Vincent van Gogh didn’t just paint landscapes and sunflowers—he painted emotion. His expressive brush strokes, daring colour combinations, and intuitive compositions brought life to every canvas. While he may not have found success during his lifetime, his unique approach changed the course of modern art.
In this guide, we’ll dive into Van Gogh’s brush techniques, his use of colour theory, and how he composed his paintings with feeling rather than formulas. Whether you’re an artist, collector, or admirer, understanding these three pillars of his style reveals how he turned simple subjects into masterpieces that still move us today.
Van Gogh’s Brush Strokes: Energy in Every Line
Thick, Visible Marks
Van Gogh’s brush strokes weren’t hidden—they were meant to be seen. He used short, quick movements and allowed the texture of the paint to become part of the artwork. These visible marks created rhythm and motion.
In The Starry Night, the swirling sky is composed entirely of directional brushwork. Each stroke adds tension or serenity depending on its flow and thickness.
Impasto Technique
He often used the impasto method, applying thick layers of paint with both brush and palette knife. This technique gave his work a three-dimensional quality.
In Wheat Field with Crows, you can almost feel the wind ripple through the painted fields thanks to the raised texture of the brushwork.
Directional Strokes
Van Gogh followed the form of his subject with his brush. He painted in the direction of tree trunks, flower petals, or the curves of hills, which gave his work movement and energy.
Want to see this style on your wall? Explore our Vincent van Gogh wall art prints featuring bold strokes and vibrant energy.
Van Gogh’s Colour Theory: Emotion Over Realism
Complementary Contrast
Van Gogh didn’t use colour to replicate reality—he used it to create emotional contrast. He often placed complementary colours side by side: yellow and purple, red and green, blue and orange.
In The Night Café, red walls and green floors clash intentionally to create an atmosphere of tension and unease.
Symbolic Colour
Van Gogh used colour symbolically. Yellow often stood for hope and warmth, while blue represented sadness or isolation.
Sunflowers radiates joy and vitality with its golden palette, while The Bedroom uses cool blues and muted reds to suggest comfort and fatigue.
Layering & Optical Mixing
Instead of blending colours on the palette, Van Gogh often layered them on the canvas. The eye then mixed the colours visually, creating vibrancy and intensity.
This layering gave his paintings a glowing quality, even when the colours were bold and flat.
Limited But Strategic Palettes
He often used a restricted colour palette for each painting, allowing him to control the overall mood. Each hue was chosen for emotional impact, not just aesthetics.
Composition: Simple Structures with Deep Emotion
Balanced Asymmetry
Van Gogh’s paintings often appear casual, but they’re carefully composed. He used asymmetrical balance to create dynamic tension. This can be seen in The Starry Night, where the cypress tree pulls to one side while the swirling sky balances the other.
Foreground and Background Connection
Instead of sharply separating foreground and background, Van Gogh allowed them to interact. Lines from the sky echoed in the hills, and colours flowed from one plane to the next.
This unity gave his compositions a dreamlike fluidity.
Focus Through Repetition
He often repeated shapes and lines to draw the eye and create visual rhythm. This can be seen in the circular stars of Starry Night or the rhythmic placement of sunflowers in Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers.
Unusual Perspectives
Van Gogh frequently used high or skewed perspectives. In The Bedroom, the viewpoint feels slightly tilted, creating a sense of intimacy—and unease. These distortions helped communicate emotion.
Real Examples of Van Gogh’s Techniques at Work
The Starry Night (1889)
- Swirling, directional brushstrokes
- Complementary blues and yellows
- Asymmetrical but balanced composition
- Symbolic cypress tree bridging earth and sky
Sunflowers (1888)
- Repetition of circular forms
- Yellow tones layered for depth and warmth
- Loose, textural brushwork
- Central focal point through arrangement
The Bedroom (1888)
- Flat planes and bold outlines
- Muted complementary colours (blue and orange)
- Tilted perspective for emotional effect
- Repetition of furniture shapes to build rhythm
How to Practice These Techniques Yourself
- Use a palette knife to layer paint thickly
- Try complementary colours side by side
- Let brushstrokes follow the form of your subject
- Keep composition simple but intentionally balanced
- Limit your colour palette to 2–3 hues and build from there
- Focus on how your subject feels, not how it looks
What Set Van Gogh Apart?
- He painted with urgency and honesty
- He used colour and texture to show emotion, not just detail
- He trusted instinct over rules
- He turned his mental struggles into masterpieces
- He found beauty in the ordinary, turning it into something eternal
His brush strokes danced. His colours sang. And his compositions whispered stories—about isolation, wonder, longing, and hope.
Conclusion: A Master of Feeling, Not Just Form
Van Gogh’s brush strokes, colour theory, and composition weren’t just techniques—they were emotional tools. He poured his inner world onto the canvas, defying convention and shaping modern art forever.
Understanding how he painted helps us see not just his genius, but also his humanity. He reminds us that art doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be true.
To celebrate his vision in your own space, browse our Vincent van Gogh wall art prints and bring home the movement, colour, and soul of a legend.
FAQs
What brush technique did Van Gogh use?
Van Gogh used thick, expressive strokes—often short, directional, and visible. He embraced the impasto technique to create texture and emotional energy.
How did Van Gogh use colour?
He used complementary contrasts and symbolic colour choices to express feeling rather than realism. Yellow for hope, blue for sadness, and red for intensity were common.
What was unique about Van Gogh’s composition?
He balanced asymmetry, used repeated forms, and applied unusual perspectives. His goal was to guide emotion, not just the viewer’s eye.
Can beginners learn from Van Gogh’s technique?
Absolutely. His emotional style encourages expression over perfection, making him a great inspiration for artists at any level.
