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We’ve had easels in The Sims since the original Sims 1, but now, inThe Sims 4, Painting is a skill all its own, and not only that, it’s one of the more lucrative in the game. Though there’s the startup cost of buying canvases, the most musing of Sims can create masterpieces in no time.
But with a few different styles of paintings that unlock as you progress through the Painting skill in The Sims 4, each bringing in a different number of Simoleons regardless of their size, it helps to know which of the paintings are worth it.
Painting Skill Overview
One of the earliest skills in The Sims series, thePainting skillin The Sims 4 feels fuller than ever.
To get started, you’ll need aneasel, which can be found in theActivities and Skillstab of Build/Buy mode.
Once placed, your Sim can begin creatingdifferent art stylesin their work, craftingthree different sizesof canvases along the way.
Like withreal art, you will need tobuy canvasesto get started with the Painting skill, which can be done each time your Sim goes to paint.
Different Styles Sell For More Money
While you do need to pay varying amounts of Simoleons for these canvases,different-sized paintingssell for different amounts of Simoleons.
Larger paintings, even if the artwork and quality is the same, sell for more Simoleons than smaller ones.
As your Sim levels the Painting skill in The Sims 4, theyunlock new art stylesthey can begin to experiment with.
In general,styles learned at higher skill levels sell for the most Simoleons.
And when selling paintings in The Sims 4, if you’re playing with theGet Famousexpansion pack, your Sim stands togain fameby selling paintings.
Create Mood Paintings
Any time your Sim is in avariety of moods, they can interact with their easel toCreate Emotional Paintings.
Thesecost 100 Simoleonsto begin and do require thatyour Sim stays in that moodto finish, but once complete, these works of art can come in handy.
Moods that can be imbued into paintings include:
Byenabling the emotional auraof these emotional paintings, you’re able to immediatelygive off the vibe of certain emotionsjust by displaying these works.
You don’t have to use the emotional aura of a paintingif you just like the artwork but don’t want to give off that mood.
To remove this, you can click the painting and chooseDisable Emotional Aura.
Helpful Traits And Aspirations
It should go without saying that theCreative traitis one of the best choices to give an aspiring painter in The Sims 4.
Since you’ll want tobe Inspired while paintingto increase skill gain and increase your likelihood ofpainting a masterpiece, the Creative trait allowing Sims to naturally feel Inspired is a huge help.
In the same vein, theArt Lovertraithelps Sims to feel Inspired whenadmiring artwork- even their own.
Finally, if you’re comfortable performing under pressure, thePerfectionisttraitincreases the likehood that your Sim creates higher-quality paintings, at the risk of negative moodlets when producing lower-quality work.
As foraspirations, you may want to look to thePainter Extraordinaire aspiration.
With a bulk amount ofSatisfaction Pointsfor progressing through the Painting skill in The Sims 4, you’ll find your Sim most interested in creating art.
Once they’vefinished the aspiration, which involves mastering the Painting skill, they’ll unlock theExpressionistic trait, which allows them to make emotional artwork no matter their actual mood.
The Painter Career
While not strictly necessary, artistically inclined Sims may find joy in joining thePainter career, which offerstwo branchesand a number of options for each.
Overall, you’ll need to decide between becoming anartist yourselfor simply acollector of artinstead.
Each branch unlocks different easels, which both offer better painting quality than the base game easel that remains your only option without joining the Painter career.
Every Level Of The Painting Skill
In the table below, we’ve tracked all unlocks in the Painting skill in The Sims 4.
The majority of your unlocks here are based onlearning new art stylesto use when creating paintings.
Unlocks and Perks
1
2
Discuss Color Theorysocial with other Sims may make your Sim feel Inspired.
3
Unlocks thePop Art style, which arelow-qualityat this level.
Unlocks thePaint from Referenceoption to allow Sims to paint their immediate surroundings, which you’ll capture via a camera.
4
Unlocks theRealism and Abstract styles, both of which will below-quality.
5
Unlocks theSurrealism and Impressionism styles, both of which will below-quality.
6
This Sim now producesmedium-quality Realism and Abstract paintings.
7
This Sim now producesmedium-quality Surrealism and Impressionism paintings.
8
This Sim now produceshigh-quality Realism and Abstract paintings.
9
This Sim now produceshigh-quality Surrealism and Impressionism paintings.
This Sim canmentor other Simsin the Painting skill.
This Sim has much higher odds of painting masterpieces.
Since you’ll be practicing quite a lot to improve the Painting skill in The Sims 4, selling your artwork along the way is a great way to earn a good number of Simoleons!
