Do We Create a Painting or Construct One?

Did I Create or Construct
This Painting?

I am trying to figure out where to draw the line or even if there is a line.

I'm talking about the line in painting between art and craft. I have been wondering about this for a while now. Of course, almost all painters would say painting is an art except maybe for those crafters  or hobbiests on the other end of the spectrum.

But I'm not talking about crafters who use paint for covering all kinds of pieces loosely described as art.

I am talking about a line of demarcation with truly creating a painting on one side as opposed to constructing a painting on the other.

You may not have ever even thought about this, but I have been thinking about it for a while--ever since I started learning about how painters paint a picture. After several years of reading and studying painters and their methods and watching videos and demonstrations, I know there is no right or wrong way to paint a picture.

I'll try to explain what I'm talking about.

By creating a painting, I mean the ability to select or design a motif and rather freely render it with only your own eyes and hands. I mean the ability to draw or sketch the main elements and then paint them directly with correct value and mixed colors, evaluating and making changes as you proceed.

What I call constructing a painting is using a prescribed method for building a painting. It can be as exacting as a certain way to transfer a drawing (trace, projection, etc.) to deliberately masking areas (in the case of watercolor) or following a precise method of painting a line or shape rather than creatively rendering the painting as you go.

I know there probably is overlap between the two, perhaps, rather than a strict line. Maybe it's a fine line, but still I wonder which side of that line I should be on.

Keep On Painting