In a 1880 letter Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo, he wrote: "What I have to do is to learn how to sketch in order to become a master, whether with my pencil, with my charcoal, or with my brush." I can't tell you how happy I am (although new challenges come up every day and will continue to appear in the future) that I started sketching again. ”
Van Gogh's sketch "A Corner of the Courtyard", June 1881
This sketch was first sketched by Van Gogh with a pencil, and the pencil handwriting is still clearly visible throughout the picture. On this piece of paper, he focused on depicting a simple, romantic scene with considerable precision. The painting is not just a study on any subject, perhaps Van Gogh had his sister's death in mind when he created it.
Van Gogh's sketch "Peasant Woman Packing Bundles", 1885
The work is painted on straight-grained paper. The sheaf of wheat at the bottom of "The Peasant Woman Tying the Bundle" was originally closer to the left, surpassing the peasant woman's clogs, but Van Gogh corrected it. On the right, he also uses a paintbrush and water to apply light watercolor to the chalk-stained area, and then applies a fixative. The fixer is only applied to the bottom half of the left side of the wheat bunch, and this area has also been painted with fresh water.
Van Gogh's sketch "The Seated Old Fisherman", January-February 1883
The composition depicts an old fisherman sitting peacefully on a low wall, smoking a pipe, with the chair in which the model is posing looming below.
Van Gogh's sketch "Street Scene", September 1982
The paper on which the sketch is drawn has been cut down due to the composition of the front, and part of the top part of the cart has been cut off, leaving only perhaps the legs of the donkey and part of the wheel.
Van Gogh's sketch "Miners in the Snow", September 1880
Van Gogh had decided to embark on an artistic path shortly before the creation of this work, so it was his first work to be created with the mindset of an independent artist.
Van Gogh's sketch "Mud Straw House (Peat House at Night)" October 1883
In this sketch, Van Gogh made the original white of the paper shine through the window, making it seem as if the house was on fire, giving the impression of night.