Two painting techniques that have been known since ancient times are

Throw everything you knew about types of painting styles and techniques; because there is a new sheriff in town.

No, it does not mean types of paintings because that is a whole different story.

Painting styles consist of how the brush strokes spoke to the artist when creating a masterpiece. The ‘isms’ if you may.

The painting techniques on the other hand refer to the mediums used to forge a painting.

Whether you are setting foot in this world of color or just inquisitive about this language of love—I have it all for you.

Here is a list of all types of paintings, all styles of paintings, and all painting techniques there are out there.

Let’s start with the first one from types of paintings, styles, and techniques…

Types Of Paintings:

All paintings are primarily subjected to only 7 types. 

Even if they are made in different styles or built with different techniques; they are eventually distinguished by their type.

Eg: The famous self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. The technique used was oil on canvas. Its style was Neo-Impressionism. The painting type was a portrait painting.

A type of painting is really personal to the artist creating it because as it is said—

“Every portrait painted by an artist is the portrait of himself.”                                                                                                                                                     

1. Portrait Painting

Portrait painting is the most common and famous type of painting.

It’s characterized by its whole and sole purpose; capturing a character on canvas.

The characters of a portrait painting are not limited to only humans.

Besides, it is not even limited to just one character. 

Portraits can be captured in any medium the artist seems fit for his masterpiece.

Portrait paintings are best known to keep as remembrance and family records.

Famous Portrait Artists: Frida Kahlo, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci

Must Read: 14 Frida Kahlo Paintings And Their Meanings

2. Landscape Painting

Landscape painting is one of the most renowned types of paintings that focuses on capturing natural elements on the canvas.

The main objective of a landscape painting is to capture the natural components.

These components include terrains, skies, mountains, rivers, trees, etc.

Landscape paintings can be a part of memory paintings or a copied reality.

Famous Landscape Artists: Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, J.M.W. Turner.

3. Still Life 

Still-life painting that translates to dead nature is anything but. It is the ‘figure of free speech’ of the art world.

You would think a still life painting is just a boring piece of art that consists of daily objects and elements.

That is in comparison to the other action-packed, evocative, and full of emotions types of paintings.

But rather many of the famous still lifes have a hidden complex narrative in them.

Besides still life is perfect for a beginner to understand the color, texture, and composition of elements. 

Famous Still Life Artists: Paul Cezanne, Salvador Dali, Gorges Braque

4. Abstract Painting

Even though this was one of the most influential movements in history, abstract painting is also one of the types of paintings.

The purpose of this painting type is to add a meaningful message to a completely disfigured painting.

As beautiful as some of the abstract paintings look, others just consist of dots.

They too stand for a really strong message.

Abstract painting can be an abstraction of any and all elements in the eye of a human.

Famous Abstract Artists: Wassily Kadinsky, Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning

5. History Painting

Historical or history paintings are those types of paintings that capture a historical event.

The main objective of these painting types is to add a moral message as a key component.

We have seen some major historical events being caught on canvas like ‘The Declaration of Independence and ‘Caesar’s Death’.

As already said the paintings that were painted did depict the events but according to the artists.

There are no modern historic paintings unless you want to be the first one to create one.

Famous Historical Painting Artists: Sir David Wilkie, Paul Delaroche, Eugène Delacroix

6. Religious Painting

Religious paintings are the types of paintings that have religious events or mythological creatures in them.

It is believed that there was no purpose for the paintings. But they acted as an outlet for the artists.

These paintings mainly consisted of religious outbursts for the artists.

They depicted scenes and creatures that the artist had a meaningful bond with.

Some of them were just mesmerizing.

Famous Religious Painting Artists: Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci

7. Allegory

This painting style involves the use of subjects (or objects) to portray emotions like sorrow, love, lust, hate, and happiness.

Allegory symbolizes the subject of the painting in a manner to show spiritual importance and morals.

One of the features of this painting style is that it can easily illustrate complex ideas and concepts.

Allegory has been used in all forms of art since ancient times.

Today, in modern art, allegory is defined as an art style where one narration means another.

Famous Allegory Artists: Bronzino, Sandro Botticelli, Johannes Vermeer

All Types Of Painting Styles:

Painting styles are categorized according to the art movement the style belonged to.

There are more than 75 types of painting styles in art today since the beginning of art history.

A painting can be classified into an era just by looking at its painting style.

Some of the painting styles are hard to differentiate.

Some are hard to miss as they are painting styles that classify and represent that particular movement.

And dare I add that every type of art style was a reaction to its prior movement.

Here are the most valued painting styles that changed the art history course from the beginning…

Renaissance & High Renaissance Art Style (1400-1600)

Renaissance means rebirth and it was right named because of the renewed interest in ancient Greco-Roman culture. 

The renaissance style of art showed a gradual shift of abstract forms of the medieval period to individualism.

