Sketching personalities
COMIC RELIEF: Sabahan caricature artist Lim Sheng Haw shows
Melissa Leong how he captures the characters of his models in a fun way
ON his screen is a digital caricature of Datuk Lee Chong Wei pumping his fist in triumph, with a wad of spit dangling from his teeth, veins bulging on the side of his head and smoke wafting from his badminton racket.
It’s a clear exaggeration of the badminton hero but more importantly, for caricature artist Lim Sheng Haw, it is a representation of his fighting spirit.
“For me, caricatures are about capturing character and embracing the subject’s features.”
The Sabah-born artist, who is also a 3D animator, started out with drawing cartoons and illustrations of his classmates in secondary school.
It wasn’t until he was in university circa 1998 did he begin to refine his caricature drawing skills, inspired by a lecturer and classmates.
After working as a graphic designer for some years, he pursued a diploma in 3D animation in Toronto, Canada.
Haw, as he prefers to be called, said the biggest challenge about being a caricature artist was dealing with the misperception about the art.
“There are some clients who request for editing until their features look perfect.
“In the end, it begins to look like a portrait, which is the complete opposite of what a caricature is supposed to be.”
Haw said he believed getting a caricature done was a great way to build self-esteem and self-acceptance.
“People need to embrace their features and realise that these outstanding features make them unique individuals.
“And, that is a great thing.”
Naturally, one of his favourite pastimes is people-watching and identifying ideal caricature subjects.
Haw’s portfolio includes caricatures of celebrities, athletes and musicians.
His favourite creations include caricatures of Datuk Michelle Yeoh, Alibaba founder and business tycoon Jack Ma, and actor Peter Dinklage of the fame.
“After I started posting my work on Facebook and Instagram, I started getting more commissioned work.
“People realised that caricatures make very memorable gifts for special occasions, such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries,” said the Kota Kinabalu-based artist, whose clients are from Australia, Singapore, the United States and Malaysia.
So, what goes into the process of creating a caricature?
“The point of reference is very important, so I usually ask for recent photos, preferably a close-up and from several angles, so I can study their features.
“Some subjects have a distinctive feature, like the way their eyes
wrinkle when they laugh Haw believes characters and
or a frown, so I use that, too.”
“Sometimes, my client will describe the subject’s personality and interests, and they want that injected in the artwork.”
He said it took between four days and week to complete a caricature, depending on the amount of detail.
“Sometimes, when I’m in the right mood, I can finish a painting in just four days.
“But, I’d rather not rush the process, of course.
“Ironically, the hardest caricatures to do are subjects who are symmetrically perfect or good looking.
“It’s a nightmare when everything is so perfect. So that’s why the more outstanding the features, the easier it is for me to exaggerate them in a drawing” he said, adding that Jason Seiler, Sebastian Krueger and Paul Moyse were his favourite caricaturists.
Haw is building a collection of caricatures of Malaysian personalities.
“I think faces like Datuk Jimmy Choo and the late Datuk Sudirman Arshad are great subjects.
“Not only do they have interesting features, but I admire them for their contributions to the country. I’m working on a caricature of the late Tunku Abdul Rahman.”
So, what can we expect from this 38-year-old artist in the future?
“More caricatures for sure. I’m planning to put on a solo exhibition soon.
“I hope I can change people’s perception of drawing caricatures and make it a more accepted art form.”