Van Gogh: An Autobiography in Letters

Author: Vincent van Gogh (Netherlands), translated by Hirano
Translator: Hirano
Country:
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-09-01
Features: I bought a copy of Cassandre's On Watercolor Painting, and I am currently studying this book. Even if I don't paint a watercolor, I can find many useful things in this book, such as knowledge about ink paintings and watercolor paintings. Until now, I have only drawn pencil sketches with pen outlines, sometimes using reed brushes to draw thicker lines. Recently, the things I have drawn require me to adopt this drawing method and use perspective, such as the workshops in this rural area—a blacksmith's shop, a carpenter's shop, and a wooden boot shop. Rebat told me he is going to buy all the books compiled by Cassandre. He is very troubled by perspective, and I also can't solve this problem; if I could completely get rid of this problem, I would be grateful for these books. I have applied the theories contained in these books to practice. There is another thing that needs to be done. I mean white Ingres paper. Not absolutely white, but undyed linen color, but also not too dark. I brought some such paper from Brussels. Painting on this paper is very comfortable, it is very suitable for pen and ink drawings, especially with reed brushes. Vermeylen has already left here, and I feel very sorry for it. She is a very good model. I drew a sketch of her and another girl who lives here. I drew a sewing machine in this sketch. There are no spinning wheels now, which is really a pity for painters, but other things have taken their place, and they are also suitable for painting. I found that a gardening worker here, Piet Kaufman, is a very good model. I thought it would be best for him to hold a spade or a plow, or something similar; not to draw in my room, but in the yard, in his own house, or in the fields. But how difficult it is to make someone understand how to pose! They are very stubborn in this regard, and it is very difficult to get them to compromise. They are only willing to wear crease-free Sunday clothes, so that neither their knees nor elbows nor the characteristic concave and convex shapes formed by any part of their body are visible. You come to me again and talk about everything for a long time, which makes me very happy. The day after you left, I was sick in bed, and I talked with Dr. Vangin for a long time. He is a smart and experienced person. It wasn't because this trivial illness was worth calling a doctor, but because whether I was sick or not, I like to talk to a doctor to find out if my body and mind are normal. I did another charcoal exercise with Ingres drawing paper. Directly drawing from life is more exciting than copying Bargue's paintings, but I still have to let myself copy Bargue's paintings repeatedly, and I am currently in the last copy. It is wrong to pay attention only to details and ignore the whole in sketches. This problem is very serious in the sketches I have drawn recently. Therefore, I need to learn Bargue's painting method again (he only outlines the main lines, shapes, and simple, light overall outlines). I will finish this painting in the autumn, which is a suitable time for painting. I hope everyone has what I gradually get: the ability to read a book without difficulty in a short time and the ability to retain a strong impression. Reading is like looking at paintings—it must be done without doubt or hesitation, with a clear appreciation of the beauty.