"Painter Man" is a song written by British singer Kenny Pickett and guitarist Eddie Phillips, and first recorded by their group the Creation.

A few weeks after the group released "Making Time", the first major line-up change occurred when drummer Jack Jones was terminated, being replaced by Dave Preston, a friend of bassist Bob Garner who Pickett believed to be phenomenal.

[1][2] His first scheduled gig with the Creation was on a tour with the Walker Brothers, after which it was revealed after only a few select weeks that his drumming wasn't to the standard Pickett had hoped for.

It was great for the song.”[6] According to the pop magazine Beat Instrumental, "Painter Man" was written by the duo as a response to their stage act, which involved Pickett painting a canvas during song numbers,[7][8] occasionally burning it.

[14] Musically, the song has a less raunchy sound than "Making Time" and is softer, but still features Phillips in one of the earliest recorded bowed guitar parts, which prevails throughout the entire composition.

[17] Together with producer Shel Talmy who had signed and recorded them, they cut two songs that day, "Painter Man" and what would eventually become its B-side, "Biff, Bang, Pow".

[20] Writing for Disc & Music Echo, Penny Valentine states that she thought the song had a great "looning-about atmosphere" and drew parallels to records by both the Beatles and the Who.

[15] Doug Collette of Glide Magazine writes that song is instantly recognizable due to the vocal harmonies and energetic rhythm section.

"[27] AllMusic critic Bruce Eder called the track a "cheerfully trippy pop anthem",[28] while Richie Unterberger wrote that the song was elevated because of its musical arrangement,[29] noting its similarity with records by the Who,[29] while also suggesting that Phillips attempted to play his guitar "like it's a classical violin".

[40] Although it became the first Creation song to enter the top-ten in any form, it was not successful by Boney M.'s standards, as both "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord", which had been released before, and "Hooray!

[40]AllMusic critic Donald A. Guarisco wrote that Boney M.'s rendition of "Painter Man" had "distorted hard rock guitar riffs" that contrasted to the beat of the song.

But it was good, it was quite exciting really.”[30] In an interview with Creation Records, Phillips claimed he has been able to live comfortably with the royalties from Boney M.'s version of the song, stating that it sold seven million copies.