Van Gogh Oil Painting Reproductions

I did two painting reproductions in one session: one of Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers (8x10" canvas sheet, 1.5 hours), and Van Gogh's famous Starry Night (8x10" canvas board, 1 hour speed painting). 

This is the first time I painted his sunflowers. One of these Van Gogh sunflower paintings is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is an impressive large canvas that catches your eye as soon as you walk into the room, with its vivid colors, stark contrasts and complementary colors, and the thick impasto forming all the parts of the flowers that out toward you. The first time I reproduced the Starry Night was on a 16 by 20 canvas for my sister, this little one is for me. I could have perfected the details and added more of his signature brushstrokes but the goal was to finish it in one hour.

How to Paint Like Frans Hals

Frans Hals was the Dutch master of vibrantly painted characters exuding emotion, laughter, inebriation, and such comical facial expressions as the maniacal grimace or sneer that shoots over the shoulder of the Malle Babbe, or "The Witch of Haarlem." That intensely interesting subject is what I have recreated here in a whimsical portrait of a friend who posed.

I love painting Frans Hals copies because of his seemingly quick and loose brushstrokes and the fact that every line and color on his canvases is exactly what is needed in the picture and not a bit more. When I remix his pictures, I keep that looseness and show just the essence of the image instead of a slavish reproduction, while still keeping the spirit of the original. 8x10" canvas board.

It looks like I gave him a falcon instead of an owl, but I imagine this sort of witch/ tavern patron would attract any manner of fowl or rodent. This was a very fun painting, and I have another Hals remix in the works.

How to Paint like Thomas Gainsborough

A young bourgeois in fancy satin and linen stands proudly for the painter, who created his best and most well-known work. The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough has always been one of my favorite paintings, and I have recreated it here with a model you'll find familiar (Portrait With Cat, Saint John by Caravaggio). I have made his face as young as the little aristocrat, and aside from the sitter transplant I've kept the rest fairly close to the original.

Gainsborough took advice from peer Joshua Reynolds who said that blue can not only be the focal point in a painting rather than simply recede, but dominate the canvas. And dominate the blue boy does: with that blue satin sheen, the hand on hip and feathered hat, and confident look on the face that assures the viewer 'I'm here, I'm important, and I am worthy of being in one of the best portraits of 18th century Europe'.

I've been enjoying painting originals and exploring the character of the objects and views close by, keeping the grandiose and/or important subjects for later. I still love copying from great artists as it helps me to hone my skills and learn about the techniques, life and times of the artist (and what a time it must have been to paint portraits in the late 18th century, with such fashion!). As all artists before me have taken from those who preceded them, I will see as far as I can by standing on the shoulders of giants.

Fruit Portrait Paintings: Grapefruits and Pomegranates

There are many reasons why a painter may want to paint a portrait of fruits, not least of which is the fact that the "sitters" need not be paid. In fact, as a bonus the artist may feast on the delicious sweetness of the subject.

    Like people, no two fruit portraits will ever be exactly alike. Each fruit has own unique shape, seed arrangement, spoilage spots, and light will hit each one differently depending on its placement.
    When painting fruit, a painter is challenged to represent the fruit's character: the swirl of seeds in the pomegranate; the translucency of the seeds, showing the succulent juiciness within; its imperfect shape.
    In the grapefruit, I got to portray the pink, semi-translucent segments. If a viewer gets hungry or thirsty for grapefruit juice, it would not be an accident.
    The fruit comes from living plants and my paint is alive with vivid colors of nature.
    I had the opportunity to practice getting color just right. In both pomegranate and grapefruit paintings, I had to paint exactly what I saw and not what I thought I saw. In the curve of the pomegranate, there are hundreds of shades beyond simply cadmium yellow medium: naples yellow, cadmium yellow light, burnt umber, raw umber, white, and even touches of rose and viridian, as well as many hues and blends of each.
    I practiced with texture, especially with the pomegranate. The skin of that fruit is somewhat rough, with striations going from pole to pole, and each dent gives the chance to express the shadows and lights. The grapefruit is dimpled with tiny dots, but not all are shown, rather a few here and there give the impression that the whole globe is dotted like pinpricks.

Mmm, delicious and thirst-quenching art. 

