117 Best Words That Describe Artists: Adjectives, Styles, etc (Curated & Ranked)

Artist's brushes and paints

It’s estimated that around 53% of American adults create or perform some type of art, ranging from dance to painting to sculpture.[1]

Art is more than just a form of expression — it’s an important part of human history.

Studying art can teach us how people saw the world during their time, and creating art leaves our mark to show future generations about the world as we’ve lived it.[2]

Words to describe artists fall into a few categories: artistic styles and forms, personal characteristics, and general adjectives.

We’ve broken our list into categories to help you find the best descriptors for your needs.

Adjectives

  1. Up
    9
    Down
    ::

    Visionary

  2. Up
    7
    Down
    ::

    Inventive

  3. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Poetic

  4. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Crafty

  5. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Reclusive

  6. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Accomplished

  7. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Prolific

  8. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Authentic

  9. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Imaginative

  10. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Unconventional

  11. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Creative

  12. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Productive

  13. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Daring

  14. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Original

  15. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Elegant

  16. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Graceful

  17. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Dramatic

  18. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Clever

  19. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Sophisticated

  20. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Sensitive

  21. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Skilled

  22. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Cool

  23. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Masterly

  24. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Inspired

  25. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Talented

  26. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Gifted

  27. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Adroit

  28. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Innovative

  29. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Brilliant

  30. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Avant-garde

  31. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Intelligent

  32. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Amateur

  33. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Dedicated

  34. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Thoughtful

  35. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Controversial

  36. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Cultured

  37. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Acclaimed

  38. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Refined

  39. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Perseverant

  40. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Mysterious

  41. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Stylish

  42. Up
    -6
    Down
    ::

    Tasteful

Personal Traits

  1. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Passionate

    strongly invested in their art

  2. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Open-minded

    receptive to new and unfamiliar ideas

  3. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Stubborn

    decisive and determined

  4. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Evolving

    growing and changing as they progress in their artistic practice

  5. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Critical

    able to analyze and assess their own art and the work of others

  6. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Entrepreneurial

    willing to take risks and be in control of their own artistic career

  7. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Curious

    open to learning and trying new things

  8. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Enterprising

    resourceful and showing initiative

  9. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Disciplined

    able to dedicate themselves to their artistic work

  10. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Independent

    free-thinking and not easily influenced by the opinions of others

  11. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Perfectionist

    expecting the best from themselves and their art

  12. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Self-assured

    confident in their artistic abilities and vision

  13. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Impulsive

    following their creative instincts

  14. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Humble

    modest; always striving to improve

  15. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Contemplative

    thoughtful and reflective toward the world and their own art

  16. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Serious

    sincere and earnest in their pursuit of creativity

Artistic Styles

  1. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Abstract

    doesn’t represent reality but focuses on shapes, forms, colors, and textures

  2. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Figurativism

    references real-world objects and the human figure

  3. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Surrealist

    takes inspiration from the real world but incorporates strange, unconventional, or magical elements

  4. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Futurist

    focused on technical progress, machines, energy, and change

  5. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Pop

    inspired by popular culture and mass media

  6. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Expressionist

    focused on an emotional response rather than objective reality

  7. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Portrait

    art that depicts a particular person

  8. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Cubist

    reduces natural forms to geometric equivalents

  9. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Impressionist

    art created with small, visible brushstrokes that capture light, color, and atmosphere rather than realistic forms

  10. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Precisionist

    focuses on sharp, defined geometric shapes, usually depicting urban landscapes

  11. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Dada

    an artistic movement focused on absurdity and satire; emerged in response to World War I

  12. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Still life

    depictions of non-moving objects

  13. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Typographic

    visual art involving letters and words

  14. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Post-impressionist

    derived from impressionism, but using vivid colors, thick paint, and geometric compositions

  15. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Naturalist

    depicting real-world objects in their natural setting

  16. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Deco

    focuses on simple, symmetrical, and geometric designs

  17. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Fauvist

    early 20th-century art defined by pure colors and aggressive brush strokes

  18. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Rococo

    light-hearted subjects depicted in a soft, curvy style

  19. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Neoclassical

    modern-but-traditional art taking inspiration from ancient Greece and Rome

  20. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Nouveau

    a highly ornamental style that incorporates elements from the natural world, such as curving lines and plants

