Take my lesson, but don't do what I did

It has been more than a month I have not posted any painting image on the Internet. You probably wonder what has been going on with my art. Well, first of all, I want to wish you a Happy New Year. I hope 2022 brings you good fortune and more success. 

The year 2021 has been a difficult year for many people. I am one of them. In October, I have been diagnosed with bladder cancer. among my busy traveling schedules, I have managed and gone through a few exams and two surgeries. I want to sincerely apologize to the workshop organizers and artists for canceling the planned activities due to the time conflicts with my surgeries. Now I am on my way back to normal. My recent test has shown no cancer cells in my bladder and ureter. I still need additional treatment, and it may happen after the New Year.

Originally, I thought I should keep my personal challenges to myself, but I have realized that the lesson I have learned is relevant to all oil painters. I have no family history of cancer, so I assumed the chances for me to get cancer would be minimized. I don't smoke and drink, have reasonably healthy diet, and exercise regularly. When the cancer showed up in my life, I was shocked.

My dear artist friends,  My message to you now is: Please be careful when you oil paint.

I have noticed quite a few oil painters die young with cancer. To name a few: Bob Ross died at 52, Helen Ven Wyk died at 64, and Johnie Liliedahl died at 64. Before I got cancer, I was pretty careless when I paint. Now I regret. So if you are an oil painter, I have 3 very important advices:

1. You MUST wear gloves when you oil paint.

2. You need to have a good ventilation mechanism if you paint indoors.

3. You should use as less as possible cadmium based oil pigments.

I hope all of you have taken my lesson. Please make these 3 things as your New Year resolution if you have not doing so. May all of you have a good health and dealing with oil paints wisely.

2022 Desk Calendar

 

At this wonderful Thanksgiving time, I am very grateful that so many wonderful friends are supporting me, cheering up and encouraging me to come out of my challenges. I am deeply touched. You are warming my heart. At this special moment, I want to announce that I have made the 2022 desk calendar, and you may order starting today. My batch order will come in early December, then I can send them to you after I receive my batch. Please go to my website then click the "Store" tab, or directly: http://www.qh-art.com/calendar-2022.html. to see the images and place your order. Thank you so much.

"Richard Schmid's Roses"

 

I have spent quite a few days to copy a painting from The Master Artist Richard Schmid. I admire this exceptional great artist, and learned a lot from his teaching. My copy will have no commercial value. I will keep it at home to remind me how beautiful oil pigments can generate. 

Now I have started to review my journey as an artist. I feel all good paintings are manifestation of the great Universe. The artists are the vehicles to carry out or reveal the greatness of the Cosmic Devine. We, as individuals, are in this world for only a short time, and can do very limited things. However, the appreciation of the Super Creation will last throughout the entire mankind.

Workshop Reminder

 

I will teach a 4-day in-person still life painting workshop at Sarasota Florida. If you are interested to know my painting approaches, this will be a wonderful opportunity. We still have openings. Please visit: https://southernatelier.org/store/qiang-huang-painting-the-still-life-in-oil/ for detailed information and signing up. I am looking forward to seeing you in the Sunshine State.

Demos I did in Tuscany

 

Recently, I have taught a plein air painting workshop in Tuscany Italy. I want to thank "Art Escape in Italy" and all the artists from all over the world.  I really had a wonderful time.

"Sister Bay Sail Boats"

 

I have not posted painting images on my blog and FB for a while. I am sorry. This is a small painting I did yesterday. 

My new Zoom workshop in September

 

I would like to announce a new workshop I will teach soon: "Painterly Figurative". You probably have noticed that the workshops I have been teaching for more than a decade were either still life or landscape. Now I am ready to share my figurative techniques. I will use this One-Day Zoom class to introduce how I handle human forms to achieve sensitive and accurate drawings, and then how to use expressive brush work to obtain a loose but convincing presentation of figures on canvas. If you are interested in my painting techniques, please check: http://www.qh-art.com/zoom-workshop-figurative.html to sign up. I will show you my approaches, which are tangible and working.

Workshop Reminder: Tuscany Italy

 

I have resumed my in-person workshop teaching. So far I have taught two. I am expecting a third one, which will be at Vinci, Italy. I am so looking forward to visiting and teaching at this special place of Tuscany. Vinci is the home town of Leonardo da Vinci. I feel so honored to be close to the Master. If you happen to have time, love art and Italy. The workshop/retreat will be a great opportunity for you. Please check the webpage: https://www.artescapeitaly.com/qianghuang for detailed information and registration. We still have a few openings. I am looking forward to meeting you, and sharing my painting approaches with you. 

