painterly

adjective

paint·​er·​ly ˈpān-tər-lē 

1

: of, relating to, or typical of a painter : artistic

painterly attention to detail

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

This tote combines both, with a painterly plaid in golden-hour hues and asymmetrical frills. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 31 May 2026

Harrison still evokes painterly fugues of light and pungent smells, but they’re offset by a growing bleakness, and there’s less humor. — Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Just a mile offshore, Isla Mujeres, the small island off Cancún, appears on the horizon like a painterly brushstroke. — Mike Albo, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026

Look no further than artist Rebecca Atwood’s textiles, which bring a painterly approach to drapery, upholstery, and more. — Alyssa Longobucco, Architectural Digest, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1