This art movement gave birth to art techniques like foreshortening, sfumato, and chiaroscuro.

Famous Renaissance Artists: Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael

Famous Renaissance Paintings: Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, Birth of Venus

Mannerism (1527-1580)

Mannerism was the reaction to the harmonious ideals that were set by the renaissance artists like proportion, balance, and ideal beauty.

This art style is distinguished by artificiality, elegance, and sensual distortion of the human figure.

Even today this art style continues to be a debate.

Famous Mannerism Artists: El Greco, Paolo Veronese, Daniele da Volterra

Famous Mannerism Paintings: The Wedding At Cana, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, Madonna with the Long Neck

Baroque (1600-1750)

The baroque style was distinguished by self-assurance, dynamism, and a realistic approach to representation.

The baroque art style has frequently been described as being strange or uneven because of its flamboyant inconsistencies.

This art style is eminent by the drama, deep colors, dramatic light, sharp shadows, and dark backgrounds in the paintings.

Famous Baroque Artists: Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Diego Velázquez

Famous Baroque Paintings: Girl With A Pearl Earring, Las Meninas, The Night Watch

Neoclassicism (1750-1850)

The neoclassicism art style was the response to the excessive frivolity and opulence of the Baroque art style.

This art style was defined by the use of shallow space, and uniform and strong lines.

It had dark and muted color, more obvious brush strokes, and unambiguous forms to portray moral depictions of self-sacrifice and self-denial.

The painting style of this art era was well composed, with historically accurate backgrounds and costumes.

Famous Neoclassicism Artists: Edmonia Lewis, Antonio Canova, Jacques-Louis David

Famous Neoclassicism Paintings: Death of Marat, Death of Socrates, Oath of the Horatii

Romanticism (1780-1850)

This art movement started as a response to the principles of harmony, order, and idealization that marked Neoclassicism.

The art style of this movement places a strong focus on this emotion, individualism, and the veneration of nature and the past.

This movement’s artists produced artworks that emphasized how vital sensation and emotion were to experience the world.

It was as crucial as balance and logic.

Famous Romanticism Artists: Francisco Goya, William Blake, Eugène Delacroix

Famous Romantic Paintings: Liberty Leading the People, Saturn Devouring His Son, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog

Realism (1848-1900)

Realism art style existed to honestly represent the world through art.

They rejected Romanticism’s heightened emotionalism and exaltation of the past.

The artists exposed topics and situations that were shunned and deemed inappropriate.

It portrayed stark nudes, the struggle of the working class, harsh labor, and the depiction of the solitariness of the individual in contemporary society.

With these controversial depictions, Realism shook the art world.

Famous Realism Artists: Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Rosa Bonheur

Famous Realism Paintings: Nighthawks, Olympia, The Gleaners

Impressionism (1865-1895)

Impressionism art style focuses on the accurate depiction of natural light in all of its varied manifestations and unorthodox viewing perspectives.

The characteristics of the impressionist paintings were the small, obvious brushstrokes that convey the most basic impression of form, and unmixed color.

The practice of painting outdoors and spontaneously “on the spot” rather than in a studio from sketches is the foundation of impressionism.

Landscapes and ordinary scenes were the primary subjects of impressionism.

Famous Impressionism Artists: Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro

Famous Impressionist Paintings: Luncheon of the Boating Party, Impression Sunrise, The Large Bathers

Pointillism/ Divisionism (1880-1891)

The Pointillism art movement was a branch of the post-Impressionist art style. Its name was derived as a mockery by the critics.

This painting style consisted of a series of small, unique dots that were painted adjacent to each other to create an image.

Just like the pixels in modern computers.

Once pointillism reached its zenith it was widely adopted by artists which then paved the way for the rise of the Fauvist art style.

Famous Pointillism Artists: Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, Vincent Van Gogh

Famous Pointillism Paintings: A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Undergrowth, Model in Profile

Symbolism (1880-1910)

To put it in very blunt words—symbolists could give form to your dreams and visions.

As opposed to the impressionist painters, symbolists went beyond shapes, lines, patterns, and tones to convey their idealogy.

Symbols in art combined religious mystery, the grotesque, the sexual, and the depraved.

The symbolism art style had themes like the macabre, the dream world, grief, evil, and mortality, 

It was the bridge that connected early Romanticism and Modernism.

Famous Symbolism Artists: Gustav Klimt, Edvard Munch, Frida Kahlo

Famous Symbolism Paintings: The Crying Spider, The Kiss, The Death of the Gravedigger

Art Nouveau (1890-1910)

This was one of those types of painting styles whose legacy still lives on today in many ways.

Art nouveau was most frequently used in architecture, interior design, jewelry and glass design, posters, and illustrations.

This art style is distinguished by the use of a long sinuous organic line.

One of the main goals of art nouveau was to eliminate the conventional divide between fine arts and applied arts.

