Channeling my inner Van Gogh

I started a new project in my painting class the assignment was to pick a famous artist who did a self portrait of themselves and we are supposed to paint the painting exactly like the the original artist did same painting same style and same colors. The only twist is that we are supposed to paint in our face instead of the artists face. So I don't really have a vast knowledge of Art History and it seems like most of the famous painters have all been men the only woman that came to my mind was Frida Kahlo, but I didn't really want to paint her I really wanted to try to paint like Van Gogh. When I was really young my dad took us to a Van Gogh exhibit in LA all of his paintings were there and I was in awe at how beautiful they were his intricate brush stroke and his use of colors amazed me. So I decided to pick the self portrait Van Gogh did of him in a straw hat I think its going to be hilarious I will know what I would look like with a beard and red hair haha! So far the process has been super fun im trying really hard to figure out how he painted the way he did I'm sure mine might not look anything like his but I'm going to have fun trying. For this project we had to use a grid and I usually hate using grids cause I feel like its cheating you are trying to make your painting an exact replica of a photograph which takes away from trying to eye it and figure it out on your own which in my opinion is a way better learning process but when it comes to this paticular assignment I'm a little relieved we are using grids because it is helping me get the right colors in the right places on this painting and and i think with out it i would for sure be lost in the colors.