Facial muscle groups

A knowledge of facial anatomy is vital to be able to reconstruct a face from a skull. This information is also available as a download at the bottom of this step and we will be watching a video showing each of these muscles as they are reconstructed in the next step, so you may find it useful to have this article as a reference. The large muscle of the forehead. Some experts omit this muscle when reconstructing the face as it is thin and they feel that it does not contribute significantly to the overall contours of the face.

This is because the various circular and straplike facial muscles are completely covered by a layer of subcutaneous tissue that usually obscures any evidence of their presence beneath the skin. This means you must approach your understanding of facial anatomy in a holistic way. Knowing approximately where the muscles attach on the cranium is helpful, but it is only one part of the picture. Bone structure, facial planes, facial features, and the overall three-dimensionality of the head and face are likewise important, as are elements such as the shape of the hair, the fleshiness or lack thereof of the face, wrinkles if present , and the attitude, or psychology, that the face projects. Attitude can be conveyed by the way a head is held, the quality of the eyes, a slight hint of emotion playing across the facial features, and other subtle factors. So why learn about the placement of facial muscles at all? The study of facial muscles and their movements is essential for animators, storyboard artists, comic book artists, illustrators, and fine artists who want to achieve a sense of narrative and expressiveness within their figurative work.

By contracting, the muscles pull on the skin and exert their effects. They are the only group of muscles that insert into skin. These muscles have a common embryonic origin — the 2nd pharyngeal arch. They migrate from the arch, taking their nerve supply with them. As such, all the muscles of facial expression are innervated by the facial nerve.

The facial muscles or muscles of facial expression are situated within the subcutaneous tissue and are responsible for the movements of skin folds, providing different facial expressions. The facial muscles originate from the bones of the facial skeleton viscerocranium and insert into the skin. The facial muscles are mostly grouped around the natural orifices of the face eyes, nose, mouth , taking part in the closing or widening of these orifices.