3D Modelling: Topology, Facial anatomy (skeletal and muscle structures)

Within making 3D models, Topology plays a vital role within understanding the geometry and mathematics on a surface. It also appears as the 'mesh' when making models within computer based software. It wraps around the surface and changes its shape depending on the structure of the object. For example, in the image above, a face's typology is in relation to how the muscles and bone are formed on the surface. The mesh covers the surface and shows where those structures are formed. In facial anatomy, you can see how the topology is found through the skull shapes and how the muscle is formed around the face. Again, in the image above you can see where the facial anatomy is with how the topology appears in the surface. Especially around the eyes, nose and lips as they're more definitive muscles on the face itself as they're the main forms in which show expressions etc. A good topology stretches and forms around those contours, but it should never tear or rip (the mesh). If this happens, the topology is wrong, or the model in which you're constructing has poor definitions. For better practice, it seems relevant to do a small drawing exercise where I can understand how the muscle and bone come together to make shapes on the face, in which affects topology. This will be very beneficial when it comes to making my Mudbox sculpted head, as not only will I understand anatomy better, I can also map out the topologies.

Here are 3 drawings representing both bone and muscle of the human face. I paid specially attention with this and mapped the muscle to my actual skull drawing, So I could practice understanding it.  

 

 

From these drawings, I can already start to see how the topology would wrap around the contours of the bone and muscle. It's fairly straight forward when you know this sort of anatomy, it's just based around understanding the different roles of the muscles on the face. Such as lips come out further then a lot of the face and have more definition. You can see it here with the muscle anatomy. I think alongside this practice and using reference imaging, I will be able to understand the topology of a surface much better than if I had gone straight into sculpting. I have understood the muscles and bone of the face, so it will stay in memory when I face sculpting. 

Bibliography:

. Google Images