Van Gogh was recommended to me in my paint crit and the painting I decided to look at in detail was his painting 'Cafe Terrace at Night' painted in 1888.
(Cafe Terrace at Night, oil on canvas, 80.7 x 65.3 cm, 1888)
What I love about this painting is the extreme contrasts between the cool colours of the night sky and the warm yellow tones glowing from the cafe situated in the center of the composition. I find that by contrasting warm and cool tones helps to create a strong atmosphere that reflects that particular scene as it really was when Van Gogh painted it, the temperature, noise and the over all hustle and bustle of people as they sit in the cafe and also walk through the streets. This has inspired me to look at the use of light within my ideas and how it can create a strong atmosphere reflecting city life, in particular during the night.