  21. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Baroque

    a dramatic and exaggerated style that appeals to the viewer’s emotions

  22. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Neo-impressionist

    takes inspiration from impressionism but uses the more precise painting technique of pointillism

  23. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Modern

    innovative and experimental art that rejects tradition

  24. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Classical

    created during the classical period (generally by ancient Greeks and Romans)

  25. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Suprematist

    early 20th-century movement focusing on fundamental geographic shapes like circles, squares, and rectangles

  26. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Conceptual

    prioritizes the artist’s concept over the artworks appearance and technical execution

  27. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Urban

    created by artists living in cities and depicting city life

  28. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Romanticism

    inspired by human psychology, personal emotions, imagination, spirituality, and the natural world

  29. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Contemporary

    the “art of today” — art produced in the late 20th and early 21st centuries

  30. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Bauhaus

    German artistic movement focusing on simple, rational, and functional designs

  31. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Folk

    utilitarian or decorative works that express a community’s traditions and cultural life; can include everyday items like quilts and baskets as well as visual art like paintings

  32. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Constructivist

    industrial art using simple, geometric forms and modest materials

  33. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Postmodern

    created to contradict traditional artistic values; experiments with form and medium to show that any object can become art

  34. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Stuckist

    a reaction to postmodern art, attempting to “remodernise” art through a focus on figurative painting

  35. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Photorealist

    art that attempts to reproduce images of people and objects as realistically as possible

  36. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Geometric

    art that focuses on straight lines and shapes rather than realistically portraying objects and people

  37. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Naive

    simple and unsophisticated art that ignores formal techniques and principles

  38. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Experimental

    art that explores new and unconventional ideas, techniques, materials, and technologies

  39. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Minimalist

    art that does not attempt to represent reality, instead focusing on essential elements like colors and shapes

  40. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Hyperrealist

    paintings and sculptures created to resemble high-resolution photographs; an extension of photorealism

  41. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Maximalist

    a reaction to minimalist art that follows the philosophy “more is more”; uses bold colors, patterns, textures, and materials to create representations of excess

  42. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Renaissance

    art produced in 14th-, 15th-, and 16th-century Europe; defined by the revival of classical techniques and a focus on the subjects of humanity and nature

  43. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Whimsical

    a playful, vibrant, childlike style depicting fairytale-like scenes; sometimes considered the bright and fun counterpart to surrealism

  44. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Digital

    defined by the use of software, computers, and electronic devices in its creation

  45. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Mixed-media

    artwork made from a combination of materials; for example, a sculpture made from clay and glass or a collage made from paper, fabric, and paint

Artistic Forms and Mediums

  1. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Sculptor

  2. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Musician

  3. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Painter

  4. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Filmmaker

  5. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Performer

    includes theatrical performers and those who practice public performance art

  6. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Photographer

  7. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Designer

    includes fields like fashion design, interior design, and graphic design

  8. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Printmaker

    includes techniques like woodcutting, lithography, engraving, etc.

  9. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Illustrator

  10. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Ceramist

    makes works of art from clay or porcelain

  11. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Architect

  12. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Calligrapher

    makes visual art through decorative handwriting and lettering

  13. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Installation artist

    creates large-scale, mixed-media art for display in a specific indoor or outdoor space

  14. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Writer

Activity: Understanding Artistic Styles

While we’ve provided definitions for each of the artistic styles in our list above, you might want to find out more about each of these styles and see them in action.

We’ve created this activity to help you find more information and gain a deeper understanding of each artistic style!

Begin by using your favorite search engine to look up the following artists:

  1. Antoine Watteau
  2. Claudio Bravo
  3. Georges Braque
  4. Henri Matisse
  5. Raphael
  6. Rene Magritte
  7. Piet Mondrian
  8. Hannah Hoch
  9. Caravaggio
  10. Louis Wain

You should easily find examples of their work by running an image search, viewing the artist’s official website, or viewing a museum’s website.

While we’ve only listed 10 artists, some worked in multiple styles throughout their careers. As you search (or once you’ve searched them all), try matching a few of each artist’s works to their style!

If you can’t figure out which style a particular artist’s work belongs to, find an online biography of that artist to find out more about when they worked and what defines their art.