Handpaint

Handpaint, or hand-painted, refers to the application of paint to a surface by hand rather than by machine or automated process. It encompasses a range of techniques across fine art, crafts, and decorative arts, where the artist or craftsperson applies pigment directly with brushes, sponges, or other manual tools.

Common media include acrylics, oils, watercolors on canvas or paper; as well as ceramic glazes, glass enamel, and textile paints. Techniques include brushwork, stippling, dry brushing, glazing, and scumbling. Handpainting emphasizes touch, brushwork marks, and variation, allowing subtle textures and tonal shifts that are difficult to replicate with automation.

Used in fine art painting, painted furniture, custom signs, and toy or model production where individual finish is valued. In ceramics and porcelain, hand-painting often complements a glaze layer; in textiles, hand-painting refers to fabric design applied by hand.

Historically, handpainting has been central to crafts such as porcelain decoration in Jingdezhen (China), Delftware in the Netherlands, and Limoges enamel works in France, among others. In contemporary practice, handpainted works may be signed and produced in limited editions, or commissioned as bespoke pieces.

Quality depends on the artist's skill, preparation, and adherence to material properties. Surfaces may require priming, sealing, or curing times, and finished pieces may require care to prevent damage to painted surfaces.