brushstroke

This term captures both the physical act of applying paint and the resulting visual mark. It evokes a sense of tactile movement and the direct connection between the artist's hand and the canvas, often implying a level of intentionality or spontaneity in the execution. In art criticism, the word shifts from describing a single line to describing a signature technique. When used to describe a style, it suggests a recurring pattern of application that reveals the artist's identity or emotional state, such as the energetic, thick applications found in impasto painting.