Vincent van Gogh. In my personal opinion the greatest of the old masters. Extraordinary ability to create composition and find beauty in everyday circumstances. Brilliant and bold use of colour and vibrant brushstrokes.
A few years ago, while visiting van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, I have discovered a small painting done by the great master when he was attending the art school (about which he was saying that it was boring). It was a small painting titled “Skull of a skeleton with burning cigarette”.
I fell in love with it immediately, even though I was a smoker myself that time.
Now after few years of painting and some life drawing classes, I have decided I can try paint my own version of that painting.
I’ve chosen a bigger canvas than the original: 35 X 45 cm (14” X 18”).
I have decided to choose different colour scheme, so I went for red and umber (which I eventually mixed with titanium white and a touch of red).
I first did the drawing on paper, twice, because first version was rather small for the canvas and transferred the second one to the canvas.
I drew looking at a skull in an anatomy book, but changed the featuresa bit to get an unique looking chap.
I then laid in the background and the first layer of the figure.
After the background started drying (a week later) I finished the face, added the burning cigarette (dry brush with titanium white and a dash of yellow for the burning bit), the smoke and here it is: My own version of Skull of a skeleton with burning cigarette by Vincent van Gogh.
Final version of the painting