Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (September 1881) ...
[See illustrations Page 2 below]
I brought along some conté-crayon in wood (just like
pencils) from The Hague, and I work with them a great deal
now.
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Anthon van Rappard (12 October 1881) ... of diggers, sowers, etc., men and
women. At present I am working a good deal with charcoal and
black crayon, and I have also tried sepia and watercolour.
Well, I do not venture to say that you will see progress in my
drawings, but most certainly you will see a change.
Before long I hope to be able to pay another visit to Mauve
to discuss with him the question of whether I should start
painting or not. Once started, I shall carry it through. But I
want to talk it over with some people before starting. More and
more I am glad that I have specially set my mind on drawing
figures. For most certainly it indirectly influences landscape
drawing, because one learns to concentrate.
I should have liked to send you a few sketches, if I'd had
time, but I am busy with all kinds of things; later on,
however, you will get some. In case you do not stay in Holland,
please be sure to let me know your address, for in any case I
shall have quite a few things to write about during the winter.
...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (c. 21 December 1881) ... my best to find a
good studio, and besides, I must start using better paint and
better paper now.
For studies and sketches, though, the Ingres paper is
excellent. And it works out much cheaper to make my own
sketchbooks in various sizes from that than to buy the
sketchbooks ready-made.
I still have a small supply of Ingres paper, but if you
could include some more of the same kind when you send those
studies back to me, I should be greatly obliged to you. Not
snow-white, but rather the colour of unbleached linen, no cold
tones.
Theo, what a great thing tone and colour are. And those who
fail to learn to have feelings for them will remain far removed
from real life. M. has taught me to see so many things that I
used not to see and one day I shall try to tell you what he has
told me, as there may well be one or two things you do not see
properly either. Anyway, I hope we'll have a good discussion
about artistic matters some day.
And you cannot imagine the feeling...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (22-24 December 1881) ... days at
Prinsenhage and will also come here. You must know, Theo, that
Mauve has sent me a paintbox with paint, brushes, palette,
palette knife, oil, turpentine - in short, everything
necessary. So it is now settled that I shall begin to paint,
and I am glad things have gone so far.
Well, I have been drawing a good deal recently, especially
studies of the figure. If you saw them now, you would see in
what direction I am going. Of course, I am now longing to hear
what Mauve will have to say. The other day I made some drawings
of children, too, and liked it very much.
These are days of great beauty in tone and colour; after I
have made some progress in painting, I will succeed in
expressing a little of it. But we must stick to the point, and
now that I have begun drawing the figure, I will continue it
until I am more advanced; and when I work in the open air, it
is to make studies of trees, viewing the trees like real
figures. I mean especially with a view to the...
Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh (5 August 1882) ... I will tell you what I have bought.
First, a large-size moist-colour box containing 12 pieces or
tubes of watercolours, with a double cover, one of which can be
used as a palette; there is also room for about six brushes. It
is an article which is of great value for working in the open
air, and really absolutely necessary, but it is very expensive;
and I had always put it off and worked with loose pieces on
saucers, which, however, are very difficult to take with you,
especially if one has to carry other things besides. So this is
a fine thing which, now that I have it, will last a long
time.
At the same time I stocked up on watercolours and renewed my
brushes. Then, for oil painting, I now have everything which is
absolutely necessary, and also a stock of paints, large tubes
(which are much cheaper than the little ones); but you will
understand that I limited myself to the simple colours in
watercolour as well as in oil: ochre (red - yellow- brown),
cobalt and Prussian blue,...
