schildern

Schilderen (Dutch for painting) is the activity of applying pigment to a surface to create images, decorate an object, or express ideas. It is a central discipline in the visual arts and encompasses a wide range of materials, techniques, and styles. As a practice, it can be pursued for fine art, commercial illustration, interior decoration, and mural work.

Materials and supports: The common painting media include oil, acrylic, watercolor (aquarelle), gouache, tempera, and fresco. Surfaces range from primed canvas and wooden panels to paper, plaster, and walls. Tools include brushes, knives, sponges, and modern airbrush equipment. Pigments are mixed with binders and mediums to achieve color, texture, and drying properties. Safety considerations include ventilation when using solvents and proper handling and disposal of pigments.

Techniques: Artists employ layering, glazing, wet-on-wet, dry brush, impasto, scumbling, and underpainting. Finishing may involve varnishing to protect the surface and unify the final tonal range. Some painters work with mixed media by incorporating ink, graphite, or collage into a painting.

History: Painting has ancient roots in cave art and frescoes, evolved through classical traditions in Greece and Rome, matured during the European Renaissance, and developed in diverse directions in modern and contemporary periods. Western painting is often described by periods and styles, while many non-Western traditions maintain equally rich painting practices. The advent of photography influenced painting but did not eliminate it; many artists adopted new media and concepts in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Practice and education: Training ranges from informal study and hobbyist practice to formal education in art schools and universities. Professional painters may focus on studio practice, commissions, murals, or gallery representation.