Creating of an eternal audience

Adding short poems or brief commentaries is one characteristic of classical Chinese paintings.

Huang reinforced that tradition by extending the length of the texts — his commentaries on paintings are often of hundreds of characters in length, enough for an essay.

Wu says that Huang's writing is full of the wit and humor for which he is known, melded with a down-to-earth manner and sense of calm that pleases both the eyes and minds of his readers.

"The reason that he did so many baimiao drawings and wrote lengthy commentaries on paintings was probably because he wanted to tell people that even at his age, he still had good control of his brushes, and retained his pursuit of detail," says Lei Zhenfang, a close friend and former art director of Rongbaozhai, the centuries-old cultural brand of Beijing.

In 1953, then a teacher at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Huang was dispatched by the school to research traditional woodblock printing at Rongbaozhai, where the technique was well preserved. Lei says that Huang studied for more than two months and learned under the guidance of artisans he also befriended.

He adds that all his life, the artist sought change and dared to confront challenges, and as a result, contributed to the revival of Chinese art.

"He never felt satisfied with himself. He often said, 'If I do one more drawing, I will do better than with this one.' His pursuit of freedom in art was motivated by his attempt to make breakthroughs."

Huang once said that those who paint are doomed to be alone.

"The painter needs to deal with everything around him in the world, and needs to confront changes, all the while keeping his world of art quiet and peaceful with utmost restraint."