Throughout the years professional animators have used mirrors to capture facial expressions, even the use of full body mirrors to capture all of the characters movement to assist them in their animation. The mirror is a very important tool for animators. Some might say an animators job is easy, and they just make it all up in their head. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Since the dawn of traditional animation animators have used mirrors to help them with their animation, not just to make funny faces but as reference for mouth shapes, eye expression, hair movement, body language, anything the animator could get out of their own acting ability.
In this day and age many animators will use devices that can record themselves, such as an iPhone, iPad, webcam, or video recorders. Then simply just import the video into the program of their choice then use the key frames or extreme poses that work best for them or print them out and use them as a guide when animating on paper. Which is called, “Photo Stats”. Below you will find some of the Animation Masters using mirrors and having a FUN time doing it!
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31 Comments
Fraser MacLean
Nope, but occasionally I do have someone video tape me doing certain actions for reference, and I also take pictures of parts of me, like my hands.
Nope, not all all. All imagenation
How’d you find that picture if me?! There are far more worthy animators whom you could have selected.
Actually I video myself on QuickTime or Photo Booth and draw from that.
Fotos e vídeos são mais empregados hoje em dia.
yes
So true!
Yes. For facial expressions it’s a lot faster than reference photos.
When I practiced frequently back in middle school, yeah.
Guilty
My desk is right beside my wardrobe and the doors have mirrors so… lucky me I have immediate support xD
Extremely helpful for drawing mouth movements for lip sync. Also helpful to see which direction parts of your face (like eyebrows, cheeks, nose) move when expressions change.
Güga M
I do!
Yes.
No, but that’s because I don’t have a place to put it or hold it. I touch my face instead
I did it in my school’s studio last week, in a dark corner in the reflection of a window
sometimes i snap selfies of myself at different angles or making hand gestures to get an idea of what i’m doing
I might try this old method
I was a background artist so…not very much
Not just animation- making faces when you’re drawing comics and storyboards is very helpful when you want a character’s expression to be really genuine. It’s like method acting! I think I learned this from Erik Wiese. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEklyiK0qWU
I do, yes.
http://stressedjenny.deviantart.com/art/How-to-read-a-Storyboard-artist-432192835
Not anymore
I use a mirror when I animate! I remember buying one from Lightfoot
Yes, have had it since school. Same mirror over 25 years.
Mirrors are a great tool not used enough by artists.
Nope, I can’t do it that way. I look at live models instead. I find them at Pinterest, Youtube, Google Image, etc.
I collect videos of real people with interesting facial expressions. I get load of ideas there. I also collect videos on mime acting.
MUST-SEE funny face acting
Brilliant face acting by Luciano Rosso. See all his channels. You can never get enough of him.
http://youtu.be/-gSYKgAMPBc
http://youtu.be/CwCp67HweTA
Dean Laurant, a gifted face actor.
http://youtu.be/R_bx_9QYt7k
http://youtu.be/i3mvIYeS964
I film myself and then use the expressions as reference. I’m a very confident actress and I can throw myself into any role.