e-painting [also known as photo-painting; photo-painture; or photogemaelde ]: means

a) an artistic image created from a photograph template, often taken from an artwork originally created in another medium, such as oil, acrylic, watercolour, etc.; or

b) a work of art created electronically (digital painting) from a blank page using a paint software programme without a photographic template

and each e-painting shows a variance to the others in the series, making it unique.

The artist uses a s/w programme (mouse or digital pen)to electronically (digitally) paint over, manipulate, or artistically render by hand a photographic image template or new blank page template to digitally create a work of art that incorporates stylistically the characteristics of a painting that could have been created with other established traditional methods.

The convention determining a true e-painting is: a hand-signed and limited number edition of 00-09 (maximum) giclée prints on canvas issued by the artist (with 00 being the artist's proof) as varying one-off versions. Such individually rendered prints may also be partially overpainted in oil or acrylics or other media to accent aspects. The imposition of constraints is necessary to give artistic unity and definition to a composition and its use.

Photopainting such a creation in a digital mode is an original art form on par with classical art forms of painting and photography. The e-painting represents an original work of art in itself and draws on both artforms photographie and painting and the custom of limited edition prints.

An e-painting may have been derived from or inspired by another original work. There are many classical precedents of variations on a theme or even copies in a different mode and style (Picasso for example in Les Demoiselles d'Avignon)

Digital painting is an emerging artform in which traditional painting techniques such as watercolor, oils, impasto, etc. are applied using digital tools by means of a computer, a digitizing tablet and stylus, and software. Digital painting differs from other forms of digital art and computer-generated art, in particular, in that it does not involve the computer rendering from a model. The artist uses painting techniques to create the digital painting directly on the computer.

The main difference between digital and traditional painting is the non-linear process. That is, an artist can often arrange their painting in layers that can be edited independently. Also, the ability to undo and redo strokes frees the artist from a linear process. But digital painting is limited in how it employs the techniques and study of a traditional painter because of the surface differences and lack of physicality. The digital artist has at their disposal several tools not available to the traditional painter. Some of these include: a virtual palette consisting of millions of colors, almost any size canvas or media, the ability to take back mistakes, erasures, pencils, spray cans, brushes, combs, and a variety of 2D and 3D effect tools. A graphics tablet allows the artist to have very precise hand movement simulating a real pen and drawing surface.

Digital painting thrives mostly in production art. It's most widely used in conceptual design for film, television and video games. Digital painting software such as Corel Painter, Studio Artist, Adobe Photoshop, Jasc Paint Shop Pro, ArtRage, Project Dogwaffle and openCanvas give artists a similar environment to a physical painter: a canvas, painting tools, mixing palettes, and a multitude of color options. There are various types of digital painting, including impressionism, realism, and watercolor.