One of my students asked me …'' I want to learn those powerful brush strokes of yours.''
Looking at her, I remained silent for a moment. Then I said …'' I never think about brush strokes. And moreover such a thing does not exist.''
'' I don't understand what you said. What I know is your brush strokes are very powerful, that's why I want to learn them'' So much confusion on her face.
I didn't answer her immediately. Not only her, so many art lovers praised my brush strokes. They used to say my brush strokes are very powerful. Most of my students also wanted to learn those brush strokes.
But always I tried to tell them that they have the wrong notion. In fact, brush strokes cannot not be learned. They will evolve through years of work along with understanding of language of art.
The artists who have achieved in depth knowledge of the language of art, never think about brush strokes. Such a thought won't come into artist's mind, when he is working on a painting. All he thinks about are Value, Color, their relations and Compositional problems, along with trying to get unity in them. He has to to do that by applying paint on canvas with brush or knife. It is his act of painting.
Brush or knife or both are only his tools to apply paint on canvas.
Results … We are seeing all his soul search on canvas through his brush and paint. People call it ... brush strokes, magical brush strokes, powerful brush strokes. All are false notions.
Brushes, Knives, Canvas and Paints are only artist's tools to communicate his flow of ideas. Other than that they have no importance. Those brushes, knives, paints and canvases are available to anyone who wants to buy.
So, my honest advice … Don't try to learn brush strokes. You will never get them because they don't exist. Try to understand the process which resulted in those brush strokes. That process is … achieving in depth understanding of the language of art along with years of hard work. If you understand this, you are also able to produce those powerful brush strokes.