By looking at three Van Gogh's artworks named "The Potato Eaters," "Sower at Sunset," and "Starry Night," it can be seen how Van Gogh's technique blossomed from a dark bud to a bright flower. These paintings were made at different times. As a result, they have different styles which make them have more differences than similarities. The painting "The Potato Eaters" was made in 1885 and is considered to be Van Gogh's first major artwork. He wanted to depict peasants and their lives truthfully. The painting shows few people – four are female and one is male – sitting around the table at dinner. On the right side, there is a woman pouring coffee and she seems to be the eldest among everybody. She is dressed in dark green clothing and is wearing white cap. On the left, there is a man who is dressed in a dark blue shirt and brown pants. He is taking the potatoes by the fork from a deep dish of potatoes. He is looking at the woman pouring coffee but might be thinking of something else. In the foreground, there is a young girl wearing the same color clothing as the woman on the right and sitting with her back to us. In the middle ground to the left, there is middle-age woman who is taking the potatoes from the dish while looking at the man. It seems that she wants to say something to him, but when she sees him thinking about something, she decides not to distract him. To the right of this woman, there is another one who is stretching a mug toward the woman pouring coffee. She is dressed in a brown dress and is wearing a white cap. On the table, there is big and deep plate of the hot potatoes. There is the steam which extends to the top of the room, and several cups are filled with coffee. Above everything is yellow oil lamp, the light of which illuminates the dull and gloomy room and its people. .
The painter uses dark and depressing colors. It can be seen in the people's clothes and, more than that, the whole room is presented in dark green, blue, and brown colors.