Familiar term for a person who paints or draws as a hobby or profession. Often used for children or in casual contexts.
He says he wants to become a painter in the future.
She is a famous painter.
When I was a child, I wanted to become an artist.
The children were playing by drawing pictures in the yard.
絵師 is a slightly literary or historical/otaku-culture term for an artist, while 絵描き is the everyday casual word.
絵描き (えかき) means 'painter' or 'drawing a picture', while 絵解き (えとき) means 'explaining a picture or unraveling a mystery' — the two are easily confused because of their nearly identical sound and shared kanji.
drawing; painting · doodling; sketching
Most common kanji spelling for 'painter' or 'drawing pictures'.
Common mixed kana-kanji spelling.
Rarely used kanji form.
Abbreviated kanji form; less common.
Compound of 絵 (e, 'picture') and 描き (kaki, the continuative form of 描く 'to draw'). The spelling 絵描き is the most common representation.