2D features on 3D models

With lots of 3D animation in various movies, television shows and games, a fairly common animation and design feature is the usage of 2D features on the models. An example of this can be seen in the following:

The animator, Max Gilardi, uses both Maya and adobe flash to achieve this effect. It adds an interesting look to the characters, and makes things in many ways, easier. Facial rigging in 3D is very time consuming, and isn't easy.

Using 2D features for faces and fine details can be a good way to speed up production. This style is used in television animation as well. Most notably in my opinion, on the Spanish show "Jelly Jamm"

The show boasts an interesting visual style with great stylized animation. The characters' facial features are all 2D, save for the king, who has a mixture of 2D and 3D features. These features are implemented in a later render in the animation process.

Even I've used this visual style, both to speed up production and to save on polycount (I was working on a video game)

All the ghosts featured in the game have 2D textures for moving facial features. I wanted to still have 3D features on the face and body to give the models themselves variety.

Without textures, everything in here would be gray cubes!

The use of 2D textures in 3D things is actually very common, especially in video games. Keep and eye out for it!