How to Make a Painting in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft a painting with 8 sticks around 1 wool of any color on a crafting table. The wool color does not matter: the picture is chosen at random from all the paintings that fit the space where you place it.

What you need

1 wool (any color)
8 sticks

Step by step

Get 1 wool from a sheep (shear it or kill it) of any color.
Craft 8 sticks from planks.
Open a crafting table.
Place the wool in the center slot.
Surround it with 8 sticks, filling every other slot.
Take the painting and place it on a wall; break and replace it to cycle through random pictures until you get one you like.

Java vs Bedrock

The painting recipe is identical in Java and Bedrock, and any wool color gives the same random result. The placed picture depends on the free space behind it: a painting can cover up to 4x4 blocks, so clearing a large flat wall lets the biggest pictures appear. Builders hide doors behind paintings because players can walk straight through them. Some special 2x2 paintings are only obtainable with commands or Creative.

Versions: javabedrock

Frequently asked questions

How do you get a specific painting in Minecraft?

The picture is random but limited by the wall space: block off the exact area of the size you want (for example 2x1 or 4x3) so only paintings of that size can appear, then break and replace until the one you want shows up.

Can you walk through a painting?

Yes. Paintings are non-solid entities, so players and mobs pass through them. A painting over a hidden doorway is a classic secret-entrance trick.

Does wool color change the painting?

No. Any wool color works and has no effect on which picture appears; that was a common myth from the early versions.