The Thin Line Between Artistic Genius and Madness

I have often wondered if the characters in Hieronymus Bosch's paintings haunted his dreams. The nightmarish depictions of evil were painted to serve as warnings, but are they the result of the artist's personal demons? It's not easy to think that such horrible monstrosities could have been the creation of a sane and tranquil man.

Troubled Geniuses

It's no doubt that Bosch's paintings are the work of a creative genius. The hybrid beasts, the seemingly random pairings of unlikely objects, and occurrences of odd sights in odd places were parts of dreamy landscapes which predated the Surrealism movement by four centuries. This was a man ahead of his time.

With the Christian faith always seeking a visual complement to the pulpits, the masses were served doses of doomsday forewarnings in the form of art to keep them straight and pious. Though never officially commissioned to serve the Church, Bosch was the man for this mission: to not only get his point across to the viewers, but to smack them with it like a bag of hammers and leave mental imagery to stay for a long time to come. The Hell Panel on the Garden of Earthly Delights doesn't get forgotten quickly. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Scholars have hypothesized that Bosch's pictures were much deeper than simple apocalyptic forecasts. Some have even interpreted his work in terms of Freudian psychology, with insights into the human subconscious. Either way, I'm willing to wager that anyone capable of producing such fantastical paintings was well in touch with his own subconscious and dreams- or nightmares. Nothing is known about the state of his psychological health.

You've heard the adage that there's a thin line between genius and madness. It never seems to fail. Some of the brightest and most creative artists, musicians, arithmeticians, and strategists have led troubled lives or eventually crack. Often, the status quo is the least comfortable idea for them, and forging ahead with their creations is met with confusion and misunderstanding by the world at large.

Vincent van Gogh turned to drawing and painting relatively late after a failed try at a life of the cloth. Flunking out of seminary school, it was soon apparent to Vincent that his interpersonal awkwardness and short temper would never allow him to be a preacher. Nonetheless, he was filled with spiritual ideas and wanted to shout his sermons to the world. Financial success only meant that he could continue to fund his mission. Painting was his vehicle of choice. The masses would view his creations and share in his energy.

Only the masses and Vincent seemed to live in separate universes. No one understood him but his dear brother Theo, who would eventually be the lone purchaser of his art. Even his promising mission partner Gauguin would not be able to understand. The world was not quite ready to accept the van Gogh philosophy and wasn't capable of respecting and appreciating his art and ideas. Eventually, after two months of frenzied working, producing a canvas a day, and with the world against him, Vincent painted his last wheat field, went and sat in that wheat field, and shot himself.

Art history is filled with misunderstood, troubled artists. They lived at odds with the world like van Gogh, were reclusive and strange like James Ensor, prone to violence like Michelangelo, or Caravaggio, morbid like Francis Bacon or Edvard Munch, rife with personal hardships like Frida Kahlo and Fransico Goya... The list goes on. In some cases, art and creativity could have been the cause of degenerative health.

Living a hard life seems to be a prerequisite for great artists. Sometimes that hardship comes in the form of mental illness. It's possible that mental illness is the reason of high levels of creativity in some people. This is common, for instance, with schizophrenics, with high levels of ingenuity and creativity showing as the illness worsens. Mental hospitals have been known to house some highly original artists.

What came first, the chicken or the egg? In either case, some of the greatest art has been made either at high cost, or as the result of adversity. I can only wish and wonder if the tragic lives of artists like Vincent van Gogh had not been cut short, what could have been created. What would his paintings have looked like in 1891 and beyond?

We all live through adversity. It's a part of life. Whether this is good or bad for art, who is to say? Just promise me you'll see a therapist the first instant you ponder cutting your ear off.

How to Be More Creative

No matter what line of work you're in, or what you do in your free time, everybody needs to rely on creative solutions. Have you ever been in a creative void- the kind of slump you can't get out of, like writer's block? Ever just stare at a blank canvas, word processor, desktop, or work space with a seemingly hollow brainpan?

Of course you have. It happens to all of us. You may be an artist stumped for ideas for paintings, illustrations, or drawings. Perhaps you're a designer tired of churning out the same old things with your clients sharing the same sentiments. You could be a freelance [fill in the blank] and need to really knock 'em dead with some fresh ideas. Maybe you're like me and you just need to spice things up and are looking to increase your creative output.

We all have our bad times, but hope is not lost. No matter who you are or what your motivations, there are remedies to your lack of mental pizzazz so you can get your gears turning again, and the creativity oozing.

