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Painting is a skill in The Sims 3. The skill is augmented by the Artistic trait, and the Extra Creative lifetime reward. Prior to The Sims 3, painting skill was part of a broader "creativity" skill which was also earned through playing instruments, writing novels, or using certain reward objects.

Sims can learn to paint by using the easel, drafting table, or sketchbook. They can also take a class at the school or college of art. If The Sims 3: Ambitions is installed, Sims can register as a self-employed Painter. As Sims advance in the Painting skill, the quality of the paintings also get better. There are 158 paintings available to paint. Each painting has minimum and maximum skill caps — Sims with low Painting skill cannot make a high-level painting, and vice versa. This means that once the Sim has advanced in the skill, they will no longer be able to paint unique low-level paintings. The value of the paintings varies, depending on many factors, including skill level, canvas size, painting quality, and the number of paintings a Sim has painted.