1. Vincent Van Gogh 1853-1890 Starry Night Oil on Canvas, 1889 "I am not an adventurer by choice but by fate."

2. Born in Holland One of six children The son of a pastor and raised in a religious atmosphere Mostly self-taught artist Post-Impressionist Very short career due to mental illness Only sold one painting during his lifetime Vincent Van Gogh Still Life: Vase with Roses Oil on Canvas, 1890

3. The Importance of Drawing Vincent Van Gogh firmly believed that to be a great painter you had to first master drawing before adding color. He wrote over 1,000 letters to his brother and friends, often including sketches of subjects he was interested in. Road with Men Walking, Carriage, Cypress, Star, and Crescent Moon, 1890 Peasant Sitting by the Fireplace (worn out), 1881 Plowman with Two Women, 1883

4. He did not have a lot of confidence in his skill as an artist, and neither did his parents His brother supported and encouraged him He started focusing on and studying art at the age of 27 and is mostly self taught His early works were done with dark colors Early Work The Potato Eaters, 1885 Oil Painting One of Van Gogh’s first masterpieces.

5. Impressionism In 1886, he went to Paris to join his brother Théo, the manager of Goupil's gallery. In Paris, van Gogh studied with Cormon, inevitably met Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, and Paul Gauguin. Having met the new Impressionist painters, he tried to imitate their techniques; he began to lighten his very dark palette and to paint in the short brushstrokes of the Impressionists’ style. Still Life: Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers Oil on Canvas, 1888 Bois de Boulogne with People Walking Oil on Canvas, 1886

6. Still Life: With Basket and Six Oranges Oil on Canvas, 1888 Unable to successfully copy the style, he developed his own more bold and unconventional style. Post-Impressionist painters wanted to express their meaning beyond the surface appearance; they painted with EMOTION, INTELLECT, and THE EYE. The post-impressionism painters stressed their personal view of the visual world and had a freely expressive use of color and form to describe emotions and movement. Post-Impressionism

7. After failing to create an artist community in France, Van Gogh’s mental illness overcame him. He committed himself to a mental asylum after going after Paul Gaugin with a knife and then cutting off part of his ear. He stayed in the asylum for almost two years. He painted “Starry Night,” while there and many other pieces. History shows that he took his own life only six months after leaving the asylum. A Dark Time Mulberry Tree Oil on Canvas, 1889

8. What he Left Behind Van Gogh's finest works were produced in less than three years in a technique that grew more and more impassioned in brushstroke, and intense color, and in the movement and vibration of form and line. He was an emotional painter and used art as a therapy to express himself. In spite of his lack of success during his lifetime, Van Gogh is now viewed as one of the most influential artists having helped lay the foundations of modern art. The Red Vineyard Oil on Canvas, 1888 The only piece sold while Van Gogh was alive. The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, at Night, Oil on Canvas, 1888 Old Man in Sorrow Oil on Canvas, 1890

9. Starry Night Café Core Elements of Art Covered: 1)Contrasting Colors 2)Proportion 3)Shadow 4)Movement of Line STEP TWO 1/3 from the bottom, draw a curved line. STEP THREE Draw the curve of the bottom of the cup first. Connect two lines going up. STEP ONE Put your name on the back of the paper.

10. STEP FIVE Draw the cup handle. STEP SIX Draw the swirls and lines. Draw the shadow curve on the bottom of the cup. STEP FOUR At the top of the cup, match the curve at the bottom of the cup. The draw the opposite curve to complete the top of the cup.

11. REMAINING STEPS Make the corner and side of the cup a little darker. Add color to the table that is different from the cup. Use a darker color to add as the shadow under the cup. STEP SEVEN AND EIGHT Go over the swirl lines with dashes to create the illusion of motion. Then fill in the cup. You may need to layer this with color.