The Wrist Flick is a playful stroke that can be easily overdone. And it is sometimes overdone because the artist just couldn't get that last branch or blade of grass to lay the way they wanted. So they try again. As an alternative to screwing up an otherwise decent painting I suggest practicing and exploring this technique so you know how to do it when you need it. Screwing up while practicing is O.K. Just try some more until you're comfortable with it.
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Start by preparing a few colors to work with on your palette. Mix up some medium value washes in several colors.
The Wrist Flick is easily done with a decent round red sable or a rigger-style brush.
Load your brush with paint and angle the tip of the brush towards you as pictured. This is the starting position for the Wrist Flick.
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This is the ending position of the brush stroke. Pivoting from your wrist push the brush tip up and away in a "flicking" motion.
The last part of the stroke flicks out in a feathery point. Practice several times in each color you have.
Vary the thickness of the strokes as you try to imitate grasses, branches, or even feathers.
I rested my brush hand on top of my other hand for some of the brush strokes here. Try this technique for stability and control of detailed flick strokes.
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Continue practicing the stroke on your paper. You don't have to paint a scene like this one, but be aware that one may grow naturally as you practice.
Along with suggesting grasses, branches, and feathers effortlessly, the Wrist Flick and variants are handy when rendering hair in portraiture or wildlife painting.
A little Wrist Flicking can go a long way to finishing off a landscape painting. Too much can do a painting in before you know you've gone too far.
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