noun
-
a characteristic manner of applying paint with a brush
that is not Rembrandt's brushwork
-
work done with a brush
Etymology
Origin of brushwork
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Delphine Hennelly’s paintings at Pangée are based on famous art styles from the past, rendered in Postimpressionist brushwork and a palette that brings to mind the psychedelic-meets-seasick colors of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
"Raeburn's expressive, seemingly effortless brushwork, the characteristic warm palette, soft atmospheric lighting and sensitive rendering of the instantly recognisable Robert Burns are a joy," she said.
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2026
While Gibbons applies her heated pastels in relatively flat and thick layers, elsewhere she often varies color and brushwork, creating forms that feel light, even hollow.
From New York Times ● May 2, 2024
From what we’ve seen of Santos' brazen fibs, his artistry is lacking; his embellishing brushwork lacks precision and shadow.
From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2023
Of his brushwork we are only able to judge by the two doubtful versions at the National Gallery and the Wallace Collection respectively, of the fine portrait at Versailles of Cardinal Fleury.
From Six Centuries of Painting by Randall Davies
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
