Brushwork USA - Photography Terms & Glossary

Glossary Of Art Terms [1]

Brushwork Brushwork refers to the manner or technique by which an artist applies paint to a surface using a brush or similar tool. It encompasses a wide range of mark-making gestures, strokes, and techniques employed by artists to manipulate color, texture, and form within a painting. Brushwork can vary in its speed, pressure, direction, and viscosity of paint, resulting in distinct effects such as smooth blends, textured impastos, expressive flourishes, or delicate glazes.

Artists often develop their own unique brushwork styles and methods, drawing inspiration from diverse traditions, schools, and movements in art history while also experimenting with new materials, tools, and approaches to achieve their desired aesthetic effects. Whether bold and expressive or refined and meticulous, brushwork serves as a fundamental aspect of painting, reflecting the artist's creative vision, technical proficiency, and emotional engagement with the act of mark-making on canvas or other surfaces.