Attempting Realism

I have been inspired by painters like Mina dela Cruz and Katherine Stone to attempt realism, It is quite difficult. The idea that your mind thinks it can reach out and touch the contents of the painting really excite me.
I also like the more expressive ways to paint by leaving brush strokes in the piece. I often prefer this when doing a portrait or figure. It helps when capturing mood, emotion, or movement. I do not want to polarize myself by only choosing one way to paint something. I would like to use a myriad of techniques to satisfy myself as a painter.