Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (31 and 2 Dec-Jan 1882) ... before yesterday, yesterday and today.
When I made the lithographs, it struck me that the
lithographic crayon was very pleasant material, and l thought,
I'll make drawings with it.
However, there is one drawback which you will understand -
as it is greasy, it cannot be erased in the usual way; working
with it on paper, one even loses the only thing with which one
can erase on the stone itself, namely the scraper - which
cannot be used strongly enough on the paper because it cuts
through it.
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (c. 11 January 1883) ... I assure you. I did some more of him. Today I drew one with
lithographic crayon. Then I threw a pail of water on the
drawing, and in that moistness I began to model with pencil. If
it succeeds, one gets very delicate tones; but it is a
dangerous method, which may turn out badly. But if it succeeds,
the result is quite “non ébarbé” -
delicate tones of black which most resemble an etching. I also
did a woman's head this way, standing out against the light, so
the whole is in tone, with highlights on the profile, etc.Did you receive the second roll with five heads sent
from here, I think, on the fifth or sixth of January? It was
the third roll mailed to you.
When you have looked at them for some time, I think you will
find the same thing in them as in the first two, for there
must be something of nature in them, as I literally
wrested them from nature and worked after the model from
beginning to end. I am very anxious to show you the studies...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (3 February 1883) ... here on the
Schenkweg; but it's rotten. I also drew a few figures with
crayon which I think are better.
Not just with crayon, but the whole thing sponged, and the
shadows softened, the lights intensified.
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Anthon van Rappard (4 February 1883) ... cutting his bread is a failure [F 1663, JH 272]. When I
transferred it to the stone the upper half got all blurred - I
have been able to remedy the worst part with the scraper. Yet
you will see that there are things in it which prove one can
work vigorously with this process and express the nature of
materials, as for instance the basket, the trousers and the
muddy boots. And though at first I thought it a sorry abortion,
I have become somewhat reconciled to it since then, and if I
were to start over again, I should do it in the same vigorous
way - with a background.
I remember reading in Herkomer's biography 3 how
in his early days (when that incident with the rough sketch of
“Sunday at Chelsea Hospital” occurred) he did his
utmost to find among the artists of that time men who would be
willing to do types from the people too. Then he found Gregory,
who started out by doing sketches of the Franco-German War
(“Paris under the Red Flag” - I did not know...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Anthon van Rappard (c. 27 February 1883) ... left, and I have no time to do it better.
What can you see from it? - (1) what kind of paper it is;
(2) on which side you must draw; (3) what kinds of things one
can do on it - but the autographic ink is treacherous.
Sometimes the transferring succeeds quite well, but at other
times the ink runs (for the drawing is wetted before it is laid
face down on the grained stone, and then run through the press
to be printed). So it may happen that the ink starts running,
and in that case you get nothing but a black blot instead of
your drawing.
All the same it can be done - and the important thing
is that you can retouch the drawing with ink on the stone
itself.
