d.com/authenticity-mix-and-match-expressions-for-genevieve-7-and-genesis-3-female-s
Planner, Scornful, Photogenic and a couple of others in this one (G3M)are also good: https://www.daz3d.com/dante-7-mature-expressive
(Please note, these were apparently created with Genevieve and Dante in mind, but as best I can tell you do not need those characters to make these work).
Sarcasm is just feigned exaggerated agreement intended to passively-agressively insult the target of the sarcasm so if an expression isn't looking natural to you then it likely won't look natural to the viewer and they'll either class it as unnatural or sarcastic; but likely unnatural since rendered stills don't typical have enough nuance or story background to assume that the unnatural expression is intended to be sarcasm directed at another/others.
I agree with Odaa, I quite a few of the smiles that come with pose and expression packs come off as smirks. What makes a smirk is that the smile is kind of a "half smile" without reaching the eyes (the eyes look kind of uninvolved with what the mouth is doing lol). I think that's why a lot of the smiles in some of the expression packs come off as smirks - the pose creator forgets to add any upper or lower eyelid changes and eyebrow changes in the expression which would warm the face up and make the smile look more genuine.
Smirks should be pretty easy to make with the PowerPose.
Try bringing the brows down and raise just one corner of the mouth.
..the brown haired girl in this scene.
See if the promo images for https://www.daz3d.com/genesis-3-female-s-expressions-face-aniblocks include anything you like.
I have the G2 and G3 versions of one of these SimonWM products, and I'm very happy with them. The expression dials are hard to locate on G2: they don't appear unless you have the "head" bone selected, but once you find them I think they are both expressive and very well named, so it's easy to pick a good expression from them.
I have been unhappy with other SimonWM products, but the "expressions and aniblocks" range are well worth buying, I believe.
At the risk of tooting my own horn, this is something that Expression Mixer is made for. If you own that, dial in Mouth Smile as the dominant expression, lock it, Fill the Unlocked Channels with RandomAll, and then randomize a few times and click Save Preset.. for the sarcasm expressions you like. You can quickly build up a library of presets for Sarcasm.
@RiverSoft Art, that's a great suggestion!
Once upon a time, I seem to recall that Aeon Soul had a render of their Alice character with what I considered the perfect sarcastic smirk. I spent far too long this morning hunting for the image, but unfortunately was unsuccessful. In addition to what @Divamakeup suggests regarding a one-sided smile/smirk, the key to the look (as far as I can recall) was that the half smile caused the cheek on the "smile/smirk" side of the face to flex. This resulted in a much more sarcastic look, IMO, and rather than having somewhat vacant eyes, there was a hint of squint, which amped up the condescension factor. I've played around with all manner of poses and pose dials trying to create a similar look, but I suspect the hidden facial bones were used to tweak the final expression and give it more life. Aeon Soul's attention to detail is always top notch.
If someone can locate the image, I'd love to see it again!
I tried yesterday to copy a really realistic smile phone a photo via the Power Poser and DO Expressions product I had bought using Genesis 8 and until some semblance of facial musculature, complete and posable like muscles, not bones, is available, I am afraid realistic expressions that aren't nearly stone-faced isn't possible.
Still, a product like Expression Mixer has got to help just by being able to quickly cycle though a bunch of expressions and combining them randomly.
Thankyou guys I will try and work with these methods :)
sarcasm is best shown with a non emotional face and belongs to the way you speak something
It seems to me there isn't a sarcastic face.
A person conveys sarcasm via a combination of methods: usually by spoken word; the accompanying expression can add to it, or soften it - depending on what the person wants to convey. As Ruphuss said, no expression at all is best.
I think the OP is looking more for smirks. Sarcasm can be delivered with a deadpan or an exaggerated scrunch of the nose and lift of one eyebrow, a twist of the lips to one side, or a resting beech face.
See Christina Ricci's portrayal of Wednesday Addams, comedian Steven Wright, or some of those Disney kids.
Keep tweaking until you end up with a face that makes you want to slap your monitor, then you'll know you've got it.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DreamworksFace
The Dreamworks/Disney face of that style is way overused now. The signal for sarcasm that most people hate to be the target of is 'eye-rolling'.
I have it in my expression for G8m it’s the oh really? Expression. For me it constitutes raise brows, lips twisted slightly to one side and eyes widening a bit in sarcastic amazement
I wouldn't call that Dreamworks Face "sarcastic". Smarmy, but not sarcastic. The eye roll is more for a sign of disdain.
This expression https://www.daz3d.com/gwen-hair-for-genesis-3-and-2-female-s-and-victoria-4 would follow a sarcastic remark.
"I guess that Liberal Arts degree was the best path to being unemployable, after all."