His approach relied on a concept of "wild beauty" that rejected academic polish. Burliuk frequently incorporated physical materials into his oil paintings. He sometimes dragged fresh canvases through mud or mixed sand and clay into his pigments to mimic the earth of the Ukrainian steppe. His work often features multiple viewpoints or figures rotated at ninety-degree angles. This technique drew inspiration from ancient Scythian stone carvings found in burial mounds. He preferred coarse textures and heavy applications of paint over smooth transitions.

Modern collectors value Burliuk for his ability to bridge the gap between folk traditions and the avant-garde. His paintings of village life and floral arrangements, such as Cyclamens, possess a raw energy. They avoid the sentimentality often found in rural subjects. His later works from Long Island and New York capture the movement of urban life through a lens of personal intuition. These prints offer a sense of physical presence. The heavy impasto and bold colour choices provide a tactile quality that remains striking in a domestic setting.