App update

 

A quantitative color temperature scale has been developed and implemented on the updated “Painter’s Guide” app. This app is free for everybody to use. Just go to my website and click the “Apps” tab, then select “painter’s guide”. I know the color temperature is a relative concept. However, I think it will be helpful if we have an absolute quantitative scale, so we can manage the subtle temperature change more precisely. If you are you interested in the scientific base of this development, please contact me.

Monument Valley 3

 

This is another color scheme study of the Monument Valley.

Monument Valley 2

 

I have taken many photos during our recent RV trip. This is my first studio painting based on one of the photos. The purpose of this painting is to re-present the color scheme that the Nature demonstrated in front of my camera. I don't think I can create, but I can simply document what has happened.

Workshop Announcement

 

I have just finished a one-month long RV camping trip in Texas, New Mexico, and Utah. Now I am ready for work. I would like to announce that I will teach a 4 - day painting workshop at Huntsville Fine Art Museum. We still have a couple of openings. If you are interested in learning how I push paints around. Please visit Qiang's Huntsville Workshop for more info, and signing up. I am looking forward to painting together with you.

Workshop Reminder: June 25 at Salt Lake City

 

Life gradually moves back to normal. I am preparing to travel again. My first in-person workshop will be in Salt Lake City on June 25. This workshop is almost full, but it might still have a couple of openings. If you are interested to learn how I paint, please visit: Workshop SLC to sign up. I am looking forward to meeting you in-person. Good luck.

Snow in Texas

 

Can you believe I never painted snow before. That is true. Well, not any more. I painted this one after I returned from my plein air camping trip. This was our neighborhood during the deep freeze in February. I did this for a color study. I need to finish the 4th session of my online color teaching: "Color in the real world".  To my surprise, snowscape is one of the simplest color situations in representational painting. The reason is very simple. Snow does not have much of local color because it is white. It may not have too much influence of environmental color either because its size. Therefore, the dominant color contribution is the light source colors. In a sunny day like this one, the dual light source situation is obvious. For sure you have warmer light and cooler shadow. You know why. So if you want to understand color temperature, paint snow first before you paint other landscapes. It took me quite a few years to figure this out. Duh....

San Angelo Water Lilies

Painting plein air at the International Waterlily Garden at San Angelo with my friend Kyle Ma. 
 

Blooming Cactus

 

I went camping again. The location was San Angelo State Park. The cactus were blooming. It is not surprising seeing cactus of course, I have been living in Texas for more than twenty years. However, it is my first time seeing so many of them, and they are blooming so beautifully. I don't think this plein air painting capture that beauty, but I have tried.

New Zoom Workshop in June: Dynamic Still Lives

 

I will teach a Zoom workshop about still life painting in June. This workshop will have 2 group meetings, I will share my approaches via presentations and demo. In addition, there will be 1 individual critique for each registered student. I will work with you specifically to address your issues and provide helping tips for your improvement. If you are interested in taking this workshop, please visit: http://www.qh-art.com/zoom-workshop-in-june-2021.html for detailed information and sign up. I am looking forward to meeting you in mid June.

First Sunset

 

This is my very first sunset painting. Be honest with you, it was one of the easiest paintings I have ever done. Thursday afternoon was perfect, I decided to catch the last piece of beautiful light en plein air. I arrived at the spot quite early because I know the sunset is very quick I should better be prepared. I did my drawing and value rather quickly, but hold on the color block-in, because the colors will change when the showtime comes. Then I waited, waited, waited a little long .... zzzzz. I got up, walked around, and took many beautiful photos. Then come back the my painting spot, but the sun was still pretty high. Now I have a confession to make: I took out of my phone, find a sunset photo I took from my previous camping trip, and wollah!! Here comes the painting.

Plein Air Tree Study 051421

 

We went camping for 3 days at the Lake Somerville State Park. I did a few plein air paintings. You know I seldom do pure nature landscapes, I like to put houses, boats, or other man made items in my painting as the center of focus. This time I was out of luck. This park is full of beautiful trees. So I must paint some of them. This is one of studies.

"Green Roof"

 

This is my demo painting I did two days ago for my One-Day Zoom Workshop. It was another successful one. The feedbacks from my 3 Zoom workshops so far have approved that using apps to paint is a remarkably effective way to paint. Beginner painters can quickly go through the hurtles of color perception and color mixing. My dream is to make the technique part of painting becomes so clear and easy. Artists will spend most of their time and effort on their designs to express their creativity.

"Rock and Water Study"

 

How do you manage your colors to show something looks solid? How do you use color relativity to reveal subtle changes of the local color variation? How do you handle grays to achieve rich and sophisticated color designs? To answer these questions, I did this study. 

