When you talk about brush strokes and how to master them, I feel this is something you need to develop that works for you and the style you enjoy. I have studied many different painters, with a wide range of styles and I have found that I like many different styles, and in my own quest to master or develop brush stroke techniques you have to pick the ones that work for you. When I have tried to duplicate others techniques, while I like their results, I didn't like mine. Heavy and bold strokes where the paint is applied very thick, then left alone, light touches of a brush almost teasing the canvas with a thin layer of color being applied then building upon that with more layers of color, then do I blend and soften the edges or leave them be? So many different brushes, each with a recommended technique for their design, but in the hands of skilled artists they can be used in multiple ways to achieve the desired results.
So the moral of my story is, to use the strokes that work for you, apply the paint in a manner that achieves the look you want, but if you are just getting started, or like me, and still learning, I highly recommend doing the research and watching instructional videos or attending seminars and classes. Learn, attempt, repeat. And most of all, have fun with it.
