Theatrical scenic painting is a wide-ranging craft, encompassing virtually the entire compass of painting techniques and oftentimes reaching far beyond. To be a well-rounded scenic artist, one must have experience in landscape painting, trompe l'oeil, portraiture, and faux finishing, to be versatile in many different media (such as acrylic-, oil-, and tempera- based paint), and be an accomplished gilder, plasterer, and sculptor; in addition one is often expected to make the finished product fire-proof , and to work quickly and within a tight budget.

Traditionally, scenic painters are drawn from the ranks of scenic designers, and in many cases designers paint their own works. But increasingly scenic painting is looked upon as a separate craft, and scenic painters are expected to subordinate their artistic ideals to those of the designer. Usually, the designer submits a set of 'color elevations', or paintings, to the painter, who is then expected to paint the scenery to match. Alternatively, the designer may submit a scale model or photograph to the painter, sometimes accompanied by a full scale paint sample.

The actual craft of the scenic artist is far too varied and complex to be covered here; for an overview of the skills and methods involved, see painting.