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About Cuong Nguyen

Trained to be a traditional portraitist at the


age of 10 in his native Vietnam, Cuong has
always had a passion for drawing human faces.
He finds the natural beauty in the people
that surround him—from the men and women
he painted to earn money on the streets of
Saigon as a child, to the denizens of Silicon
Valley that he often paints today. Faces inspire
him—so much so that that he has been known
to approach strangers to request that they
model for him.

Amy - Pastel Despite his focus on the human form,


Cuong remains remarkably versatile as an
artist. As an illustrator at Yahoo, he works on
a digital canvas no bigger than 50 pixels square,
designing icons that are viewed and loved
around the world. At the other extreme, he
has been invited to festivals in the U.S. and
abroad to create pastel paintings on pavement
as large as 24 x 16 feet.

Cuong’s paintings depend on the dramatic


portrayal of light, shadow and environment to
reate their mood and sense of realism. He often
supplements the emotions visible in his
subjects’ faces with symbolic imagery that
adds a sense of mystery. He believes that a
successful painting requires that he establish
Josh - Pastel an emotional connection with his subject,
so that the viewer in turn connects at an
emotional level with his work.

Cuong is a member of the International Guild


of Realism, member of Oil Painters of America,
Distinguished Pastelist of the Pastel Society of
The West Coast, and Signature Member of Pastel of
America.

View more of Cuong ‘s work at his website:


www.icuong.com

Spring - Pastel
Cuong Nguyen’s Materials

PAPER: NuPastel:
1. Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper 277-P, 314-P, 316-P,
(Favorite: Belgian Mist) 204-P, 216-P, 256-P,
2. LaCarte Pastel Sanded Paper 318-P, 243-P, 313-P,
(Favorite: Light Blue Gray, Light Green) 233-P, 253-P, 273-P,
3. Strathmore or Canson pastel paper -
263-P, 223-P, 244-P
Size: 16”x20” or 18”x24” 298-P, 224-P, 229-P

Carbothello Pastel Pencil


700, 105, 680, 685, 575,
585, 595, 681, 642, 385, Some Soft Pastel
760, 310, 335, 625, 635, 750
Accessories
- 18 by 20 inch piece of 1/8 inch thick smooth masonite for use as
drawing surface
- Blue tape and binder clips to hold drawing paper in place
- X-acto knife, pencil sharpener and fine sandpaper
- Some paper towels
- Mahl stick (if you need it)
Pastel
Demostration
“Bacchus”

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