Ian Strang was born in London, oldest son of the artist William Strang. He studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, London and at the Académie Julian, Paris. He was an etcher and draughtsman in the academic Slade tradition. His landscapes, often of Southern European locations, although meticulously drawn can have a certain austerity and coolness. His early works used drypoint to produce tonal effects whereas his latter works used a pure etching technique.