Gan Changlin (Tianjin, 1946) started sketching when still small. After graduating from junior high school, he continued his artistic work under the guidance of a teacher attached to the prefectural cultural palace. Gan joined the People's Liberation Army in 1968, and became an art worker in the Military Club. In 1979, he transferred to the Political Department of the Airforce of the Beijing Military Region, where he worked in the art section.
Gan's specialism is Chinese painting.