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The Sims 3 Painting Guide - Become a Master Painter/Artist
This Sims 3 Guide was originally written for the PC and Mac versions of the game, but also will help owners of the console versions - PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. Please remember some info or numbers may have changed.
I think the Painting skill might be my favorite in the Sims 3. It's very easy to make money and become ultra-rich. In writing my Not-So-Starving Artist Guide, I learned a lot about this skill and what it takes to make great paintings. Painting is used heavily in the Immortal Dynasty Challenge.
Unfortunately, there is not much to say about the Skill as all three of the challenges associated with it can be completed by simply painting. There are some tips that can help you along the way though, and I'll provide them here.
Painting Skill Self-Employment Table
The Sims 3 Ambitions brought us the ability to
label Sims self-employed in any of the money-making professions. To register as self-employed, simply
gain a level in the skill and head to city hall. Here are the levels for this skill:
| Level | Job Rank | Needed to Level | Bonus |
| 1 | Paint Splasher | $50 | - |
| 2 | Canvas Cretin | $75 | - |
| 3 | Finger Painter | $250 | - |
| 4 | Paintbrush Patsy | $750 | - |
| 5 | Avante Garde Poseur | $1000 | $500 |
| 6 | Art Gallery Rookie | $2500 | - |
| 7 | Illustrious Illustrator | $5000 | $1500 |
| 8 | Prestigious Painter | $10000 | - |
| 9 | Acrylic Ace | 25000 | $2500 |
| 10 | Master of the Brush | Max | $5000 |
Painting Class
Your Sims can take a class in the painting skill at the school in town. Taking a class will raise the skill to the first level much faster than simply using the practice painting action. It's only $400.
Toddler Painting Skill
Toddlers have several parenting books that can be read to them to raise their Painting.
Efficiently raising the skill
You will definitely want to take the Artistic trait if you really want to learn to paint more quickly. Keep your Sim's mood up to raise painting faster. Actually, this applies to all skills in the Sims 3.
To help with keeping your Sim's mood up while painting, once you have enough money for some decorative items, make them a priority. The well decorated moodlet can really help to keep your Sim's mood in positive territory so the skill goes up faster, and they make better paintings.
Invest a little bit of time in the repair skill so that your Sims have less distractions. Achieve this by upgrading your kitchen and bathroom equipment to self-cleaning and/or unbreakable. Once you have the plumber challenge done, your plumbing should never break again.
Mastering Painting in the Sims 3
To assist your Sim in making more money, and raising the skill faster, I recommend painting many small paintings at first. This will help you to complete the Brushmaster painting challenge faster, which causes your Sim to paint more quickly. They'll be able to churn out at least two Large paintings a day with a good mood.
Completion of all three challenges results in faster, far superior paintings. Save up for the Extra Creative lifetime reward, which will send your paintings' quality into the stratosphere. My record thus far is just over 5,000 for one painting, and my Sim can do two in one day.
To increase the likelihood of masterpieces, and boost the overall quality and value of all your art, keep your Sim's mood through the roof. Trips to the day spa will help here. Spend the money on the packages that boost your Sim's mood for an entire week. This is an investment that grants great returns. A happy Sim does everything better.
If you want to get really hardcore about making money with painting, consider taking abilities like steel bladder. You can spend even more time painting. Your Sim will have a great retirement if you save up throughout his lifetime, and buy plenty of luxuries.
Painting Opportunities: There are many painting opportunities, and I won't list them all here. Several ask you to deliver a painting to a person. Sometimes it's easier to invite the recipient to your house, when you need to have it in your inventory. Several others ask you to deliver paintings for a hefty sum of money.
When you are given a painting opportunity to deliver X paintings, try to make them the best you can. Since you get an increase over the value of any painting turned in for such opportunities, the more valuable the paintings, the more money your Sim will make from it. These can be some of the best money-making opportunities in the Sims 3.
An interesting opportunity that may present itself has your Sim painting a fresco. If you see this opportunity, definitely do it as it's easy and boosts the value of all your Sim's future paintings. This really helps with wishes like the one to make a painting worth at least $5,000.
| Athletic | Charisma | Collecting | Cooking | Fishing | Gardening | Guitar |
| Handiness | Instruments | Inventing | Logic | Martial Arts | Mixology | Nectar Making |
| Painting | Photography | Riding | Sculpting | Writing | ||
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