An Evening With Vincent

Working from reproductions of paintings in books, I did these two studies, using a black brush pen to achieve a range of lines. I was interested in the brush strokes Van Gogh used, though the one on the right, from 'A Portrait of an Actor', is less successful than the study of 'An Artist On His Way to Work' on the left.

I love Van Gogh's work, and I really want to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam again in 2008, without the kids this time.

next step

Then, I did a detailed drawing of the arrangement, and I love the strong lines. I haven't decided if the lines will become a part of the final painting or not.

Originally I has an idea of a calm scene, but now it feels very energetic.

I'm definitely under the influence of Van Gogh at the moment. I don't want to copy his style but I am happy to see which elements of his work seep into mine.