Character or figural portrayal is by far the most challenging in fine art painting, and yet it is also the best theme. Eng San has always enjoyed character and figural drawing, even at a young age. For more than 40 years he has continuously persevered in character sketching, hence in his landscape paintings he typically includes vivid characters. He perceives people to be reflective of the visible aspects of social life within a strata of society, hence featuring characters in a painting fills it with more vitality.

Eng San loves to paint picturesque and nostalgic scenes of people and landscape, especially scenes that are imminently in danger of vanishing in the course of rapid urbanization and redevelopment. He feels that the scenic landscape represents the culture with a spiritual part that embodies the way of life, the history and tradition. Eng San approaches his subject landscape with an inner sincerity to feel for the subject, to analyse and comprehend in depth before letting his paintbrush visually describe the story. Hence, in his paintings, you can slowly appreciate the subtle inherent meanings, and can see that from ordinary mundane scenes, he is able to create a vivid painting that tells a story.

Eng San is a steadfast person who understands working diligently in solitude as an artist and rarely basks in the glare of the media limelight. He often paints in the company of fellow artist friends from the Singapore Watercolour Society and frequently participates in exhibitions, both locally and overseas. His works are popular among art enthusiasts and private collectors.