Famous Art Nouveau Artists: Gustav Klimt, Alphonse Mucha, Victor Horta

Famous Art Nouveau Paintings: Daydream, The Peacock Skirt, The Slav Epic

Fauvism (1905-1910)

This was one of the first contemporary art movements of the 20th century.

Fauves’ painting style was distinguished by its wildly erratic brush strokes and vivid colors.

Whereas their subjects were highly simplified and abstract.

Fauvist art style accentuated and displayed post-expressiveness, impressionism’s vivid colors, and thick paint application.

Famous Fauvism Artists: Henri Matisse, Georges Rouault, Maurice de Vlaminck

Famous Fauvism Paintings: Woman with a Hat, Jeu de Massacre, The River Seine at Chatou

Expressionism (1905-1925)

Propelled by opposition to bourgeois culture and a passionate revival of creativity, Expressionism spread across Europe as a trend in art.

Expressionists preferred to depict emotional experiences over objective truth.

The artists were only able to achieve this goal through distortion, exaggeration, primitivism, and imagination in their paintings.

These types of painting styles usually had vivid, startling violent, or dynamic use of formal components.

Famous Expressionism Artists: Edvard Munch, Wassily Kandinsky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Famous Expressionist Paintings: The Scream, The Blue Rider, Artist & His Model

Cubism (1908-1920)

It fundamentally rejected the long-standing inclination in painting to try and create a true three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional canvas from a fixed viewpoint.

In actuality, the cubism art style was an attempt to emphasize the nature of the two-dimensional canvas rather than creating depth.

They tried doing this without perspective and utilizing the method of tones.

They would separate the subject into a variety of shapes before repainting it from various perspectives.

Learn more about the Artists of Cubism.

Famous Cubism Artists: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Paul Cézanne

Famous Cubism Paintings: Cubist Self-portrait, Portrait of Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror

Constructivism (1914-1930)

The Russian artist Vladimir Tatlin visited Pablo Picasso in his workshop in 1913 and observed the artist’s collaged item experiments. 

This interaction inspired Tatlin to explore the collage medium on his own, leading to the creation of three-dimensional, abstract metal and wood collages. 

Constructivism, a movement in art where the focus was on construction, started out with this. To be constructed was art.

Constructivist art was heavily influenced by industrial design. 

They used simple, geometric shapes and inexpensive materials. 

Famous Constructivism Artists: Vladimir Tatlin, Aleksander Rodchenko, Lyubov Popova  

Famous Constructivism Paintings: Figuras a Cinco Colores, Képarchitektúra, Constructivist Composition

Futurism (1909-1918)

Futurist artists rejected the past because they believed it to be immensely oppressive. 

Instead, they offered an art form that celebrated modernity, along with its industry and technology.

The main goal was to portray a vibrant future vision. 

As a result, they frequently depicted urban settings and cutting-edge transportation options including trains, vehicles, and airplanes. 

They promoted change by glorifying speed, violence, and the lower classes.

These methods included repetition and blurring. 

Famous Futurism Artists: Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla, Carlo Carrà,

Famous Futurism Paintings: The Funeral of the Anarchist Galli, Abstract Speed + Sound, Dynamism of a Cyclist

Dadaism (1916-1924)

Dadaism emerged as a reaction to modernity.

The dadaists’ art and performances evolved into more experimental, rebellious, and anarchic forms as the conflict dragged on. 

Under the banner of DADA, they banded together to protest the brutality and pointlessness of the war.

Dada artists frequently create satirical and absurdist works of art and poetry.

Also while posing a serious question to the audience about how we evaluate art.

Famous Dadaism Artists: Hans Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray

Famous Dadaism Paintings: L.H.O.O.Q, Premiere Promenade, The Skat Players

Surrealism (1917-1950)

Surrealism was the cultural movement that was significantly impacted by Dadaism.

Artists created weird creatures out of common things and painted unsettling, illogical situations, often with photographic accuracy.

Surrealist art incorporates non sequitur, unexpected juxtapositions, and the element of surprise.

The movement at the time was linked to ideologies like communism and anarchism.

Surrealism is an artistic endeavor that aims to free the imagination. It is both delicate and dynamic.

Famous Surrealism Artists: Andre Breton, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst

Famous Surrealism Paintings: The Great Masturbator, The Broken Column, The Philosopher’s Lamp 

Abstract Expressionism (1940s-1950s)

Artists of all stripes could express their emotions and ideas through abstract expressionism without worrying about being judged by the general public. 

Strong messages and emotions are crucial to the representation but the movement is not defined by any one particular style. 

The feeling of the artist or the viewer—and not the actual image—takes center stage in every piece of Abstract Expressionist art.

Famous Abstract Expressionism Artists: Willem de Kooning, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock

Famous Abstract Expressionism Paintings: Woman I, Blue Nudes, Autumn Rhythm

Pop Art (1950-1960)

Instead, it used commonplace materials and objects like newspapers, comic books, and magazines to create bright compositions.

