John Singer Sargent, the portrait master, was famous for his "dashes." Look closely at the hem of a satin dress in his work. It isn't painted—it is suggested with three white streaks of liquid white. The rest is empty canvas. That economy of motion is the holy grail: maximum meaning, minimal marks.
As explained by The Fuse Pathway , even a small dash is a deliberate motion, often consisting of three distinct movements: A Little Dash of the Brush
Your preferred (watercolors, acrylics, or household paint) John Singer Sargent, the portrait master, was famous