just some tips for 'better looking' smiles...

1. memorize your camera setting and save your lights so you won't need to tweak with em after doing the following:
2. switch to a face cam and set the light to a neutral level, pan the cam to obtain a 3/4 frontal view, maybe with a slight negative pitch (looking from up to down)
3. now find the dials to 'open mouth' or 'part lips': infact, before working on the smile, it's better to adjust the teeth! Play with those dials until you can see the teeth clearly enough (possibly maintaining the mouth within human limits...). If needed, pan the camera to try various pov.
4. Find the teeth dials, play with them, try to move those teeth up, down, inside and out to achieve a more 'human' and pleasing look. If there are no dials you'll have to use magnets...
5. When satisfied turn back the lips dials (open and part/disclose) and start to play with the smile.
6. IMPORTANT! remember that for a smile a lot of facial muscles are involved (can't remember how many but quite a lot!) - so after the lips, you'll have to tweak the cheeks, the nose (this in minor ways) and the eyes (unless you want to obtain a 'lunatic' type of grin).
7. Finally, try to get all out of the straight geometric pattern. Tilt, bend and rotate the head 1 or 2 degrees. Pose the eyeballs to compensate and look at the camera or at the wanted subject). You will notice how more natural an off-straight look is, compared to the 'square' starting position.
8. even a minor detail, like a bended finger, can change greatly the realism of a pose... so try all, and be careful to not overdo!

Happy rendering!

Message edited on: 08/20/2004 04:20