1. Make a list- A BIG one

You'll be absolutely amazed by the results you'll get from this one. The rules are simple: You make a list of not less than 100 things, and you do it in one sitting. Don't break the rules! Go ahead and let yourself be intimidated by the magnitude of the list- this is healthy nervousness. The only fear you must face with this is the fear of succeeding. Know that when you are done you will have a list of 100 solutions.

The list can be about anything you need to come up with. The first time I did it, I made a list of 100 things to do with a useless steel drum that was taking up space in my basement. Be sure to write down all the silly ideas (put wheels on it and turn it into a motorcycle sidecar?!). The point is, your brain will be forced to think way outside of the box. By number 70 or so, you'll have some real gems. Your brainpower will thank you for this priceless creativity boosting method.

2. Cranial Gale Force

Brainstorming is similar to list making, only that it's not so linear. This is effective when working with a team. Have one scribe write on paper or dry erase board and have people call out ideas. Once again DO NOT shun the silly ideas. This is not the time to nit pick and nay say. When you're done, you will have a few good ideas for a good start.

A good method for brainstorming is to start with a problem or point of interest in the center of the page and circle it. Then branch out to solutions or ideas and continue until they are branched out as well. If you prefer not to write on dead trees, a freeware program called Free Mind is available, which gives you resources to brainstorm on your computer.

3. Have Some More Coffee

After all, coffee is a stimulant, right? Don't underestimate the power of external stimulants to give your internal resources a budge. When used in conjunction to the list of 100, you can almost sit back and watch your own hand writing at the speed of sound as you jot your ideas down.

Maybe coffee isn't your cup of tea (sorry). Whatever perks you up, be it chocolate, tea, green tea, iced tea, soda- don't spare it. Let it help you create.

4. Draw A Collage

This one is not just for artists. Start with a big blank sheet of paper, or first jot down a quick picture of a landscape or a city street. Now begin making small random figures- in essence doodling. Don't be afraid to crowd the scene with everything you can think of- animals, pedestrians, animals in clothing, people riding birds in the sky, a giant giving a person a ride on his shoulder, and so on. Let if flow, and be silly with it. Your mind will begin working automatically coming up with new and interesting additions to the drawing. The crazier, the better. This method can unlock deep creative potential in anybody.

Don't worry about quality, you're not sending it to the museum. The idea is to allow free forms, associations, and ideas flow without laboring. Start pairing characters and objects with things it normally wouldn't go with- combining two unlikely objects is an ageless recipe for entrepreneurial success.

5. Use It Or Lose It!

Your brain is a powerful force on this planet. Cogito ergo sum (I think therefore I am). The human mind has been known to heal the body just from powerful thinking and meditation. It would be a terrible thing to waste.

Unfortunately we can indeed waste our brains if we don't constantly challenge it. By feeding your mind with the right input, we can greatly increase the quality of our output. Do simply daily brain exercises to strengthen your mental muscle.

Change your scenery every now and then so your mind doesn't stagnate in the same sight day in and day out. Take a different route to work some days. Take the scenic route. Use your non-dominant hand to do everything- brush your teeth. Shave without a mirror, shower in the dark, navigate your house in the dark. By strengthen your mind using simple brain exercises like these, we may be surprised by the cognitive improvements.

6. Food For Thought- You Are What You Eat

We wouldn't exercise our bodies without giving it the proper fuel, right? The same is true for the brain. Now that we exercise our brains, we must feed it right. What's likely good for the rest of the body is good for the brain- as our brains take in 20% of our fuel and oxygen. So don't feed it junk.

Eat foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids such as fish- particularly fatty fish like salmon and tuna. Unsaturated fat is also good. When you look at the facts on a can of peanuts it looks bad because it is high in fat, but only saturated fat is really bad for you. If it has un-, poly-un, or mono-un- in front of it, it's good for you.

7. Sleep On It

Sometimes when we're scratching our heads in front of a blank notebook or computer desktop, with steam coming out of our ears from frustration, we just want to pull our hair out. As long as the deadline permits, stop what you're doing and walk away from it. If you give yourself a break every once in a while you'll be far more productive than if you worked through your break.

Some of the most creative minds in history have used sleep to assist their efforts. Take a nap and be sure to keep a notebook handy. As you're falling asleep pay attention to the wacky images floating by in your head. Your dreamy thoughts just may be the key.