By questioning aristocratic society and fine art traditions, artists famous pop artists substituted imagery and methods from popular media and mass culture.

Pop art is noted for its striking elements, which can help you rapidly capture the attention of your audience.

The pop art movement established the notion that there is no hierarchy of culture that might prevent art from drawing inspiration from any source.

Famous Pop Art Artists: Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Hamilton

Famous Pop Art Paintings: Marilyn Diptych, Whaam!, Flag

Photorealism (1960-Now)

The technical ability to impress viewers is a key component of the Photorealism movement. 

It began as primarily an American art trend and gained popularity in response to Abstract Expressionism. 

The painting style of this art movement was to accurately recreate photographs.

The artists avoided the spontaneity that is the characteristic of Abstract Expressionism and meticulously planned their work to great effect. 

Usually, this is accomplished by either using traditional grid procedures or by projecting the slide onto the canvas.

Famous Photorealism Artists: Chuck Close, Oscar Ukonu, Gottfried Helnwein

Famous Photorealism Paintings: Big Self-Portrait, Phil, Lucas I

Minimalism (1960-Now)

What you see is what you see!

The idea that art should have its own reality and not be a copy of anything else can be extended through minimalism or minimalist art. 

Art is considered a reflection of an experience, such as an emotion or mood, or a representation of the real world. 

The painting style of minimalism is to focus solely on what is in front of the audience and makes no attempt to reflect an external world.

Famous Minimalism Artists: Agnes Martin, Sol LeWitt, Dan Flavin,

Famous Minimalism Paintings: Red Circle on black, grace kelly III, Untitled

All Types of Painting Techniques:

Art consists of three things – type, style, and technique.

Since we are trying to understand all the types of painting styles and techniques, let us end with the most important one.

Painting techniques are the most crucial part of understanding art. 

Whether you want to learn a new technique or add to your vast knowledge, we’ve got an enormous list of painting techniques.

Learn all you can from the list of painting techniques below…

Acrylic Painting

Acrylic Painting is a common type of painting. It uses fast-drying colors to create a wonderful art piece.

These acrylic paints are made by suspending pigments in acrylic resins.

The acrylic paint is soluble in water but when dried, it becomes water-resistant. On top of that, acrylics can handle heat better than other types of paints.

The beauty of using acrylic paint lies in its ability to give both transparencies of watercolor and texture of oil paint.

Choosing this painting style will give you the benefit of versatility in terms of making art.

Year of invention: Somewhere around 1934 by Leonard Bocour and Sam Golden

Famous artists: Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Robert Motherwell.

Action Painting

Action painting is a type of art, that uses splashed, smeared, or dripped paints on the canvas.

The action painting emphasizes the physical aspect of the painting that becomes the aspect in the finished artwork.

If you are somebody who enjoys vibrant and dynamic art techniques and styles that radiate energy, this might be just for you.

Year of invention: 1940s

Famous Artists: Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Jack Tworkov.

Aerial Perspective

Aerial perspective, known as atmospheric perspective, is a type of painting art to creates an illusion of depth in the painting.

This effect is achieved by changing the color contrast between the background and the objects.

Here, the main focus is to simulate the effect of the atmosphere in a painting, like the way things are seen from a long distance.

This different form of painting is used to paint landscapes.

Year of invention: First use of aerial perspective in painting was done in 30 BCE in the Pompeian Second Style.

Famous Artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Renoir, Alfred Sisley.

Anamorphosis

This is one of the most interesting painting techniques out there.

It is an art that plays with perspective.

When viewed from the typical viewpoint, it displays a distorted image.

However, if viewed from a specific angle or reflected in a curved mirror, the distortion is removed and the image seems normal.

One of the art techniques and styles that played with the lookers vision.

Year of invention: Anamorphic painting was fully used in the 17th century, although it is said to be a byproduct of ‘perspective art’.

Famous Artists: Jean François Niceron.

Camaieu

A painting technique that was created using several shades of a single color a.k.a monochromatic art.

But this is a monochromatic painting that uses colors besides grey. 

The camaieu technique, also known as en camaieu, uses two or three shades of a single hue other than grey. 

The hue chosen is peculiar for that subject matter.

This basically means that not all monochromatic paintings are camaieu, but all camaieu paintings are monochrome.

Year of invention: Camaieu originated in the ancient world, and is an old technique that was used to imitate relief sculpture in architecture and cameos in miniature paintings.

Famous Artists: Marlene Munroe de Montigny.

Casein Painting

It may sound odd, but a painting style and technique exists that uses paint made with milk.

Casein painting involves the use of casein paints that are made by mixing pigments and milk protein— casein.

Casein painting lets you create effects similar to oil painting.

Over time, casein painting is known to become water-resistant.

