brushwork

American  

[bruhsh-wurk] / ˈbrʌʃˌwɜrk /

noun

1. the use of a brush as a tool, as in painting.

2. Fine Arts. the surface quality of a painting produced by the distribution of pigment with a brush.

3. work for which a brush is used, as painting.

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brushwork British  

/ ˈbrʌʃˌwɜːk /

noun

1. a characteristic manner of applying paint with a brush

   that is not Rembrandt's brushwork

2. work done with a brush

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Etymology

Origin of brushwork

First recorded in 1865–70; brush ¹ + work

Example Sentences

Oil also allowed passages of bravura brushwork that often dissolved forms in a freewheeling, coloristic haze.

From The Wall Street Journal

"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

Her deft brushwork, dazzling sense of color and unpretentious approach transform her humble, charming ceramics into artworks that captivate the eye and engage the heart and mind.

From Los Angeles Times

By the 10th century, good brushwork had become known in China as a sign of good character.

From New York Times

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