Our subconsciousness is hard at work while we slumber. Recently I've been trying to catch up with old acquaintances on social sites but couldn't remember most last names. Sitting in front of the computer scratching my head proved fruitless. However, for the last 4 days I woke with 4 names in my head. Sleep can work wonders.

8. Don't Miss Those Opportunities

We've all been there: we come up with some brilliant idea in the shower or on the road or elsewhere and later couldn't think of it for the life of us. We know we had a eureka! moment but can't drudge up the details. It pays bundles to keep a small notebook handy where ever you go for that reason.

Random thoughts aside, you never know when you might feel a wave of inspiration. At the museum, the sight of great art may inspire you in many ways and a deluge of ideas will come in. Don't miss out!

9. Think Outside of the Box

Easier said than done, right? By using some of these other methods I hope you can come up with some new and exciting ideas. The main thing is to allow the nonsensical ideas to come out. You can deal with or delete them later. Some of the most innovative companies have research and development teams which are separate from the rest of the company so bureaucracy and negative nellies won't get in the way of their genius.

So some times you must ignore those around you who say, "that won't work," or "sorry to burst your bubble." They mean well, but their doubts and insecurities are their own, and need not affect you and your creative solutions and project ideas. The idea is to come up with things which the majority of other people have not or could not.

10. Just Do It

The best way to tackle a problem is to dive right in. When I write, I don't think much when I first put pen to paper. As long as I get started, the rest will present itself. Give yourself a boost and make yourself begin. Starting is more than half the battle. As ideas flow, use them up and allow the energy to surge, thus multiplying your own efforts.

Sometimes planning can seriously impede your potential. Your project may never get off the ground if you continue to be a perfectionist. Let your project take flight, and see where it goes. It may morph into something you never could have dreamed of. You control the reins and you can adjust, edit, or steer where you need to.

This is true with artistic endeavors as much as anything else. Even if you have no idea of what your painting will be, just start putting paint on the canvas- it'll work itself out. Most of the time I'm pleasantly surprised with how different my end product looks from what I had envisioned.

Now use your creativity well, and never stop. Create beautiful paintings and poems, mind-boggling inventions, and the next great novel. The sky's the limit, but time is of the essence. Celebrate your potential but know that you will not be here forever.

You better get crackin'.

Caravaggio's David With Head of Goliath Reproduction

The copy of David With Goliath’s Head is complete (except for the sword). There are minor differences between my copy and the original, but that is to be expected. Overall I think got the mood of the painting just right, though I need a little work on light and shadow before I tackle Sacrifice of Isaac.

Who Was Caravaggio?

    * Michelangelo Merisi was born in the town of Caravaggio, trained in Milan, and moved to Rome in the 1590s. He is considered the first major artist of the Baroque period following the Renaissance and the greatest Italian painter of the 17th century.
    * As part of the Baroque period, which began from the Counter-Reformation, the majority of his later works were religious in nature. However, much of his work was criticized for a lack of decorum and idealization in portraying holy subjects- figures such as the Mother of God as well as saints all resembled the common street people he used as models.
    * Caravaggio is probably the first important painter to use tenebrism, a strong contrast between light and shadow, or chiaroscuro, attained by using artificial lighting which was borderline theatrical. Much of his works were composed of strongly lit figures set against a dark background.
    * Prone to violence and fits of rage, the artist was often in trouble with the law. He regularly scorned his contemporaries who he saw as below him, and frequently got into fist fights and brawls with everybody from the rough and tumble crowd he hung out with, and the serving boys of taverns.
    * Some of the documented complaints received from his victims help to shine light on Caravaggio's character- His belongings were forfeit to his landlady so as retaliation he smashed her window; when ordering artichokes he asked which were cooked in oil and which in butter and when he didn't get the answer he wanted he threw a fit, as well as the plate at the waiter; ultimately his rage would lead to the murdering of a tennis opponent and fleeing for his life- the last four years of his life he was on the run, sinking in despair, and losing his health (his downward spiral and his anxiety are evident in the last paintings).
    * In Port Ercole, while loaded up on a small ship carrying several paintings intended to seek a patron's good graces, and to ask for asylum for his crime, he fell ill with fever. When he lost his ship along with all his belongings, he wandered angrily along the coast of the port city in the July sun until he came upon a village where he became bedridden. Alone and abandoned, he died in 1610.