Amateur face painter Elsa Rhae Pageler transforms into memorable characters

Elsa Rhae Pageler, a Kansas City, Mo. video editor/producer, has a knack for transforming her face into characters with paint.

"I have no degree in face painting. I needed an elective to graduate with my film degree and decided, on a whim, to take stage makeup," Pageler writes in an e-mail to Yahoo Canada.

"My parents are incredibly artistic so I've learned everything I know under their direction. I am entirely self taught in the area of face painting myself. I've learned how to paint other people through the company I work for, Sister Act Face Painting. I got bored with my theater makeup class and began to use the internet as a teacher. I learned from artists on youtube including Kandee Johnson, Goldiestarling, LisaJoyYoung, and MadeULook."

To become Game of Thrones' White Walker, a nearly three-hour process, Pageler had to master painting with only one eye open.

"It's not easy painting eyes on your eyelids," she writes on Facebook.

Her Captain Planet look requires a second glance: is that a human or a cartoon?

From the Grinch to Mortal Kombat's Quan Chi to Halo's Master Chief, Pageler's incredible transformations are starting to get some serious attention online.

Yahoo Canada: What inspires each of your looks?

Pageler: Each of my looks is inspired by my passion for transformation. I really dig being able to change my face into something completely different and unrecognizable. It is tedious work but it is absolutely worth it for the final outcome.

YC: What materials do you enjoy working with the most?

Pageler: I like to use wax based face paint and brushes. I don't prefer the sponge method. I use big brushes to cover my face with paint and tiny brushes for all the small details. I then use eyeshadow for shading.

YC: Do you hope to eventually pursue character makeup as a career?

Pageler: I'm not sure what's in my future with face painting. I have only been doing it for a year and haven't really had the time to consider a career in face paint. I began making stop motion videos of my face paint in the hopes that my video work would be noticed along side my paint (and I also used it as a way to show people my paints were real!)! If I could make a career combining the two, my dreams would be conquered.

Watch Pageler's awesome designs come to life on YouTube.