Man of many faces

WHAT strikes you most about Lee Seng Hoo is his self-deprecating humour. He has such an infectious, wry sense of humour that you can't help but to laugh along with him. And this is probably why he is so good at doing what he does. Because after all, he needs to be able to laugh at himself first before others can laugh with him.
Lee is a face and body painter whose Instagram account is filled with his taking on fictional characters including The Grinch, The Joker, The Nutcracker, Groot (from Guardians of the Galaxy), Sadness and Anger (from Inside Out), and transformations into animals such as the lion, tiger, and zebra. With the sort of imagination he has, the possibilities are endless.
"I was into photography back then but I didn't like relying on Photoshop when it comes to editing. I dislike digital art because I think that art should be done the traditional way using hands, brushes and pens – not computers. This is why I learnt make-up then special effects make-up, before I finally immersed myself in face and body painting.
"At first, it was something I did for fun then I realised there is something captivating about transforming myself into different characters. I enjoy doing it very much, I'm proud of my work, and I like being able to make others happy through it," he divulged.
In your own words, what is face and body painting?
It's basically art, only that you paint on the human body. There are different kinds of art such as canvas painting, sketching and graffiti. Likewise, body painting is another form of art.
Like you said, there are many platforms around. So why did you choose to paint on the body?
The emphasis for me is fun. I can be a perfectionist at times, and this stresses me out a lot to the point where I get very tensed. Hence, I need a form of art that is very flexible. With body painting, there's no proper or correct way to do anything. I can give myself silly features then send foolish videos of them to others. Once, I painted myself as a tiger then I sent a video of me meowing to my friends, and we laughed so much over it. You can paint funny pictures on canvas and paper, but it's not the same as when I paint it on myself then act it out. By doing this, I give my art a form of 3D humour.
Can you briefly describe your body painting process?
Since I usually paint after work, I'd take a quick shower to clean off the dirt and grime. Then I would sit in front of the mirror where I'd sketch the design using a lip liner or an eyeliner, before I fill them with body paint. Finally, I'd use eyeshadow to contrast and highlight.
How long do you to take to finish a design or character?
The thing about body painting is that once you start, you have to keep going until it's completed. Unlike painting on canvas or paper – where you can resume it at a later time or date without issues – you only have two options when it comes to body painting: finish it at one go, or wash it all off and begin again next time. Generally, it takes me about two to five hours to complete. If I'm really focused then the shortest time I've achieved is about an hour plus.
What is the hardest thing about body painting?
The most challenging thing is painting on a hot day, because you can't sweat or else you'll ruin the whole thing. We have hot weather here in Malaysia so, whenever I paint, I'll have to turn on the air conditioner and have a standing fan with me. You just can't afford to sweat especially as I use water-based body paint where a drop of water can spoil the entire design.