painting

Painting is the practice of applying pigment to a surface to create images, color, and texture. It spans countless cultures and periods, serving as a means of representation, expression, and record. The term covers a wide range of media, supports, and approaches.

Common media include oil, acrylic, watercolor, tempera, and fresco. Oil paint dries slowly and allows blending; acrylics dry quickly and resist aging; watercolors are transparent and portable; fresco relies on binding pigment to wet plaster. Supports include canvas, wooden panels, paper, and plaster walls.

Techniques encompass brushwork, glazing, impasto, washes, and dry brushing. Artists plan through sketches or underdrawings and build form by applying successive layers. Tools range from brushes and knives to spatulas and rags.

Historically, painting begins with prehistoric cave art and medieval religious works, progresses through Renaissance mastery, and expands in modern and contemporary practice. It has served devotional, documentary, and aesthetic purposes, while evolving with changes in technique, chemistry, and taste.

Major movements include Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop Art. Many contemporary painters explore abstraction, conceptual aims, or interdisciplinary methods, often blurring boundaries with photography, sculpture, or digital media.

Conservation and study involve preservation, authentication, and restoration. Paintings are cared for by cleaning, stabilization, and, when needed, restoration of damaged areas, with attention to material safety and historical integrity.