Art Glossary: Painting

Self-Portrait with Easel Painting by Vincent van Gogh
Self-Portrait with Easel Painting by Vincent van Gogh. Photo © Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Definition:

A painting is an image (artwork) created using pigments (color) on a surface (ground) such as paper or canvas. The pigment may be in a wet form, such as paint, or a dry form, such as pastels.

Painting can also be a verb, the action of creating such an artwork.