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.
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To start off his transformation into Vincent van Gogh, Randell worked on his face makeup, which took over 5 hours to create
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
Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade
Each layer was added by hand, starting with darker tones and finishing with lighter highlights to build texture
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
Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade
The goal was not just to copy the colors but to make his face look like an actual painting
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
Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade
Even the shirt’s lapels and seams were painted to match Van Gogh’s swirling patterns
Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade
Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade
Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade
Randell also painted his shoes so that every part of the costume fit perfectly together
Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade
Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade
Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade
When the costume was complete, he styled his hair and beard to resemble Van Gogh’s famous self-portrait
Image credits: ScrappyMasquerade
The final look was so realistic that people said he looked like he had stepped straight out of a painting
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
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.”
