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 (1853-1890). 'Self Portrait with Pipe', 1886 (oil on canvas). This self portrait, painted before Van Gogh's move to Paris, is typical of his earlier paintings. The dark earthy tones, which are characteristic of traditional Dutch painting, are used to create an image of humble dignity.INCENT VAN GOGH (1853-1890). 'Self Portrait', 1887 (oil on canvas). In Paris, Van Gogh was influenced by the artist Georges Seurat who devised a painting technique called Pointillism. Seurat painted in tiny dots of unmixed colors which fuse into subtle hues as the spectator steps back to take in the image.