Visual arts are a class of art forms focusing on the creation of works which are primarily visual in nature, such as painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, and filmmaking. Those that involve three-dimensional objects, such as sculpture and architecture, are more narrowly referred to as plastic arts.

The visual arts are distinguished from the performing arts, language arts, culinary arts and other such classes of artwork, but those boundaries are not rigid. Many artistic endeavors combine aspects of visual arts with one or more non-visual art forms, such as music or spoken word.

The current use of the term "visual arts" includes fine arts as well as crafts, but this was not always the case. Prior to the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain and elsewhere at the turn of the 20th century, "visual artist" referred to a person working in the fine arts (such as painting, sculpture, or printmaking) and not the handicraft, craft, or applied art disciplines.

The scope of study and appreciation of visual arts spans the globe, and reaches through time back to people drawing on stone walls. All societies have embellished their tools and toys with more visual interest than is functionally necessary.

Art, in its broadest meaning, is the physical expression of creativity or imagination. The word art comes from the Latin ars, which, loosely translated, means "arrangement". Art is commonly understood as the act of making works (or artworks) which use the human creative impulse and which have meaning beyond simple description. 'Art' is often distinguished from crafts and recreational hobby activities. The term creative arts denotes a collection of disciplines whose principal purpose is the output of material for the viewer or audience to interpret. As such, 'art' may be taken to include forms as diverse as prose writing, poetry, dance, acting or drama, music, sculpture, photography, illustration, architecture, and painting. Art may also be understood as relating to creativity, æsthetics and the generation of emotion.