Painting is one of the oldest art forms, dating back thousands of years. It can express all sorts of feelings from joyousness to sorrowfulness.

There are various styles and techniques of painting. Here, we will take a closer look at some of the more popular ones.

Portrait painters

Before the advent of photography, portraiture was often the only means of remembering someone special. These works of art often served to record more than just someone’s face: they also conveyed wealth, power, virtue, beauty and learning.

Early Netherlandish painters brought more realism into portraiture through their use of oil paints, which allowed for finer brush strokes and more detailed effects. Furthermore, they highlighted items owned by their subjects as indicators of social status such as ceremonial attire or wooden slippers.

Prior to photography’s rise, portrait painting was Western Europe’s premier art form. Professional artist Frank Slater attempts to make portraiture more accessible for readers through his book Practical Portrait Painting; taking readers on a brief history lesson about what sets great portrait artists apart.

Landscape painters

Landscape painters depict scenes of nature such as rivers, seas, mountains and forests on canvas using oils or acrylic paints. Their paintings usually capture the beauty of this type of scenery either realism or their imagination. Look out for the best painter Melbourne.

Landscape paintings have long been used as backgrounds for portraiture or other subjects. The 18th century saw the emergence of an advanced system of graphical perspective that made painting larger landscapes with relative precision possible.

The 19th century saw the emergence of two distinct school of painting styles: American Hudson River School (which praised an uncharted but stunning part of America), while romanticism gave way to more realistic approaches such as those taken by John Constable of England or Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot of France from Barbizon School.

Mural painters

Mural painting is a form of visual art created directly on walls. Murals have long been used as an expressive medium for various themes ranging from depictions of everyday activities among civilization’s citizens to religious or funerary scenes.

Mural artists utilize various paints and special tools to produce the finished work of art on surfaces. Additionally, depending on its location they may apply a primer or sealer before beginning their painting session.

Mural painters often begin their careers by working as assistants to another professional muralist, helping to develop their portfolio and gain experience with different painting techniques. Some also take college courses that address composition, proportion and other aspects of painting.

Photorealistic painters

Photorealistic painters take photographs as inspiration when creating their paintings, often recreating them on large canvases. They typically apply oil or acrylic paint with either air-brushing or painting techniques in order to replicate a photograph’s look and feel; small watercolor studies of images may also be created before embarking on more intensely detailed productions such as photorealism paintings.

Photorealism, which emerged during the late 1960s as an antidote to Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism, is an art style known for its non-representational art style and precise depictions of real world objects with incredible attention to detail. Photorealist artists are well known for their extraordinary technical skill in depicting such real world objects with accurate depiction; American artist Richard Estes is renowned for creating stunning landscape paintings of New York City that boast reflective surfaces such as his brilliant New York City landscape paintings featuring glossy surfaces – such as his paintings of New York City landscapes with shimmering surfaces depicted so vividly by photorealist artists like himself.

Abstract painters

Abstract painting styles offer you a chance to express yourself freely without following strict rules, offering endless creative freedom. Focusing on colors, composition, and emotion rather than realistic or representational depictions – as made famous by artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and Jackson Pollock among many others – abstract painting may just be your calling.

Kandinsky is widely recognized for pioneering Abstract Art and believing emotion was at the core of his artworks. Known for his geometric patterns, he greatly influenced other leading Abstract artists like Kazimir Malevich.

Helen Frankenthaler was another famous abstract artist. She had an impactful influence on fellow painters with her Soak Stain technique of pouring diluted paint directly over untreated canvas and allowing it to soak through, creating vibrant floods of color that gave off striking visuals.