An artificial skin system for use with a robotic assembly such as to provide an animated robot head with realistic skin movement. The skin system includes a receiving component for contacting the manipulator mechanism of the robotic assembly and also includes an exterior skin component that extends over the receiving component. An inner surface of the exterior skin component is integrally bonded to the receiving component such that the exterior skin component moves with the receiving component when a manipulator mechanism or robotics anchored to the receiving component moves or applies a force. The exterior skin component is formed of an elastic material with a second hardness that differs from a first hardness of elastic material of the receiving component, e.g., is less than the first hardness. The skin system includes a backing component bonded to the other components with a third hardness less than the first and second hardnesses.