The soft glow of a computer screen illuminates Coppell High School senior Larry Liu’s face as he puts the finishing touches on an assignment for KCBY-TV. Nearby, a half-finished oil painting patiently waits for his return. 

This is the dual world of Liu, a young teen who does not confine himself to one medium.

For Liu, drawing has always been an important part of his life, since he began drawing in preschool and pursued it with a more serious mindset in sixth grade. His passion began with the introduction of iPads in middle school. What started as casual doodles during free time soon evolved into an all-consuming hobby, fueled by the digital canvas at his fingertips.

“Larry showed me his art and right away, asked me if I wanted to see other art that he had made over the summer,” AP 2D and Design Art teacher Brennan Frugé said. “I knew Larry was someone who was working on their art a lot and was really good at it.”

Liu’s dedication to his craft is evident in the sheer amount of time he devotes to it. Despite a busy school schedule and his involvement as one of the executive program directors in KCBY-TV, Coppell High School’s TV broadcast program, Liu carves out time for his art.

“Every week, I’d say I do around eight hours of artwork,” Liu said. “On Friday, I do four hours and sometimes even six hours, with eight hours being the most, but I don’t even notice because I just get so into it.” 

Coppell senior Amanda Zhu, a long-time friend of Liu’s, has watched Larry grow as an artist since preschool, seeing him improve and find his passion.

“The sheer accuracy and detail Larry has is absolutely insane,” Zhu said. “Everything he makes is like a picture and the speed at which he can complete artwork is amazing to watch.”

Liu’s talents are not confined to a single form, ranging from digital art to oil painting, his versatility is as impressive as his skill. 

“Oil paint is my favorite medium to work with,” Liu said. “With oil paint, you can always make changes and it’s so flexible because it takes a long time to dry. You can always go back, erase or change anything, as long as you’re feeling it.”

Liu’s artistic journey has been monumentally acknowledged with numerous awards, including victories at the State Fair of Texas and Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE). 

“The first major art award I won was at the Texas State Fair, as I won first place in middle school. That’s the first time I really got into art and I was like, ‘Wow, I should really pursue this more because I could win stuff,’” Liu said. “That whole competition honestly shocked me because I got first place in Texas.”

Because of his intertwined interests in art and media, Liu plans to study marketing and advertising in college. His decision is an indication of his ability to combine his two greatest passions: art and journalism. 

“KCBY and art are my biggest passions in life, and I can study them together,” Liu said.

Liu’s message is clear: art is not just a hobby, but a valuable skill with real-world applications.

“Being good at art is so useful at school and so useful in doing my KCBY work because I know what looks good and I know what’s going to have the most likes and what has the most clicks,” Liu said. “When I’m not doing KCBY, I’m doing art and when I’m not doing art, I’m doing KCBY. Art isn’t just about painting and drawing; it’s about observation, as it bleeds into all those aspects.”

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