Year of invention: Casein painting is said to have been invented about 9000 years ago.

Famous Artists: Oscar Howe.

Charcoal Drawing

One of the emerging painting styles, Charcoal Drawing is used by many artists for its versatile properties.

Charcoal sticks are made up of charcoal powder (burned willow branches or sections of grapevine) and a binding agent like wax or gum.

Using charcoal will allow you to explore the contrast and will let you develop rich visual tones in your drawing.

Of all the art techniques and styles, charcoal will let you create vibrant drawings.

Year of invention: The first use of charcoal drawing can be traced back at least 28,000 years ago. The modern charcoal drawing (from charcoal sticks) began somewhere in the 17th century.

Famous Artists: Robert Longo, William Kentridge, Dan Pyle

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is a type of painting art that uses strong contrast between light and dark shades.

It lets you manipulate light to achieve a sense of a three-dimensional object on the canvas.

The chiaroscuro painting technique lets you emphasize and illuminate the important figure of the painting.

By playing with the intensity and the angle of light, you can change the focus of the subject in the painting.

Year of invention: Chiaroscuro was invented somewhere in the Renaissance period.

Famous Artist: Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, Georges de La Tour.

Collage Painting

Collage painting, a unique type of art, involves making artwork by assembling different pieces of materials.

It is an assembled piece of art that is visually appealing.

A collage is made from bits of magazine, papers, paints, newspapers, ribbons, photographs, and scraps of other artworks.

For making a collage painting, you have to stick the bits of materials together on a flat surface to make a complete artwork.

Year of invention: This art technique came into existence in China around 200 BC.

Famous Artists: Hannah Höch, Henri Matisse, Man Ray.

Color Pencil Sketch

Who doesn’t remember coloring books with colored pencils in childhood? It’s nostalgic to think about!

The color pencil sketch is a type of art similar to pencil sketching, but the only difference is that you get to choose a wide range of colors instead of just black.

Using color pencils will let you add precision and in-depth details, and will let you create colorful sketches.

Color pencils are non-messy and easy to use as compared to other art mediums.

Year of invention: In 1834 Johann Sebastian Staedtler

Famous Artists: CJ Hendry, Marco Mazzoni, Veronica Winters

Digital Painting

Digital painting is the modern type of painting technique that uses technology to create impressive art.

The whole artwork is made digitally as opposed to the traditional approach of painting.

Digital painting gives you the freedom of choosing many different tools and features, which allows you to create out-of-world art.

One of the best advantages you get with digital painting is that you make corrections to the painting without leaving a mark in the final artwork. (All hail the “Undo” button!)

Year of invention: Digital art originated in the early 1980s, some claim its existence to be in 1967.

Famous Artists: David McLeod, Stephen McMennamy, Alberto Seveso.

Also read: Is Digital Art better than Traditional Art?

Encaustic painting

Encaustic painting is one of the techniques in painting that uses hot colored wax to make artwork.

These types of painting use an encaustic medium which is made by mixing color pigments with wax.

The hot medium is poured onto the surface and special brushes and tools are used to shape the painting.

Encaustic painting requires a heat lamp or heat gun to fuse and bind the medium.

Year of invention: Encaustic painting originated somewhere in the first century.

Famous Artists: Jasper Johns, Pausias, Benjamin Calau.

Foreshortening

Foreshortening is another type of art that uses optical illusion in a creative way.

It is a painting technique that depicts an object or human figure in the painting extending in space.

Foreshortening is all about experimenting with the angle and perspective of the subject.

The painting is always depicted from an unusual angle. For example, the human body is viewed from the top.

Year of invention: Foreshortening was invented in the 15th century.

Famous Artists: Michelangelo, Correggio.

Fresco Painting

Fresco is a mural painting technique that lets you create art on walls and ceilings.

In this painting technique, water-based paint is applied onto wet plaster so that it becomes a permanent part of it.

When it comes to murals or wall painting, Fresco is a durable method.

The artwork, complete with Fresco techniques, looks monumental and has a matte finish.

Year of invention: Fresco was invented in Italy in the 13th century.

Famous Artist: Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Masaccio.

Glass Painting

As per the name, glass painting involves painting on a glass surface.

It may seem like a not-so-popular technique, but glass painting was one of the most dominant forms of painting in ancient Europe.

Gesso, enamel, and acrylic paints are used for glass paintings.

This form of painting lets you create wonderful artwork on glass that can be illuminated by using a light source.

Year of invention: In 9th-century Germany.

Famous Artists: Gerhard Richter, Brian Clarke.

Gouache

This type of painting technique involves the use of body paints or opaque watercolors to make the painting.

Gouache paint is a water medium paint made from natural pigments, water, a binding agent, and occasionally an inert material (that gives a fluorescence effect).

You can also find acrylic gouache paint made with an acrylic binder that gives a matte finish to the painting.

