The Drakensberg in South Africa, the Northern Territory in Australia, and the Lascaux paintings in France are just some of the places where you can find paintings dating back tens of thousands of years. To preserve cultural history associated with those areas, some of these sites have become designated world heritage sites. Painting is the application of paint, usually on a two-dimensional surface.

Different cultures all over the world developed different styles as well, such as Pop Art in the USA in the mid-20th century. Some of the most famous painters include Jackson Pollock from the USA, and Katsushika Hokusai from Japan, and they are all examples of artists.