One Day Zoom Workshop Reminder

 

The image showing here is a demo painting I did for my 2nd Zoom Workshop I am still conducting. Now I have gone through the necessary learning curve of using the internet tool to teach. For my regular Zoom workshops I have to limit the number of students. However, now I am trying this new approach of One-day Workshop, so I will be able to share my painting process with more people. If you are interested in the way I paint and happen to be that you have some time next Wednesday, then please consider to attend my one-day class. The webpage of this workshop is at: http://www.qh-art.com/zoom-workshop-one-day.html. I hope all the beginner painters can get the right techniques and elevate to at least the intermedium level as soon as possible.

Thoreau's House

 

This small house is a replica of Henry David Thoreau's house at the historical museum in Concord MA. I have read Thoreau's "Walden" and admired his wisdom. I wish more people understand him. The world could have been much better if more people have practiced his teaching. I used the same reference photo and painted this small house many times. On my 2nd Zoom workshop I painted this house again as a demo.

Richard Schmid

 

We have just lost I considered the BEST representational artist in the world: Richard Schmid. He was one of the kindest and generous teachers I have ever met. I am very fortunate of having chances of meeting the painters' Master in 2010. As a beginner artist at that time. I have admired Richard's remarkable paintings for a long time. However timid I was, but I decided to reach out and contacted the Putney Painters. I was so thrilled and I got the permission of visiting the Barn and watched Richard, Nancy, and many Putney master painters to paint. The photos here are my documentations of the several events I have participated. Richard was not only the BEST artist, but also the kindest human being. His humor, his wit, and his knowledge have left very profound  impression in me. Inspired and educated by the Master, I will try my best to promote and share the knowledge and skills to bring more people involving into the most beautiful field we call ART.

Workshop in Salt Lake City

 

Two days ago, I have got my second vaccination shot.  I think I am ready to resume the normal life. I have updated my domestic workshop schedule on my website: http://www.qh-art.com/domestic-workshops.html (or just go to my website and click the "Workshops" tab then select "Domestic Workshops). If you are interested in taking one of my in-person workshops, please check the above webpage and communicate with the corresponding workshop organizers. I will start to travel and teach in June, and my first workshop will be at Workshop SLC in Salt Lake City UT. I hope to see you there.

"Spring in the woods"

 

Painting green is a challenge. I picked a photo that show all kinds of greens: the house with a green roof, The trees with fresh green leaves in the spring time, and the green grass in shadow and in light. I have spent two days on this small painting. It feels my handling of green colors has got more sensitive. All the efforts during the pandemic isolation have shown some effects. I am enchanted.

One Day Zoom Workshop in May

 

From my limited experiences of organizing Zoom workshops, I have learned that the demand of online art learning is much larger than I thought. The two workshops I have organized so far got full way to quickly, and many friends did not get a chance. In order to give the opportunity for many more people to access my painting approaches, I decided to teach a one-day Zoom workshop and allow up to 100 people to get in. So you can have an overview of my painting process. Different from my regular workshops, I may not be able to provide individual guidance this time. However you may view how I paint and have a video to review at your convenience. The information and registration of this workshop are at: http://www.qh-art.com/zoom-workshop-one-day.html. If you are interested in my teaching, I do recommend you to sign up as early as possible. It may get full quickly as well.  Good luck my friends.

Workshop in Tuscany Italy

It has been too long. We all look forward the Covid 19 pandemic coming to the end, and we can travel and enjoy the activities we used to have. I have planned to teach a plein air painting workshop in Tuscany, Italy this October. Can you imagine the wonderful days of relaxing in the beautiful Italian wine country and learn a few tips of oil painting? Please check: https://www.artescapeitaly.com/qianghuang for detailed information. So far we still have a few openings. I am looking forward to seeing you this fall in the beautiful Tuscany.
 

"Tuscany Landscape"

 

This is so far the largest demo painting I have ever done live in front of my students. The size is 18" x 24". The painting was finished in 3 sessions: composition, color block-in, and modeling. I used the opportunities to share my understanding and techniques of drawing, color, and design. The happiest thing for me of teaching workshops is to see noticeable progress showing on students' work.  

Zoom Workshop in April

 

I plan to teach my 2nd Zoom workshop in April. This one will take two weeks, from April 19 (Monday) to April 30 (Friday). I will cover the same amount of information as my current March workshop in a more condensed way. If you are interested taking this workshop, please visit the webpage: http://www.qh-art.com/zoom-workshop-3_2021.html for detailed information and click the blue registration button to sign up. I have only 15 seats. Please take your action as quick as possible.

