Advanced Facial Rigging Workshop (2026)
Tue, Mar 24
|Recorded & Live Meet Sessions
7-weeks workshop - Learn how to rig character faces using technical and artistic techniques in Maya.


Time & Location
Mar 24, 2026, 7:00 p.m. PDT – May 12, 2026, 9:00 p.m. PDT
Recorded & Live Meet Sessions
About the event
Dive into the world of facial rigging, where you'll explore both the artistic and technical aspects needed to create high-quality deformations for animated films. In this advanced course, you'll learn the skills necessary to craft appealing, expressive facial rigs that meet the demanding standards of animated films.
Our workshops combine flexible self-paced learning with live feedback and community support.
🎥 Weekly live sessions on Google Meet focused on review, and personalized feedback from your instructor.
📺 Recorded lessons with assigments every week in English with optional Spanish subtitles
💬 Discord community with classmates and instructor for questions and collaboration
🌍 Live feedback available in English or Spanish, based on your preference
⏳ Access to all course content for 2 years after completion, so you can keep learning at your own pace.
🧑🤝🧑 Two 3D character models included, free to use them in your practices and demo reel (or bring your own).
Attending live sessions is optional, all sessions are recorded, and your feedback can be captured in the recordings.
Instructor
Hector Abraham Torres

Is a Character Rigger at Walt Disney Animation Studios with over 10 years of experience in the industry, he also worked at Sony Pictures Imageworks and other big animation studios.
He is also an international speaker and instructor which contributions have made him a respected figure in the animation community.
Projects worked:
- Tiana
- Moana 2
- Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse
- Monsters At Work
- Paw Patrol the Movie
- SpongeBob in the Run
- Max Stel Turbo
Overview / Syllabus
Week 0
Introduction and presentation
Get to know your instructor and classmates
Discover how the workshop will run and what you’ll be learning
Explore the resources and setup for your upcoming sessions
Group 1 Live Session: Tuesday, April 07, 2026
Group 2 Live Session: Thursday, April 09, 2026
Week 1
Face Anatomy (Muscles and bones structures)
Correct Topology for animation
Retopology tools in Maya
Marking Menus, Hotkeys, and Scripts.
Types of facial rigging
Assignment: Model ready to start the rig.
Group 1 Live Session: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Group 2 Live Session: Thursday, April 16, 2026
Week 2
Local joints and controls
Constraints, connections and utility nodes
Advanced Jaw setup
Ribbon Applications
Lips system
Assignment: Jaw & Lips Rig
Group 1 Live Session: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Group 2 Live Session: Thursday, April 23, 2026
Week 3
corrective blendshapes on joints
Blendshapes splitting.
Combo shapes
Nose & Cheek controls
Layered Skinning
Assignment: Skull controls and blendshapes
Group 1 Live Session: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Group 2 Live Session: Thursday, April 30, 2026
Week 4
Motion Path applications
Types of curves
Brows Joints setup + Corrective Blendshapes
Inbetween Shapes
Assignment: Brows Rig
Group 1 Live Session: Tuesday, May 05, 2026
Group 2 Live Session: Thursday, May 07, 2026
Week 5
basic vs complex eyelid setup
Wires and point on curves.
Autoblink
One per loop skinning
Eye Sockets setup
Assignment: Eyelids Rig
Group 1 Live Session: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Group 2 Live Session: Thursday, May 14, 2026
Week 6 & 7
Eye Squash
Sticky Lips
Cartoony Tongue and Teeth Setups.
Combining local rig to main rig
Nonlinear Maya deformers
Anim Pickers
Assignment: Extra deformers and finish rig
Group 1 Live Session: Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Group 2 Live Session: Thursday, May 28, 2026
Level
Intermediate to advanced
This workshop is not intended for complete beginners, but everyone is welcome to join.
We will cover the rigging fundamentals, but the workshop spends more time on intermediate and advanced concepts.
Requirements
Computer with an internet connection and a microphone for online classes
Autodesk Maya 2019 or later installed
Body Rigging workshop or basic knowledge of Rigging in Maya is required.
Groups are limited to only 10 students, so we recommend saving your spot in advance
Language
Recorded sessions are conducted in English and include optional English and Spanish subtitles.
Live sessions are offered in English or Spanish.
If overall enrollment allows, we may open the English group for Tuesdays
and another one in Spanish for Thursdays.
If not, we’ll combine participants and alternate languages if needed to accommodate everyone.
If you have any questions or require alternative payment options (some with no fees, including installment plans),
please email us at contact@hatrigs.com
You can also reserve your spot with an initial payment by emailing us.
You will be contacted within 24 hours after your payment to confirm your start dates and gather your preferences and information.
Order Details
Advanced Face Rigging Workshop
A 6-week Workshop focused on advanced facial rigging techniques.
US$682.00
+US$17.05 ticket service fee
Total
US$0.00






