Creating a Meniscus Effect for the Eye of a Character

What exactly is a Meniscus Effect? It’s the thing that a liquid does, curving its upper surface. Just take a look at water sitting in a glass, and you can see that the water’s surface tension makes it curve up a bit around the edges where it touches the glass.

Adding a meniscus effect to the eye of a character can be a subtle way to add a lot more realism. A little bead of water around the eye will give a more natural look. But how can we create one, and still incorporate it into the character rig? There is an easy way, as shown by veteran Character Artist and TD Jim Su.

Jim walks through a simple and procedural way to rig an eye meniscus effect that is as easy as depriving a curve and lofting it. Simple, but the new geometry will go a long way to add some realistic details to the eye.