painterly
adjective
paint·er·ly
ˈpān-tər-lē 
2
: suggestive or characteristic of a painting or of the art of painting
painterly photography
especially
: marked by an openness of form which is not linear and in which sharp outlines are lacking
painterly brushwork
painterliness
noun
Examples of painterly in a Sentence
He has a painterly eye.
a painterly picture of the sea
Recent Examples on the Web
Inspired by her graphic use of embellishment and appliqués, Smith began beading, swapping his signature painterly fabric daubs with vintage glass bead embroidery.
—
Violet Goldstone, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
Shinomiya’s sensibility — steeped in painterly craft and handmade ideosycracy, resistant to digital smoothness — lends the film a tactile quality that mirrors its thematic preoccupation with craftsmanship, ritual and reverence for the old ways.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
Baptiste Van Opstal, Jeff Budsberg, Michael Losure, John Lanz and Eszter Offertaler are being recognized for DreamWorks Animation’s stylized animation toolset, a suite of tools that allows for painterly effects and diverse art styles.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The color palette is pleasing, sure — a pastel, occasionally painterly array of lime greens, blues, and yellows.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painterly
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Violet Goldstone, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026
Shinomiya’s sensibility — steeped in painterly craft and handmade ideosycracy, resistant to digital smoothness — lends the film a tactile quality that mirrors its thematic preoccupation with craftsmanship, ritual and reverence for the old ways.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
Baptiste Van Opstal, Jeff Budsberg, Michael Losure, John Lanz and Eszter Offertaler are being recognized for DreamWorks Animation’s stylized animation toolset, a suite of tools that allows for painterly effects and diverse art styles.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The color palette is pleasing, sure — a pastel, occasionally painterly array of lime greens, blues, and yellows.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painterly
Cite this Entry
“Painterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painterly. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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