This “upside-down smile” expression is so emblematic of the act of frowning that it’s often used on its own to symbolize the entire expression (for example, in the case of frowning emoticons like :(, which use just representations of the eyes and mouth to express displeasure).
This action is important to make your expression distinguishable from a “sad” frown. Without a furrowed brow, the other parts of a frown can sometimes look ambiguous, but with a harsh, furrowed brow, there is no mistaking your emotions.
To make a sneer, a related expression, exaggerate the motion of raising your upper lip. You may even want to lift your upper lip to the point that your lips are no longer together and your teeth can be seen. Sneers are useful for expressing a combination of anger and disgust and are best attempted with an arrogant attitude.
You may also want to tighten your neck and facial muscles to add to your expression of anger. Tense your neck muscles to make the tendons in your neck visible while simultaneously furrowing your brow and turning your mouth downward with greater intensity than you normally would. This tight, “tense” expression gives the impression of visceral, nearly uncontrollable anger. [2] X Research source
Normally, when making sad frowns, you’ll want to keep your lips together, but when expressing extreme sadness, you may part your lips in a sort of sad “gasping” gesture. If you open your mouth for crying, it should be roughly square.
This is a somewhat tricky facial expression to intentionally recreate. If you’re having difficulty, try lifting the area of skin between your eyebrows upward by tightening your forehead muscles.
A good rule of thumb is that, when making an angry frown, your eyes should have a tight, narrow, focused appearance, whereas when making a sad frown, they should be looser and more open.
You may also want to try slouching your shoulders forward. Shifting from a normal, erect posture to one that’s less well-supported furthers the impression that your sadness is preventing you from being your normal self.
Crying on command is a skill that’s the subject of countless online guides. For instance, for more information on crying on command, you might want to try wikiHow’s How to Cry on the Spot
For instance, if you hate it when your housemates leave their dirty dishes for you to wash, you might want build up some fiery anger in your heart by going to the kitchen and looking at the overflowing sink or even just thinking hard about them leaving their plates there without washing them.
Professional actors actually devote lots of time and energy to practicing certain facial expressions in an effort to make their performances more realistic. Some acting classes may offer specific exercises intended to enhance an actor’s ability to perform various facial expressions on command, including frowns.
Robert De Niro Barack Obama Grace Van Cutsem Clint Eastwood Winston Churchill Samuel L. Jackson
