Apart from costumes and ornaments, body painting (mekkezhuthu) is also very important in theyyam makeups. body painting is the drawing of pictures on the body with colours in a specially arranged manner for the respective theyyams.
Green, yellow, white, red and black are the main colors used for body painting. Colors are made using rice powder, turmeric powder, vermilion, castic soda etc. Some theyyams belonging to the group of tiger gods also have the practice of pasting cotton obtained from cotton tree. It is common practice for the theyyam artist himself to write a simple calligraphy of rice powder on Theyyam like Mutthappan.
