
Qiang Huang
I was fortunate enough to attend a painting workshop recently that was taught by the painter I feel is creating the most interesting and most vibrant still life works today, Qiang Huang. Qiang is originally from China, but has lived in Austin, TX for half of his life. He is a former tech engineer, turned professional artist - and after you see his work, you will understand how he was able to make that transition. His work is amazing, filled with light and energy, all while at the same time being a still life.

Qiang demo paintings
Each day was split into two sessions.
One session was a lecture and demo and the other section was an opportunity for us to paint while under his watchful eye.
These two paintings are his demos. These were completed in less than 2 hours of work! He is amazingly efficient with each stroke of his paintbrush.
The bottom image is what he calls 'low key', meaning it is created with a dark background and a focus on the light's interaction with the objects. The top image is 'high key' - where the background is light. I think I prefer the 'low key' version, but they both are extremely successful pieces of art.
I want to publicly thank Qiang for his great instruction. I look forward to more opportunities to study with you down the road. Thank you - Adam
Click the read more just below this text to see my work done during the Qiang Huang workshop
One session was a lecture and demo and the other section was an opportunity for us to paint while under his watchful eye.
These two paintings are his demos. These were completed in less than 2 hours of work! He is amazingly efficient with each stroke of his paintbrush.
The bottom image is what he calls 'low key', meaning it is created with a dark background and a focus on the light's interaction with the objects. The top image is 'high key' - where the background is light. I think I prefer the 'low key' version, but they both are extremely successful pieces of art.
I want to publicly thank Qiang for his great instruction. I look forward to more opportunities to study with you down the road. Thank you - Adam
Click the read more just below this text to see my work done during the Qiang Huang workshop
These next three images show: My first set up for my still life at the workshop, followed by my value sketch (done using transparent oil paints on the canvas), followed by the finished painting. I have never been a 'still life' kind of guy. I never found them interesting, that is, until I found Qiang's work. I have been following his blog for a long time, lapping up every morsel of information he disseminates via his newsletter. When I found out he was coming to the Raleigh area, it took me 2 seconds to decide to attend. I am glad I did! My work here is no master work, but I think it is pretty strong for a guy that hasn't produced a still life since his college days! |