TOP

Definition of painting noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

painting

noun
 
/ˈpeɪntɪŋ/
 
/ˈpeɪntɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. [countable] a picture that has been painted
    • a watercolour/an acrylic painting
    • painting of somebody/something Canaletto's paintings of Venice
    • painting by somebody an exhibition of paintings by American artists
    • She has also done abstract paintings and made experimental films.
    • Kahlo's paintings often depict her suffering.
    see also cave painting, oil painting, wall painting
    Synonyms picturepicturepainting drawing portrait print sketchThese are all words for a scene, person or thing that has been represented on paper by drawing, painting, etc.picture a scene, person or thing that has been represented on paper using a pencil, a pen or paint:
    • The children were drawing pictures of their pets.
    painting a picture that has been made using paint:
    • a collection of paintings by American artists
    drawing a picture that has been made using a pencil or pen, not paint:
    • a pencil/​charcoal drawing
    portrait a painting, drawing or photograph of a person, especially of the head and shoulders:
    • Vermeer’s ‘Portrait of the artist in his studio’
    • a self-portrait (= a painting that you do of yourself)
    print a picture that has been copied from a painting using photography:
    • a Renoir print
    sketch a simple picture that is drawn quickly and does not have many details:
    • I usually do a few very rough sketches before I start on a painting.
    Patterns
    • to draw a picture/​portrait/​sketch
    • to paint a picture/​portrait
    • to make a painting/​drawing/​portrait/​print/​sketch
    • to do a painting/​drawing/​portrait/​sketch
    Collocations Fine artsFine artsCreating art
    • make a work of art/​a drawing/​a sketch/​a sculpture/​a statue/​engravings/​etchings/​prints
    • do an oil painting/​a self-portrait/​a line drawing/​a rough sketch
    • create a work of art/​an artwork/​paintings and sculptures
    • produce paintings/​portraits/​oil sketches/​her most celebrated work/​a series of prints
    • paint a picture/​landscape/​portrait/​mural/​in oils/​in watercolours/(US English) in watercolors/​on canvas
    • draw a picture/​a portrait/​a cartoon/​a sketch/​a line/​a figure/​the human form/​in charcoal/​in ink
    • sketch a preliminary drawing/​a figure/​a shape
    • carve a figure/​an image/​a sculpture/​reliefs/​a block of wood
    • sculpt a portrait bust/​a statue/​an abstract figure
    • etch a line/​a pattern/​a design/​a name into the glass
    • mix colours/(US English) colors/​pigments/​paints
    • add/​apply thin/​thick layers of paint/​colour/(US English) color/​pigment
    • use oil pastels/​charcoal/​acrylic paint/​a can of spray paint
    • work in bronze/​ceramics/​stone/​oils/​pastels/​watercolour/​a wide variety of media
    Describing art
    • paint/​depict a female figure/​a rural scene/​a pastoral landscape/​a domestic interior
    • depict/​illustrate a traditional/​mythological/​historical/​religious theme
    • create an abstract composition/​a richly textured surface/​a distorted perspective
    • paint dark/​rich/​skin/​flesh tones
    • use broad brush strokes/​loose brushwork/​vibrant colours/​a limited palette/​simple geometric forms
    • develop/​adopt/​paint in a stylized manner/​an abstract style
    Showing and selling art
    • commission a new piece/​a bronze bust of somebody/​a portrait/​a religious work/​an artist to paint something
    • frame a painting/​portrait
    • hang art/​a picture/​a painting
    • display/​exhibit modern art/​somebody’s work/​a collection/​original artwork/​drawings/​sculptures/​a piece/​a painting
    • be displayed/​hung in a gallery/​museum
    • install/​place a sculpture in/​at/​on something
    • erect/​unveil a bronze/​marble/​life-size statue
    • hold/​host/​mount/​open/​curate/​see an exhibition (especially British English)/(North American English usually) an exhibit
    • be/​go on (British English) exhibition/(North American English) exhibit
    • feature/​promote/​showcase a conceptual artist/​contemporary works
    • collect contemporary art/​modern British paintings/​Japanese prints
    • restore/​preserve a fresco/​great works of art
    Extra Examples
    • Degas did several paintings of ballet dancers.
    • He was commissioned to paint four large paintings.
    • an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by local artists
    • Her early paintings were light, expressive compositions.
    • The classroom walls are covered with children's paintings.
    • His most famous paintings hang in the Louvre.
    • Paintings by contemporary Aboriginal artists are displayed in the gallery.
    • Vanderlyn's painting represents Ariadne abandoned on the island of Naxos.
    • Rauch's paintings evoke memories of a bygone era.
    • The design is based on an original painting by Matisse.
    • The woman in the painting is the artist's mistress.
    • a fine painting in oils
    • The photograph looks almost like an Impressionist painting.
    • A Dutch landscape painting hung on the wall.
    • In 1912 Marc saw an exhibition of Futurist paintings in Berlin.
    • He commissioned history paintings from the leading painters of the day.
    • The little chapel is decorated with medieval wall paintings.
    • He began preparations for a large mural painting of the Battle of Anghiari.
    • The house is full of paintings and sculpture.
    • Recently, she sold two paintings.
    Topics Arta1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • beautiful
    • fine
    • good
    … of paintings
    • series
    • collection
    • exhibition
    verb + painting
    • create
    • do
    • execute
    painting + verb
    • depict somebody/​something
    • feature somebody/​something
    • portray somebody/​something
    preposition
    • in a/​the painting
    • painting by
    • painting in
    See full entry
  2. [uncountable] the act or art of using paint to produce pictures
    • Her hobbies include music and painting.
    • the great British tradition of landscape painting
    • abstract/figurative painting
    see also action painting, face painting, finger-painting, genre painting
    Extra Examples
    • He was appointed to teach painting and drawing at the Glasgow School of Art.
    • He studied traditional Japanese painting at the Kano school.
    • He went to Europe to study painting.
    • When she retired she took up painting.
    • They dreamed of creating a uniquely Canadian type of landscape painting.
    • the development of 20th century abstract painting
    • In the 1970s he returned to figurative painting.
    • He gave up a career in law for portrait painting.
    • She discussed the relationship between painting and photography.
    • Tobey developed a distinctive style of painting that he called 'white writing'.
    • There is no recognizable Amsterdam school of painting.
    • 18th-century treatises on the art of painting
    • His work became wholly abstract and he changed his painting technique.
    • Throughout her life, she maintained a painting style of light figures against a dark background.
    Topics Hobbiesa1, Arta1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • acrylic
    • oil
    • watercolour/​watercolor
    verb + painting
    • do
    • take up
    • study
    painting + noun
    • style
    • technique
    phrases
    • painting and decorating
    See full entry
  3. [uncountable] the act of putting paint onto the surface of objects, walls, etc.
    • painting and decorating
    • We can do the painting ourselves.
    Extra Examples
    • He's finished the painting, and the house looks amazing.
    • Find all your building, painting, carpentry, and plumbing needs on our website.
    • Frequent painting of infested areas will kill the beetles and prevent further damage.
    • I hate painting so we hired painters.
    • We can help with weeding, fence painting, and hedge trimming.
    • She does interior painting and minor household repairs.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • acrylic
    • oil
    • watercolour/​watercolor
    verb + painting
    • do
    • take up
    • study
    painting + noun
    • style
    • technique
    phrases
    • painting and decorating
    See full entry
See painting in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee painting in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
dizzy
adjective
 
 
From the Topic
Health problems
C1
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day