When you choose to make art with this type of painting, you get the benefit of making vibrant art that will stand out on the canvas.

The paintings made from this type of technique look energetic and realistic.

Year of invention: Gouache painting was developed in the 16th century when the artists used oil paint over tempera to get a matt finish.

Famous Artists: Edgar Degas, John Singer Sargent, Pablo Picasso.

Graffiti

It is a type of art that is used as a form of expressing thoughts, emotions, and messages to people.

Graffiti art is somewhat similar to spray painting forms but has its differences.

At a glance, graffiti is drawing or writing on the walls in public places, usually without permission. (Watch out! It can have legal consequences!)

The English word “Graffiti” is taken from the Italian word “graffito,” which translates to  “scratched.”

Many graffiti artists do graffiti on the walls to spread messages or as a means of thrill-seeking.

Year of invention: Art in the form of an inscription or graffiti on walls can be traced back to ancient times. Modern graffiti became famous in the 1960s.

Famous Artists: Cornbread, Dondi White, Tracy 168.

Grisaille

Do you have a liking for mono-tone art? Grisaille might be just for you!

Grisaille is a painting style and technique where the painting is done only in the shades of gray or other grayish neutral colors.

One of the prominent features of this technique of painting is that it is shaped to give an illusion of sculpture.

One can include a slightly wider color range in the grisaille type of art.

Year of invention: Giotto, an Italian artist, used Grisaille for the first time in 1304

Famous Artists: Giotto, Robert Campin.

Impasto

Impasto is a painting technique that uses thick layers of paint so that the brush strokes are visible in the final artwork.

When you look at the artwork, it appears as if the painting is standing out from the canvas.

For making an Impasto painting, you can choose between acrylic or oil paints.

This type of painting technique lets you play with the light, texture, expression, or tone of the painting.

Year of invention: The impasto technique originated in the 17th century

Famous Artists: Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jackson Pollock.

Ink Painting

Ink is used as the medium to paint in this Chinese painting technique.

One of the painting styles and techniques used to achieve tonality and shading by fluctuating the density of the Ink.

One of its features is that you can get different grades of ink by varying the pressure and position of the tip within a single brushstroke.

You can make multi-colored artwork by using different colors of ink in your painting.

Year of invention: Ink painting appeared in the Tang dynasty at some point during 618–907.

Famous Artists: Chang Dai-Chien, Qi Baishi, Shen Zhou.

Miniature Painting

Miniature painting or Portrait miniature is one of the types of portrait painting that is executed on a small piece of material.

The common material used for painting was vellum, ivory, copper, or prepared card.

In the early 16th century, miniature painting was a way for artists to show their talent by illustrating a tiny painting.

This Portrait painting style was often known as limning or painting in little.

Miniature paintings, as small as 40mm x 20mm, were painted by the artists so that they could fit inside jewelry.

Year of invention: Miniature Painting first appeared in the 1520s.

Famous Artists: Nicholas Hilliard, Isaac Oliver, Nihâl Chand.

Mural

This form of painting focuses on painting on walls or ceilings, rather than on a canvas.

In this painting technique, the architectural elements are incorporated into the artwork to give a beautiful three-dimensional painting.

The use of color, style, and texture can dramatically affect the quality of the artwork.

Acrylic paint is most commonly used for making mural art.

Mural painting is the only type of art painting that lets you beautify the architecture of a place.

Year of invention: The existence of Mural painting can be traced back to the late Stone Age.

Famous Artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros.

Oil Painting

The most preferred painting style, oil painting is practiced by most artists around the globe.

The paints are made by mixing pigments with drying oils like poppy seed oil, walnut oil, linseed oil, and safflower oil.

Using oil paint gives you the versatility of creating a wide range of opacity and intensity in your art.

It allows you to create layers of different colors and blend them together to create a brilliant art piece.

Year of invention: In the 15th century by Belgian painter Jan van Eyck

Famous artists: Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso.

Panel Painting

Panel painting is a style of painting where the artwork is made on wood or metal, as opposed to canvas.

Before Canvas became widely available, the panel was used for easel painting.

The most commonly used wood for panel painting is oak, beech, cedar, chestnut, firs, larch, linden, white poplar, mahogany, olive, and dark walnut.

Making artwork on the panel will give you the benefit of creating a smooth painting, as the panel itself is textureless.

Year of invention: Panel painting is one of the oldest painting styles and techniques that originated before 600BC

Famous Artists: Cennino Cennini, Dieric Bouts, Rogier van der Weyden.

Panorama

Panorama is a painting technique where the scene or landscape is painted as a whole or in continuous narration.

To be precise, it gives you a wide-angle view of the landscape.

The painting is usually done on a wide canvas or a flat or curved surface.

The panorama lets you simulate the sensation of scanning a seascape or a huge landscape.

You can use any painting medium to make a panorama painting.

