Humans convey displeasure through various facial manifestations. However, not all frowns are created equal - some show anger, others sadness, still others confusion or frustration. Whether you have a hard time frowning or think your frown is funny, follow these steps to improve your facial expression.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Making frowns
Angry Expressions
Step 1. Curve your lips down
Most people associate a downward curved mouth with a facial expression that expresses disappointment or annoyance. To take it, hold your lips together and move the corners of your mouth back and down using your front cheek muscles. Avoid pulling your muscles too hard, though, or you'll get a weird, frog-like expression. This muscle movement is difficult to isolate, but fortunately, it is much easier to perform in conjunction with the other facial movements needed to make a frown.
This expression reminiscent of a "reverse smile" is so emblematic that it is often used on its own to symbolize frowns (for example, in the case of emoticons like ":(", which only use the eyes and mouth to communicate displeasure)
Step 2. Frown
Contract your forehead muscles to frown. This expression, combined with the curved mouth, should naturally make the eyes appear slightly squinted under the frown. If you have trouble with this expression, try flexing your eyebrow muscles in the mirror, contracting and stretching them.
This is rather important to distinguish it from sad, very similar expressions. Without frowning, the curved mouth will make you look sad. So make sure you frown well to show your emotions clearly
Step 3. Slightly lift your upper lip
As you frown, try to lift your upper lip slightly. However, make sure that the lips remain tightened. This move has a subtle, but notable effect, because it intensifies the expression. Don't lift your lip high enough to expose your teeth - or you'll look disgusted or confused.
To get an angry expression, exaggerate the movement of the lip. Alternatively, you could also raise your upper lip high enough to expose your teeth. This expression is useful for expressing a combination of anger and disgust, and works best when used in conjunction with arrogant behavior
Step 4. Bring your lower lip forward slightly
As you move your upper lip, push your lower lip out slightly, but be careful not to overdo it. The secret is to do it gently - the change of position should be very, very discreet. Be careful not to extend your lower lip too far, or you will get such a weird expression that it makes it very difficult for bystanders to treat you seriously.
Step 5. Gaze intently at the object of your anger
As with all facial expressions, the emotion you want to convey is concentrated in the eyes. If you are really angry, show it by staring intently at the other person with a fiery gaze. Squint your eyes a little by raising your cheeks. Tilt your head slightly forward. All these actions taken together will have the effect of giving you a very fiery and intense expression.
Step 6. For extreme anger, open your eyes wide and widen your nostrils
Sometimes, the most common angry expressions aren't enough to convey the anger and resentment you have inside. To truly arouse fear, open your eyes wide by pointing out the sclera and widen your nostrils; in the meantime, follow the rest of the steps outlined above - frown, curve your mouth down and so on.
To make your expression even more angry, you can also harden your facial and neck muscles. Tense your neck muscles to make the tendons visible, while at the same time frowning and bending your mouth down with greater intensity. This "tense" expression communicates a feeling of visceral anger
Sad expressions
Step 1. Curve your mouth down
The shape the mouth takes to express sadness or anger is very similar - it brings down the corners, straining the muscles of the mouth and cheeks.
Normally, when we put on a sad expression, we tighten our lips. To express extreme sadness, however, we can disunite them, in an expression similar to the one we assume when we lack air. If you open your mouth to cry, it should take on a slightly square shape
Step 2. Raise your eyebrows
Just like the angry expression, the sad expression also requires the use of the muscles of the forehead and eyebrows. However, the use of the muscles this time differs slightly. Rather than frowning and the immediately upper brow portion, you will need to use the brow muscles to lift the inner corners of the eyebrows instead. This should make you look desperate, depressed, or broken - in other words, sad.
This is a fairly difficult facial expression to artificially recreate. If you have difficulty doing this, try lifting the area of skin between the eyebrows upward by tensing the muscles of the forehead
Step 3. Take on a vulnerable look using your eyes
Sad expressions represent an outlet for painful emotions. To make them authentic, try to channel this pain into your gaze, taking on a vulnerable expression. Drop your eyelids slightly, but don't close them, otherwise you will look asleep. As you do this, try to take on a melancholy look.
Generally speaking, when you express anger, your eyes should look tight and focused, while when you express sadness, they should be more open and less tense
Step 4. Look down
Accompany the manifestations of sadness with changes that involve body language. The expression of discouragement you are trying to assume will then be more effective. For example, lower your eyelids slightly as if you are tired, and look at the floor or to the side, not straight in front of you. This way, you will look gloomy and heartbroken, as if the sadness is so unbearable that you can't face it directly.
You could also try bending your shoulders forward. Going from a normal upright position to a hunched over position will actually feel like your sadness is preventing you from behaving as usual
Step 5. In extreme cases, start crying
For a good actor, it is possible to express strong anger by moving the facial muscles in the right way, but it is more difficult to recreate a deep sadness without resorting to tears. Any sad expression will seem more convincing if it is accompanied by tears. Crying is very difficult to imitate, so all in all, if you can't, you will be able to sound more convincing without crying.
Crying on command is a skill described in numerous online guides. If you want more information about it, you could try reading this article
Part 2 of 2: Make a Convincing Expression
Step 1. Observe (or imagine) something unpleasant
It's easier to recreate a sorry expression if you have a reason. Involving genuine emotions will almost always make you seem more convincing. So, feed negative feelings by exposing yourself to something you hate. You can also just think about something you hate without having it in front of you if you don't want to face it directly. Think about your ex, who left you for someone else, the essay you worked on for months and accidentally deleted from your computer, or something similar - it must cause anger or sadness.
For example, if you hate when your roommates leave dirty dishes for you to wash, you could fuel your anger by going to the kitchen and looking at the sink. or, just imagine such a scene
Step 2. Train
To be able to spontaneously simulate these expressions, you will need to practice. You will only get good results if you spend enough time on testing. Preferably, you should train in front of the mirror, but, anyway, if you already know how to use these expressions and are just trying to develop muscle memory, you can do it without.
Professional actors spend a lot of time and energy trying to refine their facial expressions and add an extra touch of realism to their performances. Some acting classes include specific exercises to improve the ability to assume various facial expressions on command, including frowning and sad expressions
Step 3. Learn from the best
Some famous people are renowned for the skill and frequency with which they modify their facial expressions. Study the best ones to get an idea of the details that distinguish one event from another. Here are some names of characters known for their expressions:
- Robert De Niro.
- Barack Obama.
- Grace Van Cutsem.
- Clint Eastwood.
- Winston Churchill.
- Samuel L. Jackson.
Advice
Typically, in society, it is more acceptable for people with the highest and most important status to assume these expressions, not those in lower social positions. For example, if a rich and powerful politician is not happy with the food he has been served in a restaurant, it is more conceivable that he is frowning, not the waitress
Warnings
- Practice in the mirror before trying out new expressions in public to make sure you don't look ridiculous.
- Don't make these ugly expressions too often - your face may stay that way!
