Brushwork

Brushwork is the technique of applying paint with a brush, including the direction, pressure, speed, and texture of the marks on a support. It encompasses the visible handling of paint and can define a painting's style and expressiveness.

Brushwork ranges from tight, controlled strokes to loose, gestural marks. Some works blend strokes for smooth surfaces; others leave them visible to convey texture, movement, and materiality.

Common methods include loaded brush (rich color and texture); dry brush (minimal paint for scratchy texture); scumbling (thin, broken layers); glazing (transparent color layers); and wet-on-wet (alla prima) for rapid blending. Impasto raises the paint for physical relief.

Historically, brushwork has reflected evolving aims. Baroque and Dutch painting favored precise modeling; Impressionists embraced bold, visible strokes to capture light; Post-Impressionists developed distinctive marks and color modulation; 20th-century movements emphasized gesture and spontaneity.

Tools and materials include brushes with natural or synthetic bristles, in shapes such as round, flat, or filbert, and varying densities. Supports range from canvas and panel to watercolor paper; mediums (oil, acrylic, watercolor) influence brush handling and drying times.

Care involves cleaning brushes after use, using appropriate solvents or soap, reshaping bristles while damp, and storing brushes so bristles retain their shape.