Year of invention: The first panorama painting was done by Scottish painter Robert Barker in 1788

Famous Artists: Benjamin Russell, Robert Barker, Franz Roubaud.

Pastel Painting

If you are normal, there’s a good chance that you used pastels in childhood.

Pastel painting is a form of painting that involves the use of pastel sticks made from powdered pigment and a binder.

The pastel painting style creates a painting that is highly luscious and has a velvety texture.

You can get different types of pastels like soft, hard, oil, water-soluble, and pan pastels.

Year of invention: 16th century in Italy.

Famous Artists: Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, Odilon Redon.

Pencil Sketch

One of the types of painting art, a pencil sketch, is the art of creating highly defined artwork using the most commonly used childhood tool: a pencil.

The graphite pencil is well known for its ability to create a realistic and detailed sketch.

The smudging ability of the graphite pencil will let you add an in-depth perspective and give beautification to the artwork.

Pencil sketching is a preferred method for drawing by many professional artists and people who love doodling.

Year of invention: Around 1560 by Simonio and Lyndiana Bernacotti

Famous Artists: Adonna Khare, Marco Mazzoni, Diego Fazio.

Perspective

You know that everyone has their way of seeing things, and that’s what perspective painting attempts to do.

Perspective painting involves representing the painting from the viewer’s perspective.

This painting style also represents a three-dimensional image onto a two-dimensional plane.

This painting type is similar to foreshortening.

Year of invention: Early 15th century.

Famous Artists: Masaccio, Paolo Uccello, Andrea Mantegna.

Plein-Air Painting

Plein-air painting is the method of leaving the studio behind and going out in nature to paint.

In precise terms, this painting style is the practice of painting outdoors.

(Plein-air painting or En Plein air translates to “in the open air.”)

Doing Plein-air painting lets you create wonderful artwork as the source of light is natural outside.

It will let you accurately recognize colors and how they differentiate from others.

Year of invention: This painting technique originated in France in the 18th century.

Famous Artists: Edgar Alwin Payne, William Merritt Chase, Alson Skinner Clark.

Sand Painting

Sand painting or dry painting is one of the unique forms of painting art that involves pouring colored sands to create a painting.

The paint used in sand painting is made by mixing crushed, colored sandstone; charcoal, pollen, or other dry material.

Sand painting involves precision and intense control over the movement of the hand. To sand paint,  you’ll need a lot of practice and patience. 

The sand painting lets you create impressive and vibrant artwork which can be on fixed or unfixed media.

Year of invention: Sand painting has been associated with numerous cultural groups around the world since ancient times.

Famous Artists: Tim Bengel, Kseniya Simonova.

Scroll Painting

East Asia is the main region for this painting technique. 

The Chinese landscape scroll is the culture’s greatest contribution to the history of painting.

Even the Japanese narrative scroll, which established the storytelling potential of painting, can serve as an example of the two dominating styles.

These paintings give the sense of traveling through time and space, making the viewer into a traveler. 

Roads and routes are frequently portrayed, and they appear to guide the viewer’s sight into the piece.

Year of invention: Chinese “illustrative” scrolls, the forerunners of narrative scrolls, first appear in the late 4th century AD and impart Buddhist moral values.

Famous Artists: Ma Yuan.

Sfumato

Sfumato is a type of painting technique in which colors and tones are blended to give a smooth look without leaving any mark of transition, edges, or lines.

Also, the transition between light and dark shades is invisible.

When you use Sfumato, the final artwork will appear as a flawless smooth painting.

Oil paint is most commonly used for making Sfumato, although other mediums like tempera can be used.

Year of invention: According to the art historian Giorgio Vasari, Sfumato was first invented by the Primitive Flemish school in the year 1483 -1485.

Famous Artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Correggio, Raphael.

Sotto In Su

Sotto In Su, meaning “seen from below,” is an Illusionistic ceiling painting.

In this painting technique, the artwork is painted upon a ceiling or other higher surface which gives an illusion to the observer.

Most of the Sotto In Su paintings were created to give an illusion of an open sky.

The advantage of Sotto In Su is that it unites the architecture, painting, and sculpture together.

Year of invention: During Renaissance.

Famous Artists: Correggio, Giovanni Battista, Andrea Mantegna.

Spray Painting

Spray painting is a different painting style that uses a device to spray the paint.

Aerosol paint is commonly used as the medium in spray painting. Tools like a spray gun, spray booth, spray can, and spray brush is used for painting.

When you use an aerosol spray to make art, it will leave a smooth and even coat of paint.

There may be different painting styles but spray painting is one for graffiti and street art.

Year of invention: Spray painting techniques can be traced back to the 1880s.

Famous Artists: Bansky, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Shepard Fairey.

Stone Painting

This is one of the independent painting techniques a.k.a rock painting. 

Stone painting is nothing but making art on a stone surface by using strong and durable paint.

The most preferred stones for this painting technique are the river bed stones that have a distinctive round figure.

