It Took Hours Of Painting And Makeup For This Artist To Transform Into Vincent van Gogh For Halloween

Some people simply wear easy-to-put-together costumes for Halloween. Others become walking, living works of art that took hours to create by hand. In one special case, that’s exactly what Reddit user u/ScrappyMasquerade, or, in other words, Jesse Randell, did when he transformed himself into a living version of Vincent van Gogh’s self-portrait step by step.

Jesse really went the extra mile, paying a lot of attention to every inch of his outfit, which was carefully painted with acrylics to mimic Van Gogh’s famous brushstrokes — from his face and clothes, and down to something as minor as his shoes.

More info: reddit.com

To start off his transformation into Vincent van Gogh, Randell worked on his face makeup, which took over 5 hours to create

Artist with detailed face makeup and hand-painted costume transforming into Vincent van Gogh for Halloween.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

When asked what first inspired the artist to choose Vincent van Gogh for his Halloween transformation, Jesse said the idea came to him earlier this year after reflecting on how deeply he connects with the painter’s work and energy.

“I came up with the idea earlier this year. I wanted to do it because I love Van Gogh’s work, but also because I relate to his love for being in nature. He used to paint so quickly, getting into a sort of ‘feverish state’ when working, and I can relate to that as well. I figured people have dressed up as Vincent before, so I looked online and saw costumes that others had made. It’s a good reference to see what you like or don’t like about what other people have done, and use that to create something of your own.”

He carefully layered different shades of paint to mimic Van Gogh’s iconic brushstrokes

Artist with detailed Vincent van Gogh inspired makeup and hand-painted face, showcasing intricate brushstroke effects for Halloween.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

Each layer was added by hand, starting with darker tones and finishing with lighter highlights to build texture

Artist with detailed Vincent van Gogh inspired face makeup showing textured brushstroke effects on half of his face.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

When asked about the most challenging part of the look, Jesse admitted to Bored Panda that the makeup took the most effort to perfect. He experimented multiple times before achieving the result he envisioned.

“The makeup as a whole was the most difficult part to figure out. I did three tests before I got it right. The first test was a total failure — I used oil-based makeup and quickly realized it wasn’t going to work. Then I tried Spirit Halloween cream makeup, which is more like paint, and tried again. Some of Vincent’s portraits have a green tone to the skin, so I experimented with that for my second test but decided against it. For the third test, I focused on one section of my face and went for a more natural flesh tone look with added reds and blues, inspired by another self-portrait of his. I also covered my brow for the final version, which made the makeup look much better.”

This was his color palette when doing his face makeup

Artist's paint palette with mixed colors used for hand-painted Vincent van Gogh Halloween makeup and costume creation.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

The goal was not just to copy the colors but to make his face look like an actual painting

Artist with hand-painted costume and makeup transforming into Vincent van Gogh wearing a yellow hat and blue shirt for Halloween.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

Moving on to the creative process, Jesse explained how he approached every element of the costume with precision and intent — from the painted clothing to the intricate face makeup.

“For the clothes, I decided to use three shades of the same color for everything. The shirt is blue, so the first layer of brush strokes is a darker blue, then a slightly lighter shade for the next layer, and then an even lighter shade on top of that. I topped it off with white highlights. Each layer of brush strokes got smaller as they got lighter. I did the same thing for the rest of the costume, with some small changes here and there.”

Next, he focused on the outfit, hand-painting every piece of clothing with the same brushstroke technique

Yellow hand-painted woven hat on a table as part of an artist's costume for Vincent van Gogh Halloween transformation.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

Even the shirt’s lapels and seams were painted to match Van Gogh’s swirling patterns

Hand-painted Vincent van Gogh costume shirt displayed on a mannequin, showcasing detailed brushstroke patterns.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

Hand-painted shoes and detailed makeup hands on a table as part of an artist's Vincent van Gogh Halloween costume.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

Hand-painted costume pants laid out on floor, part of artist's Vincent van Gogh Halloween transformation.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

Randell also painted his shoes so that every part of the costume fit perfectly together

Artist wearing hand-painted Vincent van Gogh costume pants and shoes, relaxing on a brown lounge at night outdoors.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

Artist holding a hand-painted makeup tool for Vincent van Gogh costume in a creative workspace with supplies.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

Hand-painted yellow pipe held by artist preparing Vincent van Gogh Halloween makeup and costume in workspace.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

When the costume was complete, he styled his hair and beard to resemble Van Gogh’s famous self-portrait

Artist dressed as Vincent van Gogh with detailed makeup, hand-painted costume, yellow hat, and smoking a long pipe.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

The final look was so realistic that people said he looked like he had stepped straight out of a painting

Artist with hand-painted makeup and costume transforming into Vincent van Gogh wearing a yellow hat and blue shirt.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

What started as a simple idea turned into an award-winning Halloween costume and a true work of art. From head to toe, Randell became a living, breathing version of Vincent van Gogh

Artist with detailed hand-painted makeup and costume resembling Vincent van Gogh holding a painter’s palette and pipe outdoors.

Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade

Finally, Jesse reflected on how the experience and the reaction to his work have inspired him to keep creating in this unique style.

“People’s reactions to the costume, both in person and online, have definitely made me want to do something similar again. Some people found it trippy to look at, and others found it creepy — which told me I did my job right! It’s hard as the creator because the effect is lost on me; I don’t see a walking painting, I just see myself with makeup. But in the future, I’d love to tackle another painter’s style, or even a comic book character. That said, it might take a while since I already have so many costume ideas planned.”

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