An artist is someone who creates works of art: paintings, sculptures, drawings, music, architecture, writing, and others, meant to be beautiful, meaningful, or thought-provoking. Often, the word is used specifically to mean visual artists who create things that people are meant to experience with their eyes.

Some artists paint realistic portraits that look almost like photographs, while others create abstract works using shapes and colors that capture feelings rather than recognizable objects. Leonardo da Vinci was an artist who painted the Mona Lisa. Georgia O'Keeffe was an artist known for her bold paintings of flowers and desert landscapes. Your friend who fills sketchbooks with detailed drawings of dragons or superheroes is an artist too.

The word can also describe anyone who does creative work with exceptional skill and imagination. A chef might be called an artist in the kitchen when they arrange food beautifully on a plate. Someone who writes computer code might approach programming like an artist, finding elegant solutions to complex problems. When we say someone is an artist at something, we mean they do it with creativity and mastery that goes beyond simply getting the job done. They bring something special to their work that makes others stop and appreciate it.