The most common painting style used in this type of painting is mandala art.

Stone painting is usually made up of many bright colors.

Year of invention: Discovered during the pre-historic ages but has seemingly evolved throughout the decades.

Tachism

Tachism was a painting technique that enhanced the painting with intuitive and impulsive brush strokes.

Using a loaded brush, enormous paintings with sweeping brushstrokes, drips, blots, stains, and color splashes were created.

Those who practice this technique are known as Tachists.

Year of invention: Through the 1950s, this painting technique was used in Paris following World War II. 

Famous Artists: Jean-Paul Riopelle, Wols, Jean Dubuffet.

Tempera Painting

Tempera painting is a painting style that lets you create elegant artwork.

Also known as egg tempera, it is made by mixing colored pigments and water-soluble binder medium like egg yolk.

The creamy texture of tempera paint allows you to create smooth strokes on canvas and lets you make a uniform painting.

One of the benefits of tempera painting is that they last long.

Year of invention: The early existence of tempera painting can be traced back to the 1st century BC in Egypt. 

Famous Artists: Sandro Botticelli, Duccio, Carlo Crivelli.

Tenebrism

Tenebrism is one of the most drastic painting techniques in the art world.

It is the practice of using stark contrasts of light and dark to enhance the dramatic impact of figurative compositions.

The figures in tenebrist paintings are frequently depicted against a background of extreme darkness.

The figures on the other hand are lighted by a bright, searching light that sharply yet masterfully controlled chiaroscuro that highlights their three-dimensional forms.

Year of invention: Caravaggio (1571-1610), an Italian painter, invented the method.

Famous Artists: Caravaggio

Tromp L’oeil

Trompe l’oeil is a French painting type that translates to “deceive the eye.”

The main purpose of this painting technique is to create an optical illusion of the subject existing in the three-dimension.

Trompe l’oeil focuses on creating a realistic painting with a twist in perspective.

Zexius, one of the famous painters of ancient Greece, was known for his realistic painting styles.

“The painting is so realistic that the birds tried to eat the grapes from Trompe l’oeil.”

Year of invention: Trompe l’oeil is said to have originated in the early Renaissance period.

Famous Artists: William Harnett, Cornelis Norbertus Gysbrechts, John F. Peto.

Veduta

One of the many techniques of painting,  Veduta is a highly detailed painting type that depicts a city or town or any part related to the city.

It is a type of landscape painting where the size of the painting can be large, so as to accommodate the whole cityscape.

Those who practice this style of painting are called Vedutisti.

Year of invention: 16th Century

Famous Artists: Canaletto, Francesco Guardi, Paul Bril.

Watercolor Painting

Watercolor painting is one of the famous painting techniques that create captivating art.

As per the name, watercolors are highly soluble in water and are made by combining pigments and binders.

Using watercolors, you create unique paintings that creatively represent your imaginations.

One of the best things about watercolor painting is that it can achieve transparency and glow in the painting by just adding layers.

Did you know that there’s something called Watercolor pencils? These pencils let you create the effect of watercolor paints!

Year of invention: Around 1.4 million years ago (old stone age)

Famous Artists: Albrecht Dürer, Paul Klee, John Singer Sargent.

Handmade Painting

Custom handmade painting is a relatively new type of painting style where you can turn your photos into paintings.

It combines the aspects of digital art and traditional painting to make custom paintings.

This portrait painting style lets you create a wide variety of handmade paintings that depict you and your loved ones.

One of the advantages of this painting technique and style is that you can edit or combine different photos into one painting.

You can choose Acrylic, Oil, watercolor, charcoal, pencil, and color pencil medium to make a custom handmade painting.

Now I can finally take a breather *sigh*.

Art is a creative endeavor that requires three Ps: patience, persistence, and perseverance.

Attaining mastery of styles and techniques of painting is not easy. You’ll have to spend years perfecting your craft.

But don’t be discouraged, because Rome was not built in a day!

That’s all she said…

Hey creative peeps!

This was our updated list of all types of Paintings, Styles, And Techniques.

We hope you enjoyed learning about these different paintings, styles, and techniques that are practiced in the world of painting.

If we have missed any style or techniques, please let us know in the comment section below

My personal favorite painting style is Divisionism because we love Vincent and his madness;)

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Which painting style do you like? And why?

Comment down below!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who painted Starry Night?

Starry Night was painted by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh in the year 1889. Impasto technique was used to paint this masterpiece.

2. How to develop an art style?

The only way to develop an art style is by experimenting. Explore the different art styles and find the one that suits you the most. Start practicing and add your personal touch to it. Soon, you’ll have your unique art style.

3. What is a painting medium?

The painting medium is the substance in the paint that acts as a binder. It forms the base of the paint and gives it a particular characteristic. Famous painting mediums are oil, acrylic, watercolor, and tempera.