Graph simulation for facial micro features with dynamic animation

The present invention sets forth a technique for simulating wrinkles under dynamic facial expression. This technique includes sampling a plurality of nodes from a three-dimensional (3D) representation of a facial structure, wherein each node represents a pore in the facial structure. The technique also generates one or more edges, with each of the one or more edges connecting a node of the plurality of nodes to a different node selected from the plurality of nodes. The technique further generates a wrinkle graph comprising the plurality of nodes, the one or more edges, and a plurality of edge weights associated with the edges included in the wrinkle graph. The technique may also modify the 3D representation of the facial structure based on the wrinkle graph and one or more dynamic expressions associated with the 3D representation. Receive a 3D mesh representation of a skin surface. Sample a set of nodes associated with pores in the skin surface Generate, using a k-nearest neighbor algorithm, a set of edges representing candidate wrinkles associated with the set of nodes Generate, based on the set of edges and a set of user graph parameters, a vector of edge weights, wherein each edge weight represents a depth for an edge in the set of edges Generate a wrinkle graph based on the set of nodes and the vector of edge weights