appearance. n. 1. the act or an instance of appearing, as to the eye, before the public, etc. 2. the outward or visible aspect of a person or thing: her appearance was stunning; it has the appearance of powdered graphite. 3. an outward show; pretence: he gave an appearance of working hard.
Impasto. Perhaps best known for his thick use of paint, Vincent Van Gogh was a famous adherent to the popular painting technique known as impasto, which involves the thick laying down of paint on a particular segment of the canvas.
Vincent van Gogh painted over 30 self-portraits between the years 1886 and 1889. His collection of self-portraits places him among the most prolific self-portraitists of all time. Van Gogh used portrait painting as a method of introspection, a method to make money and a method of developing his skills as an artist. When Van Gogh first began painting he used peasants as models.