Painting is the application of paint, pigment, color or other materials to a surface (support base layer) such as paper, wood, metal, concrete, or stone to produce a work of art. Broadly, the practice of painting can be divided into two basic disciplines: figurative work and landscape work.

Painting can be done using both oils and watercolors. Traditional painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching out their ideas on paper with charcoal or thinned paint. Oil paint tends to dry slower than watercolor contemporary artists often use a combination of both. The actual act of painting involves using brushes and an assortment of paints for example oils, watercolors and acrylics to create works for visual arts like murals or canvas paintings.

The term “painting” can also refer to other forms of visual art applied via techniques similar to painting. In this context, it includes interior decoration such as wall painting and mural painting; toss all other branches such as engraving and etching.