Regardless of the technique that we’ve used in our oil painting whether it’s palette knife work, brush work, or a combination of these with the many ways we can dab, stroke and stipple the paint, there are some final marks that can tie the whole piece together. Leaving marks that suggest movement and a hint of a tool mark can free the piece up. Sure strokes that aren’t fiddled with leave a better impression. We all have our own “signature” mark – brief blunt strokes or elegant calligraphy that can join edges and shapes together. These final marks leave a free feeling and disguise the “labor” that might have been involved in the painting process. We can see in the enlarged image below that the underlying textured support and imprimatura underpainting shows through in the background, the left hand roadway, seawall and foreground tarmac. This eliminates the need to paint details.
“Zamami Harbor Boats” by Peggy Burkosky