Which sliders are best for face profile (and in general)? Can't get it right

megaconfused98

A week ago, I took the plunge and started getting into this Daz3d world. I've been watching videos and reading threads that come up on the subject for creating unique characters from customer sliders (like that great thread from SixDs). That's really how I want to start. I want to be able to create a 3d model of someone I see.

At any rate, I set up my primatives with ref pics and get them scaled up pretty well. I take note of what needs to happen to the face like SixDs and others have demonstrated, but how to make it happen? It doesn't end well. I bought the Daz gen 8 face morphs and the 200 face morph things, so I have a lot of options, probably too many. I'm lost as to how to actually alter the parameters to make the face look realistic, especially the profile view. 

For example, when it's clear that a face needs to be pulled out some (depth)...what's the best way? There's options to pull the whole face...as well as separate ones for upper, middle, and lower. Which ones do you use and in what order?

For that matter, when do you use the depth of face itself verses depth of other facial components such as the jaw, chin, nose, or lips?

And I seem to be totally clueless about how cheeks fit in. Those seem to be the hardest things to see in a model and it winds up being puffer fish cheeks or an emaciated look. 

I've spent a week on this, a few of the days probably 6 hours or more, and at the end of each effort, I just trash what I was working on because it's awful. At worst, I'm seeing holes in the model, so something been pulled away too far back or forward and is coming through, or things have been moved to an extent that you can see the facial muscles working hard, which can't be right for a neutral, relaxed pose. At best, the model looks human, but nothing like the source.

I could ask a million of these questions, but I guess these comprise the gist of it. I just don't know which types of facial features are best to use. I do undestand the idea is to get the general shape of the head, from both side and front views right, then work on the details, but I can't even get the shape of the face right. 

Thanks in advance for any assistance.