For being a rather important thing, there sure is a lack of material covering this.
I'm modeling a character's face at the moment, and am about to get to this part. Anything I should know before I get to it? General info or considerations?
I tend to prefer making the tongue a separate piece because it's just easier to work with and select when/if it needs to be rigged and textured, but it's not strictly necessary.
I rig up and animate faces all day, I prefer a separated tongue and teeth.
I REALLY like a simplified mouth bag, leave your crazy face loops just behind the lips and make the mouth bag easy to work with. Just don't treat it like a dumping ground for your face loops, tris are normally fine and even appreciated, save as many verts as you can without it being a nightmare.
Make sure the bag rests against the teeth so when the character opens their mouth it doesn't look like they are being blasted with an air hose. A lot of the time new modelers will "shell the cheeks" and leave the teeth floating in the middle of a very cavernous mouth bag... which looks fine until they open their mouth... There are enough problems to deal with a cavernous mouth bag shouldn't be one of them.
Replies
I tend to prefer making the tongue a separate piece because it's just easier to work with and select when/if it needs to be rigged and textured, but it's not strictly necessary.
also
I REALLY like a simplified mouth bag, leave your crazy face loops just behind the lips and make the mouth bag easy to work with. Just don't treat it like a dumping ground for your face loops, tris are normally fine and even appreciated, save as many verts as you can without it being a nightmare.
Make sure the bag rests against the teeth so when the character opens their mouth it doesn't look like they are being blasted with an air hose. A lot of the time new modelers will "shell the cheeks" and leave the teeth floating in the middle of a very cavernous mouth bag... which looks fine until they open their mouth... There are enough problems to deal with a cavernous mouth bag shouldn't be one of them.