Examples of various mark-making techniques

                            Lucas Samaras. Head #12. 1981. Pastel on black paper. 45.1 x 29.2cm.
(Example showing how areas of colour can be layered - in this case building on top of a dark piece of paper)

                        Paul P. Untitled. 2003. Grease pencil and gouache on paper. 18.4 x 15.2 cm.
                                        (Example showing the use of cross-hatching marks)

                                            John Currin. Untitled. 1998. Gouache on paper.
                   ( Example showing the use of line and cross-hatching to build up the figures)

                               Roland Flexner. Untitled. 1995. Graphite on paper. 35.6 x 27.9cm.

                                     Roland Flexner. 1995. Graphite on paper. 35.6 x 27.9 cm.
                                  ( Examples above show the use of stippling  - a dotted mark)

PBS does a series showcasing a variety of contemporary artists. I've posted two videos below from this series that show a couple of artists who employ different types of mark-making techniques in their works. These aren't figurative artists, but they provide a glimpse into varying approaches to mark-making.

Cai Guo-Qiang:
http://www.pbs.org/art21/watch-now/segment-cai-guo-qiang-in-power

Julie Mehretu:
http://www.pbs.org/art21/watch-now/segment-julie-mehretu-in-systems