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Anatomy of the Face

As part of the Master Scientific Illustration program I wrote a thesis on facial expression. The first part of the thesis was all about the general anatomy of the face. I started off by making drawings of the skull from three different perspectives: the front, side and three-quarter view. All three drawings were made in pencil.

Reconstruction

The skull drawings I subsequently used to reconstruct the muscular anatomy. Starting with the deepest muscles, adding more and more superficial muscles on top in every layer.

Layer 1

32. M. temporalis
33. M. masseter, pars superficialis
34. M. masseter, pars profunda

35. M. stylohyoideus
36. M. digastricus

Layer 2

29. M. levator anguli oris
30. M. buccinator
31. M. mentalis

Layer 3

22. M. nasalis, pars transversa
23. M. nasalis, pars alaris
24. M. dilator naris anterior
25. M. compressor narium minor

26. M. levator labii superioris
27. M. depressor septi nari
28. M. orbicularis oris