lukisan

Lukisan, or painting, is a visual art form created by applying pigment to a surface to represent images, ideas, or emotions. The term covers a broad range of media, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, tempera, ink, and mixed media, and supports such as canvas, wood panels, paper, or walls. A painting may be created on traditional surfaces or in more experimental formats, including murals and installation pieces.

Historically, painting appeared in many cultures and evolved through distinct traditions. Western painting developed from early frescoes and panel paintings to the mastery of oil during the Renaissance and beyond, while Asian, Middle Eastern, and African traditions produced rich color and line work on diverse supports. In Indonesia, lukisan has absorbed both indigenous imagery and external influences, contributing to a diverse modern scene that ranges from portraiture and landscape to abstract and conceptual work.

Techniques vary widely and include underpainting, glazing, layering, impasto, and alla prima; methods such as realism, impressionism, expressionism, abstraction, and surrealism describe stylistic tendencies. Common mediums have different properties: oil allows slow blending and rich color; acrylic dries quickly and is versatile; watercolor emphasizes light and transparency.

Today lukisan is taught in art schools, practiced by individual artists, collected by museums, and created in studios and public spaces worldwide. It remains a central form of visual expression, capable of recording perception, interpreting reality, or exploring imagination.