Creating the Nose

Modeling a Low-Poly Head

Creating the Eyes

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials >  Modeling Tutorials > Modeling a Low-Poly Character > Modeling a Low-Poly Head > 

Creating the Mouth

In this lesson, you get a first taste of creating concentric edge loops to form the mouth. These loops are put in place to mimic the orbicularis oris muscles underneath the skin; these muscles are crucial to everything from smiling to whistling to yawning. Therefore, you must ensure that the facial geometry deforms accurately or it will not only negatively impact your facial expressions, but also affect how your character's skin texture will stretch out to follow the geometry.

Define the lips:

1. Continue working on your file from the previous exercise, or load the file Low_Poly_Head02.max found under \tutorials\low_polygon_modeling.
2. Go into Edge sub-object level and select the vertical edges in the lower part of the face.

   

3. Click the Connect Settings button. On the Connect Edges dialog, reset the Segments, Pinch, and Slide values, and then click OK.

   

4. On the Edit Geometry rollout, choose Edge from the Constraints drop-down.

   

5. Move the new edge to where the upper and lower lips meet.

   Notice how its constraints force it to translate along the vertical edges.

   TipLearn to use the different Constraints settings to accelerate your workflow.

   

6. Select the new division, as well as both half of the edge running from the nose to the chin.

   

7. Click the Connect Settings button. On the Connect Edges dialog, use the Slide spinner to move the new edges until they stretch out to the lip extremities. Click OK.

   

8. Go to Vertex sub-object level. On the Edit Geometry rollout, notice how the Constraints drop-down setting persists at sub-object levels (in this case, edge). Adjust the remaining vertices to match the lip contours if needed.
9. From the Constraints drop-down, choose None, and then adjust the new vertices in the Right viewport to better define the lips following the reference image. You might have to make room and push back some vertices in the cheek area.

   

10. Use Cut to create two edges surrounding both lips.

    

11. Reposition the new vertices to emphasize the lip borders.

    

Define the edge loops around the mouth:

1. Go into Edge sub-object level and select the following edges:
   • the edge over the philtrum (the vertical groove between the nose and upper lip)
   • the edge under the lower lip
   • the horizontal edge starting at the corner of the mouth

   

2. On the Edit Edges rollout, click Connect to the link them together.

   

3. Select the three edges that define the upper lip.

   

4. Click the Connect Settings button. On the Connect Edges dialog, set Segments to 3 and leave both Pinch and Slide values at their defaults. Click OK.

   

5. Go into Vertex sub-object level, then adjust the new vertices to roughly match the volume of the upper lip.

   

6. Repeat the last three steps for the lower lip. This time, though, use only two new connecting edges. Toggle Edge Constraints to help you along.

   

7. Click Cut and draw edges across the lips, starting from the corner of the mouth going in. As the lips do not share the same amount of connectable vertices, link the last upper lip vertex to the center vertex.

   These cuts help maintain the quad topology of the face, which comes into play during facial animation and speech.

   

Connect the mouth to the nose;

1. Select the vertex at the corner of the mouth, then the vertex at the lower corner of the nostril. On the Edit Edges rollout, click Connect to link them.

   

2. Repeat the same step to connect the nostril vertices to corresponding upper lip vertices. Note that you will need the Cut tool to connect one lip vertex to the edge above it.

   

3. Adjust the new vertices to maintain a smooth circular flow between edges.
4. Save your file as My_Low_Poly_Head_Mouth.max