The Basic Brush Stroke
The basic brush stroke forms the basis of all our brush technique.
By adopting a loose, 2 fingers and a thumb grip, you develop sensitivity to the brush / paint / canvas interface.
Steps
1. Adopt your natural hand position
2. Let the index and middle finger support the brush
3. The thumb holds the brush in place
4. Lay the brush at an acute angle to the surface both when mixing paint and when applying paint.
5. Use only the weight of the brush.
6. Let the canvas DRAG paint off the brush,
7. Rotate the brush until all the paint is used.
8. Depending on the speed of the stroke and the amount of paint, the canvas will tear apart the paint (scumbling).
Related topics
Technique
Monet Brush Strokes
Van Gogh
Cezanne
Monet
❝All the Van Gogh paintings and many of the Cezanne in the curriculum can be completed with just the Basic Stroke.
❞ Examples
The Basic Brush Stroke in Van Gogh ("Starry Night")
The Basic Brush Stroke in Cezanne ("Apples, 1878")
The Basic Brush Stroke in Monet ("Japanese Bridge, 1899 No.2")