Face painting helps animation students unleash creativity, earn extra pocket money

Two Malaysian animation students, Nur Farina Izzatul Daur and Muhammad Danish Ahlami Imtiaz Alam, are finding unique ways to enhance their creative abilities and earn some extra income through face painting. While their primary focus lies in 2D and 3D animation, these students are venturing into a new field by painting faces of children at various events.

Nur Farina, a 23-year-old Bachelor of 2D Animation Production student at Universiti Teknologi MARA, initially had no experience in face painting but decided to try it during her industrial training. She describes the experience as a new dimension to her artistic skills, as she had previously focused mainly on drawing on paper and digital tablets.

Though the monetary earnings are modest, Nur Farina finds satisfaction in earning from her own creativity and skills. She plans to continue face painting at selected events or even set up her own booth if given the chance. Butterfly designs are her favorites, taking between five and 10 minutes to complete, while geometric patterns require more precision and take longer.

Muhammad Danish, a 20-year-old Diploma student at Kolej Vokasional Kluang pursuing a 3D Animation course, took up face painting despite lacking confidence in his abilities. His interest in art was nurtured from a young age, which encouraged him to try face painting. Like Nur Farina, Muhammad Danish also finds that the activity brings a calming effect as he can immerse himself in creating designs, momentarily forgetting about his surroundings.

Simple designs take around 10 minutes, while more intricate ones can take between 15 and 20 minutes. Muhammad Danish enjoys painting flowers, animals, characters, as well as flora and fauna elements, and often lets children choose the colors and designs according to their preferences. He believes that face painting indirectly stimulates the children's imagination and that the activity helps him gradually hone his skills and creativity while providing him with some extra pocket money during his industrial training.