"Utopian Harmony"

 My very first Zoom workshop started yesterday. This is the demo painting (well, I did some finish touches offline). I consider this workshop is a new milestone on my art journey. If I can use one word to summarize this event, it will be "quantitative". You might think this word maybe the most irrelevant for an art activity, but that is exactly why this workshop is so significant. I have introduced "measuring cups" to my students, and "painting by numbers" will not be dirty words in art practices any more. 

"Color Relativity" course is online

 

My "Color Relativity" course is on Udemy now. The video can be viewed online without the need of downloading the file to your computer. This is the 3rd class of my "Rigorous Color System for Artists". I have learned a lot by doing the research of color relativity. Human's color vision is so tricky. It varies all over the places when the viewing condition changes. I hope this course can help you to gain more control when you paint. Please visit: http://www.qh-art.com/online-teaching.html to access all versions of this course.

"Tuscany Study"

 

I painted a small study today. The purpose of this study is to investigate the chroma of the color green. Human eyes are very sensitive to green. In the real world, It is rare to have greens with high chroma. Most of the greens are rather close to gray, but our eyes often give us the fake news. We feel we see very pure green, and we tend to use high chroma green colors to paint trees, grass, and other green stuff. Now I have the "Painter's Guide App". I can measure the chroma if I paint from photos. In this painting, all the greens in light are rather dull. Actually, the chroma of the shadow colors are much higher. Is that weird? 

Zoom Workshop: Studio Landscape Painting Workshop

 

I am very excited and happy to announce: I am ready to teach a painting workshop on Zoom. The title of the workshop will be "Studio Oil Landscape Painting Process". I will meet the class 5 times on every Monday in March. I will use these group meetings to present, demo, and critique. This will be a highly interactive workshop. I will give assignments, and set up individual Zoom meetings with each student to discuss and give tips specifically. The workshop is limited to 15 students, and the registration will be on the basis of first come first served.  For detailed information and registration, please visit: Qiang Huang's Zoom Workshop. 

"A girl in Sedona" finished

 

I have finished this painting. What I have learned from this project was how to control the chroma of the color. Any color has 3 attributes: hue, chroma, and value. To make the hue and value correct is not very hard, but visualize chroma precisely is not easy. We might be able to estimate how dull or vibrant a color can be, but it is difficult to get it accurately. I had to use measurement and math to get it close to right. I took many photos of the painting during its development. The load the photos on the "painter's guide" app. I measure the chroma coordinates of colors in specific area, and then compare the reading on the corresponding area on the reference photo. The result was shocking to me that how inaccurate I got the chroma. Very often, I tend to make the chroma too high. Now I have gained more chroma control.

I also made a Youtube video of this painting. Please enjoy.

A girl in Sedona 1

 

It has been about 20 days since my last post, and 35 days since my previous painting. Too much is going on. I watched too much TV. Now we have the new president. I wish the new president the best luck facing all of unprecedented challenges, and hope the United States is on the right track. Life keeps on going. I hope all of you happy and peaceful.

During this isolation time, I don't have too much commitments. I have been drifting with my mood and let my feeling takes control. This may not be a good idea. I spent a lot of time at my off-the-grid place with all kinds of projects. I also spent too much time on the computer learning 2D and 3D graphics, and investigating the scientific base of color. The only thing I did not do enough was painting. It maybe I did it too much and start to get sick of it. You might have the same experience: if you put down your brushes, it will be very hard to pick them up again. However, if you force yourself to paint, you will see the joy comes back.

I started this painting a few days ago. I am no longer having the energy as my old daily painting days, but as I saw the painting image evolving, I still feel enchanted.

"Color 3" class is online

 

Happy New Year! My new year resolution for 2021 is "To serve more". We have gone through a very difficult 2020. We have been actually more connected rather than "isolated". I have learned how to survive by reducing my expenses. We grow our own vegetables, raise chickens and I am continuing my experiment of off-the-grid living. So I will try to decrease my business appetite in 2021. The year of 2020 was not too bad and I feel grateful. I am still healthy. I have learned a lot and accomplished quite a bit. I have done significant amount of study about "color", developed apps, produced online teaching videos about color study and painting. and started to build a Youtube channel. 

At this moment, I am happy to announce that the  Part 3 of the "Rigorous Color System for Artists" online course: "Color Relativity" is ready for download and DVD purchase, and very soon the true online class on Udemy will be available. I have made an Youtube trailer for this class. Please check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC0oCJWN0vk&t=2s . I keep my online color classes very affordable. Please visit: http://www.qh-art.com/online-teaching.html for information and purchase. You may find my teaching is rather "academic". It may not directly teach "how to paint". If you only want to know how to paint, please check my dvd page. I feel good artists need to do true studies. I take advantage of  my scientific training to develop my color courses. I hope they can help you to grow and improve.