Born in 1945 and raised on the Adams Shore section of Quincy Bay in Massachusetts, Richard K. Loud cannot remember a time when his life did not revolve around boats. As the son of a master shipwright who built boats both for profit and pleasure, he was exposed early on to the complexities and beauties of boat design and construction. This early training and passionate love for sailing vessels is evident in his paintings. His work combines a thorough understanding of a wide variety of vessel types and sea conditions, with a uniquely painterly feeling for light and atmosphere.

After working his way through Northeastern University as a draftsman for the Penn Central Railroad, he served as a deckhand on a 114-foot motor yacht and later assisted his father designing and building yachts. Yet, all this time he was constantly drawing and painting the vessels around him.

His dramatic paintings have earned him awards in the 1988, 1989, and 1990 Mystic International Exhibitions, as well as special mention in the December, 1990 YACHTING Magazine. In 1991, he was commissioned to paint the HMS ROSE, which was displayed on board the vessel during the Eastern Seaboard Tour of the Bill of Rights. The painting became a part of the permanent collection of the HMS ROSE Foundation in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  In 1992 and 2016 and 2019 the artist won the Award of Excellence at Mystic International for “outstanding example of creativity, insight and integrity of marine art.” In 2014, he was awarded the Thomas Wells Award at the Mystic International.

Loud has worked with marine artist John Stobart and Maritime Heritage Prints to produce a series of limited edition yachting prints. His paintings of clipper ships and traditional sailing yachts express a sailor's deep affection for the crafts, the brisk afternoons, and gentle breezes, in a way that people who have spent time at sea—or wish they had—can relate to. Loud is a Fellow in the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA).